Wine

Bordeaux can be intimidating for new wine buyers, especially with its reputation for pricey bottles that require a decade (or several) of aging, not to mention a good cellar to age them in. That's why I've always liked the Right Bank wines of Pomerol, whose merlot-centric blends can be drunk in relative youth. Travel a bit north of the Barbanne stream, however, and you'll end-up in the lesser-known appellation of Lalande-de-Pomerol, where one can find a similar approach (if not quite the depth or finesse)

The enormousness that is the new Revel Atlantic City can be boiled down to numbers: 14 restaurants, 1,900 guest rooms, in a mega-casino towering 47 stories over the city's South Inlet section. But Revel's restaurant complement can be boiled down to two Philadelphia men who operate as Vibrant Development Group: Chuck Bragitikos and Jason Spillerman. More than five years ago, they met with Kevin DeSanctis, Revel's chief executive. DeSanctis told them that it not only had to be big, it had to be distinctive.

Revel, Revel, Revel . . . . That's all the noise one hears these days coming from the Jersey Shore - especially when it concerns new prospects for dining. Granted, the gleaming $2.4 billion tower of Atlantic City's latest casino resort is hard to miss. And with more than a dozen restaurant concepts involving some very big names, its spring debut has no doubt been the biggest food news to hit this casino town since the Borgata began A.C.'s high-end remake. Jose Garces should have Philadelphians' attention right off the bat with three restaurants: an outsize version of Amada with ocean views and flamenco; a jumbo Village Whiskey clone for gourmet burgers and booze; plus Nuevo Mex concept with a Distrito Cantina serving margaritas and a replica Guapo's Taco truck.

Time to put on airs Even the best wines need it I had the gang over for a tasting last week. The wine was some light summery white stuff that you'll read about here in a week or two. It was pretty easy to decode - simple fruit flavors and crisp acidity. Lots of fun but not very challenging. When we were done tasting, I felt I owed them something, some wine that was worthy of their efforts, that told them how much I care. So I pulled something from the cellar, a bottle that had gotten some very nice reviews in the wine press.

Yeah, but is it wine? I'm enjoying a glass of Bordeaux with my friend the chef. Actually, enjoying is too frivolous a word. He is silent, eyes closed, leaning back in his chair, lower lip pulled in, head tilted slightly back to heaven. I am gaping off into the distance while the flavors bounce around from my tongue to my brain. The wine has layers and layers of taste and aroma. Deep and rich, it goes on forever. My wife walks by. She has seen this tableau before, so she doesn't bother to check either of us for a pulse.

There are few miracle gadgets in the food world that actually work, but Vinturi's clever wine aerator is a notable exception. Just pour the wine through the stylish lucite funnel, listen to the gurgle as tiny holes infuse the vino with a speed-breathing equivalent of an hour in a decanter, and sip. The results can be startlingly clear - especially in a more rustic bottle, where the rough edges seem to be polished down, the fruit aromas become more...

Don't you wish your grandfather made wine in the basement? Wouldn't you like to have the kind of close-knit neighborhood where people dropped by with a plate of lasagna, or you knew the person who baked your bread - and the one who made your wine? Fortunately, for all of the part-time, wannabe Italians, there's a chance to get in on the fun and the food of an urban, Italian-American neighborhood. It's called the Vendemmia - "Italy in the Park" - and this year marks the festival's 6th annual celebration of the grape harvest in South Philly.

Direct from a 26-part television series of the same name comes The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine (William Morrow, $16.95), written by the show's host, Jeff Smith. Smith's new book is the companion piece to the series and features more than 300 recipes, many of which do not actually use wine. The book is also filled with a number of practical kitchen hints, from how to use wine as a tenderizer to making a roux without butter. Smith offers advice on how to buy wines and how to conduct wine-tastings.

There was a time, maybe 30 or 40 years ago, before the wine revival was in full swing, when a few brave souls sampled beyond the edges of the ordinary. Hard as it is to believe now, cream sherry was one of the exotic and daring drinks of the late '60s. (If you dig out an old copy of Gourmet magazine, you may see a half-page ad for one of the brands.) The drink, as I remember it, had a concentrated nutty flavor, a thick texture and a musky, raisiny finish. Unfortunately, it was also a little too sweet.

I came across three eccentric, delicious red wines in the last few weeks, wines that had some quirky characteristic that made them stand out from the crowd of low- to-medium priced wines. What they had in common was that they each seemed to call out for meat from the grill, some slab of beef or chop of lamb to ground their high-flying flavors. Now I have to admit a prejudice. I love my grill. I have nurtured its flavor and my technique for years. I would cook my kid's oatmeal on it if I could figure out how. I do make Thanksgiving's turkey on it. I have three different kinds of wood for smoking and a little homemade censer for smoking herbs.

