In this first posting, John discusses what would be in his cellar if he were starting collecting today, what he drinks at home on a Tuesday night, the most underrated wines for aging, where Lafite 2005 will be in five years, and what would be his “desert island wine.&# If its not a tasting night with samples, usually red Burgundy. MORE >>

still love Pinot, but moreso the wines of Burgundy, Cheverny in the Loire Valley, or the Jura. No, but that's because my tastes have changed, not because they are bad wines. 2005 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Ribbon Springs Vineyard , $44. 2005 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Elizabeth's Reserve , $44. 2005 Thomas Pinot Noir , $45. MORE >>

It was November of 2005, BrooklynLady and I went to France together for the first time. Mathieu showed us cement vats full of fermenting juice - we saw and smelled the glorious 2005's as they bubbled away, turning sugar into alcohol. You can smell and taste the gravelly soil in Les Granges, the richness of the clay in Les Grezeaux. MORE >>

want to try more of them - are you having a spring tasting?" The 2005 Reynald Héaulé Vin de Table L'Insoumis de Village , or 'Black Sheep of the Village' (about $30) is a serious country wine made by one of the new wave Loire Valley natural wine hipsters. "I drank a few of your wines recently and I really like them. MORE >>

Many people consider these to be the finest Chenin Blancs from the Loire Valley and in the world. 2007 was not an easy year in most of the Loire Valley, and Vouvray was not spared the rainy cool summer that dampened prospects for many growers all over the region. And happily, I can afford to buy and drink them. MORE >>