Bringing It Home

1. Prince Fernando Borghese, 28, director of business development for an ad agency in Philadelphia; son of Prince Marco Borghese, owner of Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery, Cutchogue, N.Y. You might spot him: On frequent visits to the winery, he helps in the cellars and the bottling room. Most romantic gesture: Whisked a girlfriend off to Manhattan and surprised her with a candlelit dinner at the Rainbow Room. 2. Prince Giovanni Borghese, 21, a junior at Suffolk University in Boston; younger brother of Prince Fernando Borghese. You might spot him: On semester breaks from school, in the tasting room or pruning the vines. Ideal date: Anything active, like hiking, ice-skating, or rock climbing. 3. Steve Doerner, 51, winemaker, Cristom Vineyards, Salem, Ore. You might spot him: Topping barrels in the winery. Most romantic gesture: Surprised a girlfriend in California by flying in from Oregon and taking her to dinner on her birthday. 4. Christopher Lorch, 37, winemaker, Sugar Creek Winery & Vineyard, Defiance, Mo. You might spot him: Managing his family's winery and vineyards. Most romantic gesture: A bouquet of flowers for no reason. 5. Michael Cobb, 36, operations manager, Sunstone Winery, Santa Ynez, Calif. You might spot him: In the tasting room or picking grapes on his days off. Most romantic gesture: Surprised a girl with a gondola ride along the Naples Island canals in Long Beach, Calif. 6. Marcelo Freitas, 42, visitors center host, Quintessa, Rutherford, Ca. You might spot him: Giving tours of the winery and vineyards. Ideal date: A ride on his BMW 1150GS motorcycle, toward Santa Cruz or Big Sur, stopping at farmers markets along the way. 7. Drew Hauser, 28, sales and marketing director, Naked Mountain Vineyard & Winery, Markham, Va. You might spot him: In the tasting room or helping with the harvest. Ideal date: A picnic overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.

Blanket One side is a soft faux suede; the other, waterproof plastic. Made by Picnic at Ascot. 800/305-1271, wickerandwine.com, $37 Basket Reisenthel's European market tote bag has a lightweight aluminum frame and folds flat. 800/243-0852, surlatable.com, $30 Wine Tote One of the latest designs from Built NY. Thick neoprene protects and insulates the bottles. builtny.com, $19, no phone orders Chiller Not only can Vacu Vin's Rapid Ice Instant Wine Coolers chill bottles in minutes, they can also keep them cold for up to three hours. 800/356-8466, wineenthusiast.com, $12 Cutting Board Crate and Barrel's polypropylene mats are sold in sets of four. 800/967-6696, crateandbarrel.com, $13 Knife Opinel's folding knife has a hardwood handle and a steel blade that locks into place with a safety ring. 800/338-6799, knifecenter.com, $13 Glasses The plastic stems unscrew and snap into the bowl. By GSI Outdoors. 888/226-7667, campmor.com, $5 Tableware Orikaso's origami-inspired plates and bowls fold flat when not in use. 888/463-6367, ems.com, from $6 Corkscrew Designed by Alessandro Mendini for Alessi, the Parrot is also available in green and black. 212/849-8355, cooperhewittshop.org, $49

Read a Book Want to know how wine is made? Why vintage matters? When to decant a bottle--and how to go about doing it? Karen MacNeil's The Wine Bible is full of approachable and entertaining information (Workman Publishing, $20). Visit a Wine Shop Most neighborhood wine shops host tastings and can tell you about clubs or gatherings in the area. Build a relationship with store owners, and they'll make suggestions or help you to experiment with new wines. Take Notes Try sampling wine flights at bars or restaurants to get a feel for different kinds. Bring a wine journal with you to jot down your impressions and keep track of what you like. Join the Club Women for WineSense is a national organization for women interested in wine making and education. Local chapters organize meetings at wine bars and restaurants where members do tastings and discuss topics like wine-and-food pairing. Last year, the New York City chapter invited speaker Josh Wesson, cofounder of Best Cellars, an online wine shop that specializes in bottles under $15. The Portland, Ore., chapter recently had a "Red Wine & Chocolate" discussion and tasting. The $40 basic membership includes an e-newsletter and discounts to events (womenforwinesense.org). Play a Game Wineopoly is a fun take on Monopoly, with wine trivia questions and game pieces like a decanter and a cluster of grapes ($25, target.com). Test your nose with a wine-aroma box by Le Nez du Vin, with six vials containing scents like black currant and green pepper ($57, winecellarsonline.com).

Buy six different kinds of wine: one sparkling, two whites, two reds, and a dessert wine. For groups of 10 or more, double the number of bottles. Have two glasses on hand for each guest, one for whites and one for reds. At a formal wine tasting, you'd get a clean glass for each new wine--but who wants to do that many dishes? Set out a couple of wine buckets or large bowls so your guests can dump any wine they don't consume. You'll need a good selection of savory snacks (cheeses, crackers, deli meats, olives) and sweets (honey, chocolate, quince paste) to complement the wines. To turn the tasting into more of a meal, ask guests to bring a few appetizers to round things out. When tasting, always go from lightest to heaviest and from driest to sweetest. This means starting with the sparkling wine before moving on to dry whites (such as pinot grigios and sauvignon blancs) and then to fuller ones (chardonnay, viognier). Pinot noirs or Rhone blends are good lighter-bodied reds; follow with the fuller cabernet, Shiraz, or red zinfandel. Finish up with a moscato, which pairs well with nutty and fruity desserts, or try a ruby port with a piece of chocolate. Don't fill the wineglasses. If you pour two ounces in each (about a jigger's worth), you'll get 12 servings per bottle.