Year-end parties usually are liquid-y, so even before we reach the height of the celebratory season, which includes Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a bit of planning may avoid hangovers—and could well be a life-saving tactic. The suggestions that follow may sound like wet-blanket advice, but anyone who has ever suffered the worst after-effects of…

Today’s younger wine buyers are more interested in drinkability, different styles, and simply having fun—and seemingly aren’t interested in expensive, iconic wines. With their current interest in craft beer, cider, and even hard seltzer, younger buyers of alcoholic beverages should be perfectly set up to get excited about a wine that isn’t legal to sell…

I like many red wines that use merlot as their sole or dominant grape, especially when the merlot is grown in a cooler climate and has some of its natural varietal aroma characteristics. That is a little less likely these days with so many acres of the grape being planted in warmer regions, where its…