The mere thought of “English wine&# may sound like an oxymoron. But 400 vineyards now produce grapes for wine, much of it sparkling. Should British bubbly be called anything other than “English sparkling wine&# ? Seely proposes the name “Britagne&# and has emblazoned the term on the neck of Coates & Seely bottles. winespeak MORE >>

2010 Schloss Saarstein Serriger Schloss Saarsteiner Riesling Kabinett. Style note: Delicious, well balanced wine with elegance and delicacy of aroma and flavor. Very concentrated fruit, which is green apple on the nose and palate, yet ripe cooked apricot on the med+ finish that remains crisp and clean. Pair with many starters and entrees. 2010 P.J. MORE >>

Can you successfully sue a synthetic cork producer for a wine’s inability to age? Robert Parker suggests so. Is there a legal precedent here? don’t know the case history. But it seems to me that unless the product poses a health risk, there would be little negligence on the part of the wine producer or the closure manufacturer. MORE >>

Given that we had fun with our weekend edutainment a couple of weeks ago, we bring you an encore edition. Last time, it was grapes transported down the steep vineyard via something akin to a ski gondola. This time, we present steep vineyard transportation via something like a dumbwaiter. Where in the wine world do they do that? photo captions MORE >>

"Help! Need the PERFECT picnic wines to suit many foods and many guests this July 4th. What to buy !?". Pairing a wine to match a holiday theme, various 'outdoor' style dishes, and the tastes of guests who may be new to wine or have discerning preferences, can be a challenge. The wines listed below are under $20, widely available, and delicious. MORE >>