I love St. Patrick's Day in this town. So much so that last year I turned down a friend's invitation to go to Chicago, where a river running through the city is dyed green. We have our own dirty river, I thought to myself.

Saw a sneak preview of "Valentine's Day" the other night. Yeah, it's that movie your lady friend is dragging you to this weekend. The cast is packed with so many celebrities that I think the last names in the opening credits hit every letter of the alphabet.

I don't remember any character names, but I can try to give you a one-sentence synopsis.

Don't embarrass yourself and The Sweet Baby Jesus by showing up at Christmas dinner with a cheap varietal of hooch you bought at CVS. These well-priced bottles--almost all of which are less than $15--will impress your family and not leave you with a nasty hangover for Boxing Day.

Reds
Stay away from French reds--like the French army, they're weak and retreating. The Iberian Peninsula and South America don't just supply the world with many of its most beautiful women, but they also provide some delicious and well-priced red wines:

You've probably seen the signs in Kroger from the Food With Wine Coalition, urging you in the checkout aisle to sign the petition. The ruckus is all about a state law that prohibits food stores from selling wine. Word is that the pesky rule is the reason Louisville won't get a Trader Joe's (guess they don't like the hassle of a separate door that Whole Foods uses).

It's gratifying knowing that major publications expound on the pleasures of dining at the English Grill; nice knowing that our city has such a noteworthy restaurant. I've never supped myself in the "rarified confines of ... one of the finest restaurants in the nation" (according to Forbes Traveller).

I don’t know about you but I was tired of seeing the Wine Market on Bardstown Road wrapped up in brown while they renovated. Don’t get me wrong, I like Old Town just fine, but I like the bigger selection of affordable wines at their sister shop. Their meant-to-be-quick renovation drug on for weeks – months. But at long last the brown wrapping is gone and the sleek new shop is open for business.

Sorry for the business speak, but when a wine store has a tasting, it's the epitome of a win-win.

• The attendee wins because, hey, free booze.
• The shop wins because it increases its sales as people who attend the tasting probably won't leave without buying a bottle or two.

That being said, it's surprising that more wine stores in Louisville don't offer them, especially on a week night when they likely don't have as many customers as on a weekend.

The Wine Market