I came across the following article from the AP at Spittoon.biz, another useful wine blog to add to your list.

Critics who praise the “complexity” of red Burgundy and Champagne are on target. A team of French and Italian researchers has mapped the genome of the pinot noir grape, used to make bubbly and many red wines from France’s Burgundy region and around the world — and it has about 30,000 genes in its DNA.

That’s more than the human genome, which contains some 20,000 to 25,000 genes.

Full article here

Paul D. came across this article about Krug on CNN.com today. Of the most premium of the Krug family, the Clos du Mensil, their “jewel vineyard,” is only four and a half acres, and dates back to 1698!

Amusing article in the NYTimes today about the nuances (some psychological, some real) of drinking wine from the proper stemware.

The Antique Wine Company is very proud to be offering the most extensive collection of Chateau Lafite Rothschild ever seen on the world market, a unique collection that spans four centuries, with the earliest vintage being 1787, prior to the French Revolution. It encompasses all the bottle formats ever produced, including giant 6ltr Imperials from all the top vintages of the 20th century.

http://lafite-collection.antique-wine.com/index.html

Pretty in depth review of Lafite and its origins too. Offers for the collection are now being accepted in the $1MM – 2MM USD range. Get yours now while supplies last!

There’s a nice write-up in the NYTimes this week on various unpretentious and well-stocked wine bars in San Francisco. You can check out that article here.