Looking for a good white wine but don't want to spend the money? MainStreet has found the best white wines under $10.

Shawn Giordano, a private chef for a family on New York's Upper East
Side, perfected the craft alongside Wolfgang Puck. Giordano started at
Spago Beverly Hills, then continued at several other restaurants owned
by Puck. When he's relaxing at home, Shawn likes to prepare dishes that
remind him of his childhood in the Hudson Valley, where "everything was
homemade." His Italian-American father even pressed grapes to make wine
for the family.

Let's begin by coming to grips with a few of life's simple facts. A person who knows wine, and demonstrates his acumen at the dinner table in front of you and your friends, is one of the most intimidating people you'll ever meet. Admit it. This joker is right up there with that kind patrol officer at the Department of Motor Vehicles who rode along with you on your driving test.

Don't let those hoity-toity winemakers fool you with a triple-digit
price tag on a bottle of old grapes. They may not act like it, but this
economic hangover has them over a barrel, too. This, friends, is a
buyer's market: Now's the best time in years to get your hands on some
high-caliber wines for a lot less.

Real men drink red (with fish): Well, it's not always true, but it's catchy.

Another catchy writer, William Shakespeare, wrote in Othello: "Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used."

Harvest is the most thrilling time to visit wine country, and you don't have to be a winemaker to be part of the buzz.

From Napa to New York, anyone can help winery crews in the
vineyard or the winery, from picking and sorting grapes to blending and
tasting the wines as they go into barrel.

There's no such thing as a bad sake.

So said the late Takao Nihei, the man who revived sake-brewing
in the U.S. following WWII. And judging by their enthusiastic
reactions, none of the attendees at last month's Joy of Sake extravaganza in New York City looked ready to argue with Nihei's declaration.

'Twas the night before Christmas and, oops, I realized I was short three gifts for friends and neighbors.

Well, no worries, a quick trip to your local wine merchant will always
provide an array of quick gift ideas that are sure to please most
adults. And, similar to other retailers, wine stores are hoping to make
their budgets with big boosts from holiday sales. So, at a good wine
shop you are likely to find an extremely helpful salesperson as well as
some really cheerful deals on certain products.

Make a list of cities you'd like to visit this fall and Seattle may not top your survey -- but it should.

In fact, a weekend in this gem (officially nicknamed the
Emerald City, thanks to its evergreen surroundings) will be just the
beginning of an inevitable infatuation.

This year, high-income families will place 22% of their assets in these
alternative investments, according to Capgemini and Merrill Lynch, up
from 10% in 2002. Experts say the appeal is both monetary and
emotional. "Psychologically, you don't get that attached to bonds and
shares," says Mahesh Kumar, author of Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification.
"But a 1982 Chateau Margaux -- people take pride in that." Investing in
a Jeff Koons or a cabernet can be a gamble, however, so be sure to
research and diversify.