MAILBAG Dr. Z will answer select user questions each week in his NFL mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Part two -- "What's a good white wine that can be found easily enough in Wisconsin?" Nota bene, Dustin, and all you others who might feel tempted to ask a similar question: I won't answer something like this. What kind of price range? What style do you like? What are you going to have it with? Etcetera.

Let's get on to rankings and stuff like that, now that we're into them and people are starting to awaken. Jeremy of Providence feels that your faithful narrator is suffering a slight marble loss because in his rankings column he broke two pledges by rating Bingos over Brownies and Pats over Colts, and yet poor old Z said a Texans upset of the Colts wouldn't surprise him. "Let me make my question perfectly clear," he writes. "Huh?" For those who haven't yet figured this out, this is what passes for biting wit in Providence. (H.P. Lovecraft would turn over in his grave).

Hey, pal ... when you predict a possible upset you're saying a lower-ranked team might beat a higher-ranked team. Colts were second, Texies 11th. Clear enough for you, or would you be more comfortable if I explain it with animated figures or Lego blocks?

Here's a switch. A Colorado Springs man, Kurt H., can't understand why I rank the Broncos so high (6th) after two squeaky wins. "Are you from Denver?" he says. Come on, get serious. Do I really sound like anything but what I am, a wiseass from New York? And who, exactly, do you think should be higher on the board than the Broncs?

Graham of Carrboro, N.C., has "no problem with ranking Atlanta at 32." Well, that gets us off on the right foot. He's afraid that if the Falcons end up with the first pick in the draft, Petrino will draft "you know who." No, who? Oh Brian Brohm, Petrino's former QB at Louisville. Is that who, uh whom...no who? (I had it right the first time, Linda). In fact Graham has heard "reliable rumors" they might even arrange it so they move up and thereby...you know something? I'm going to cut it off right here. If Byron Leftwich goes in the tank, when he finally gets to play ... soon, it'll be soon ... then they'll need a quarterback. Right now they're desperate to move up in the SI.com Power Rankings, and depending on what the Giants look like Sunday, I could be in a position to help them.

Kartik K. of London invites me over to watch the ongoing rugby World Cup in Paris and partake of a beer or two. Be right there, KK, as soon as you designate some individual to cover my workload for me, thereby helping support my poor family and keep our little tabby in Iams Hairball Care Premium Cat Food.

Brian of Alexandria, Va., recalls a superhuman strength-type sack by Reggie White against Larry Allen as his all time No. 1. OK, I'll accept that. Next! "I'm a bit of a wine newbie, but my favorites include a white blend from Oregon, Evolution No. 9. Any other good blends you could recommend?"

Warning light is flashing. Story coming! Story coming! Fasten seat belts and ensure that all tray tables are in an upright position, and you are, too. And so is The Flaming Redhead because as soon as I mentioned Evolution No. 9 she started growling like a mother tiger whose cub was threatened.

We're at our Wine Media Guild tasting and luncheon a few years ago. Susan Sokol, owner of Sokol Blosser Winery in Oregon, is presenting her white blend, Evolution 9, a marriage of nine grapes, including a couple of the fruity ones, such as Muscat and Riesling. Linda's best friend is Tom Frank, part owner of the chain of Asian restaurants, P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

"This would be perfect with Asian food," the Redhead tells Susan Sokol. "Why don't I suggest it to my friend from Chang's."

"Oh, that would be great," says SS.

Roll the clock forward. It's the spring of 2006. We're visiting wineries in Oregon. We drop in on Sokol Blosser in Dundee. In the meantime, Tom Frank, heeding Linda's suggestion, has incorporated Evolution 9 into the Chang's wine list, and that's nationally, where it has done well. Susan Sokol shows up. Linda asks her if she remembers her. No, she doesn't.

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