The Vineyards Aren't the Only Nice Scenery

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.

Q: How did you become involved in the wine business? A: While opening a bottle of wine one evening with a group of friends and listening to them talk about their week and extensive amount of energy it takes to keep it all going, the idea of Two Wives emerged. We realized that sitting down with a glass of wine at the end of the day allows us to recoup our fortitude to successfully juggle all that we love: our families and friends, our work, our joys, our sorrows and our continued growth as successful women. At that moment we knew we could make the wine to toast our lives and the lives of all women. Our husbands are in the wine business and passionately enjoy their careers. Over the years we have both learned a great deal about the process of producing, bottling, selling, and enjoying good wine from watching our husbands in action. We decided it was time for us to join the industry that is such an integral part of our family lives, hence the name "Two Wives". We created Two Wives Wine Company in order to bottle our favorite varietal, Sauvignon Blanc, and encourage the celebration of everyday things life has to offer us as women. Q: What were some of the hurdles? A: Starting any new business can be an overwhelming experience, but after a lot of thought on this we would definitely say getting all the appropriate licenses and permits was a major ordeal. So much more comes into play because alcohol is involved. A fair estimation on what it took to get us up and running would be a year; and the year was full of hurdles...a six month waiting time for being seen by the Alcohol Beverage Control Department, securing wine and being informed that someone offered a better price so we were out, figuring out the bottles that we wanted did not work with screw-caps and the color screw caps we required had a minimum order of 50,000...we only needed 9,000--the list goes on and on. But we survived...with lots of patience, staying focused and trying really hard to always look forward we accomplished what we set out to do-- we are now on our third vintage! Q: What do you love most about your job? A: Without doubt, the thing we love most about our job is being able to have fun while doing something we're passionate about, having a job that allows us the control and flexibility over our own day and being able to support a cause (Breast Cancer) that means a great deal to us both. Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to do what you do? A: Mentor...Mentor...Mentor... Find someone that has knowledge in this area --they will be able to give sound advice which can minimize or help avoid the unforeseen obstacles. Q: How are women changing the wine industry? A: Recently we have seen more labels marketed for women as well as female driven wine clubs, magazines and books. Women are now being acknowledged for their contribution to this industry. We buy 77 percent and consume 60 percent of wine in the United States. Women also make up 60 percent of high end ($15 dollars and up) wine purchases, yet only 10 percent are women winemakers. Q: What are some of the misconceptions about women and wine? A: Perhaps the biggest misconception about women and wine is that men are the predominating force behind the wine industry and that is simply not so, as research shows otherwise. Q: Which of your own wines is your favorite and which wines do you generally prefer? A: Sauvignon Blanc!!!! Two Wives, Calistoga, Calif. 94515, 888/896-9483, twowives.net.