How many times has it happened: you’re out to dinner and perusing the wine list. You want to order something “nice,” but you don’t want to spend a fortune. Maybe you’re entertaining business clients, or perhaps you’re with a date you want to impress. Either way, you don’t have a clue. Last week, we gave you a step-by-step guide to finding a good bottle of wine under those circumstances.

In other news, if you’ve ever had Cognac, it was probably Hennessy. We profiled the venerable Cognac producer and supplied tasting notes for the three major expressions (XO, Paradis and Richard Hennessy). We also perused the portfolio of Banfi, one of Italy’s most traditional producers, and discovered six terrific wines you can buy for less than $20.

Even as we speak, our correspondent Ken Schechet is en route to Asia, where he’ll be reporting on the street food scene in Singapore and Vietnam.

Here are last week’s posts:

Hennessy Cognac

Banfi Under $20

Gaming the Restaurant Wine List