Starting out on an unrelated topic today (or slightly related), I watched Sideways the other night. The first time I saw it I didn't care for it; this time I liked it a little more (though I still didn't think it deserved all the awards it won). But it was an interesting portrayal of a wine fanatic (and bit of a snob), in particular a pinot fanatic.
So I've been drinking a 2009 Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune Pinot that ran me about $25.
(That's my guy Dexter.) It didn't convert me to being a pinot lover but it was interesting -- notes to it that may be anise/licorice but not overwhelmingly so, and very fruity, black cherry maybe. It held the notes well for a second drinking the next night.
A nice Burgundy; I bet it would go well with a bacon-wrapped filet. Or maybe even a paella.