WINE

2008 Pennywise Pinot Noir, California; $12

This pinot -- loaded with terrific flavor and style -- starts with a nose of wild strawberry and hints of oak. These carry into the mouth perfectly and new notes of cherry, plum and a slight dark chocolate note arise. The finish draws together all of these flavors and adds hints of roasted coffee and dried cranberries. Everything blends into a terrific pinot for the price. We enjoyed this wine with grilled rainbow trout and fresh greens from the garden.

SPIRIT

Blackbeard Spiced Rum, Puerto Rico; $16

This is a terrific dark rum packed full of flavor. It starts with aromas of caramel and vanilla. Once it hits the mouth, the rum's flavors flow like silk -- layers of brown sugar, spice, vanilla bean and a creme brulee smoothness. The finish draws together all of the flavors, and there's a nice, warm bite of alcohol. This rum is named after Blackbeard the pirate, a featured villain in Disney's latest "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Last month a team of archaeologists retrieved the anchor from the sunken ship Queen Anne's Revenge, which Blackbeard had captured, off the coast of North Carolina.

Lain Bradford is a wine writer and reviewer who has achieved his first level master sommelier certificate and is working toward his Certified Wine Educator degree. He only writes about beverages that are available in South Carolina and Georgia. Follow him on Twitter under the name "winereview."