I was in my kitchen preparing to have my friend Mr. Vino over for dinner, which consisted of a simple beef stew based on a popular French bistro recipe. The stew had tons of black olives, garlic cloves, onions, carrots and olive oil, and was seasoned with fresh thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. The recipe called for red wine, and I chose one of my favorite everyday drinking wines, Torres Sangre de Toro, which I poured into the big pot with the rest of the ingredients.

I never know what Mr. Vino will have in his magic wine bag when he arrives, but I know that it will always be the perfect accompaniment to the meal. On this particular evening, we sipped on flutes of Mumm Cordon Rouge as we listened to the Beatles white album and munched on garlic-marinated mushrooms.

When we heard Paul McCartney’s acoustic guitar on “Blackbird,” Mr. Vino chuckled. “How appropriate,” he said. “I have some beautiful blackbirds here in the bag.” From the midnight-colored wine bag, my friend pulled out three bottles of wine: a 2003 Neyers Merlot Neyers Ranch-Conn Valley, a 2000 Chateau L’Evangile Pomerol and a 2001 Leonetti Cellars Merlot, Columbia Valley.

I was stunned at the lineup for my humble stew. Mr. Vino then took out his wine opener and opened the Neyers, pouring some wine into my new Riedel Bordeaux stemware.

He knew I was shell-shocked, and made light of it. “These are good wines, and I knew you’d appreciate them,” he said. “They are beautiful blackbirds.”

He sniffed the Neyers merlot in the glass. “Merlot is named after the blackbird, or, in French, merles. The grape color is like the feathers of a blackbird. These birds love to eat the grapes, tormenting vineyard owners. Perhaps that is how these birds maintain their color,” he laughed.

Then Mr. Vino looked me squarely in the eyes and said, “But I think birds are free to soar, as the aromatics of this wine, which fly to your senses.

“Oh, the true beauty of the bouquet,” he continued. “It truly dazzles you, just like anything you love. It is just ephemeral beauty, like fresh-cut red roses. Time is always the equalizer.”

“All I know, Mr. Vino, is that this wine is just stunning,” I said. “It has a heavenly wild cherry element to it, with lots of fresh fruit. The tannins are like silk, and it has jumping fruit flavors.”

I served my friend a bowl of the stew. “My amigo, this stew is just great,” he said. “The wine and garlic add so much. Chef Kenny could do no better.”

I took a little bow in my mind. Then Mr. Vino handed me the bottle of Leonetti, which I opened and poured.

“How beautiful the nose this blackbird can fly,” he said, placing his nose in the giant glass. “The aromas are like a flower shop, full of elderberry and red and black crème fruits, with pine notes on the finish. The palate is huge and luscious, and has an easy finish.”

I interjected: “No wonder Leonetti is so popular with merlot drinkers. The wine is a beauty queen – a Miss America.” I poured another glass for each of us.

“Yes, a Miss Washington State,” he said with a nod, motioning for more stew. “That state has become true merlot country. The wines are of such quality that they’re giving Napa and Sonoma a run for their money.”

With two open bottles, Mr. Vino and I were ready for the Chateau L’Evangile Pomerol. Chateau L’Evangile is owned by Barons de Rothschild, owners of the greatest winery in the world, Chateau Lafite.

“Chateau L’Evangile is between Chateau Petrus and Chateau Cheval-Blanc, the truly great estates in Pomerol,” Mr. Vino said. “And like those estates, the wines are blends of merlot and the aromatic cabernet franc. In Chateau L’Evangile, it is about 70 percent merlot and 30 percent cabernet franc.”

I took my first sip. “Wow, this wine whispers Pomerol. It’s gorgeous,” I said. “It has such wonderful fruit and earth. It is so well balanced.”

“The cabernet franc adds so much to the merlot,” Mr. Vino added. “It has a wonderful nose.”

We listened to more Beatles music and took more flights on the wings of blackbirds, soaring until the evening ended.