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The history of champagne and its various popular varieties are discussed.

Details of different wine yards in the United States and France are presented. As per the French tradition, the wines are generally vinified dry, but they are identified by varietal, a common enough practice in the United States and Australia.

Oregon's Willamette Valley has become known for its pinot noir wines, produced by several local wineries. A tour through the region provides travellers with information about wineries and other destinations.

A visit to 15 finest wineries, from Old Europe to New Zealand to California, is detailed. Leeuwin Estate in Perth, Australia, is memorable for the quality of the wines, Meerlust in Stellenbosch region, South Africa, for beautiful surroundings, and others like, San Leonardo in northeastern Italy for the warmth of welcome.

A history of wine making during the second millennium is presented. It begins with the religious ownership of wine estates in the Middle Ages and discusses the greatest wine estates of the last 1,000 years.

Argentina's cities, including Mendoza, Maipu, and Tupungato, are earning reputation as premier winemaking regions. While not up to par with the world's best industries, Mendoza and Maipu produce good qualities of cabernet sauvignon and Navarro Correas.

Burgundy is one of the world's best producer of extraordinary white wines. The great white wines vineyards are located in three small villages, namely Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet. Burgundians are used to having dry red and white wines for all seasons.

Vineyards in California's northernmost territory is home to great zinfandels. Some of the wineries offer exceptional tours of their farms and facilities, comparable to those found in Napa Valley.

The best champagne is best produced in Reims, France. High-quality champagnes are produced in this region because of its rich pinot noir vineyards. Experts claim that 1995 and 1996 could be the next years of vintage wines.

Spain's Rioja region produces the best traditional wines, most of which undergo aging from three to more than seven years. The wine-making methods were introduced by the French in the 19th century. The Muga, La Rioja Alta and R. Lopez de Heredia wineries produce the finest wines from the region.

Seven areas in central Tuscany, Italy produce varying qualities of Chianti using different manufacturing techniques. Chianti Classico is adjudged to be the best, made principally from sangiovese grapes mixed with a small amount of canaiolo or cabernet sauvignon grapes.

Wachau's 3,580 acres of vineyards are the source of most of the white wines produced in Austria. The region's poor and stony soil is ideal for producing top-quality riesling, which is not well-known in the US because it is very expensive.

The famed Rheingau once was the greatest white-wine region in the world, and hopes to regain that title. It is the original riesling country, and is convenient to Frankfurt. Weingut Robert Weil is perhaps the best maker currently, though some others do well in specialties.

Pope Clement V, originally Bertrand de Goth, chose to establish the papal capital in Avignon, France, rather than remain in Rome, Italy. It stayed there from 1309 to 1378. The papal vineyard was in Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhone Valley.

The wineries of Veneto, Italy are best known for producing everyday wines in large quantities. Some wineries however have striven to make more sophisticated wines. These wine growers include Roberto Anselmi, Guiseppe Quintarelli and Roberto Mazzi.

Thirteen airlines were rated for differences in business and coach classes. Business clients pay a premium for a few inches of space, and meals in business class were typically $40 to $60 while coach meals cost $25, but the extras may be worth the difference to some travelers.

Sale of wine from Australia to the US is rising. Australia has already overtaken France in export of wines to the US. Australia is now all set to overtake Italy and become the number one wine exporter to US.

Santa Barbara is the best example for the Pacific's crucial role in shaping fine wine because despite its Southern California location, it boasts some of the state's finest cool-climate vineyards. The wine country, which begins about 30 miles northwest of the city of Santa Barbara, around Santa Ynez and Los Olivos, and continues west and north to Lompoe and Santa Maria, is a land of pinot noir and chardonnay sauvignon and merlot.

Cote d'Or is an area in Dijon, Burgundy is the most the most complex wine area in the world. Hotels, prices and the reviews of the people regarding the quality of the wine are discussed.

Rum is made from molasses, a by-product of sugar production more rarely it is made from sugarcane juice. The top two rums are the Cruzan Estate Diamond and the Cruzan Single Barrel Estate are described and the procedure to make rum is presented.

Some small new vineyards in the Sonoma Coast that emerged as leaders of the pinot noir pack are spotlighted. This part of the Sonoma Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) has little wine-growing history, but already a few vineyards, Marcassin, Hirch, Camp Meeting Ridge, are recognized as among California's finest sites for chardonnay and pinot noir.

A report by Joseph Ward on the Scottish single malts is detailed. Single malt is made only from barley, unlike most other scotch, which is blended and made from barley and use less expensive grains.

MENTION CALIFORNIA WINE country and people immediately think of the north coast counties of Napa and Sonoma. The former, with luxury hotels, fine restaurants, spas, and grandiose wineries, has become [...]

WHEN DISCUSSING REGIONS WITH FINE WINE potential, we usually concentrate on the so-called New World. The rapid pace of vineyard development in the United States, Australia, and Chile notwithstanding, there [...]

