In the dead of winter, what's a wine lover to do? I'm almost tempted to say "Bring back the hot, spicy wine," the body-warming concoction quaffed at stalls in town center squares all over Europe toward year's end. It's a splendid custom, but actually what I had in mind is winery visits in California. Reasonable air fares make the trip even more attractive.

If you'll remember, during the usually business-slack month of February in Japan, the 11th day is a national holiday and this year it falls on a Friday that flows temptingly into a weekend. What a perfect time to add a day or two onto that and hop a plane to sunny California for a winery visit. While you're at it, think ahead to late March, or to April (aiming for a day or two jump on Golden Week).

In wine-world terms March is a particularly interesting time to consider travel to such Southern Hemisphere havens as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina, great winelands all, where March marks the onset of both autumn and the new grape harvest. Think carefully about this one, since wine producers are severely busy at harvest time anywhere in the world. An ideal time to visit Southern Hemisphere wineries would be in April, even well before Golden Week begins.