My husband and I visited Paris when our 401(k) plans made us feel rich and a trip to Europe didn’t seem like a foolish use of money. Like many travelers to the City of Lights, we were seduced and became Francophiles on the spot. Surprisingly, though, we starved. The French scared us, especially around dinnertime.

Most nights, we wandered the streets, peering in restaurant windows, too afraid to inquire about a reservation. We’d wind up at a brasserie, the French equivalent of a pub, where the atmosphere was less intimidating. It was there in those smoky, late-night eateries that we also perfected our favorite French phrase: “Un pichet de vin rouge, s’il vous plait.” Translated that means: “A pitcher of red wine, please.”

Though we missed out on the finest la gastronomie that trip, we never skipped a pichet de vin. We left Paris with a new understanding of good cheap wine.  In other words, bye-bye Two Buck Chuck.

I was pleased to find how handy the List is to a budding wine enthusiast. I’ve already checked for custom cabinetmakers, perused reports on having wine racks and wine refrigerators installed and reviewed the ratings of alcohol rehab centers – for when our hobby really takes off.  Maybe when our 401(k)s recover, I’ll talk my husband into a wine cellar for the basement. In the meantime, I plan to call one of the highly rated steam cleaning companies I found on Angie’s List. Only a professional can handle that red wine stain on the carpet.