The top five myths about wine

1. Labels are meaningless or confusing (or both)
   The wine world can be divided, roughly, into the “old” world—most of the well-known western European wine-producing areas, and the “new” world—the rest of the world. The old world often names the wine after the region from where it comes, like France , and the new world generally names the wine after the grape, like California.
2. Red wine goes with red meat; white wine goes with white meat. Sure, this works sometimes, but consult our pairing section for tips on pairing that take seconds to read through.
3. Wine should be drunk at room temperature. We think that white wines are served a bit too cold and red wines are served a bit too warm. Fifty-five degrees is ideal. Try a one hour chill in the fridge to get there.
4. I can’t afford wine. Sure, a first-growth Bordeaux is out of the question for most of us. But there’s also nothing like that rare $12 bottle you find at the place up the street. It’s important to know that you can find a wine that costs far less than you might think. Our reviews showthat stunning wine can be affordable.
5. Corks or screwtops? Bottle or box? In our humble opinion, screwcaps are just fine (and a screwcap New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc will make your summer camping trip that much easier). Box wines can be fine. They keep for weeks and are great for a crowd.

Wine vs. Stocks

The Liv-Ex 100, a benchmark composed of collectible, mostly-Bordeaux wines, is up over 35% over the past year. The U.S. stock market (based on the S&P 500) is up 12% over the same time period.

Chinese demand for that Bordeaux has played a part, but wine is still not part of the the average person's investment universe.

Where will the wine market go? Will Americans keep drinking through the recession? Has your collection beat the market?

Martha Coakley lost the battle (against wine, that is)

If, like me, you've encountered the cynical shrug that tasting room staffers give you when you ask for wine to be shipped to Massachusetts, then the news is getting better.

You see, whatever your stance is on the drama-filled Senate race between Martha Coakley and Scott Brown, wine drinkers can celebrate the fact that Coakley just lost her battle against the right for Massachusetts residents to have wine shipped to their state.

Coakley appealed a court ruling that struck down the Massachusetts law that forbids direct wine shipment from producers who make more than 30,000 gallons a year. This means that whether you're enjoying a bottle in Tuscany, Bordeaux, or Barossa, you'd better guzzle it there, because you can't ship it home. And with ever-stricter airline security measures, it's increasingly tough to take it with you.

This does not mean that you can ship a case home from Napa during your vacation next week. Neither FedEx nor UPS will ship your wine to Massachusetts because other laws which also seem to violate the Commerce Clause still stand.

Open direct shipping will require legislative debate, further wrangling, and probably more "yeah, but.." workarounds that stand against consumer choice.

There's reason for optimism. Progress will be made, albeit slowly. Remember when you had to live near New Hampshire or wait until the holidays to buy alcohol on Sundays?

Or when Christmas was illegal in Massachusetts?

Where to buy wine in a recession

There's no question. Trader Joe's has the best prices around on inexpensive wine. If you live near one, lucky you. If you don't, take a road trip and stock up. They've got particularly-great deals on delicious Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and Sicilian Nero d'Avola .

The deals are so good, and we're there so much, we're going to start noting the wines we buy at Trader Joe's on our reviews page.

Wine investments that beat the stock market

First growth Bordeaux from the 1990 vintage does better as an investment than U.S. stocks. 1998 Penfold's Grange has roughly doubled in price. Should you send your broker to the nearest wine shop?

Wine, like stocks, is subject to the vagaries of the market. Positive comments from an analyst make a stock soar; a "99" from a wine expert makes a certain bottle almost impossible to find. Doing your homework helps, but you just never know.

And, unlike stocks, you're going to have to provide controlled storage and careful transportation for those precious bottles.

Wine for the Fourth of July

Pick up some inexpensive California Zinfandel to celebrate the holiday. This thoroughly American grape has its roots in another country (Italy), just like so many Americans. It's fruity and spicy--great with a burger or some baby back ribs.

Champagne, etc.

Americans tend to reserve Champagne for special occassions. But it's a perfect companion to food and warm weather. While sparkling wine can only legally called Champagne when it's from that region of France, you can find enjoyable, less expensive sparklers such as Prosecco, from Italy, and Cava from Spain.