With the back-to-school season upon us, this is a good time to go back to “wine” school and get down to basics; to go back to the root of your wine enthusiasm. Whether you drink wine for sport or edification, it always enriches the experience to get down to the roots. Going back to basics is always a good exercise, to not only enhance your experience, but to refresh the mind and awaken your palate to new experiences.

Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are two names for the same grape variety. Often the produced wines will exhibit very distinct characteristic differences, due to the winemaking styles and regional influences.

Would you rather have a bouquet of Rosés than Roses? The benefits to having the Rosés are: enjoying rosé from all around the world, they will not turn brown or wilt; they smell just as lovely as a rose, and at times have the same aroma; and you do not have to remember, or want, to add water! With summer in full swing, with porch and poolside sitting, picnics and outside dining, here is a half-dozen bouquets of Rosé’s for you to enjoy.

Nebbiolo! The “wine of kings, the king of wines,” from the region of Barolo. As any good monarch would tell you, a King must have a Queen. Nebbiolo, from the Barbaresco region, is the “queen of wines.” Both of these powerful wine regions champion Nebbiolo viticulture and winemaking. They are only 10 miles apart in the Piedmont region of Italy, which is like comparing Cotes de Nuits and Cotes de Beaune Pinot Noirs regions in Burgundy, France. What formulates the contrasting style is just subtle differences based on topography, soil, and rules