Hate that sun glare from your wineglass during that afternoon ride on your Harley? Stemless wine glasses recycled from auto windshields may be the answer. Uncommon Goods, a web store with a green approach sells these "hardy glasses" from Columbia as strong with slight tinge of green from the windshields they're made from.

If you're busted while weaving down a country road, dump the spodey-odey and hold the glass in front of your eyes. "What officer? Oh, this is my windshield."

Not an official TWC recommendation, just a suggestion having had a "friend" get in trouble for... oh it's a long story.

HACIENDA MONASTERIO 2004
Reserva Especial $79.99

The 2004 Reserva Especial from Hacienda Monasterio is one of the greatest Ribera del Duero reds we have ever tasted. Did you get that? Ever. In a room full of some of the finest Spanish and French wines in the world (Clos Erasmus, Mas Doix, Janasse, Marcoux, the list goes on and on...) this wine was certainly the most memorable. Breathtaking in its scope, intensity of velvety black cherry fruit, terroir and breeding, it's on the same level as winemaker Peter Sisseck's own Pingus bottling but at a fraction of the price. If you're going to shell out $80 on a special occasion red this one would have to be near the top of the list...

Let's see...special occasion? I lived another week and managed to pay the bills? That's it! This will be the least of them anyhow!

Protect your bones, have a drink

Washington (IANS): Post menopausal women and men over 60 years who drink alcohol moderately seem to have stronger bones, according to a new study.

The study found that regular moderate consumption of beer or wine may have protective effects on bone, but that heavy drinking may contribute to bone loss.

Researchers at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging (JMHNRCA) at Tufts University found associations were strongest for beer and wine and, importantly, bone mass density (BMD) was significantly lower in men drinking more than two servings of liquor per day.

"Previous research suggests that moderate alcohol consumption in older men and post-menopausal women may protect against BMD loss, a major risk factor for osteoporosis," said Katherine L. Tucker, study co-author and director of Dietary Assessment and Epidemiology Research Program at the JMHNRCA.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines issued by the federal government defines moderate alcohol consumption as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

Tucker and colleagues analysed BMD measurements taken at three hip sites and the lumbar spine in 1,182 men, 1,289 post-menopausal women, and 248 pre-menopausal women whose parents or in-laws participated in the original Framingham Heart Study.

Participants self-reported their alcohol intake on dietary questionnaires. One serving of beer equaled a glass, bottle or can (356 ml), one serving of wine equaled a 4-oz. glass (118 ml), and one serving of liquor equaled one mixed drink or shot (42 ml).

Authors hypothesise that the silicon found in beer is contributing to the higher BMD scores in the men who reported consuming one or two servings of total alcohol or beer per day. It is less clear why liquor and wine might protect BMD, said a Tufts release.

The results were published online in the February edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

WINE GUERRILLA 2007 DRY CREEK ZINFANDEL

Our most exciting Zin discovery since Carlisle...

"How's that for a tag line all you Zin geeks out there? We must say that this year's Z.A.P. tasting up in San Fran had a little bit of that thrill-of-discovery type vibe to it as we rustled up new, exciting Zinners like Franz Hill, Sandler and the subject of today's missive, Wine Guerrilla."

This is Zin, people. Perfectly ripe, deeply fruited, not porty (though not shy on the octane), with gorgeous symmetry for the genre. Even some of our more anti-Zin staff members couldn't help themselves, glasses emptied, stories flying, people smiling. Real friggin' Zinfandel...but only for a limited time. $18.99

Buy Now from Winex

PARIS (AFP) — French lawmakers have voted to ban alcohol sales to minors as part of a crackdown on teenage binge-drinking, but dropped contested plans to ban wine tastings and alcohol ads on the Internet. Deputies in the National Assembly late Monday approved an amendment to a health ministry bill raising the legal age limit from 16 to 18 for both alcohol and tobacco sales, bringing France in line with most of Europe.

With underage drinking on the rise across Europe, according to a recent study, the French bill, which still needs Senate approval, would allow mayors to ban take-away sales of alcohol at night in their towns. The law will also outlaw open bars, seen as encouraging binge-drinking, as well as alcohol sales in road service stations after 6:00 pm.

