Of critters, sommeliers and catfish

This working wine professional began 2007 with Champagne and a catfish sandwich and will undoubtedly end the year building stacks of bubbly so that my customers can do the same, maybe better, ('tho it was a delicious catfish sandwich.) Here are some vinous insights of the year in between, as I've slurped and spit, listened and learned, educating mouth and mind to the glorious intricacies and boggling inconsistencies of wine.

Now that we've carried wine from candle-lit cellars into the fluorescent glare of liquor barns and supermarkets, some folks still confuse it with a mass-marketed beverage. But no matter how high the stack or deep the sale, wine is still a product of agriculture. Yes, it runs out of stock; when the year's harvest is out of supply, there's no spigot to turn for more.

No, every wine is not available everywhere; just because you enjoyed this-and-such bottle at a neighbor's house or at a restaurant or in Italy, there's no guarantee your merchant will carry, or even have access to the same wine.

And even though label designers are the highest paid professionals in the industry, believing you can locate a wine by the look of the label alone is frustration waiting to happen. It's not soda pop, people! To avoid profusion confusion, rely on a trusted merchant or sommelier as your guide through the ever-expanding world of wine.

The industry has lighted on "critter" labeling to distinguish brands, but it's a marketing ploy run a muck. Sure, the tribble or snuffleupagus adorning a bottle attracts attention, but they illustrate nothing about the wine therein. No doubt, however, that critters sell product. Torres Sangre de Toro (under $10) is a delicious, good-value, but countless shoppers know it only as "the wine with the little plastic bull."

The newly released Cru Vin Dogs raises funds for canine-related charities such as Canine Companions for Independence, which provides assistance dogs to disabled children and adults. Cru Vin Dogs' first offering includes Bloodhound Chardonnay and Labrador Retriever Sauvignon Blanc, with original pencil and graphite portraits of each breed. For more information, contact Cru Vin Dogs at www.cruvindogs.com.

One critter coming back from the brink of extinction is the sommelier. The species has adapted to survive: no more the tux and high demeanor. Today's sommelier might be spotted in jeans or a skirt, with a business card reading "Wine Guy" or "Floor Manager," and can probably discuss 2,4,6 trichloroanisole, Napa sub-regions and wine with food (say, catfish) with the same ease.

When making your next dinner reservation, ask if there will be someone on hand during your meal to discuss wine. Two wine guys who have, for me, enhanced already splendid evenings are Henry Bishop, a seasoned vet, with stints at Bentley's Wine Bar and Spiaggia, now with Chicago's nuevo-Mexican Salpicon (312-988-7811) and Adam Sieczka, a knowledgeable freshman, with the enchanting Italian eatery Va Pensiero in Evanston (847- 475-7779.)

To this palate, the year's most exciting development is the selection of un-oaked Chardonnay. Wines including California's Kunde Nu (about $20), Foxglove (about $14) and Trevor Jones Virgin Chardonnay from Australia (about $15) remind us why Chardonnay is one of the world's great white grapes, with expansive fruit flavors enhanced by thrilling acidity. Serve as a rich aperitif, with full-flavored seafood, poultry and white meats -- such as pork slow-cooked with cranberries and orange zest -- as 2007 turns to 2008.

Ross' choice

Brut La Francaise

Taittinger

Champagne, France

Multi-vintage

• Suggested retail and availability: About $50 at wine and liquor shops

Elegance and finesse are the hallmarks of this classic Champagne with vibrant apple, yeast and delicate toast flavors carried across the palate on a silky mousse (bubbles.) Brut La Francaise is aged three years (as opposed to the required minimum of one) and employs 40 percent Chardonnay (twice the norm) in the blend for fragrance, complexity and exceptional refinement. A delicious wine to celebrate New Year's Eve and every eve thereafter.