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It rarely makes sense to buy the seconds of lesser, little-known vineyards.

SWANS

Edmund Spenser wrote:

… I saw two Swans of goodly hue,

Come softly swimming down along the Lee;

Two fairer birds I yet did never see;

The snow which doth the top of Pindus strew,

Did never whiter show,

Nor Jove himself when he a Swan would be

For love of Leda, whiter did appear …

Graceful and long-necked, though mean-spirited and even dangerous, swans are admired for their beauty as well as for their monogamous behavior. They are, of course, a supreme ornament to rivers and ponds, but for almost a thousand years, from the 8th century to the early 18th, they were, like the peacock, a sumptuous roast at banquets. Raised in great quantities for consumption, they were the most expensive birds in the old London poultry market for a very long time.

For a splendid meal, the swans were plucked and roasted on a spit. Afterward, they were often redressed in skin and feathers, sometimes gilded, and brought ceremoniously to the table.

Young swans—cygnets—especially when fattened on oats, were the most delicious, and it was in large part the arrival of the turkey, less difficult to raise, that brought a gradual end to the eating of swans.

MICHELIN GUIDE

Thick, red, and intimidating, written in French, with indecipherable symbols and abbreviations, the Michelin guide on first viewing seemed hardly comprehensible, let alone helpful, but over the years, in successive versions, it has been a constant companion. Our old editions include notes on favorite rooms in hotels, beautiful roads, places where we didn’t have time to stop but wanted to come back to.

We open it a dozen times a day on the road, and the late afternoon ritual—having checked into a hotel—is to examine the restaurant possibilities for that evening. Simply reading the names can produce anticipation: Auberge du Quai, Au Plaisir Gourmand, Le Vivier.

The Michelin guide was first published as a twenty-page volume in 1900 by the Michelin Tire Company in the early days of auto travel and was intended to help the motorist by identifying gas stations, repair shops, and hotels along the route. Eventually, restaurants were added. In 1931 its cover changed permanently from blue to red, and a rating system of stars, initiated in 1923 to refer to comfort and price levels, was evolved to designate the best restaurants. There are approximately thirty inspectors—all men and specially trained—who work full time to update the listings every year. To make sure they’re not recognized, they’re never assigned to go back to the same place within an eight-year period. They identify themselves as Michelin inspectors only after their meal or hotel stay, when they ask questions and examine kitchens.

Of the stars—one, two, or three—that Michelin awards outstanding restaurants, it is said that one will provide the owner with a good living and three will make him rich. They are coveted, and chefs have been known to commit suicide upon losing a star. One named Alain Zick shot himself in 1966, and Bernard Loiseau, who had had three stars for twelve years, shot himself upon hearing the rumor—which turned out to be false—that he would be losing one in 2003.

But there’s more than just where to eat and sleep; the guide also features the number of inhabitants of the city; its distance from Paris and closer cities; the most important sights; and for the five hundred largest towns, a map that locates not only the hotels and restaurants but also the post office, hospital, train station, airport, and even museums, sports facilities, and noteworthy views. There’s a section on regional wines and even a listing of French school holidays so you can avoid traveling at that time. And with the advent of the euro and a more cohesive continent, there are major road maps, international phone codes, and even a chart identifying regional and foreign license plates.

There are red Michelin guides for other countries, including one for New York City, but it seems the information