My friend and fellow wine judge Tim McNally hosts a wine show on the radio in New Orleans. After our Colts clinched the AFC and the Saints the NFC, I decided that perhaps it was time for a showdown of wine. So I contacted Tim and thus, on Sunday, January 31, he and I held "Sipperbowl 2010" via the radio airwaves.

Tim says if the Colts win, he will send me a bottle of Blanc du Bois and Port Syrah from Pontchartraine Vineyards in Louisiana. If the Saints win, I send him a bottle of Traminette (which is Indiana's newly designated state grape) and a bottle of Chocovine (which is what customers/Fans of Mass Ave Wine Shoppe selected). You can get a podcast of the interview from the radio website www.wistradio.com. Learn more about traminette at www.tryontraminette.org and more about chocovine at www.massavewine.com I can't wait to have a big glass of Blanc du Bois- a refreshing white wine next week!! Go COLTS!

Seven central Indiana wineries will be featuring specialty wines and desserts to celebrate Valentine's Day weekend, February 13-14, 2010.

Participating wineries include Buck Creek Winery (Indianapolis), Chateau Thomas Winery (Plainfield), Easley Winery (Indianapolis), Ferrin's Fruit Winery (Carmel), Grape Inspirations Winery (Carmel), Mallow Run Winery (Bargersville), and Simmons Winery (Columbus).

Tickets are $22 in advance and $27 during the event. Ticket price includes a glass of wine, and food at each winery.

Currently, the Indy Wine Trail is featuring a passport program where visitors receive a free wine glass after visiting all seven wineries. Trail visitors have until May 31, 2010 to complete the trail to earn the glass. Details on both at www.indywinetrail.com

Recent research from The Wine Market Council gives all a reason to raise a glass.

• Despite the dismal economy, 2009 was the 16th straight year of growth in wine sales, up 1.5%, with 276 million cases compared with 205 million in 2000

• Wine sales have strongly shifted from on-premise (restaurant) to retail stores (especially grocery stores) as consumers increasingly choose to dine in, but still want wine as part of their experience

• Consumers have clearly focused on value and traded down on price, which will have a long-term effect on the market

• Direct sales to consumers at tasting rooms, or through wine clubs and the internet, are clearly gaining in popularity

• The "Millennial" generation (aged 16-33) is driving the growth even though millions have not even reached the legal purchase age

• "Core" (frequent) wine consumers, who are only 16% of the population but account for 90% of wine consumption, have significantly grown in number while "marginal" (occasional) consumers have declined

• The "local" phenomenon is clearly having a positive effect on wine consumption throughout the country, with local wines growing strongly