Are you intimidated by wine? Are you convinced that good wine is always expensive?

Think again! Wine is a great little luxury and, thanks to antioxidants, part of a wellness lifestyle. Follow our three cardinal rules for Affordable Wine Drinking, and you’ll be enjoying wine with friends, food, and generally behaving like a regular oenophile in no time…

1. Don’t be scared to try different wines. Wine has a “reputation” for being difficult, and for no good reason. Ignore all the talk about bouquets and florals and legs–you don’t have to be a film critic to like going to the movies, do you? The trick at first is to try lots of different wines to find what you like. Don’t let one bad or boring $10 bottle mislead you into thinking you have to spend more – there are good wines and bad wines at all price points.

2. There’s a bigger difference than you think between wines under $5 and wines over $5. You don’t have to spend a lot to see a huge difference in flavor. If infamous Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw is your staple at $2.99, upgrade just a little to a $8 or $9 bottle and you’ll find the gulf between $3 wine and $9 wine is wider than you might have thought. You don’t have to breach the $15 or $20 barrier to find good wine, but it’s a good rule of thumb to pass the $5 one.

3. If you like a wine, it’s a good wine. This rule trumps all others! It was passed along to me by someone who does wine tastings for a living, if you can believe it. It especially applies to those who want to enjoy wine on a budget. We already know thanks to rule #1 that you find wines you love through trial and error, so when you do find a wine you enjoy, don’t let the price tag dictate whether or not you think it’s good! That’s what your taste buds are for.

For a great place to start exploring affordable wine choices, check out our wine partners over at Rioja. What’s your favorite wine under $15?

Nothing to sneeze at.

I’m highly allergic to cats, but after this video I’ve convinced myself it can’t be true. How can something this cute be anything but perfect?

Lansdowne Resort and Spa Minérale, Leesburg, VA: Save 40% when you book the Getaway Get-a-Spa Package. Includes room, choice of two spa treatments and breakfast for two for only $299 per night. Perfect for a girls getaway or couples relaxation…

The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, Manchester Village, VT: Starting at $329 per night, the Luxury Collection Spa Welcome Package includes: one 50-minute spa treatment per person, a welcome basket and continental breakfast for two…

Half Moon, St. James, Jamaica: The Perfectly Pampered Getaway includes: a spa consultation, choice of daily spa treatment, foot bath and recreational and outdoor activities. Rooms start at $395 per night…

Carefree Resort and Villas, Carefree, AZ: The All-Inclusive three-night Spa and Golf Getaway for Two includes: a half-day spa package, round of golf, desert adventure for two and all meals for just $1,195…

Click for photos and more on Carefree Resort and Villas

28 spas in 28 regions have whipped up their most decadent day-at-the-spa packages, and in partnership, SPA WEEK® is giving them away to 28 lucky winners across North America. Spa Week Daily will be featuring a spa a day, along with their wellness philosophies and lifestyle tips, until the sweeps ends.

Region: Baltimore & Florida

Red Door Spa – Baltimore
The Village of Cross Keys
42 Village Square
Baltimore, MD 21210
410.323.3636

Red Door Spa – Fort Lauderdale
2598 A East Sunrise Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
954.564.5787

Elizabeth Arden founded Red Door Spas on the principles that “the essential glow of beauty must come from within and that every guest should leave physically refreshed and mentally rejuvenated.” Today, the men and women of Red Door Spas strive to perpetuate her vision by enhancing the lives of their guests through beauty, harmony and well-being.

It pays to be Red Door loyal:

A newly-unveiled, all-encompassing spa menu, complete with renowned signature services, enhanced specialty treatments and wellness recommendations, offers everything from skincare, massage and body treatments to nail care, hair design, make up artistry and more. Red Door offers a popular Series Program which encourages frequent guests to invest in themselves by offering special discounts and complimentary services when booking 6 or more of the same service. Additionally, this past summer we introduced four customized wellness programs – skin renewal, organic balance, stress-relief and timesaver – designed to deliver specific, sought-after results. The ultimate in wellness is the Red Door Signature Stress Melter Ritual, an integration of soothing services with an olive oil skin softening scrub, aroma therapeutic body wrap and massage to melt stress and rebalance spirit.

Their most important wellness advice:

-Take a bath at least once a week and add essential oil drops to hydrate your entire body and to relax and distress your mind.
-Sleep is essential for proper wellness care. Keep a humidifier in your bedroom to help you sleep throughout the night.
-Open the windows in your bedroom 15 min. prior to going to bed to oxygenate the room for a proper rest and a good deep sleep

THE DAY OF WELLNESS PACKAGE INCLUDES:

50 Min Signature Facial or Massage

Red Door Signature Manicure & Pedicure

Makeup Refresher

Click Here to Enter the National Wellness Giveaway! >>

Live in Maryland or Florida? Spread wellness in your community! Scroll down and share this with your friends.

Every month, we vichy-shower you with a plenitude of Spa Steals & Deals. The 1st of every month marks a new batch of Spa Week® bargains, so make sure you’re checking back often! With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we know you’re starting to look around for good couples packages. Here’s a teaser of a couple of spas offering the couples packages you’ll see starting February 1st. (But for now… book yourself a  January spa deal while you still can!)

Simply mention Spa Week® when booking your appointment.

Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa

2400 East Missouri Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85016
602.381.7632
http://www.arizonabiltmore.com

Love and Luxury Under the Stars Package
Make your love story one for the history books with a Romantic Couple’s Massage at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. This unforgettable experience includes rose petal draped massage tables in a private, heated cabana illuminated by candlelight. Toast each other with a split of red or white wine and indulge in chocolate-covered strawberries served while relaxing in their bubbling Jacuzzi.

Spa Week Special: $270 Originally: $350

Nina’s European Day Spa and Laser Center

5 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001
212.594.9610
http://www.ninasskincare.com

Valentine’s Day Spa Package for Him and Her includes Romantic Couple’s Full Body Massages Side by Side and complimentary Chocolate and Champagne

Special $195 Normally $295

Perfect for Her Package including Slimming and Detoxifying Chocolate Body Wrap, Nina’s Deluxe European Facial with Microdermabrasion, and French Kissed Manicure and Pedicure

Special $195 Normally $395

Special for Him Package including Gentlemen’s Deluxe Facial, Full Body Aromatherapy Relaxation Massage, Spa Manicure and Pedicure, and complimentary Champagne or Wine

Special $185 Normally $385