Elegant, balanced, light to medium in body, high in acidity, wonderful with food. It sounds like a lovely white wine, right? Think again. How about the red wine camouflaged as a white wine?

I am often asked where the best values exist in the world of wine. After hosting a South American themed tasting over the weekend, I know what my first answer will be.

You’ve been invited to a walk-around tasting, one where you will sample many wines, one after the other, using the same glass. How will you get the most out of the tasting experience?

Just as a great chef might use combinations of flavors to create a unique dish, many winemakers these days are using a blend of grape varietals to make expressive wines.

We often base our perception of wine on label or price, but tasting wines blind can be a truer barometer of quality.

Firing up the barbie? The classic old world wine regions Rioja and Tuscany produce a number of notable reds that are perfect for grilling season.

In recent years, many restaurants have made significant upgrades to their wine-by-the-glass programs. That’s great news if you like to try different wines at dinner without springing for the full bottle.

Most of us drink our white wines too cold and red wines too warm. No matter how much time and money you invest in wine, if you—or your favorite restaurant—are not storing and serving that wine at the ideal temperature, you are not getting the optimal enjoyment.

Spring is officially upon us. There’s no better time to share my passion for the most seasonal wine of all, dry rosé.

Last weekend’s 5th Annual Wine & Food Festival at Crystal Springs Resort in Sussex County was proof of the classic notion that the best way to learn about wine and food is to experience it. For three days, smelling, tasting and savoring was an on-going agenda item.

I recently opened a bottle of Beaujolais from Julienas, one of the 10 prized crus of the region south of Burgundy, France. I poured a glass and anxiously awaited the beautiful, bright, tart red fruit aromas and flavors that I was about to experience. One problem….they were not there.

If there is an award for the most underappreciated wine, Port would definitely be a contender. With another month of New Jersey winter to make it through, it’s an ideal time to change that attitude.

Pity the poor Syrah. Complex, versatile, balanced, but often misunderstood by wine enthusiasts.

What have you tasted lately that you are excited about? It’s a great question to ask a wine professional—especially one who knows a bit about your personal taste.

Versatility is not a term often used to describe a wine, particularly sparkling wine, which typically is associated with special occasions. But sparkling wine, with its many styles, can create memorable moments beyond the celebratory toast.

Recently, at a Mexican restaurant in Chicago with three fellow wine enthusiasts, I was tasked with selecting the wines for dinner. The wine list was immense, filled with amazing wines from all over the world.

Do not judge a book by its cover and do not judge a wine by its vintage. I was pleasantly reminded of this a couple of nights ago when enjoying a bottle of wine whose vintage had prepared me for being underwhelmed.

It’s great to find wines that over-deliver for the price. Here are four I’ve recently discovered.

Some wines are ready to drink when you buy them. Others are considered “age worthy.” A few clues can help you decipher which is which.