Online travel guides for destinations around the world. Most popular: Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Napa Valley wineries, Carmel galleries, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Caribbean, New Zealand, Thailand

YOUVE heard of the Napa Valley, of course, and if you like chardonnay you probably know about the Edna Valley as well. But what do you know about the Mimbres Valley or the Umpqua Valley? Sonoma is a familiar name, but what about Sonoita? They are all American Viticultural Areas, or A.V.A.s as wine people call them.

The panel took a closer look at lower-end Napa Valley cabernets by tasting bottles that cost $50 or less.

WineFornewbies.com has its first online wine tasting. The wine tasted was Napa Valley's Annabella Merlot 2005, a dark, rich red wine that goes wonderfully with pasta or a juicy burger.

Here are the results of the most recent poll, and some reader comments. To see this week’s question, go online to napavalleyregister.com.Question of the week: Who gets your Republican presidential vote?

A cooking school or culinary school is an institution devoted to education in the art and science of food preparation. It also awards degrees which indicate that a student has undergone a particular curriculum and therefore displays a certain level of competency. Cooking schools are often associates with public restaurants where a student can acquire experience in working in a real environment and perform in many roles.Some schools, such as the Culinary Institute of America, offer programs through which a chef may demonstrate his or her knowledge and skills and be given certification. Others, such as Baltimore International College, Stratford University, or Johnson and Wales University, offer programs whereby students gain either an Associate's or Bachelor's degree.In this 'dot.com' era, learning is increasingly web-based and professional chefs are now sharing their skills and recipes with amateurs and food enthusiasts on websites such as the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/ - or dedicated, interactive sites such as http://www.ifoods.tv, where professional Chefs use video tutorials to guide even a beginner through the process. A sense of achievement replaces the traditional certificate. Some notable cooking schoolsArt Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Culinary program chaired by Master Chef Klaus FriedenreichBaltimore International CollegeCalifornia School of Culinary Arts PasadenaCooking and Hospitality Institute of ChicagoCulinary Institute of AmericaCambridge School of Culinary ArtsCooking with Julie - Napa ValleyFrench Culinary InstituteHattori Nutrition College in TokyoInternational Culinary CenterJohnson & Wales University, College of Culinary ArtsKendall College, School of Culinary ArtsLe Cordon BleuLouisiana Culinary InstituteNew England Culinary InstituteShermay's Cooking SchoolStratford University ReferencesCedar Gables Inn-Napa, "Fun with food and wine in Historic setting""At-Sunrice", The Singapore Culinary Academy & Spice Garden, notable for its Asian Culinary Arts course, historic Spice Garden and inititives ranging from corporate bonding to family and leisure gourmet sessions.