While very few welcome winter with open arms, there is something undeniably charming about softly falling snow, the tiny white lights glittering from trees lining the streets, and the general warm fuzziness of family and friends around the holidays. In Chicago especially, there are tons of wintry events going on to keep the holiday cheer [...]

Our Very Own Maggie Smith came up with this list of 10 awesome gifts that any wine lover would truly cherish:
 
1. Fusebox wine blending kit – Most people can’t afford to make their own Napa Valley wine so here is your chance to come up with your own version by blending different [...]

Cranberries from a can are looking mighty swell right now, aren’t they? 
If you’ve offered to “bring something” to a Thanksgiving feast or, like me, even volunteered to make most of it for your dear mother, you might be feeling a wee bit of panic right now. I don’t own a double boiler, nor a food processor. I only [...]

AIG set the gold standard for what not to do. At the other end of the spectrum, Viacom, Hearst and Marc Jacobs are not doing anything on par with past holiday celebrations this season.
But there’s room for a little festive, tastefully decorated middle ground despite a grim economy and a budget tighter than those pants [...]

You are so clever. Chatting with your mom/grandma/sister/friend before the big event, you casually asked what was cooking. And with just a few off-hand comments, you went out and chose the perfect wine to match, ready to hand it to your host at the door. Now your friends all refer to you as the wine [...]

They don’t call them the dog days of summer for nothing. Think it’s a coincidence that so many hot dogs are consumed on Labor Day? OK, maybe it is. But summer’s last hurrah is a great time for a Chicago dog and a picnic. And no picnic would be complete without a nice bottle of [...]