Wine

2006 Piccini Chianti Superiore From: Chianti, Tuscany, Italy Price: $14 Serve with: Pasta, veal, pork Chianti Superiore is a recently created intermediate step between regional Chianti and the more prestigious Chianti Classico. This well-made red wine from Piccini definitely leans toward the Classico side with its full, rich fruit and pronounced flavors of black cherry, earth and game. It's easy to drink now but has the structure and character to improve for several years.

I vowed that I would never put pieces of fruit in my wine. But as May approached, I found myself dropping fresh strawberries in glasses of white wine and joyfully downing the mixture. There were two explanations for this behavior. Without woodruff Best Herb-Free: Meyer-Fonne Gentil d'Alsace, 2005. $12.80. Gorgeous golden wine that is sweet without being cloying. Crisp finish that pairs well with fruit and cheese. Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina, 2006. $14.99. A crisp wine from Spain's Basque Country.

For the first time in 15 years, Wine in the Woods will draw thousands of grape fans to the center of Columbia on the same day Merriweather Post Pavilion attracts thousands of music fans to the same location for an evening concert. Such a convergence of cars has been a possibility before, said Jean Parker, Merriweather's general manager, but it never happened to work out until the pavilion booked Seal to appear tomorrow. Representatives from the pavilion, the Department of Recreation and Parks, which organizes Wine in the Woods, and county police and fire departments have been making plans for several months to prepare for the overlapping streams of traffic.

2006 Simi Sauvignon Blanc From: Sonoma County, Calif. Price: $15 Serve with: Seafood, Cajun cuisine This well-made dry white wine avoids the extremes that sometimes make sauvignon blanc more of a test of character than a pleasure. It's well-rounded and smoothed out with a judicious use of oak that doesn't blunt its flavors of lime, pear, figs and herbs. A small addition of semillon adds creamy texture.

2005 Michael & David `Earthquake' Syrah From: Lodi, Calif. Price: $28 Serve with: Roast turkey, game stew Many wines are scored on a 50- to 100-point scale. This one deserves to be measured on the Richter scale. It's a booming, full-bodied, high-alcohol red wine that fully lives up to its name. But under the big blackberry fruit, there's a wine with a supple, almost creamy texture. There are nuances of herbs, chocolate and cassis, and the finish is long and satisfying. For those with patience, the wine has the backbone to age well for many years.

From: Soave, Italy Price: $16 Serve with: Full-bodied fish, cioppino, some risottos There was a time when "soave" could be translated as "cheap but thin and mediocre Italian white wine." This exceptional, powerful soave from Inama shows how much can change when a grower makes the sacrifices in quantity necessary to make strides in quality. A fully dry wine, the Inama is dominated by mineral flavors that truly reflect the vineyards in which it was grown. Nuances of lime, peach and nuts add complexity.

France is the country that sets the standard in the world of wine. Its language is the one used in the industry -- it's not a barrel, it's a barrique. Its grapes are the ones everyone wants to grow and perfect -- cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. And an annual event on its calendar makes the entire wine world pause for a bit of a celebration.That would be the day that the Beaujolais Nouveau is released. It happens every November -- the actual date, set by France's strict wine authorities, varies depending on when the grapes were picked -- as the first wine produced from that year's harvest is made available for public consumption.

It was an evening filled with Christmas spirit(s) as Santa Claus Anonymous held its eighth annual wine tasting. About 250 folks toasted the season with samples of Maryland and California wines and beers from local microbreweries. Even Santa took a break from his usual cookies-and-milk diet, taste testing one of the night's offerings, while dispensing chocolate candy kisses to the crowd.Sipping Christmas cheer: Jill Myrick, Santa Claus Anonymous president; Vince Columbia, SCA board president; Jim Russell, George Dabney, Wayne Walters and Bob Booker, board members; Laurie Columbia, event chair; Barbara Brown, event committee member; Dallas Arthur, Carrollton Bank president and CEO; Mimi Daniel, vice president of Siquis Ltd.; Don Scott, WJZ-TV news anchor; and Satish B. Parekh, Baltimore-area corporate strategist.

For patrons of the 16th Maryland Wine Festival at the Carroll County Farm Museum yesterday, "BYOB" could easily have meant "Bring Your Own Blanket."That's what many of the estimated 10,000 festival-goers did, while others came early to stake out picnic tables near or far from the speakers that were blaring everything from country to swing jazz and Dixieland sounds all day.Sponsored by the Association of Maryland Wineries, the Maryland Grape Growers Association,...

Carroll County business leaders offered their support yesterday for the Maryland Wine Festival, an annual event that generates about $100,000 in revenue for the county and draws nearly 25,000 visitors to the farm museum.County officials have signed a contract for a 17th festival next year, but plans for 2001 remain unsettled. In its quarterly meeting yesterday, the Carroll County Economic Development Commission unanimously recommended that the county continue to sponsor the event."The return on investment is overwhelming, and there is a significant impact within the community and benefits for local restaurants and businesses," said Melvin Mills, owner of Mills' Communications Inc. in Westminster.

