Oregon’s Archery Summit Hits the Target

Christopher Mazepink,  winemaker and general manager at Archery Summit, isn’t the least bit fazed by Pinot Noir. Perhaps that’s because he went straight from graduate school at Oregon State University to making it. Instead of being intimidated by the famously persnickety grape, he’s excited by the challenges crafting topnotch Pinot Noir presents.

Mazepink quickly fell in love with the varietal. He especially relishes the winemaking process, the grapes’ diversity at different sites and Pinot Noir’s distinctive character. Pinot Noir has, he says, “more personality than any other grape…. It will never be formulaic…. You’ll never see the same vintage twice.”

Oregon’s Pinot Noirs are considered by many to offer the best of California and the best of Burgundy. Mazepink thinks that “people are chasing the Oregon style” for this reason. The wines combine the ripe fruit flavors of California Pinots with the minerality, freshness of fruit, and savory, spicy character of Burgundy wines. They’re generally good both when young and when aged five to eight years.

Much is done at Archery Summit as it is in Burgundy. Its caves are modeled after the subterranean cellars of the famed Côte d’Or. Mazepink uses Old World techniques–including wooden tanks, native yeasts and large percentages of whole clusters–as well as Pinot-centric technological innovations to craft his Pinot Noirs. He’s been known to occasionally stomp the grapes with his feet. (Some of the best Ports are still made this way.)

At Archery Summit, Mazepink makes six to eight Pinot Noirs each year. The grapes are grown in the AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) that he considers to be the Willamette Valley’s finest. “I firmly believe that the best wines in Oregon,” he says, “are made from the Dundee Hills and Ribbon Ridge AVAs,” where the winery’s six estate vineyards are located.

Archery Summit’s wines often receive high ratings. The Wine Spectator recently rated four of its 2011 vineyard-designated wines  (Archer’s Edge, Archery Summit, Arcus and Renegade Ridge) 90 or above. Mazepink, who started at Archery Summit in 2013, is used to receiving similar scores from Robert M. Parker’s Wine Advocate and other publications as well.

Mazepink thinks like you might. “I’m a consumer first,” he says. “Our wines are made to go with a wide range of food.” And that, says this food-and-wine lover, is just how it should be.

Premier Cuvée Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012 (SRP $54*): This wine is a blend of grapes from six vineyard estates in the Dundee Hills and Ribbon Ridge AVAs. Whereas its single vineyard wines are about the place, Archery Summit’s blends are about the style and the vintage, and the 2012 vintage was stellar. Aromas and flavors of blackberries and other dark fruits. A touch of cinnamon and star anise spice. Lush and layered. Sustainably farmed.

Vireton Pinot Gris Willamette Valley 2012 (SRP $24): One of Mazepink’s mandates at Archery Summit is to raise the profile of its Pinot Gris, and this is the first nationally distributed white wine from the winery. It offers fresh fruit, fresh acidity and fresh minerality. Aromas and flavors of apple, lemon, lime, white peach and tropical fruit. Flinty minerality. Lively. Notable textural richness and residual flavor.

*Wines can usually be found for less–sometimes considerably less–than the SRP (suggested retail price). Check out wine-searcher.com to get an idea of actual prices.

Beyond Beer: The Best Wines to Accompany Chinese Food

By Sharon Kapnick

Years ago, my friends and I would invariably drink beer with Chinese food. While beer was, and remains, a fine partner with many Chinese dishes, we were learning to love wine. We were captivated by the whole new world of exciting bouquets and flavors. We just had to discover what wines went best with Chinese food.

