Are you a jaded diner? In today's power-packed culinary world, many people are lucky enough to visit four and five star restaurants as a matter of course. Twenty years ago, for example, dining at a top restaurant would be because of a celebration, a birthday perhaps, or an anniversary.

In big cities, particularly New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles, executives often dine out every night in celebrity chef restaurants in the course of business. However, when envious spouses ask what they enjoyed, the executives often can't recall - they were too busy deal-making.

Happily, jaded diners can get in touch with their inner foodie at The Restaurant in the luxurious Meadowood Resort in California's Napa Valley which has won another Michelin two-star rating for the third year in a row. A jaded diner myself, I generally prefer to order a la carte, select my own wines and, in New York fashion, take personal control over my dining experience.

Perhaps there is something about the tranquility of this peaceful resort, or curiosity about new chef Christopher Kostrow (awarded two Michelin stars when he was at the helm of Chez TJ in Mountain View) that motivated me to order the multi-course tasting menu and leave my wine pairing in the capable hands of young, but highly professional sommelier Rom Toulon.

As you can imagine for a tasting menu that is $130 for food alone, the ingredients are quite luxurious. Starting plates included cold smoked toro & Osetra caviar, foie gras and apple, and citrus cured Spanish mackerel served with a very curious (and delicious) olive oil ice cream. Savory lobster and sweetbread was accompanied by Hedgehog mushrooms in a froth of a sauce, followed by the mains of crispy confit of suckling pig accented with maple syrup, and poached grass fed beef.

The pairings (an additional $90, with a different wine pairing virtually every dish) were fabulous and in my view, generous. 2006 Pierre Gaillard Le Secret Ivre was a personal favorite, a delicious flavorful wine with heady vanilla accents that paired excellently with the lobster. I also enjoyed 2005 Domaine Vincent Girardin Saint-Aubin 1er Cru. Of course, there is no real point in listing all the wines sommelier Rom personally selected to accompany our meal because when you dine here, the menu — and your wine pairings — will likely be different.

What is important to underscore is that Rom Toulon's extensive knowledge is such that he can very quickly decide on the best wine to match your dish. To me, this is both a gift and a skill. By the definition of their job, sommeliers taste a lot of wine. What separates the five-star sommeliers from the rest is their chef-like ability to pick up an accent of a dish (a hint of vanilla in a sauce) rather than generically pair a white wine with a seafood entrée.

Of course, you can create your own a la carte meal. Fish dishes include Local Dungeness Crab served with sunflower seeds, vanilla, Bartlett pear, and Jalapeno, Scallop and Blue Hawaiin Prawn, Olive Oil Poached Black Cod with Osetra caviar and oyster foam, and Pacific Kampachi with braised lettuce, peas, crab, and mint. Entrees include poached and roasted squab, slow roasted veal, and Marin Sun Farms lamb along with the suckling pig served on the tasting menu.

At the time of my meal, Chef Christopher Kostrow had only been in the kitchen a few weeks, so The Restaurant is too new to review, even though everything was fabulous. I loved his flavor combinations, however, and feel very comfortable suggesting that when you do visit, just leave yourself in his hands. Although the wine list is spectacular and will have Napa Valley wine aficionados salivating, consider leaving your pairing to Rom. Delicious surprises await!

Meadowood · Napa Valley
900 Meadowood Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
Tel (800) 458-8080

Take a New Zealand SB and rip off its vibrant flavors and aroma and at its core you see an old world SB. Or as the French might suggest, "doll up" an old world SB with perfume and makeup and you have a new world Sauvignon Blanc.

This particuar wine it turns out I am drinking, Joel Delaunay, is a 2007 SB from Touraine. As soon as I tasted it, I knew it was not from Sancerre, Menatou, or any of the other familiar regions. It was very shy and subdued, almost hesitant in asserting its SB power.

I like it. It is dry, with classic minerals on the nose and palate, and a very sublte nod to fruit and flowers. You will find apple, which is unusual for me when tasting SB yet it may well be particular to Tourraine. I could see it paired with all manner of white fish, sauteed, grilled, etc, or as an aperatif.

Americans in my view do not seem to understand or crave these subtle Sauvignon Blancs, yet I find it a solid value for the price. Not sure of what that is, yet definately under twenty.

Both chefs — young, movie star handsome, and enormously talented — are major celebrities in Australia with television shows, cookbooks, and several restaurants in the trendiest areas. Luke Mangan has a restaurant in San Francisco and is opening one in Los Angeles this year. Pete Evans has restaurants in Australia, starred in a television show called FISH, and has just come out with his second cookbook, My Table.

