Offering everything from wine dinners to tastings to private classes and receptions, Boston Wine School is one of the largest of it's kind in the city.

Expertise without attitude? Yep, it's possible. Brookline Liquor Mart, a wine and spirits staple located at 1354 Commonwealth Ave. in Allston, is one of the larger stores of its kind. But, die-hard patrons have come to expect more than just an extraordinary range of products and services at BLM. For this emporium serving up stellar potent potables since 1934, it's all about service minus the snobbery. “I tend to look for the good things in any bottle of wine I try—the grape flavor, the color, the (real) value of the bottle," says Roger Ormon, BLM's wine manager. "I'm not just interested in fancy or expensive wines. I can get just as excited about a fantastic $15 bottle of wine as I can about the finest vintage from Bordeaux.” BLM is lauded for its convival Saturday wine tastings and expanded calendar of wine-related events, such as their upcoming "Celluloid and Wine" film series perfect for oenophiles. Also, BLM Wine + Spirits specializes in crafting wine cellars as well as offering appraisals on existing cellars. And, extending their "expertise without attitude" approach online, they've launched a new internet sales department perfect for that last-minute gift for a colleague or friend ... or even yourself. For store president Lisa Miller Ryan, it's been a life-long passion to maintain the family tradition of selling the best product and educating wine drinkers for more than half a century. In fact, her father Burton J. Miller is CEO and chairman. "I cut my teeth in the wine business," Ryan says. "I probably took my first steps down the aisle of the store.” Still not sure? Don't pop a cork. Let the knowledgeable team at BLM guide you with their "Vineyard Picks" e-newsletter here.