Found a great new place to drink wine. It’s a  restaurant in Irvine called Cucina Enoteca. It’s not exactly a wine bar but it’s got some wine bar qualities, like Ben Kephart, a clued-in sommelier, and a boutique selection of bottles. You can buy one to go, or choose one to take to your table. The drink-it-now price is only $8 higher than its retail—a fair corkage fee especially when you consider that most wine lists mark bottles up two or three times.

The idea is to get you sipping, swirling, and discovering new bottles. The first one I noticed was a Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc for $33 (the release price is $30). “We get it at the same price as everyone else, we just sell it at a reasonable price. We might take a big hit on something but we just want to be full. Volume is the secret,” ...

It’s not just the tastiest wines I’m talking about. It’s the ones that made the biggest impression on me. Many times it’s because they surprised me as atypical: a huge viognier, a cab with power and elegance, an Italian wine I’ve never tried before. These are the bottles that made the grade this year. Get your hands on any of them and see if you agree.—Anne Valdespino 

2006 Guigal Condrieu La Doriane, Rhone, France. ($110) Incredibly beautiful labels usually set you up for disappointment. Not in this case. Super floral and plentiful in peach and apricot notes, this white Rhone has now set the standard for all others in my mind. A huge surprise since I generally love roussane and hate viognier. But this bottling is 100 percent viognier, which goes to show how high-toned the varietal can be—one sip and you’ll feel like you've just slipped into a ...

I’m always saying Veuve Cliquot yellow label is overpriced. So who would have guessed that at last night’s blind tasting of seven bubblies at Main Street Wine Company in Huntington Beach I picked two Cliquots among my three favorites?

The rosé nonvintage ($66.99) impressed me with its creamy mousse, rounded fruit, and dry finish. The Cliquot Brut Vintage 2002 ($83.99) impressed me even more with its pretty aromatics of white flowers and its fine bubbles. I chose that over a Laurent-Perrier which surprised me because I’m a big fan of their rosé. Then I tried a Champagne I didn’t care for at all. It was super bright, much too lemony and acidic. I wondered, did someone overdo it with the picpoul in this blend? That turned out to be Cliquot La Grande Dame 1998!

So I’m still in a quandary as to whether I like Cliquot’s house style or not. ...

What to get for the wino who has everything? How about a new aerator? I love the Vinturi but there’s a new kid on the block. It’s called the Epicureanist Trilux Wine Aerator ($39) and while I’m not convinced it floods wine with air as quickly as the Vinturi, there are a couple things I really like about it.

First, it works for red or white wine, second, it has a wide bowl. You don’t have to aim it so carefully. (Really great feature after about three glasses of wine!) That bowl makes it fit atop any carafe so you’re not juggling the bottle and the aerator. It also fits any wine glass. (I call this the instant gratification feature.) It even fits my fat boy California Cabernet Riedel Vinum Series glass. That one is huge.

You will really like the Trilux if you like buying local—the company is based ...