QUESTION: Is global warming going to have any impact on wines from England? I have a friend who lives there, and she says the wines are getting better and better.

     ANSWER: She's right. As parts of the country get more days of sunshine, growing winegrapes becomes a possibility.

     Right now, we're seeing a big improvement in the sparkling wines, and don't be surprised if you start hearing about table wines made from the Madeline Angevine variety.

     It's widely planted in England, and recent vintages have been quite good because the grapes finally are getting enough sunshine to ripen fully.