Whatever the reason, we seldom just sit around and listen to music anymore. Lately, tunes just serve as background noise while we clean or iron or make some list.

Leave it to the good folks at Wine X magazine to pair music with wine, reminding us of the simple pleasures each can bring.

- If you're playing "Central Reservation" by Beth Orton, a melancholic folkster with an absolutely exquisite voice, stroll into the sauvignon blanc section of your local spirit store. Grab a bottle of the citrus-and-vanilla-inflected 1998 Seresin Marlborough, put on the CD, and enjoy.

(A little hint: program the CD to play the shimmering, lounge-y second track, "The Sweetest Decline," a couple times.)

- For the musically adventurous, "Ki-Oku" is a fascinating collaboration between hip-hop's DJ Krush and Japanese trumpeter Toshinori Kondo. Pair this with Adelsheim Vineyard's 1997 Southern Slopes Pinot Noir, and let the groove times roll.

- For those who prefer classical music, combine Blackstone's 1996 Napa Valley Reserve Merlot with Tartini's "The Devil's Sonata" (played by Andrew Manze). Both are thrilling, complex and a joy to discover.

Bottoms up.