My eldest, Anna, recently finished college, making me feel both (very) proud and (incredibly) old. In an attempt to toast the former and numb the pain of the latter, I searched for a wine that we both would enjoy and stumbled upon the 2010 Prode Cavaliere Moscato. Pick up a bottle of this light bubbly to toast a special occasion or, at this price, life in general.

This week's pick is a new Chairman's Selection attractively priced at $9.99.

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You’re probably tiring of me blathering on about food and wine but, really, what other pedestrian pleasures are there in life that can be enjoyed on a daily basis? A long, hot shower? A comfy bed? All right, I’ll grant you those, so let’s narrow it down a bit by asking ‘what earthly pleasure can you enjoy with friends while fully clothed’? Now we’re on the same page!

I recently attended a wine dinner at Legume featuring wines of Portugal where both food and wine were enjoyed in abundance. The Esporao winery hails from the Alentejo region in the south-central part of the country most famously known for the production of cork where the bark is still hand harvested from cork-oak trees (no joke)! Most people associate only fortified wines with Portugal, but they are missing out. There are over 200 indigenous grape varietals that produce some stunning wines. Served with a Stinging Nettles soup (yes that low slung weed with the hypodermic-like needles), the 2009 Esporao Reserva Branco was a standout. Made from a blend of Antão Vaz , Arinto and Roupeiro grapes this wine exhibited notes of tropical fruit, citrus and lightly toasted oak. It is a full-bodied wine with a long finish and perfectly balanced acidity that begged for a comparison to fine whites from Burgundy.

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