"One goal tonight is for you all to decide which of the two Jacob Creek's wines served with each course is the best pairing," said celebrity winemaker Philip Laffer, recipient of many distinguished accolades, as our intimate group took seats at the gorgeously set table, with its sparkling glasses and gleaming silver cutlery. Laffer was named Australia's Winemaker of the Year in 2002, and many credit him with bringing Australian wine to the export markets.

Sitting here at the table, I can see why. In creating this food and wine pairing dinner, he proves himself an expert communicator, not simply telling us about the wine, but encouraging us on many levels to share our own personal thoughts about the wine through between-course discussions.

For example, consider the first course of steamed Australis Barramundi with lime and coconut sauce. If you are familiar with Barramundi, think about the sauce for a moment and decide two possible white varietal pairings. If one of your choices was Riesling, you are right. In one of my wine classes at the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust, I still remember our instructor reminding us that one key way to blind taste a Riesling is to look for hints of lime, lime, and more lime. This described the Jacob's Creek Steingarten Riesling quite well.

"I already know this wine will pair nicely," I say to the woman next to me, lifting my glass to sip the Australian Riesling 2006. Dry and balanced, it complimented rather than contrasted with the fish. It was quite delicious, bone dry, and as light and delicate as lace. If you drink Rieslings infrequently, you probably have not had a Riesling like this so you are encouraged to try it.

The Jacob's Creek Reeves Point Chardonnay 2004 had a tempting vanilla nose and buttery, pure clean flavor. I thought it paired nicely with the fish, yet not as brilliant a pairing as the Riesling.

For the next course, we enjoyed olive oil poached Greg Norman signature wagyu beef, fragrant pumpkin puree, and asparagus. Now close your eyes, turn on your taste buds, and try to imagine which of the two following wines you would find best with this dish. Would it be the St. Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, or the Centenary Hill Shiraz 2004?

Our table was nearly divided into two on this. I could not predict as well as I did with the fish, but I liked the cab much better. The meat was delicate, and the pumpkin softened it further, making the arrangement just right for a soft cab. The Shiraz, with its sharp spicy notes, though delicious, might have been a better match for a less delicate meat like grilled steak.

What is a meal without cheese - especially now that I have a diploma in fromage from Artisinal cheese in New York. Looking good on our plates were a selection of King Island cheeses such as seal Bay triple cream brie, Roaring Forties blue, Stokes Point smoked cheddar with Maggie beer quince paste, and Pastilla Nash Sugar Plum & Walnut log.

I enjoyed the Johann Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 paired with this dish, yet thought this Shiraz would have been wonderful paired with the wagyu. Dessert was quite a production - an elaborate mini lamington with coconut anglaise and chocolate opera.

I really enjoyed meeting Jacob's Creek winemaker, Philip Laffer, meeting the two creative chefs Mangan and Evans, and came away with the following take-away points.

1. Australian wines are a great value. Too many Americans associate them with inexpensive, mass market, fruit-forward wines without finesse, but Jacob's Creek proves wines can be affordable and have quality.

2. It will be fun to offer two wines with each course of your next dinner party, as it focuses attention on both the food and the wine, and provides lively discussion.

3. The Jacob's Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV served during appetizers impressed me. Though this under $15 sparkler is not made in the traditional method used in champagne, it was delicious and quite balanced.

Happy sipping!

Both chefs — young, movie star handsome, and enormously talented — are major celebrities in Australia with television shows, cookbooks, and several restaurants in the trendiest areas. Luke Mangan has a restaurant in San Francisco and is opening one in Los Angeles this year. Pete Evans has restaurants in Australia, starred in a television show called FISH, and has just come out with his second cookbook, My Table.

"One goal tonight is for you all to decide which of the two Jacob Creek's wines served with each course is the best pairing," said celebrity winemaker Philip Laffer, recipient of many distinguished accolades, as our intimate group took seats at the gorgeously set table, with its sparkling glasses and gleaming silver cutlery. Laffer was named Australia's Winemaker of the Year in 2002, and many credit him with bringing Australian wine to the export markets.

Sitting here at the table, I can see why. In creating this food and wine pairing dinner, he proves himself an expert communicator, not simply telling us about the wine, but encouraging us on many levels to share our own personal thoughts about the wine through between-course discussions.

For example, consider the first course of steamed Australis Barramundi with lime and coconut sauce. If you are familiar with Barramundi, think about the sauce for a moment and decide two possible white varietal pairings. If one of your choices was Riesling, you are right. In one of my wine classes at the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust, I still remember our instructor reminding us that one key way to blind taste a Riesling is to look for hints of lime, lime, and more lime. This described the Jacob's Creek Steingarten Riesling quite well.

