From this unfolds the disappointment of reading their self-indulgent collection of warmed over reviews from the past. In the chapter on shiraz, an important red wine based upon consumer demand, John shares the details of the couple's romantic stay at The Mayflower Inn (Washington, Connecticut) where they stumbled upon a 1986 Penfolds Grange priced at only $100 (the current release of this Australian equivalent of Lafite Rothschild now sells in a wine shop for around $175). "Dottie was resplendent in a green crushed-velvet gown, we sat by the fireplace... and drank the first sips of the wine," John injects. Oh, please, none of us will ever do this, at least not with Dottie. Save that story for your grand-children.

Such self-indulgence might be forgiven since the couple does have a loving following of regular readers each week. But frankly, taking the wine tasting notes of this book into a wine shop, in search of a great wine to buy, would be useless. The vintage wines that are recommended have with very few exceptions, not graced a store shelf for more than a year or two. The reader is stuck with old re-hashings of WSJ copy, long since shifted from bird cage to landfill.

The irony is that hash and schmaltz splatter some of the most refreshing writing about the different grapes, key regions, and numerous, highly useful, rules-of-thumb (bringing wine to someone's house, finding bargains, sniffing or not sniffing corks, how to judge a wine store or when to fire one, and much more). Though I lament this book, buy it and do what the editor should of done. Take a Marks-A-Lot® or an Exacto knife® and alter this 300-plus page book into the inspired, 200 or so paged edition that it should have been. "The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine- New and Improved" ($26 Broadway Books/hardcover) can still be a wise purchase.

Some Quick Reviews:

Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico, 2000
Price $22
Rating 89
The primary grape in Chianti wine is Sangiovese, in this case with an addition of 10% merlot. A glass of Chianti can display a strong aroma, sometimes with complexities of dried, dusty mushroom. It is a medium bodied wine with a distinct sharpness, which is why the wine works so well with equally sharp tomato elements in foods.

Beaulieu Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley 2000
Price $17
Rating 89
"Vintage 2000 will go down in history as not only the first vintage of the new Millennium, maybe," says head winemaker Joel Aiken, "but also as one of the most challenging vintages on record. With the exception of four heat spikes, including a mid-June period with 110º F-plus temperatures, the growing season was characterized by cooler temperatures than usual and somewhat higher humidity."

Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Napa 2000
Price $28
Rating 90
With the cost of land in Napa approaching $150,000 per acre, many wineries are replanting or grafting over to big-bucks grapes like cabernet sauvignon, and Cakebread deserves credit for staying with the less sexy sauvignon blanc. "Our 2000 sauvignon blanc's most prominent aroma is that of grapefruit, followed by hints of melon, fig, and vanilla," says founder Jack Cakebread, "On the palate, this wine is every bit as rich and flavorful as promised by its aromas. There are ripe grapefruit components enveloped in a smooth, rounded texture with subtle hints of oak and vanilla."