A Tuscany alternative

Planning a trip to Italy this summer? Nervous about the crowds in Tuscany? Head for Umbria, east of Tuscany. Enjoy classic hilltowns like Spoleto and Gubbio without the huge crowds. And try their classic refreshing white, Orvieto, along with a plate of Umbria's handmade native pasta, stringozzi.

Corks and the environment

Turns out corks are the most environmentally-friendly way to seal wine. Cork trees can live for 200 years. The bark that gets stripped off of the trees to make the corks grows back (sustainable). Corks can be chopped up for mulch or made into a boat (recyclable). And unlike caps or rubber corks, they break down fairly easily (biodegradable).

Spring '08: What should I be drinking now?

Never thought you'd ask. Get a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (try an '06 Cono Sur and stay tuned to our reviews page for more) with your grilled fish.

How can you tell if your wine is skunked or just crappy?

There's a fine line, in my mind, between crappy and skunked. I've seen pros miss a skunked wine, and I've enjoyed wine that some other pro said was skunked. With plastic corks and screwtops, you really don't have to worry about skunking. But save the cork after you open your bottle. If' it's brittle, and the cork seems a bit more porous and or wet than it should be, and the wine just stinks, you've probably got a skunked bottle on your hands.