***image2***Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the great composers of classical music.

Chris Thile is a mandolin virtuoso who has played in a number of acclaimed “Americana” bands, including the critically acclaimed bluegrass group, Nickel Creek.

Their musical styles and preferences may be quite different, but these two talented men share an appreciation of wine…

Most wine lovers have two things in common: They love to drink wine (of course), and they also enjoy reading about it.

We’ve been touting Karen MacNeill’s “The Wine Bible” ever since it was published several years ago, and it’s still the go-to source for information on our favorite beverage, presented in an accessible, entertaining style.

But just in case you took our advice and have already bought and read that book, here’s another: “Hugh Johnson’s The World Atlas of Wine”…

Can you believe it? Yet another year is about to come to an end.

Tonight, many of us will be asked to propose an appropriate toast as the seconds tick down to midnight.

There are two keys to a successful toast:

1. Being prepared. You want to be able to offer your words of wisdom and/or humor with natural ease. And as any actor would tell you, the key to acting natural is rehearsal. So, if you have trouble memorizing things, keep your toast short…