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.

One of Peter Meyer’s disciples was Bill Sohovich, owner of Soho’s (above) and Blossom and a culinary pioneer in his own right. Photo by Walker DeVille As a native of Clarksburg, W.Va., I am genetically predisposed to seek out and find good food. It is in my DNA! So when I moved to Charleston a few decades ago, I was shocked to find that the Kanawha Valley was a culinary wasteland. Back then, there were only three fine dining establishments in Charleston. Catering to traveling salesmen on expense accounts, the “Heart of Town,” Ernie’s Esquire and “Top of the Inn” restaurants served up gigantic portions of prime rib washed down with barrels of beer and a mind-boggling assortment of “high balls.” Wine lists consisted of Lambrusco, Lancer’s Rose and Vito’s Thunder Mountain Chablis - and only artsy types or effete snobs ever dared order wine with their dinner.

Yes, there were a whole host of fast food and chain restaurants where most of the rest of us dined (on those once-a-week occasions when our meager budgets permitted a night out). But there were really no fine dining establishments, and hardly any ethnic food restaurants – except for a couple of Chinese places and Joe Fazio’s. Look, I’m really not a food or wine snob, but the restaurant choices were very limited back then. Okay, so Charleston is not quite culinary nirvana yet, but, in my humble opinion, we’ve come a long way, baby! The wine lists have evolved, too. Now, even the chain restaurants have decent lists while the finer dining establishments’ selections provide a variety of choices for the knowledgeable wine consumer.

Unlike the “Big Bang” theory of evolution, the Charleston culinary Renaissance did not just dramatically appear one day. In fact, I give most of the credit to a couple of local pioneers: Otis Laury and the late Peter Meyer. Otis Laury worked his culinary magic at his Laury’s Restaurant, featuring Continental cuisine, and Meyer led the food and beverage operations at the Charleston Marriott’s (now closed) Tarragon Room. Meyer, a classically trained chef and native of Switzerland, took that restaurant and wine list to a whole new level until his untimely death a few years back.

In the last decade or so, we’ve seen an influx of fine dining establishments whose owner-chefs combine quality ingredients, excellent culinary skills and aesthetic presentation, to deliver the kinds of dining experiences one could previously only expect in “the big city.”

One of Peter Meyer’s disciples is Bill Sohovich, owner of the Blossom and Soho’s restaurants and a culinary pioneer in his own right. Sohovich is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and has carried on the traditions of Peter Meyer into the new century. There are others who deserve credit too. Jeremy Stills, chef at Edgewood Country Club and also a graduate at the CIA, has worked with Sohovich over the years and has had a notable influence on the city’s culinary transition from ordinary to exceptional. Tom Grant, whose Wellington's Restaurant at Scarlett Oaks Country Club, still serves excellent cuisine was a local culinary pioneer, too.

And how about Mike Gibbons? He left Charleston 20 years ago to establish a restaurant empire which now includes three fine-dining establishments in Charleston (The Tidewater Grill, The Chop House and Gratzi). Chef Robert Wong, whose culinary resume includes a stint as head chef at the Greenbrier, is a more recent transplant to Charleston and has a well-conceived and creative menu along with a very eclectic wine list at his Bridge Road Bistro.

So where should you eat in the Capitol City? It depends on what you’re looking for, but here are some of my favorite fine dining restaurants in alphabetical order: The Blossom, Bridge Road Bistro, The Chop House, Edgewood Country Club, Gratzi, Scarlett Oaks, Soho’s and the Tidewater Grill.

RELATED POST: A worthy and expensive no-regrets New Year's feast at Bridge Road Bistro by Josh Saul

EDITOR'S NOTE: For hours and details on all the restaurants mentioned, see the searchable Charleston Gazette Restaurant List.