What's cooking: wine sunglasses, Amy Thielen, Wilton

For the wine lovers out there, here's a novel idea. The folks at Robert Mondavi Private Selection have partnered with Woodzee, a California eyewear designer, to recycle used wine barrels into a line of sunglasses. The wood's "distinctive tint" comes from the oak barrels used to age Coastal Crush Red, a blend of syrah, merlot and malbec grapes described as having flavor notes of "ripe strawberry and red raspberry fruit with a hint of chocolate." The sunglasses are described as costing $120. To learn more, visit www.woodzee.com.

When Minnesota's own Amy Thielen had her TV show, "Heartland Table," debut on the Food Network on Sept. 14, the first episode was "The Butter Show." That likely foretold its success, for her show has been renewed for a second season. Congrats, Amy! The action takes place in her rustic cabin near Two Inlets, Minn. To learn more, visit www.foodnetwork.com and search "Heartland Table."

Watching pastry chefs on TV can be inspiring, but also frustrating, since their time-lapse pace has little to do with real life. But if you want to hone your skills, Wilton Enterprises offers a series of online classes that you can pause and repeat until you're a master. Beth Somers, a "Cupcake Wars" winner, teaches classes on baking basics, buttercream, frosting flowers and more. Prices are $15-$20 for more than two hours of instruction and downloadable materials, accessible on mobile devices or computers. You also can ask questions, upload photos of your work and take part in discussions. To learn more, visit www.wilton.com/craftsy.

Speaking of vino, experts on the Butterball turkey talk line are offering wine-pairing advice for the first time this season at 1-800-BUTTERBALL. The service comes via Robert Mondavi's budget line, Woodbridge, which trained 50 advisers in pairing wines with holiday foods. Sure, they'll likely recommend a Woodbridge offering among the chardonnays they advise drinking, but that's only fair, right? The phone line is open through Dec. 24.

Party fruit platters are a refreshing alternative to all the sweets this season, but often lack apples because the slices turn brown so quickly. A new variety may provide a solution. Opal apples are large, bright yellow super-crisp fruits that don't turn brown after slicing. A European variety discovered in 1999, Opals now are grown by one orchard in Washington and are available through April at most Costco, Lunds and Byerly's stores. Also, a portion of Opal sales are donated to nonprofits working to encourage kids to eat healthful foods. Nonprofits can apply for a grant at www.firstfruits.com.