So it should come as no surprise that I am a fan of Evan Goldstein’s new book, Daring Pairings. The highly skimmable book starts off with a worthwhile discussion of pairing food and wine. The book certainly can help casual drinkers who are reaching for a new wine by offering a range of food pairing tips. MORE >>

our flight arrived too late for this, so arrived in time to hear Frances Mayes, author of "Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life" speak about her book. so on my previous post I mentioned I have been coming here for years to catch up with fellow professionals throughout the world. Thursday - today - was also very dynamic. MORE >>

Peter Sichel, also a previous inductee, said that when Simon, the author of 104 books, hit 90 years old, a message went out to his friends alerting them to the fact that Simon had depleted his cellar and requested bottles to be sent. Bartholomew Broadbent (right) accepted the award for his father. The wines flowed freely. MORE >>

Here are two new wine blogs, one called Cellar-Book by Keith Levenberg. Looking for something new to read about wine? Something very smart? Keith used to write The Picky Eater, and this is his new site. The other is called So You Want to be a Sommelier , and is written by Levi Dalton. If you like wine, and blogs, you should check these out. MORE >>

His columns were compiled in two books, Bacchus & Me ( amazon , aff) and The Hedonist in the Cellar ( amazon , aff). Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City among other works of fiction, has been named WSJ wine columnist according to a tweet from Ray Isle, wine editor of Food & Wine magazine. MORE >>