***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…

What do Winston Churchill and sommelier Andrea Kramer have in common?

Wine.

Specifically, words of wisdom about wine.

You’ll find observations by them and a few other folks below – a good way to get you thinking about which bottle of wine you’re going to open this weekend…

* Said a leading Russian health official after Russia banned wine imports from the former Soviet republic of Moldova: “The wine should be used to paint fences.”

Says our editor: Hey, it’s always important to have a nice, strong base coat.

* Said Paul Leary of Napa Valley’s Blackbird Vineyards: “Mother Nature gives us something new each year…

     The Eisele Vineyard is one of the historic jewels of the Napa Valley.

     To keep it that way, in 1998, the owners converted it to organic.

     Then in 2001, it was certified biodynamic…

     It won’t be long until wedding and reunion season arrives. And
that means you may be called upon to raise a glass and propose a toast.

     If the thought of bombing in front of a bunch of friends (or
perfect strangers) takes the fun out of the occasion, you need to
follow the Boy Scouts’ motto: Be prepared.

     Here are a few tips to help you formulate a toast that everyone in attendance will remember…

     * Said Clifton Fadiman: “To take wine into our mouths is to savor a droplet of the river of human history.”

     Says our editor: So why didn’t they serve wine in history class?

     * Said Maurice Healy: “I took one sip; I closed my eyes, and every beautiful thing that I had…

    Over the years, the wine clubs of Vinesse have featured numerous
wines from Bonny Doon, the winery founded by Randall Grahm.

     The eccentric Grahm has always been two or three steps ahead of
the curve, embracing international grape varieties before just about
anyone else, and crafting wonderful blends when 100% varietal wines
were all the rage.

     He also was among the first vintners to embrace the use of screw
caps on wine bottles, and even came up with a Letterman-style list of…

     And you thought wine was just something to drink with a meal… or to sip while reading a good book.

     It is both of those things. But it also is much more… as the
words of Frances Tabeek, D.H. Lawrence and a Medieval German proverb so
vividly demonstrate…

     * Frances Tabeek: “A good wine is like a gentle kiss – its effect throughout the meal is…