A SALUTE TO SANCERRE. Tamara Lover's recent ode to Sancerre at Gothamist brought back many pleasant memories. Like Tamara and her readers, I've enjoyed many an affordable Sancerre white wine with cheese as well as fish and seafood, including monkfish.

I once shared my enthusiasm for Sancerre-and-seafood with a Tribeca wine vendor near Independence Plaza. His dismissive reaction rattled me, but Lover's review warms me like a shot of quality Scotch. So take that, Tribeca Wine Vendor!

I also share Lover's taste for low-priced Malbec wines of Argentina. She's even written about the phenomenon she calls Malbec Mouth — the propensity of red wines to turn teeth purple. Read about it here...and take note of the interesting and amusing Comments, too.