"year in wine" news and stories

Even though 2009 was a money-conscious year, most of us did not make a foolish decision to abandon wine. Because who doesn't need a heart-stopping bottle to pair with your favorite cheese or impress dinner-party guests?

Winemakers scrambled to keep their audience of sippers happy by offering value-oriented choices without compromising quality. Drinking wine at home -- instead of the local, hip wine bar -- became just as cool, and cheaper still. And lots of wineries and vineyards adopted green stripes by folding sustainability into their business models.

Here is a recap of the year's hottest wine stories.