Wine Folly offers a guide to the Champagne toast. Be sure to check out all her Champagne content before New Year’s!

In Food & Wine, Charles Antin lists “10 New Year’s Eve Wines for Champagne Haters.”

“The top end of the red wine world especially is increasingly out of balance and out of control. The reputations of wines – and their prices – are increasingly created by the marks out of 100 doled out by a handful of übercritics, led by the American Robert Parker.” Wine-Searcher publishes an excerpt from Oz Clarke’s latest Pocket Wine Book.

A few days late, but in case you missed it, be sure to check out Andy Fortgang’s suggested “wine pairings for nine creepy holiday foods” in Punch.

“The lubricated conversation darted from winemaking tales, to rumors of winemakers with cocaine problems, and of course, to the camel.” In Grape Collective, Christopher Barnes writes about “the stolen camel of McLaren Vale.”

Isaac James Baker names his top five wines of 2013.

Robert Dwyer pits Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé against Piper Sonoma Rosé in a blind showdown. The Champagne won.

Kyle Schlachter chats with Dr. Harry Oldman.

Tom Wark lists “The Most Interesting Wine News of 2013.”