Buzz: Hey, Marnie, what's the deal with all those pink wines stacked up at the wine store? The guy tried to sell me one last week. I guess no one told him pink is for girls. Marnie: Rosé wines are more popular than ever, Buzz, and not just with the ladies. Fans of sweet, light-bodied wines like white zinfandel may still skew female, but those demographics are shifting now that we're seeing more dry options in stores. Buzz: Yeah, right. I'm sure the guys are all over wines that look like they're made for a princess.

WELCOME TO Cheap Buzz, where we eavesdrop as sommelier Marnie Old attempts to teach the joys of wine and fine spirits to Buzz, a guy with no sophistication and not much money. Here's their latest conversation: Buzz: I was reading the notes on the wine signs at the State Store and, boy, are they crazy! Marnie: You mean the tasting notes? Buzz: Yes. One wine tasted like "leather. " Another was "grassy. " The worst was the one that was "chalky. " though. Who the heck would drink a wine with chalk in it?

BUZZ: WHEN did they start making wine with chile peppers, Marnie? Marnie: I think you may have your wires crossed, Buzz. Where did you hear that? Buzz : I read it right on the label of the wine my buddy brought over last night. It said "Chile. " My gut can't handle spicy stuff the way it used to, so I didn't open it. Marnie: Oh. No need to worry. That's not "chile wine"; it's wine from Chile in South America. Buzz: Red wine from South America?

Bordeaux can be intimidating for new wine buyers, especially with its reputation for pricey bottles that require a decade (or several) of aging, not to mention a good cellar to age them in. That's why I've always liked the Right Bank wines of Pomerol, whose merlot-centric blends can be drunk in relative youth. Travel a bit north of the Barbanne stream, however, and you'll end-up in the lesser-known appellation of Lalande-de-Pomerol, where one can find a similar approach (if not quite the depth or finesse)

THESE SIX WINES, all available at local PLCB stores, illustrate that "sweet" is relative and doesn't always equal cloying or sugary. Sweet can be complex, and since the alcohol level is in check, these wines pair great with meals, especially spicy Thai or Indian and sushi. All my recommendations are less than $20 per bottle. Pio Cesare Moscato D'Asti 2009, Piedmont, Italy, $15.99, 5 percent abv (alcohol by volume). The downside of moscato's sudden popularity is the amount of poor-quality wine out there.

WAY BACK in the Paleolithic era of American Wine Drinking — a time coinciding with leisure suits, fern bars and the Carter administration — sweet wines ruled. People loved their cheap Mateus and Blue Nun and Andre Cold Duck. Then, all of a sudden, everyone got all sophisticated and savvy and demonstrated this by eschewing sweet for dry. Basically, you were a moron or a rube if you liked sweet wine. Or at least that's what we were told. I know something like this happened in our home when I was growing up. As a kid, I vaguely remember a moment when my parents started opening bottles of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay.

HARRISBURG - A bill that would allow Pennsylvania wine lovers to have out-of-state purchases shipped directly to their homes won unanimous support from the state Senate on Wednesday. But don't dial up your favorite Napa Valley vineyard for door-to-door delivery of its latest Pinot Noir just yet. The bill, which cleared the Senate, 48-0, is about to run up against a veritable legislative blockade in the House. There, Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny), a chief proponent of privatizing liquor sales in the state, says that while he supports direct deliveries, he wants it to be part of his privatization bill.

WELCOME TO Cheap Buzz, where we eavesdrop as sommelier Marnie Old attempts to teach the joys of wine and fine spirits to Buzz, a guy with no sophistication and not much money. Here's their latest conversation: Buzz: Hey, Marnie, I was watching "Frasier" reruns and they were going on about whether some expensive wines were "drinkable" or not. What kind of moron drops a bundle on wine that's not good enough to drink? Marnie: People who are into wine have their own lingo for it, just like you do for baseball.

HARRISBURG - Another year, another bill proposing to let Pennsylvania residents have wine shipped directly to their homes from out-of-state wineries. This time around, though, wine lovers and legislators supporting the cause are cautiously optimistic that 2012 could finally be the year the measure becomes law. The state Senate is poised to vote Wednesday on legislation that would allow direct shipments from out-of-state wineries to a Pennsylvanian's doorstep. By all accounts, the bill is expected to pass, though its fate is murkier in the House, as it is with Gov. Corbett.

I've missed The Sopranos ever since it went off the air. But I've finally found the perfect substitute: the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. I'm not suggesting the LCB is mob-controlled, and I wasn't into the Sopranos because they were mobsters. To me, what made them special was how ridiculous they seemed when they tried to act like normal people. Think Tony Soprano taking time out of touring colleges with his daughter to strangle a rival. Or Christopher Moltisanti trying to sell a harebrained movie script to Ben Kingsley.