"I already know this wine will pair nicely," I say to the woman next to me, lifting my glass to sip the Australian Riesling 2006. Dry and balanced, it complimented rather than contrasted with the fish. It was quite delicious, bone dry, and as light and delicate as lace. If you drink Rieslings infrequently, you probably have not had a Riesling like this so you are encouraged to try it.

The Jacob's Creek Reeves Point Chardonnay 2004 had a tempting vanilla nose and buttery, pure clean flavor. I thought it paired nicely with the fish, yet not as brilliant a pairing as the Riesling.

For the next course, we enjoyed olive oil poached Greg Norman signature wagyu beef, fragrant pumpkin puree, and asparagus. Now close your eyes, turn on your taste buds, and try to imagine which of the two following wines you would find best with this dish. Would it be the St. Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, or the Centenary Hill Shiraz 2004?

Our table was nearly divided into two on this. I could not predict as well as I did with the fish, but I liked the cab much better. The meat was delicate, and the pumpkin softened it further, making the arrangement just right for a soft cab. The Shiraz, with its sharp spicy notes, though delicious, might have been a better match for a less delicate meat like grilled steak.

What is a meal without cheese - especially now that I have a diploma in fromage from Artisinal cheese in New York. Looking good on our plates were a selection of King Island cheeses such as seal Bay triple cream brie, Roaring Forties blue, Stokes Point smoked cheddar with Maggie beer quince paste, and Pastilla Nash Sugar Plum & Walnut log.

I enjoyed the Johann Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 paired with this dish, yet thought this Shiraz would have been wonderful paired with the wagyu. Dessert was quite a production - an elaborate mini lamington with coconut anglaise and chocolate opera.

I really enjoyed meeting Jacob's Creek winemaker, Philip Laffer, meeting the two creative chefs Mangan and Evans, and came away with the following take-away points.

1. Australian wines are a great value. Too many Americans associate them with inexpensive, mass market, fruit-forward wines without finesse, but Jacob's Creek proves wines can be affordable and have quality.

2. It will be fun to offer two wines with each course of your next dinner party, as it focuses attention on both the food and the wine, and provides lively discussion.

3. The Jacob's Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV served during appetizers impressed me. Though this under $15 sparkler is not made in the traditional method used in champagne, it was delicious and quite balanced.

Happy sipping!

Imagine yourself at one of the popular new wine bars in your town. You are sipping a glass of red wine perfumed with notes of violet and lavender – a departure from your typical request for a California Cabernet Sauvignon. You take another sip and wonder what combination of soil and sunlight could produce such a succulent wine? Your curiosity roused, you look at the label on the bottle and see it is from the Languedoc – a region in Southern France.

Suddenly, you are bursting with questions about the region. What grape is the wine made from? What is the typical climate of the area? Who are the top winemakers in the region? And if you were going to serve it at a dinner party, what foods would pair best with it?

Karen MacNeil, director of the wine program at the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley, has crafted an excellent book in the appropriately named book, , a terrific 910 page resource for amateur and seasoned wine lovers alike. This book starts out with the basics, with MacNeil explaining the elements, such as sun, water, and soil necessary for good wine, and goes on to the more complex issues of wine making and regional styles.

What I liked best about the book is that MacNeil takes you to vineyards all over the world, describing the climate and terrain with such detail and color you will feel as if you are there, by her side, seeing it for yourself. She even introduces you to winemakers, taking you deep into their dank, dark cellars so you can taste the wine for yourself. Then she describes the local cuisine in such tantalizing detail you’ll want to rush out and create your own wine and food pairing based on the succulent flavors described in that chapter.

You will find many ways to use this book. Instead of reading it from beginning to end, you might try to use it as a reference guide. Did you have a great Chianti at a restaurant and want to find out more about the region? Pick up this book and go to the appropriate chapter. Are you having friends over for drinks and want to show off your wine sophistication? Read up on the wines you’ll be serving and surprise your guests with some fun, colorful facts about the wine. Do you love to cook and are you eager to find the perfect pairing for a recipe you just saw in Food & Wine magazine? You’ll find it in this incredible resource.

Here are some other things you will discover:

- how to taste and analyze wine like a professional - how to read a wine label - how to write your own tasting notes - how to store and serve wine - and much more.

With this book in hand, you can set up your own classes, or study sessions. One week you might study the wines of France, and buy wines from the region. The next week, you can do the same thing with Spain. What makes it even more fun is if you can get a partner or some friends together and make a party of it.

So the next time you find yourself in a wine bar, eager to learn more about what you are drinking, or in a wine store, wondering what to buy, sneak a peek in this book. Sooner than you think, friends and co-workers will see you as the go-to wine expert in your circle.