Some of our regular readers know that blog surfing can be addictive, especially considering how many people may have blogs devoted to a singular interest in wine. If our regular features aren’t enough for you, but you’re wary of seeking out other bloggers, allow us to make one recommendation for you—you should be reading Maggie Bernat Smith’s posts at the Chicago Examiner.

A wine buyer at Just Grapes in Chicago, as well as a continuing oenology student, Maggie is quickly becoming an excellent resource for wine enthusiasts looking to find out more about specific varietals. Check out her posts on the distinction between Syrah and Shiraz wines, for example, or her defense of Merlot—a rebuttal, of sorts, to the film Sideways.

Maggie’s background allows her to approach wine both from the perspective of passionate aficionado and practical purchaser, so often you’ll get a great mix of discussion about the qualities of the wine as well as what you should be paying for a bottle of it. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, you’re likely to get some useful information from her posts.