How you ask? Just think about it. I've got my favorites, the "go to" wines that you never can have enough of in you cellar. Cellar? I can dream can't I? Maybe you are a Merlot or Chardonnay fanatic. Or, as I have found to be my case, in the rut of only buying reds from the same wineries, Coppola, Franciscan, and KJ to name a few.

The nice, comforting, aspect of surrounding yourself with favorites is that you know what to expect. There are no surprises in the taste, the cost, what food to pair them with, and you know exactly where to find them on your local dealer's shelves. Kind of like a nice big, warm, fuzzy blanket. Ahhhhhhhhh.

Now, I'm not saying go break up with your significant other, but sometimes you've got to get out there and test the market. I'll admit, my wife is like a bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild (she lobbied for Dom Perignon but I told her she wasn't bubbly enough), but when we were dating she tended to be more like Mad Dog 20/20.

It was during those times that I often thought, "Whoa, maybe it's time try a nice Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Riesling, or Sauvignon Blanc." Ultimately, the same thing would happen. Mrs. MD 20/20 would conveniently show up at the same party, football game, monster truck rally, or quilting tournament that I was at, looking all dolled up and dressed to kill. Next thing you knew, I had my big, warm fuzzy blanket back.

Same goes for wine. Too often I find myself scanning the weekly ads in the newspaper, skipping over the wineries that I do not know and going directly for my long standing favorites. There they sit, dressed to kill and on sale.

"Ahhh, Coppola Diamond Claret for $11.99, nice, 2003 Franciscan Cabernet $17.99, typical, and KJ Cabernet Grand Reserve $17.99, sweeeeet."

So, what's the moral of the story? Start dating red heads?

While it is nice to have your stash of preferred wines, don't go overboard. Every day new wines come into the market. It has been my experience that the best sources of information regarding fresh, young wines can be found at your local wine dealers such as Primo Vino, Mondo Vino, and Applejack to name a couple. I've also ran across two books that I have found helpful in recommending good wine at every price range. They are Andrea Robinson's 2007 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone and AmericanWine Guide by Kevin Zraly. My luck at locating wines recommended in magazines has not been good; however, your experience might be different.

Recently I trusted the advice of my local wine dealer and tried a red Zinfandel from Ridge out of California. I haven't checked my sources on this, but apparently Ridge has a cult-like following for their Zinfandels. This Zin is a light to medium bodied wine packed full of rich, lush, fruit flavors that has a soft, amazingly velvety finish. I'll be totally honest with you, I cracked it open as soon as I got home and it didn't last until dinner, so I cannot speak from experience as to what food pairs well with this wine. I bought a second bottle and plan to try it with a pepperoni and black olive pizza.

Ridge produces various Zinfandels and the one I reference above is "Ridge 2003 California Zinfandel Independence School". This bottle is at the higher end of my budget, on sale last week at Applejack for $23.99, but worth every penny for that once-a-month occasion.

Guess my New Year's resolution to not join a cult didn't last long.

(Next Tuesday: If I were single I would own a wine cellar)