It's January. Cold, gray, dreary January! Things could get depressing were it not for my penchant to match ugly days with great food and wine. I'm actually thinking about Arizona and the Sonoran dessert. I'm getting inspired! Here it comes...I've got it: Grilled lamb over mesquite coals washed down with a bottle of Zinfandel so big and juicy it'll make your teeth itch! Okay, so I'm taking a few liberties with conventional Southwest cuisine by substituting lamb for beef, but I think you're going to like this.

Thinking of this dish reminds me of an old Johnny Cash song about cowboys and their feelings about shepherds and sheep. These lines say it all: "A sheep herder come once and put up a fence/ We seen him that time, but we ain't seen him since/ But if you're needin' mutton, we got mutton to sell/ 'cause we're cow-punchers and we're mean as hell."

Thatt line is from a mid-1960's album by Cash called "Ballads of the Old West." Goes great with grillin'. But I digress.

Anyway, here are the marching orders (note that marinade time!):
1. Begin with a six-pound boned and butterflied leg of lamb. Make sure you trim most of the fat from the leg and then rub it all over with coarse ground black pepper, finely chopped garlic and ground cumin.
2. Next, make a marinade of one-half cup of extra virgin olive oil, one-third cup of fresh lime juice, one tablespoon of ground cumin, two tablespoons of chili powder, one teaspoon of dried oregano, one teaspoon of salt and seven chopped garlic cloves.
3. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Cover the meat with the mixture either in a bowl or a gallon freezer bag and allow it to marinate, from 12 hours to 24 hours. Most normal human beings would then place the lamb on a roasting pan and inject it into an oven heated to 375 degrees F, where it would roast for about 45 minutes to one hour. Me? I'm grilling that sucker over a hot charcoal fire onto which I will have liberally sprinkled water-soaked mesquite chips.
4. You want to baste the lamb with the leftover marinade and turn it at least once while grilling. Grilling should be completed in about 30 minutes. Slice the lamb and serve it over grits baked with jalepeno peppers and Monterey jack cheese. This dish will warm the cockles of even the blackest heart!
The absolute best wine for this meal is a big red Zinfandel. Uncork a Marietta Old Vines, Ravenswood, Ridge Lytton Springs or Renwood Old Vines. You might also try Red Truck or Marietta Old Vines Red which are Zinfandel blends.

A NOTE FROM thte DIGITAL DESK OF DOUGLAS IMBROGNO, editor of thegazz.com:

A wine glass and computer is a good image for this announcement: You can now catch John Brown's wine advice on his new web TV show at thegazz.com called "WineBoy." Find the show at: media.cnpapers.com/wineboy1. "WineBoy" is what some friends have called Brown (along with some other names) as he has come to be known as a wine expert.

Each 5-minute episode of "WineBoy" features a mix of serious, droll and sometimes silly webcasting on the art of wine along with wine recommendations from local retail outlets. This first episode is part one of a five-part series on "The Five 'S' Words of Wine," beginning with 'sight.' The show will be produced online every week.

Tell us what you think of the show and suggest future topics in the 'Comments' section of this blog.

The label for Michele Chiarlo 2005 Moscato D'Asti Nivole, available at the Capitol Market wine shop

I must admit to an inauspicious introduction to the ‘fruit of the vine.” It was during a time when automobiles had fins, Motown was in its prime and most wine came in large jugs with screw cap closures. Guys were always looking for an angle – if you know what I mean – and so I decided to demonstrate my sophistication to my date at the fraternity party by introducing her to the sensory aspects of a wine called “White Pheasant.”

This beverage, possibly made from grapes, but certainly infused with rocket fuel, was enclosed in a half-gallon green jug with a label featuring a picture of what looked like a demonic white condor. I’m pretty sure my date was impressed because she proceeded to slake her mighty thirst with countless cups of the Pheasant. On the way back to her dorm - in my father’s new Chevrolet- she proceeded to redecorate the interior of the car.

I know. You’re wondering where I’m going with this. Well, here’s my point: don’t be deterred by a negative first experience with wine! Many people look down their respective noses at sweet wine, proclaiming that only college co-eds or winos drink the stuff. This is either a reflection of their own personal experience (see above) or actual inexperience in pairing a delicious sweet wine with a lovely desert. If you are one of those sweet wine nay-sayers, try this combo below and let me know what you think.

There is an Italian dessert wine made from the delicate and delicious Muscat grape which has appealing apricot and melon flavors with just the slightest hint of effervescence. The wine is Michele Chiarlo 2005 Moscato D'Asti Nivole and comes in a half bottle. It retails for about $12 and is a wonderful accompaniment to chocolate-based desserts. “Nivole” means “clouds” in Italian, and its light and billowy texture perfectly describes this wine, which is produced in the Piedmont region of that wonderful nation of vines. You should be able to find it at wine shops in the area, and perhaps even in some grocery stores. I know it is available at the Capitol Market wine shop in Charleston. So forget about those preconceived notions (or bad first experiences) and give “La Dolce Vino” a chance.

Click here to view the debut of 'WineBoy, a new weekly 5-minute gazzTV web show hosted by gazz wine blogger John Brown. “WineBoy” is what some friends tagged him as he came to be known as a wine expert. Each five-minute episode features a mix of serious, sometimes silly webcasting on the art of wine along with wine recommendations from local retail outlets. This first episode is part one of a five-part series on “The Five ‘S’ Words of Wine,” beginning with “sight.”

If you haven't yet seen my alter-ego on the big screen, you need to tune in by clicking on the WineBoy webcast list below. This is the fourth in a series of five shows dealing with the five S's of wine appreciation. So far, I've told you about Sight, Swirl, Sniff and now Sip (my favorite) and next week we'll feature the last "S" swallow. The webcasts feature about two-thirds wine education and one-third complete and utter foolishness from the depths of my diseased brain.

On this episode four, I'm recommending you try a lovely and inexpensive chardonnay. In the past three episodes, I've also recommended specific wine for your drinking pleasure. You'll have to view the webcasts to find out. Let me know what you think about WineBoy and how we can improve these little vino-vignettes for you.