Yalumba is the label, Bush Vine Grenache is the grape. The vintage year is 2008 and the territory is the Barossa of Australia. Here is a new world grenache with both attitude and grace, loaded with fruit grown under the Southern Cross, where strawberry meets pepper...

Amidst the holiday wreaths of crimson chiles, the jalapeno jellies, organic goat cheeses, wild-gathered herbs and local honey, there was memorable bread. Memorable. Wish I'd gotten the name of the bakers who sold me a square of fresh plum and almond open-faced...

That would be the 2009 version of Richard Alfaro's well-received Lindsay Paige Vineyard Chardonnay (roughly $25.) This Alfaro Family Vineyard beauty starts full and pliant and stays that way, from a buttery nose, through a field of toast, apples, hints of jasmine and...

Last week I sat down to a substantial platter of red chile tamales, accompanied by a fat moist green chile enchilada, a helping of buttery pinto beans and Spanish rice so nuanced and tasty I almost wept. For this — plus a crisp sopapilla and honey butter — I paid...