This Month's Connoisseur Club selection features the exceptional wines of B.R. Cohn. Formerly the manager of the Duby Brothers, B.R. Cohn invested in Sonoma property with his profits and today produces some of the most sought after wines as well as organic olive oils . This month we will be offering the Olive Hill Estate Cabernet 2006, Silver Label 2007 Cabernet and the Sonoma Merlot at the Gold Level. Silver subscribers will receive the Olive Hill and Silver Cabernet, and the Bronze will receive the Silver cabernet and the 2008 Sonoma Chardonnay. As a bonus we received as a gift from the winery a bottle of organic olive oil for each member of the Connoisseur Club. The winery said that they were losing money on this deal...but I told them thatin this economy its better to make friends than maybe make profits. The friends will last much longer than the profits! These wines are for immediate consumption, over the next year or so. We have a plentiful supply in case you run out...but no more olive oil. Gene Veronesi

A PRIMER ON TEQUILLA With close to 1000 Tequila brands to choose from, it helps to know the different types of Tequilas and the categories they fall into. Strict regulations on labeling assist the consumer in determining the type of the spirit, where it was produced, and the term it was aged (if any). The main two types of Tequila are first split into two categories, 100% Blue Agave, and Tequila Mixto (Mixed). Mixto Tequila contains a minimum of 51% Blue Agave, and the remaining 49% from other sugars (typically cane sugars). The additional products allowed in Mixto Tequilas are caramel color, oak extract flavoring, glycerin, and sugar based syrup. Mixto Tequila can now be bottled outside of the Tequila territory, including other countries, which started January 6, 2006. By reading the label on the bottle you can tell which clasification it is in, as all Tequila that is made from 100% Blue Agave will say "Tequila 100% de agave" or "Tequila 100% puro de agave". All other Mixto Tequila labels will only read "Tequila". The above two categories of Tequila are then divided into the following five types of Tequila and are labeled as such: Tequila Silver - Blanco - Plata - White - Platinum This is the Blue Agave spirit in its purest form. It is clear and typically un-aged, where the true flavors and the intensity of the Agave are present, as well as the natural sweetness. It can be bottled directly after distillation, or stored in stainless steel tanks to settle for up to 4 weeks. There are some Blanco products that are aged for up to 2 months to provide a smoother or "Suave" spirit.