Happy weekend, friends. Is anyone feeling like it was a long week? Going back to the grind can be tough, especially with the psychic weight of knowing the champagne supply has just been decimated.

But now it is Wine Friday here at Cork & Knife, and Hot Plates is happy to report that one of the things we'll highlight here today is a favorite red wine of ours -- and wine celebs Dottie and John agree with us that this wine is wonderful! We always look for this Sicilian grape, Nero D'Avola, in wine shops; you can't always find it, but some places will have a handful of them.

For their Tastings writeup today in The Wall Street Journal, D&J did a blind tasting of some Neros from recent vintages, most of which clock in at less than $20 (a few were way less). This is particularly nice after we have all emptied our wallets on the holiday celebrating. So what's the verdict? Would serious wine people like this stuff? "The wines were dark purple, with blackberries and herbs such as tarragon and rosemary on the nose, sometimes along with a bit of lilac." They do a bit of forecasting at the end: Nine years ago, they "wrote about a gutsy red wine that was just beginning to show up at wine stores nationwide. Now that wine, Malbec from Argentina, is widely available and very popular. Our guess is that Nero d'Avola ... will follow that same happy arc." Check out their Dow Jones Nero D'Avola Index to see which ones they liked best.

Another hearty winter red: The Dallas Morning News's Rebecca Murphy likes Menguante, Cariñena, Garnacha 2005 ($11) from northeast Spain. "Deep ruby-black with robust black cherry fruit, it is laced with aromas of vanilla and smoke, mouthwatering acidity and sturdy tannins." That sounds like a lot of wine for eleven bucks. See if you can find some and let us know if this review holds up.

Here we go again ... those Washington Post wine writers always seem so darn sensible. For people who drink for their paychecks, they seem very tidy of mind. I mean, just listen to this first opening paragraph: "In January, we always resolve to get organized, as experts typically recommend for the new year. Here are three strategies that we believe can do the most to enhance your wine life in the months ahead." And then, the article unfolds from there, tidy and, yes, organized. Not just that -- their advice is practical and friendly to folks from all walks of life. Hmm. How do they do it?

In any case, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg offer their suggestions for making 2008 "a vintage year." Cute, right? You'll have to read it yourself, since Hot Plates cannot adequately convey their brand of smart, straightforward counsel, but basically they tell us to stock our wine cabinets (suggestions are included) and always use our fancy stemware -- not the junky stuff we bought because it's semi-indestructible. Oh yeah, and they say it's best to "synchronize" our wine and grocery shopping lists to optimize meal planning. Heavy stuff ... we may need to revisit at a later date.

Maybe all the wine writers are, um, tired from their holiday parties still, because there wasn't as much written this week about the grape-based stuff. There are, however, two beer articles worth reading.

The Los Angeles Times has a neat piece on Japanese craft beers. "The beers are worth seeking out for their unique flavors such as a red rice ale with a berry-like perfume or a stout tasting of molasses and soy. Most are good food beers." Sounds like a good excuse to build an Asian feast around some of these, if only we could find them. There are only two kinds available in the L.A. area, the Times says, but that will probably change as more emerge on the scene. If you live in L.A., "You're most likely to find Japanese craft beers at beer-savvy spots such as Sushi Roku (Pasadena, West Hollywood and Santa Monica), Yuta (Studio City), Father's Office (Santa Monica) and Lucky Baldwins (Pasadena)." And the writer seems to think that red rice beer is easier to find on the East Coast -- "you can see Hitachino delivery trucks plying the streets of New York City."

And we hate to be the beer-ers of bad news ... ooh, sorry, that was terrible. But really, The Washington Post reports that beer will see "major price increases" this coming year. Barley and hops in particular are becoming more costly, which is a problem for many craft brewers; one local company interviewed estimates consumers might pay as much as a dollar more per six pack due to the zooming costs. Beyond reporting on the price climb, Greg Kitsock lets us know about a new beer possibly coming on the scene in Delaware made from an ancient recipe that will feature flavors of cocoa, honey and chili peppers, and he gives us the scoop on the new Miller Lite Brewers Collection. One other beer news nugget for you: The National Restaurant Association "named "craft/artisan/microbrew beer" as the sixth-hottest culinary trend in the nation, behind "bite-size desserts," "locally grown produce," "organic produce," "small plates/tapas/mezze" and "specialty sandwiches."