Abe Lerner of the Blanchard’s JP branch is one of Pour Favor’s favorite wine folk. The man is schooled in the fine art of wine, has travelled the world frequently and has an authenticity about him you can’t duplicate. But it is perhaps his approach to buying that is his greatest asset; he is one savvy gent! Ask him his personal philosophy on finding wines for his shelves? He’ll say “it’s easy to find a trophy, but to find a value that tastes like a trophy, that’s the challenging task.” Ok, fine.

It’s easy enough to talk the talk, but can he walk the walk? Indeed. Pop on over to Wicked Local to get a few ideas from Abe to enrich your Memorial Day festivities!

Which of Abe’s selections is most likely to whet your whistle this Memorial Day?

Ok, ok. So I’ve been off traveling the Southern Cote du Rhone and relishing the “in person”, “hands on” experience. That doesn’t mean I didn’t give great thought to and select May Wickeds before I left! Check ‘m out here.

Which of these are you likely to try?

Much of the time we don’t think twice about where something comes from – especially when it is always there. Take, for example, the Boston area water “crisis” last week. Before then, did you give much thought to where your running water came from? Probably not. Well, everything comes from somewhere, or by way of something – and sometimes knowing that little tidbit is power!

Pop on over to Wicked Local for some quick tips on navigating your wine shelves, particularly when you’re traveling about and don’t have access to your everyday wine buyer!

Do you pay much attention to “where” your wine comes from?

Last year we waited, and waited, and waited for warmer days to come. Rosé wine, one of the best ways to enjoy said weather, took a kind of backseat amidst the dreary doldrums we experienced here in New England. It wasn’t until August that I finally had the inclination to write about how gorgeous (and not sweet) rosé wines are – and offered them as a solution to the hot and humid days of summer.

This year we’re off to a much better start – and the 2009 roses are starting to come in! Pop on over to Wicked Local to get a refresher course on these lovely wines and a few recommendations to kick off your 2010 rose travels.

As the flowers begin to pop up, it seems every spring many new restaurants do the same. It’s been impossible to keep up with the flurry of activity around town this year – and in the world of our own restaurant reviews, we prefer to visit each new spot at least twice before giving any Final Answers about who is doing things well (or who isn’t).

This week on Wicked Local we bring to you just a quick synopsis of the Cambridge/Somerville springtime “new releases” you may want to put on your “must checkout” list. Check it out!

Have you popped in to anyone of these new spots yet? What was your impression?