Wines

The hunt for a red October (and beyond) Here's where to find some of the wines mentioned in this article: Moric's 2008 Burgenland Blaufränkisch is available at Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, http://www.winex.com ; and Domaine LA, Los Angeles, (323) 932-0280, domaine547.com, about $26. The Pfneiszl 2007 Soproni Kekfrankos is available at the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, http://www.winehouse.com ; Larchmont Village Wine, (323)

Actor Kelsey Grammer is back at it — trying to sell his home in the Beverly Crest area — this time for $17.999 million. Priced in 2008 at $19.9 million, the mansion is described in the listing as modern Traditional in style. The two-story house, built in 1980, features a central hall, media room, a library, a wine cellar and a service entrance. There are seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms and 10,567 square feet of living space. Lawn, a swimming pool, a six-car motor court and a four-car garage complete the grounds of more than three-quarters of an acre.

Here are five great Mourvèdre-based wines from Paso Robles, Calif. Because they are produced in small quantities, it may be necessary to order them from the winery. 2007 Anglim Winery Mourvèdre "Hastings Ranch Vineyard" ($34): Quite a spicy wine, with notes of cinnamon, star anise and black pepper. Black plum fruit comes through on the mid-palate and drives through to the finish. 14.9% alcohol. http://www.anglimwinery.com 2007 Edward Sellers Mourvèdre ($35): Dark cherry fruit with black pepper and a gamy "low note" to keep it interesting.

The sleepy Central Coast town of Arroyo Grande, population 17,000, is the ideal place to shut out the mayhem of city life for a few days. There's not much to do except relax, drink wine, read your book and take sunset strolls. The bed. House of Another Tyme Bed & Breakfast (227 Le Point St.; (805) 489-6313; http://www.anothertymebnb.net ; rooms for two, $120) is a remodeled Victorian home that dates to 1916 and contains three guest rooms. The B&B is run by husband-and-wife Jack Tiedemann and Judy Zwarg.

Bodega Wine Bar in Hollywood Where: 6290 Sunset Blvd. When: Open daily at 5 p.m. Price: Nearly all wines at $9 a glass Contact: (323) 464-3400

Because every day feels more uncertain, we need our everyday wines -- something tasty, straightforward, and cheap in the glass -- to signify the day's end. For this, it's useful to maintain what I call a "working case" for your home, a boilerplate selection of wines to have on hand for everyday sustenance. There are simply hundreds of wines out there that over-deliver for the price.

Bungee jump off a bridge, careen through wild rapids, float on a river through the blackness of a subterranean cave. "If you can dream it, we have it," the Kiwis say. There's no doubt about it: New Zealand offers a great escape, a misty dreamland of tranquil fiords, rugged peaks, frosty glaciers, turquoise alpine lakes and verdant rain forests. But with its wines now ranked alongside some of the world's best, New Zealand also offers visitors a grape escape as well -- a first-class wine destination where travelers can find pleasure year-round in hundreds of tasting rooms.

FOOD Enjoy fine wines, including the best that California has to offer alongside the great vintages from France's Loire Valley during the seventh annual Newport Beach Food & Wine Festival. Four days feature a sampling of more than 60 wines; food-and-wine-pairing seminars with master sommeliers; a winemakers luncheon and more. Balboa Bay Club & Resort, 1221 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Thurs. to Sun. Event times and ticket prices vary. (949) 630-4146; http://www.balboabayclub.com.

Wines on a budget Here are a few favorite wines for less than $15 from the people we interviewed: Simon Cocks of Larchmont Village Wine Spirits & Cheese: NV Anton Ohlig Sekt Rosé Extra-Trocken, "50 N" (German sparkling rosé), $14.99; 2009 Hubert Rousseau Gros Plant du Pays Nantais (French white), $13.99; 2009 Monte dos Perdigöes Alenteja DO, Tapada do Barao (Portuguese red), $11.99. 223 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 856-8699 (no website)

When Selena Cuffe sampled South African wines four years ago in Soweto, she didn't wax poetic about their rustic radiance, about plum and berry notes on the nose or hints of vanilla on the palate. That would come with time. What swept her off her feet were the stories behind the labels: black winemakers struggling to survive, post-apartheid, in an industry dominated by whites and in a market suspicious of new players. "It was like a bright light went off in my head," said Cuffe, a high-energy 33-year-old with a Harvard MBA, marketing experience at Proctor & Gamble Co. and a desire, as an African American, to give a hand to black entrepreneurs in South Africa.