The Ribera del Duero region of Spain is well known for its red wine, especially the tempranillo variety. Wines made by Vega Sicilia are considered the best wines, and those made by Tinto Pesquera are also considered excellent. Other wines from the region are described.

Wine makers in Spain, Italy, France, California and Australia that have made newer wines that have changed the wine industry are examined. Several wines are singled out for their taste.

Issues concerning the comprehensive wine lists at Taillevent, a 3-star restaurant in Paris; Spark's Steak House, New York; and Enoteca Ristorante Pinchiorri in Florence are presented.

An account of the successful wine production in Washington (State), despite the cold weather in the winter, is presented.

The wine of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France is discussed. This region has undergone substantial revival since the 1980s, and looks set to flourish in the 21st century.

The town of Ruterglen in Australia produces two of the country's greatest wines - muscats and tokays. Some of the town's renowned winemakers include David Morris and Bill Chambers. A list of Australian wineries is presented.

Cool-climate viticulture has become a trend among Australian winemakers resulting in the creation of new styles of wine using pinot noir and chardonnay. These wines are characterized by purity of fruit instead of mass, brisk acidity rather than alcohol, and balance in place of size.

Some of the best brands of port wine are produced in Portugal. The four basic types of port wine are white, ruby, tawny and vintage. Among the Portuguese brands are Graham, Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca, Warre, Quinta do Noval and Ferreira.

A wine sampler evaluates the wines produced by the vineyards of New Zealand. The pinot moir vintages of Rippon Vineyard, Chard Farm and Gibbston Valley in Central Otago are described. The wines of Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury are likewise discussed.

Sauternes is a small district in the southwest corner of Bordeaux, France, which is famous for its sweet wines. Sauterne is one of the most difficult wines to produce because it entails a lot of labor, yields are small, the weather is not always good and long-term planning is needed.

New York has gained recognition only recently for its wines, despite having one of the oldest and largest wine industries in the country, because of the variable quality and high price of Long Island wines. However, Long Island wineries are producing superior wines with styles distinctive to the region.

Vineyards in Napa Valley, CA, have been adversely affected by aphid infestations. Although replanting has begun, it will take four years for the new crops to bear fruit. In the meantime, several vineyards have opened themselves to tourists. A discussion of some of these vineyards is presented.

The Coonawarra region near Penola, South Australia, is famous for its cabernet sauvignon wines. Its distinct red soil, known as terra rossa, lends the wine grapes a unique flavor, making the region's wines one of the best Australian vintages.

The town of St. Emilion in Bordeaux, France, produces some of the best wines in the world. It has 11 Premiere Grands Crus Classes, topped by Chateau Ausone and Cheval Blanc, and has 63 Grands Crus Classes.

The Nahe region is home to the best vineyards in Europe. Nahe's most impressive landmark is the Rotenfels, a 600-foot high porphyry outcrop south of Bad Kreuznach. A list of other vineyards in the region is presented.

Oregon's winemakers are determined to develop their industry despite a roller-coaster experience in producing inconsistent results. Like the region of Burgundy, the Willamette Valley region of northwest Oregon is vulnerable to climatic shifts that can hinder ripening of grapes.

Wineries in Mendocino County, CA's Anderson Valley feature white wines, notably sparkling wines that are similar to French Champagne. Though the soil is more acidic than France's Champagne region, the light and weather are ideal. Several wineries are described.

Max Schubert helped revolutionize Australian winemaking by producing, at his Penfolds winery in South Australia's Barossa Valley, a dry red table wine. The valley's wineries, which include Peter Lehmann Wines, Charles Melton and Rockford, are described.

The Russian River Valley in California has many vineyards which combine grape varieties to produce notable wines. Several wineries near Sonoma, CA, are described.

New Zealand's wine industry is less than 20 years old, but it makes a wonderful travel destination for the wine lover. Quality is excellent and the prices are low. Hawke's Bay is known for cabernet sauvignon, Martinborough for pinot noir and Marlborough for sauvignon blanc.

Italy's Piedmont region produces Barolo and Barbaresco from the nebbiolo grape. The 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages were especially good. A guide to wine producers is included.

Alsace's fine wineries and restaurants reflect the area's French and German character, and retain a sense of history in local architecture and scenery. Wineries including Trimbach, Hugel et Fils, Domaine Weinbach and Zind-Humbrecht are discussed.

A few wineries in cool growing regions of California are producing fine pinot noir. The pinots of Williams-Selyer, Calera, Au Bon Climat and Robert Mondavi Winery are discussed.

Travelers can bring an unlimited amount of wine and spirits back to the US for personal consumption as long as duty and excise tax is paid. Buying suggestions for the Rhone, Loire and Tuscany wine regions are presented.