Looking to expand your white wine horizons for 2021 and go beyond the usual chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio? We just "discovered" VARA Viura 2018 imported from Spain and bottled by VARA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is a sumptuously delectable blend of Viura, Muscat of Alexandria, and Albarino grapes. The VARA Viura 2018, Vino Blanco Español, is a dry, crisp white wine with lush green apple, citrus, and mineral notes. With only 13.2% alcohol by volume, it is a nice lower alcohol choice for 2021. Cheers!

As oenophiles, we have traveled the world in search of the grape. We have spent weeks driving through the Burgundy region, have passed many happy hours tasting in the Rhine region, have journeyed great distances to wineries in Switzerland, to the Chianti region, to Sicily, Malta, Cyprus, Canada, and the United States. Sometimes, we forget about the wineries close to home, namely the Bucks County Wine Trail  in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Italy is the No. 1 wine producer in the world and Regione Veneto has emerged as Italy's largest producer of wine. Vino 2009 sponsored a seminar and tasting of a selection of Regione Veneto wines, including the sparkling wine Prosecco, the lush Amarone reds, the beautiful and most popular Italian dry white wine, Soave, and a few other surprises.

As part of Vino 2009, which was the first industry convention of Italian wines in America, I had the opportunity to spend a day learning about, and tasting Brunello di Montalcino wines, certainly not a bad way to spend a Tuesday in New York.

Wine, the elixir of the Gods, ranging from the palest yellow to the deepest burgundy, attracts oenophiles like bees to honey, who covet the bottles. However, when the cellars are too full, or the timing is especially fruitful, the bottles are put on the auction block. Such was the case of the Superlative Modern Cellar auction at Christie's in New York.

Swirling, nosing, and sipping the 2004 Rocca Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2004 Rocca Syrah reminded me why the world is passionate about Napa Valley wines. Award winning wines from Mary Rocca and winemaker, Celia Welch Masyczek of Rocca Vineyards offer oenophiles a true luxury experience.

Although Chilean wines have attracted their share of attention over recent years, Wines of Chile hosted a  Seminar  on Carménère in New York to focus on this often-overlooked variety.

Touring the Domaine Zweifel vineyards in Zurich-Höngg, Switzerland with Master Vintner Urs Zweifel, was an informative and very tasty way to spend an afternoon.

Domaine Zweifel puts over 500 years of expertise into their wine, and their Lattenberg Räuschling 2005 is a good example of the Zweifel family's pride in winemaking.