I've lived in Louisville since 2007 and have gone to the Derby every year since coming to town. I've learned a few things:

1. Calvin Borel could ride a donkey in the Derby and still go off at 5-1 odds.

2. My birthday, May 7, always falls around the first Saturday in May. This year it was on the Derby. That means two things: a) Growing a year older during Derby week does not bring you luck at the betting window, and b) I'll forever associate the Run for the Roses with drunkenly devouring birthday cake.

Due to some zoning issues, many bars in the Germantown-Schnitzelburg neighborhoods had to close their patios, but that is now being reversed.  Bars in the area that have been cited can have drinking and live music outside on their patios by being grandfathered in and approved in an appeal hearing.  The Louisville Board of Zoning and Alcoholic Beverage Control review proof that the location has supported outdoor drinking almost continuously for 29 years.

This (relative) break in the weather isn't tricking me. I just know humidity is lurking around the corner. That's why John Johnson, who owns the Wine Rack (2632 Frankfort Ave.), has suggested a bottle of Domaine De Nizas Rose 2009 ($15.99), with its "raspberry and strawberry aromas, accented by soft floral notes." It's from the south of France, and it sounds refreshing. Here, listen to Johnson describe it: "On the palate, the red fruits burst through and are enhanced by subtle spices," he says.

It's a billion degrees outside, and all I want to do is drink. That's where John Johnson, the owner of the Wine Rack (2632 Frankfort Ave.), comes in. To help beat the heat, Johnson suggests a 2007 riesling from New Zealand. He says that in 1973, Hermann Seifried was the first to plant vineyards in that country's Nelson region, near Marlborough on the southern island's northern tip.