Photography by CORBIS
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Web Exclusive…
Sites to See: Wine Appreciation
By Lance Helgeson, January-February 2003
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WineAnswers.com
The site's search tool lets you plug in your favorite regional cuisine,
and then it suggests a wine to complement your choice. Other articles on the
site provide guidance on buying wine on a budget, serving wine with the right
degree of flair and taste, and hosting your own
wine-tasting party.
Wine
Spectator
Arguably the most accessible wine magazine, Wine Spectator identifies
current wine bargains, rates specific wines, offers recipes, provides tips for
pairing food and wine, and reviews restaurants where wine matters. The site
also hosts discussion groups about wine. (Heads-up: You need to register on the
site to use the discussion boards.)
About.com's
Guide to Wine
This informative site offers advice and tips on pairing wines, schedules of
wine-tasting festivals, and guides for making your own wine and building a wine
rack.
Vino!
The site's Wine Knowledge 101 section delivers a glossary of wine terms,
how-to guides for serving and pairing wine with food, guidance on selecting wine
glasses, and more. If you've got the time, inclination, and high-speed
Internet connection, you also might visit the site's exclusive Wine Radio page, which features an archive of
topics ranging from chef interviews to audio winery tours from program host
Spencer Christian.
Wine
Searcher
Just as its moniker suggests, this site is a resource for the wine
enthusiast who has a particular vintage in mind but can't locate it at a
local retailer. It lists more than 1,800 wine stores. The site has a
know-what-you're-looking-for cast, which suggests it's most optimal
for someone beyond wine appreciation at the novice level. That said, the site
does include links to other online wine sites and localized schedules of wine
appreciation events.
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