Back, invigorated, at the keyboard, I wish you all the very, very best for 2009. The credit crunch is at least bringing some compensations: falling wine prices and prospect of even more enticing January wine sales than usual. Remember too that years ending with a 9 have a fine record of success and that Europe is overdue a good summer growing season. In much of the northern hemisphere we may be suffering from freezing temperatures and cruelly short days but for wine lovers these can be viewed as a fine excuse to pull corks on those bottles of rich, hearty, warming wines that can seem a bit much in the height of...