Lawmakers also backed down on contested plans to expand a 1991 ban on alcohol adverts to include the Internet. While print, television and radio ads will remain banned, the law will authorise winegrowers and other alcohol producers to advertise online, except on sites targeting young people.

A Europe-wide study released last month suggested that more and more 16-year-olds were becoming regular drinkers, while tobacco and cannabis smoking were falling for the same age group.

16? That's crazy. Even 18 gives pause. If I were 18 I'd be moving to France. However, the idea that some 18 year-old fueled on Two Buck Chuck, teenage testosterone and behind the wheel of a Mom's Hummer is out there testing the limits of mortality... 21 seems early enough.

Fact is, ANYONE can start a website about wine.

Don't really need to know much about wine if you figure out the ten or so categories of popular wine subjects and just stick them on your website.

There is a website called, of course, Best Wine Sites. Their apparent methodology for determining the position and popularity of a wine websites is to have the website owners get their ten best friends and force their employees to log on and vote for you. The Number one site has 33 votes. He obviously got all the family and the neighbors to log on and vote.

It's a sad comment on the desperation one experiences when trying to put up a site that actually pays for itself. I didn't say make money or profit or any thing that crazy. Just to get the numbers you need to get a little advertising requires Herculean finger to keyboard activity or shoveling money into Google ads or others.

Case in point. #10. Just pick up the ten most common wine subjects and put up a site flaunting catagories like, "How to taste wine." Or "How to store wine."

I've been in this for a while and I've never heard or seen any of the top 25 listed. At least one, #17 doesn't even exist. #5 is a "holder" page with little but advertisement. #7 is just some wine seller, nothing special. #8 Some sort of store selling wine stuff, that puts up the Better Business Bureau logo. That's a red flag for me. #13 is a blatant ad for underage drinking with some plonk in a can. #14 is ad for wine glass charms, which most serious wine drinkers take off and stick on the hostesses ear. On #15 the first thing you see is a Google ad claiming, "No More Wrinkles." #18's most recent addition is two years ago, but there is a video with two wankers chatting up Pinot Grigio and one guy spits his wine right at the feet of the other. Close friends I guess. Almost worth giving the link to...nah. #20 Just weird. Using the term, "motherf***er when discussing wine is too advanced for me. #22 is about the Tennessee wine business? #24 is mostly beer and cigars. That combo never worked for me. #25 is some obscure winery who's winemaker's picture is obviously from two decades ago after a night ridden hard and put away wet.

Finally my favorite photo from this list, number #10 shows a fancy gal partying with a glass of wine so full, I'll be following her around most of the night. At least until she passes out in my arms. "Need a ride home?"

Is that a come hither look or what? Where's this wine "orgy" going on?

HA! And when our website is way ahead of the Spectator, Parker and Decanter..., Yes, I did submit it. Blame it on desperation. I'm embarrassed to have submitted it to this mockery to begin with.

Is there a legitimate site as to the "Best Wine Sites?" Not really. It just takes time, reading, exploring and learning to find the sites that are more than just a platform for selling product. Sites run by wine lovers for wine lovers. Even then, we all have to bend a little to the curse of capitalism.

Love that photo. It really does speak to me. "After I punch down this bucket of blood, you're next." Oh man, I'm getting wobbly in the knees!

Esophagus. What a great word. Sounds vaguely Egyptian to me and just exactly where is it? I'll check Wikipedia. There it is. Seems simple enough. Now here's the good news.

" Drinking wine, as little as one glass a day was associated with a 56 percent reduction in cancer of the esophagus"
- David Goodhue - AHN Reporter

Whew! I'm good. Three glasses a day must make be bullet proof!

Actually we're just planning on leaving the door open and shoving him out with camera in hand to use his
frequent flier miles, flying to France and Italy. We're keeping the cards a little close to our chest so as to not give the competition too much heads up, BUT in the weeks ahead some pretty wild videos from rare wine destinations will be added to our playlist. Stay tuned and check in regularly. -The Wine Thief

BOXHEAD 2008 SHIRAZ BAROSSA - $9.99