Chenin Blanc

Well, before you get carried away and log on to TripAdvisor, let me give you one word of advice. Don't. Put down that chilled wine and step away from those holiday brochures right now.

Because, unless you and your friends have the tolerance of Mother Teresa, holidays together are never a good idea. Believe me, I know. I've been there. And I have a trail of broken friendships to prove it.

Because no matter how well you think you know your friends, you don't really know them until you've lived under the same roof for a week. That's roughly how long it takes to discover that your caring friend is really a hypochondriac control freak, that her husband's garrulous charm is actually the result of some seriously out-of-control drinking, and that their children are the Spawn of Satan.

One of the biggest problems with going on holiday with friends is the difference in expectations. You're looking forward to relaxing on the beach with Joanna Trollope's latest must-read, while their mission is to visit every ancient ruin within a 50-mile radius.

Want to lose friends quickly? Go on holiday with them... - Daily Mail

Are you partial to pinot noirs? Strings , 1700 Humboldt Street, has paired up with Marczyk Fine Foods and Republic National for the Passion of Pinot Noirs Wine Tasting, which will feature appetizers and a range of pinot noirs from around the world -- as well as some non-pinot wines to challenge the palate. The tasting runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and admission is $30; call 303-831-7310 or visit www.stringsrestaurant.com .

In Longmont, Terroir hosts a Meet the Winemaker night with Ballentine Vineyards, pairing five courses with wines. Here's a taste of the menu...

The community-style dinner will start withh Mizuna salad with fresh melon, smoked prosciutto, Haystack chevre and mint vinaigrette, paired with Ballentine's Malvasia Bianco.

The dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $45 and up; Terroir is at 246 Main Street in Longmont. Call 303-651-0630 or visit www.terroir-restaurant.com .

Tonight: Wine tasting at Strings, wine dinner at Terroir - Westword (blog)

Although Shiraz was recently shown not to have originated from Persia, Anna Trapido can’t think of a better pairing than Shiraz with a Persian-style lamb pilaf.

In this year’s Global Trader Shiraz Challenge two wines were tied for first place, both possessing the same arithmetic average score, these being Rickety Bridge 2008 and Saronsberg Provenance 2007.

Obikwa 2009, with a distinctive ostrich motif on the label, offers the best value overall in the 2010 Global Trader Shiraz Challenge 2010, writes Christian Eedes.

Obikwa Shiraz 2009 with its colourful, somewhat crude drawing of an ostrich on its label is very much a ‘critter wine', the category spawned by the phenomenal success of Australian brand Yellow Tail (a type of wallaby) at the beginning of the new millennium.

Best-Value Shiraz - Wine Magazine

Originally created by iconic California winemaker Randall Graham as part of his Bonny Doon family of wines, the Big House line (that also includes a red and pink version) was sold to another company a few years ago.

Named for nearby Soledad State Prison in Monterey County, the white is an eclectic mob of grape varieties that includes chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc and viognier, to name a few. The mix creates a über fragrant wine with a juicy, citrus-meets-tropical flavour and surprisingly Mediterranean sensibility.

009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc ($16.95 - $20.37) from New Zealand is rich and full-bodied with a lengthy vegetal backbone of asparagus and light gooseberry.

Try both wines with shellfish (especially crab), meatier white fish, chicken and any dish with a touch of spiciness. - Peter Rockwell is the everyman’s wine writer, working in the liquor industry for more than 25 years and travelling the globe looking for something to fill his glass and put into words.

Speaking of Lindsay Lohan, try the wine - Metro Canada - Ottawa

Waiting for restaurants to open can be akin to watching water boil. In the midst of the summer doldrums, every bar or restaurant that manages to open feels like a gift: somewhere new to try on that odd night off.

When I popped into Covell Wine Bar last week, it had been open exactly 18 days, so new that the paint still smelled fresh and the exterior had a decidedly raw look. A couple of tables out front were occupied by guests hovering over glasses stained with red wine, friends lazily talking and watching the scene on Hollywood Boulevard just west of Hillhurst.

Inside, the long narrow space is suitably dark. Pages from an old encyclopedia are tacked to the wall as an improvised wallpaper, their edges fluttering in the slight breeze. Above the banquette where my friends and I settled, antique cameras are displayed on pedestal bookshelves made from old books. A few feet over hangs a collection of old keys.

The whole effect could signal just another hipster joint, more style than substance. But Covell Wine Bar is something more, combining a passion for soulful wines with a relaxed vibe and a quirky flea market aesthetic. It reminds me of some of the new generation of wine bars in Paris operating with just a toaster oven.

Style and substance at Covell Wine Bar in Los Feliz - Los Angeles Times