[The Second Glass] 
The mysterious man behind the Beehive's bottles
It is no secret that the subterranean, industrial gallery-like space of the Beehive [541 Tremont St., South End, Boston. 617.423.0069. beehiveboston.com] is awash with the unique jazzy sounds of live local musicians seven nights of the week. Innovative photos and paintings may grace the walls, but what many people don't realize is that the wine cellar is stocked with a different form of creative expression. Bertil Jean-Chronberg, general manager and wine director, maintains a selection of vino—a curated assortment he refers to as ""art"—designed to gently nudge people out of their comfort zone of California Cabernet or Italian Pinot Grigio.
[The Second Glass] 
She gave you life; buy her a drink
This Mother's Day, while you're imbibing over eggs benedict at an elegant restaurant (you did make reservations, right?), we suggest opting for some bubbly. It's a subtle and classy way to say, "Thanks for raising me, Mom; now let's get drunk—I mean, celebrate—in the middle of the day." There are many options to choose from, including Champagne, sparkling wine and the vitamin C-laced mimosa. Below, we cover the brunchy basics. You're on your own (with some alcoholic fortitude) for the inevitable "ugh, can we not talk about that, Mom?" conversations.
[The Second Glass] 
To the winer goes the spoils
Every month at Gordon's Fine Wine and Culinary Center in Waltham, two wine heavyweights from the biggest restaurants in Boston do battle. Louis DiBiccari and Ian Grossman from Sel de la Terre prepare a four-course feast of curveball dishes, and the sommeliers have only four minutes to pick a wine from Gordon's inventory to best match the food. Votes cast by a crowd of paying, tasting spectators ultimately declare the winner. Sandy Block, master of wine and VP of Beverage Operations at Legal Sea Foods, was in attendance at the most recent Smackdown.
[The Second Glass] 
Wien urban l3gends finaly put 2 r3st
There are a lot of mysterious rumors surrounding wine. Here are a few and why they are completely preposterous.
NICE LEGS = HIGH QUALITY
While this might be true for models or strippers, the legs—streaks left on the inside of the glass by the wine—have little to do with the overall quality. Depending on your country of origin, they can be referred to as "legs," "tears" or "church windows" and denote surface tension between alcohol and water in the wine, but little else.
[The Second Glass] 
The cup overfloweth with this French river valley
As the dollar continues to fall, the price of European bottles—especially from the fine wine mecca of France—are sliding beyond reach of the everyday sipper. There are other regions of the world to find high-quality yet reasonably priced wines, like South America, the Pacific Northwest and New Zealand; however, we're tired of walking by large French selections in a store and only gawking at bottles in restaurants. Instead of applying for another credit card, it's time to stock up on wines from the Loire Valley.
[The Second Glass] 
Hanging low with restaurant markups
When you hit the point in your wino-ism that you can regularly recognize labels, the first big shock is the restaurant markup. We're all used to paying $5 for a pint of beer in a bar, then walking down the street and picking up a six-pack for $8, but paying $50 in a restaurant for a bottle of Italian white that only costs $17 in-store is highway robbery. There is always going to be a markup when dining out, but some places in Boston will cut you a better deal than others.
[The Second Glass] 
It's not a mix-up—it's a cocktail
The entire point of a wine cocktail is to make less favorable (read: cheap as hell) wine easy to drink. Soda, juice or even ice cubes will overpower the subtle flavors that you pay extra for with a nice bottle of wine. Therefore, shelve the fine Chardonnay, dig through your couch for loose change and grab a jug of inexpensive plonk—it's time to mix.
[The Second Glass] 
Entering the strange dimension where cost != quality
There is a secret every wino understands: Price and quality of a wine are not directly related. What this means is that a $50 bottle is rarely twice as good as a $25 one. A $1,500 bottle will not taste one hundred times better than a $15 one. As price increases, the quality generally does too—but so does scarcity and bragging rights. These factors can drive prices of individual bottles higher than your rent.
[The Second Glass] 
Drinking advice for the tipsy traveler
The basics of drinking abroad are similar to those of your native land: Pour some kind of liquor down the hatch and try not to embarrass yourself too much. From here, the challenge of local customs gets more complicated—bottles covered in words you don't understand and the eternal quest for a decent watering hole. Here are some tips for drinking wine, meeting locals and potentially learning something.
[The Second Glass] 
Open that bottle like you mean it
The only real obstacle standing between you and an intoxicated social evening are a few corks. Yes, screw caps are becoming more popular, especially with New World wines, but until they are more prevalent every wine drinker needs a good opener. As far as styles and varieties go, there are a ton of options. In the end, however, it's important to have a wine pull that you like and, let's face it, that you can operate after a few glasses.