TODAY SCIENCE UNCORKED: THE GENIUS OF WINE: What could be more genius than pairing a wine tasting with an exhibit about Leonardo da Vinci's great inventions? This event pays tribute to da Vinci's homeland by featuring the wines of Italy. Guests at the Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., will learn about Italian wine regions and vintages from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $40 for members, $45 for nonmembers. Admission includes wine, food and a tour of "Da Vinci: The Genius." All participants must be 21 or older.

In spite of a few jokes about walkers and such that you had to expect, there was a good discussion on a post on my blog Dining@Large (baltimoresun.com/diningatlarge) about what 35-and-overs want in a happy hour. One of the main things, after meeting other 35-and-overs, was the chance to talk without being drowned out by loud music or TVs. The following is my list of places, in alphabetical order, with a little bit of information to let you know what's available there. (Specials are offered weeknights only, unless otherwise noted.

SUNDAY GWAR: The thrash-metal band from Richmond, Va., has been around so long that its original intent as a satirical band with punk roots has given way to a louder, heavier outfit with a strong cult fan base. The group is now known more for its outlandish and somewhat horrifying costumes than its musical stylings and lyrics. It hits the stage at Sonar, 407 E. Saratoga St., at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. Go to ticketmaster.com. STREET BEAT FESTIVAL: This Federal Hill community festival includes activities for the little ones, a new area for dogs on leashes and live music from Cold Cold Heartbreakers, Digital Elvis, School of Rock All Stars, Psycho Killers and many more from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event is free.

This lush, ripe red wine from the hills of Sicily is surprisingly supple and elegant. Though it has exquisite concentration and powerful blackberry and chocolate and game flavors, it's more balanced than blockbuster. Easily drinkable now, I see no point in holding it beyond three years. 2008 Tenuta Rapitala Campo Reale Nero d'Avola From: Sicily Price: $13.50 Serve with: Hearty pasta, red meat

Last week at baltimoresun.com/diningatlarge we had a guest Top 10 Tuesday by a local bartender who goes by Baltimoron. Here's his list of food and drink (excluding wine) pairings: 1 Zen Press with a summer dinner salad. A Zen Press is muddled seedless cucumber with lemongrass, Hendrick's gin and either soda water or Sprite, garnished with fresh mint. It goes great with any dinner salad. 2 Mojito with Southwestern/Mexican food. What could be better on a hot day than flautas and a mojito?

Jeffrey Lewis Foreman, former owner of an Internet provider and computer consulting business who enjoyed collecting and sharing wines that he had gathered from the world's vineyards, died Aug. 21 of a brain tumor at Gilchrist Hospice Care. The longtime Hunt Valley resident was 61. Born in Baltimore, the son of a barber and a Social Security Administration analyst, Mr. Foreman was raised on Chippewa Drive in Pikesville. He was 16 when he graduated from Polytechnic Institute. He earned his bachelor's degree in accounting in 1970 from the University of Maryland, College Park.

The more New World chardonnays I taste whose makers have jettisoned the use of oak, the more I question whether all those barrels are necessary. This bright, vibrant wine from Sebastiani conveys pure apple, lemon, smoke and mineral flavors without anything to dull them down. It's not a wine of great complexity, but it does pop on the palate and finish with bracing acidity. That beats ponderous wood flavors any day. 2008 Sebastiani Unoaked Chardonnay From: Russian River Valley, Calif. Price: $17 Serve with: Salmon, ham, fried chicken

Should I tell you not to walk in when there's a "help wanted" sign posted in the window? That's probably too obvious. Here's my list of the Top 10 Mistakes Restaurant Goers Should Avoid, which appeared last week on my blog, Dining@Large (baltimoresun.com/diningatlarge): 1 Making your reservation at 7 p.m. (like everyone else in Baltimore). 2 Eating out on Mother's Day. Every other holiday I can think of reasons why you would want to eat out, but there are better ways to honor your mother than taking her out on the busiest restaurant day of the year.

New Zealand sauvignon blanc can be a bit edgy, and this one isn't without a certain rambunctious character. But it doesn't go over the top, and it will give devotees of this style a jolt of bracing freshness along with its smoky, herbal, mineral-tinged flavors. There's also plenty of fruit here, with hints of lime, gooseberry and mango. It leaves the palate with good length and zip. Its very much a wine to drink now, while the evenings are still warm 2008 Glazebrook Sauvignon Blanc From: Marlborough, New Zealand Price: $15 Serve with: White-fleshed fish, Creole cuisine

It's a relief to be able to recommend a wine that's both inexpensive and widely available. This is not one of your blockbuster California zinfandels. It's a medium-bodied, fruity red wine with no rough edges and plenty of easy charm. It offers straightforward, smooth blackberry and herb flavors and a smooth texture. It's not a wine to ponder over, just to drink and enjoy. 2007 Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Zinfandel From: California Price: $8 Serve with: Pizza, burgers, pasta