“Judging Australian wine shows is the closest I’ve ever come to hand-to-hand combat.” So says wine writer Tim Atkin the Uk’s The Observer: “No one actually exchanges punches, but the verbal fisticuffs can be brutal. If you’re brought up to be polite and to consider someone else’s point of view ... wine wine shows judging , wine , wine shows...

Take a holiday to Mona Lisa's backyard on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. We'll examine the enormous appeal of Italy's Tuscany region, and its quieter neighbor Umbria. Rick chats with Cecelia Bottai, a winemaker from Orvieto, about how visitors can experience authentic local culture in central Italy's hilltowns and ...

In recent years, South Africa has emerged from its apartheid-induced embargo to become one of the continent's most popular destinations. While the country offers plenty to visitors, including a mix of vibrant cultures and spectacular natural beauty, it's the kind of place Back Door travelers will experience more confidently if ...

The Rat grabs some tunes and wine at Slims in San Francisco while checking out the Uncorked and Unplugged tour - part rock show - part wine tasting.

The Rat ventures out into the hot, sun drenched vineyards to attend an outdoor tasting comparing warm and cool climate Chardonnays from Sonoma County, CA

A side-by-side comparison of six different wines made from six different Pinot noir clones, and a visit from Dolly, my favorite dead cloned sheep

Lured into the Priorat region, of the wine shops, by tasting amazing Priorat wines at this year's Hospice du Rhone, the Cellar Rat goes in search of bargain wines from the region

The Rat tours Pinot country - the Russian River Valley - and reports on the best spots to hang

The Rat goes looking for bubbles in Medocino's Anderson Valley, and finds some killer white wines as well

The Rat checks out Sauce, a hip neighborhood eatery in San Francisco, to see how they go about building their wine list, and if you can charge corkage for Two Buck Chuck