COLLOCATION: A WORD for the habitual pairing of two words. Like “unmitigated” and “gall” or “oaky” and “Chardonnay.” I even saw the latter phrase turn up as a clue in a crossword puzzle last month.

Chardonnay. Does the word make you fancy a glass or make you shudder? Now what about chablis? Trick question, of course. Chablis is made from chardonnay grapes grown in the northernmost wine district ...

I've always been into wine the same way I've been into movies: I think they're great, but I've never put any energy into understanding how or why the good ones are good. I hate an oaky Chardonnay. I ...

Last week, I wrote about the most popular wine grape varieties in California. All six wines were affordable (less than $20 a bottle) with some even costing less than $10. This week, we’ll linger a bit ...