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1974 was a great vintage for California Cabernet Sauvignon. Too bad I missed it. I was only in 11th grade in Florida. This is not to say some fermented product hadn't passed my gums in a year when the Doobie Brothers recorded "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits." That album locked my generation into the Doobies. The band I mean.

Soon thereafter, America caught up with a long-running, little-heard-of London group called Fleetwood Mac. Its 1975 "white album" and 1977 "Rumours" blared for the duration of my college years. After the band played on campus, I was in love. With Stevie Nicks, I mean. To me, no Playboy centerfold could compete with Nicks, and I can't begin to tell you how much Mateus was hoisted in her honor.

So what, you ask, does any of this vino veritas have to do with my usual subject at hand? Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is hosting a wine dinner, "Vintage Rock 2009," featuring the wine of Doobie's band manager B.R. Cohn (dubbed Doobie Red) and a white wine, Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar Riesling. In Greensboro, "Vintage Rock" is at 6:30 p.m. March 10 and 13 and costs $55 per person. It features great food, a lineup of wines that don't usually reach the Triad, music, trivia games and prizes. For information or reservations, call 294-7790.

The closest I ever got to the Doobie Brothers was when I visited the B.R. Cohn winery in Sonoma. It features some very tasty wines -- and a tribute museum of sorts to the Doobies.

The closest I ever got to Nicks was in the crush of a crowd at a campus spring fling. To this day, when I hear a Fleetwood Mac song, I can't get the taste of Mateus out of my head. In my case, lo these many years, it really is true: What were once vices are now habits. And Stevie Nicks is still smokin' hot.

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With wine, context is everything. Readers of this column seem to know this intuitively. They frequently send me e-mail about some wine experience, their stories rich on the moment but short on flavors and aromas.

Which is as it should be.

Wine isn't so much about the wine but the spirit and mood of an occasion. Wine accentuates the experience, and the experience amplifies the wine. If you have a story to share, send it to williamsonwine@gmail.com.

I've listed some prompts below to get the party started, but feel free to freelance:

* First wine that got me revved on wine

* Last call: The wine I wished I passed on

* Most memorable wine and why

* Sure-fire wine to spark romance

* Favorite "guilty pleasure" wine

Here's how I'd answer the above:

First wine: Lancer's Rose. My parents gave me tastes as a child because I wouldn't eat. The doctor said it might spark my appetite. It sparked something.

Last call wine: After a night of waiting and bussing restaurant tables, my older brother and I nabbed some Mad Dog 20-20. Vomiting soon followed.

Memorable wine: Travaglini Gattinara in an Italian restaurant during a sneak-away weekend in Myrtle Beach. Engagement soon followed.

Romance wine: A Korbel sparkler next to a roaring fireplace after a winter storm knocks out power for two days in Greensboro. No lights. No heat. No ESPN. Baby soon followed.

Guilty pleasure: Super buttery Cub Scout popcorn with really cheap Aussie Chardonnay and lots of ESPN. Wine-gut soon followed.

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GlenMarie Winery near Burlington is going to the dogs. Certainly one day each spring and fall.

Owners Glendale and Joyce Dickey love dogs as much as they love their vineyard and wines. They've united, they hope, the passions of other dog and wine enthusiasts.

On March 21, GlenMarie will host Dog Days in the Vineyard, a chance for pet owners to let their dog roam and frolic amid the vines and other dogs. Their owners, meanwhile, get to sample GlenMarie wines and meet new friends.

The day includes various dog activities, contests and ask-the-trainer demonstrations. The event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. also includes a fenced dog park where animals can explore. Admission fee is $5.

GlenMarie produces a range of varietal, hybrid and Muscadine wines, all sold exclusively at the winery. For information and directions, visit www.dogdaysinthevineyard.com

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Some off-the-beaten-path North Carolina wines worth checking out:

2007 Sanders Ridge Viognier ($16): This grower near Boonville supplied grapes to other wineries for years but now markets under its own label. This is a crisp style but shows the tell-tale apricot and flowery characteristics of Viognier.

2006 Shadow Springs Cabernet Franc ($17): From one of North Carolina's newest wineries is a silky red sporting cherry, spice and mint. This is a promising first effort from this Swan Creek appellation winery.

2006 Surry Cellars Pickshin Red ($14): A faculty-student collaboration of the Surry Community College viticulture-enology program. This blends 52 percent Syrah with 38 percent Primitivo and 10 percent Grenache. Blackberry, black pepper, chocolate and plum.

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Two South African wines that got my attention:

2007 Spier Pinotage ($10): Dark fruit at the start with a hint of tannin on the finish, this medium-bodied red is a must for Merlot lovers -- and much less expensive. Pinotage is a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. This producer delivers a rewarding, fruit-forward wine for red enthusiasts.

2005 Bellingham Dragon's Lair ($26): A Syrah-based red with a bit of Mourvedre and Viognier blended for some peppery spice and silky mouth-feel. Blackberry, coffee and licorice explode from the glass. Aged 18 months in new and first-year oak barrels.

Ed Williams, Alamance Community College public information director, has written about wine since 1990. This column publishes the first Wednesday of each month. Send news of an event to williamsonwine@aol.com at least 10 days before publication.