This is an elegant expression of Nebbiolo (here called Chiavennasca) from one ofItaly'ssmallest appellations in the mountains near the Swiss border. Valtellina has several sub-zones, the best known of which is the wonderfully named "Inferno. " Giuseppe Rainoldi's 2007 Valtellina Superiore "Inferno" Riserva is definitely a keeper. Though these wines age well, this one is drinking beautifully right now, so why wait? The bouquet of flowers, cherries and leaves seduces right away, but it's the flavor and texture that stand out most - silky, with finely honed tannins and the pure taste of Nebbiolo grown high up near the Alps.

The price first-time homeowner Justin Bieber paid for his new digs in Calabasas has wended its way into the public record: $6.5 million. Set on 1.3 acres in a gated community, the 10,000-square-foot main house is described as "transitional French" in style. Features include a high-ceiling foyer, library, a movie theater with stadium seating, a wet bar and a wine cellar. Just what every 18-year-old pop singer needs. Including a guesthouse, there are seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

Ask a Venturan and he or she will tell you that the city is both the end of Southern California and the beginning of the central part of the state. With a gorgeous coastline, an affinity for agriculture, a happening night life and a healthy enthusiasm for all things vino, this duality isn't just a clever marketing campaign - it's the real deal. The bed. The 76 rooms at Best Western Plus Inn of Ventura (708 E. Thompson Blvd.; [805] 648-3101, http://www.best western.com, doubles from $85.49 in spring)

Calera is best known for its compelling Pinot Noirs, but the limestone soils of the Gavilan Mountains east of Monterey Bay work their magic on Viognier too. That's the genius of the site founder Josh Jensen chose for Calera Wine. This Viognier comes from the Mt. Harlan vineyard, first planted with the grape in 1983 and farmed organically. The bouquet of jasmine and ripe stone fruit draws you in right away. Then comes that lush texture and the tastes of honey, pear and tropical fruit.

The Red & White Wine Bar is across the street from beautiful Lake Como, with forever views, in Tremezzo, Italy. The chef and his wife are charming, friendly and speak English. The food is outstanding: It was the best pasta e fagioli I have ever had, and my husband had the lasagna three days in a row. Prices are reasonable. Red & White Wine Bar, 18 Via Portico Sampietro, Tremezzo; 011-39-0344-40095. Pizzas and pastas from about $10. Main dishes $20-22. Jade Kemble Rancho Bernardo

We met at the Santa Monica outpost of the Bodega wine bar. Though it was fairly dark inside, I recognized his face at the bar. I waved and walked toward him. As he stood up, his body did not match his face, or any of his online pictures. He was not the same guy surfing in the wetsuit, or wearing the tux, or looking all skinny with his bushy brown hair. He must have gained 50 pounds, maybe more. Beneath his beige button-down shirt I could see man boobs. "Shall we get a table?" he asked.

Despite summer's reluctance thus far to make a lasting appearance, there soon will be plenty of gatherings by the pool, picnics at the Bowl and alfresco meals under a panoply of patio umbrellas. The superstars of summer produce — peaches, cherries, tomatoes, peas, haricots verts, sweet corn — will each flounce onto the stage during its glorious window of peak ripeness, meaning that now's the time to assemble a working case of summer white wines, to meet the onslaught. I've heard it said that a good summer wine is like sunshine in a bottle.

Dear Amy: I work for a partner at a very distinguished company. He has been conducting an affair with a "client" for more than three years now. He has been married for well over 20 years. He, however, is utilizing company funds to wine and dine his mistress and is asking me to submit these expenses for reimbursement. My conundrum is that if I report him I will lose my job; he is very connected. If I don't, then I feel I am cheating the company. I have asked to be transferred, but no other positions are available.

Barbaresco doesn't usually come in under $30 - and when you find a Barbaresco of this quality at this price, jump on it. One of the great bargains in Piedmont is the Paitin "Serra" from the Elia Pasquero family, which has been farming these hillside vineyards since the late 18th century. Very drinkable already, the 2008 has a lovely bouquet of cherries and earth. Complex and elegant, this Barbaresco has lots to reveal as it sits in the glass - concentrated dark berries, violets, tobacco leaves and more.

Any discussion of Tar & Roses must begin, as your dinner probably will, with what is probably its simplest appetizer, a concoction of popcorn tossed with brown sugar, lardons and chile, like a bowl of Cracker Jack with chewy cubes of bacon instead of peanuts. (Why can't there be chewy cubes of bacon and peanuts? That is an excellent question.) The popcorn falls solidly into a genre new in Los Angeles cooking, something we may call an elevated bar snack, a staple of the many, many gastropubs that have come to dominate casual dining here over the last couple of years.