Happy 4706! Well, almost. The Chinese New Year starts on Feb. 7, and the Year of the Rat is coming (check your own Chinese symbol here). It is nice to think about another new beginning, since by now most of us aren't accidentally writing "07" by mistake when writing out the date. Two-thousand-eight rolled in gently, for the most part, overnight; the Chinese have a 15-day celebration.

The Washington Post wine columnists took a look this week at what to drink with the feasts that take place during those two weeks -- or just what to eat with your Chinese takeaway. They recommend a lot of great food-friendly white wines, such as an $11 Riesling Kabinett (get a case, they say; it's a great companion for spicy dishes) and a $20 Oregon blend of nine grapes. They also like three Pinot Noirs, all $25 or more. If you love Chinese or Thai food and don't have a go-to wine, check out their list. And gung hay fat choy!

Steak and red wine people will be delighted to see that Eric Asimov goes slumming in his New York Times wine column this week. Yes, he gives people a little more room in their steak budget by recommending some Napa Valley cabs that cost $50 or less. The reason many people don't even try to buy these is because, as Asimov writes, "Napa cabernets are like the Manhattan apartment market: You are going to pay, even at the lowest end, for the privilege of living there." It's crazy that $50-$100 will only buy you a "midrange" cabernet, but what's even crazier is that Asimov and his compadres thought the bottles in the $50/under range were largely "generic, formulaic ... boring" wines. They liked a couple of them, such as the The Piedra Hill Vineyard Purple Label from W.  H. Smith, so we might go looking to try that next time we're feeling, you know, kinda low-end.

However, we are ready to be seduced by this "blood-red" Loire Valley Chinon recommended by S. Irene Virbila in the L.A. Times. It has "gorgeous fruit" and "sweet spices" and costs around $30.

We're going to get to the Sam Adams Utopias in a minute, but first we'll plop this news flash in here: Craft beers are cool! And hey, there's this beer called Blue Moon, and wheat beers are a big deal! Sorry, Dallas Morning News; Hot Plates hates to say this, but this little writeup is old news. "Move over, Bud Light drinkers," it starts off. We think Bud Light drinkers have either already moved over, or (more likely) they've just stayed rooted to their barstools, happy with the status quo and hostile to anything else.

But The Boston Globe knows what's up, as the kids say today. They have a piece about Samuel Adams Utopias, which -- to be fair -- we have already read about here in the Hot Plates column, courtesy of another newspaper. But the topic hasn't been covered to death, certainly, so it's a worthwhile read. The Utopias are an entirely different beast from most "fancy" beers out there because "at 27 percent alcohol by volume and with flavors that call to mind a cognac or a fine sherry," it is more of a "drink-drink," as a good Hot Plates friend likes to say.

Writers can't seem to resist using the word "extreme" to describe the Utopias, which have come out for the past four years. "Extreme beer is not just a matter of alcohol content," the Globe writer says. "Some (brewers) have added mass quantities of hops, creating monster beers ... Other brewers have taken beer to extremes by adding unconventional ingredients, such as heather, or by aging their brews in bourbon and wine barrels." Utopias cost about $130 for a 24-ounce bottle.

We've saved the strong stuff for last. The week is done, and it might have been a long one, so maybe you should pour yourself "a real drink," as one wine-is-for-sissies friend says.

The L.A. Times says "vino is making room for anejo" in the Los Angeles area. Tequila bars are a trend that seems to be on the upswing, despite the fact that there is an intimidating learning curve for most people attempting to decide which high-end tequila they'd like to order. Apparently, "it's not enough anymore to know your silvers or blancos from your reposados from your anejos from your golds." And has anyone here heard of a tequilier? A tequila sommelier of sorts? There is no such thing, but the Academia Mexicana del Tequila is planning on opening a California branch this coming year, if that's any indication as to where things are headed.

And lest we start thinking we know a thing or three about cocktails, Jason Wilson of The Washington Post rides in to knock us off our high horse. He writes about how spending a lot of money on premium spirits means one should care what is mixed with their elixr of choice. Wilson has seen people trying to "seem like a big shot" ordering expensive vodka or other spirits, only to have the barkeep add pink or green pre-made artificial junk to the stuff and wreck it. It's a helpful article to all aspiring mixologists, for sure. But just as the Bud Light drinker is totally happy with his usual drink at his usual perch, that day-glo-green margarita mix has its place at the patio table, as well.