So we did some research and some experimenting, and learned a thing or two. Because different people have different tastes, you’ll probably have to do some experimenting of your own. But here are some guidelines that will help:

GENERAL PRINCIPLES
When matching food with wine, there are several basic rules to keep in mind:

1) Similar foods and wines pair well. A delicate dish, for example, demands a delicate, light-bodied wine, and a hearty, rib-warming meal calls for a rich, powerful, full-bodied wine.
2) Contrasting foods and wines can also be good partners, although these matches are trickier.
3) Food and wine should complement, rather than overpower, each other. As wine importer Rudi Wiest likes to say, “Whatever’s on the plate is already dead. You don’t have to kill it again.” You don’t want a wine that will overwhelm a dish; you want one that will stand up to it.
4) Fiery dishes are best with wines that are low in tannins and alcohol, which fan the flames, and with off-dry (slightly sweet) and sweet wines, which tone them down.
5) In general, the lower the alcohol, the sweeter the wine.
6) If beer goes well with a dish, sparkling wine usually will too.
7) Here’s a rule of thumb: The milder the dish, the drier the wine; the spicier, the fruitier; the hotter, the sweeter.

There are other factors that should be taken into account, like cooking methods. Fried foods, for example, are great with sparkling wines because the bubbles cut through the richness. And then there’s seasonality: The wine you chose to accompany roast duck served on a cold winter’s day shouldn’t be the wine you pour with roast duck on a patio. Sauces, too, play a crucial role in deciding what wine to select, which is especially important in a cuisine like Chinese. In fact, as wine importer Terry Theise advises, you should “match the wine to the sauce, not to the meat. Orange-flavored beef calls for sweet Riesling, not Châteauneuf-du-Pape.”

TAO OF CHINESE MEALS
It’s also important to keep in mind two other distinctive things about Chinese food: 1) the frequent combinations of sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavors, which play a great part in determining which wines are appropriate, and 2) the wide array of vegetable, tofu, seafood, poultry, pork and beef dishes served at the same meal. Given all these factors, it may be tempting to raise your hands in surrender and say, “I’ll have a Tsing Tao.” But, in a way, all these considerations make the choice of wine easy: The best thing to do is to serve the most food-friendly wines.

SPARKLING WINES
And there are no more versatile wines than sparkling wines. One of their many virtues is that they can be served throughout the meal. While sparkling wine may not necessarily be the best wine for a particular dish, it’s usually at worst a good accompaniment–and often much more. Sparkling wine doesn’t have strong flavors or tannins that overwhelm food; its thousands of tiny bubbles do a stellar job of cleansing and refreshing the palate; and its acidity and fruit temper spicy heat in food. Sparkling wines are wonderful with Chinese food. (The Chinese themselves gravitate toward bubbles with meals, although bubbles of a different sort: They often mix carbonated drinks like 7-Up with wine, whiskey or brandy.) These days there are many excellent, inexpensive sparkling wines on the market.

If expense is not an issue or you are celebrating a special occasion, you might opt for Champagne. As importer Theise says, “Don’t forget Champagne! In fact, never forget Champagne.” (Actually, I personally would be likelier to forget my own name than to ever forget Champagne!) Champagnes and some sparkling wines come in several sweetness levels: Brut nature (aka Extra brut and Ultra brut): bone dry; Brut: no perceptible sweetness; Extra dry: slightly sweet; Sec: noticeable sweetness; Demi sec: very sweet; Doux: sweetest of all. (Brut is most common.)

ALSACE WINES
After sparkling wines, when eating Chinese, I turn to Alsace and its food friendly, aromatic white wines. Their fruity flavors and (generally) high acidity cool the palate and complement flavorful, spicy and sweet dishes. Their lack of oak is also a plus. “[Aromatic] white wines excel particularly with cuisines that are challenging for other wines,” especially those with some sweetness or hot spiciness, write Mary Ewing-Mulligan and Ed McCarthy in Wine Styles. “Alsace wines in general are great choices when the meal has you wondering what wines could possibly work.”

There are several Alsace wines to consider. Riesling is its outstandingly flexible star. (Actually many think it’s the greatest and most versatile of all white wines.) It’s an excellent choice when you want one wine to serve with many different dishes-–from seafood to fowl to meat. It can be fruity, flowery, sometimes minerally, usually crisp, often elegant. Pinot Blanc, sometimes called the poor man’s Chardonnay, is a light, crisp, fresh, lively, delicate, all-purpose wine. Pinot Gris is like Chardonnay in weight and texture. It’s dry, rich, round, opulent, powerful, complex, sometimes smoky, with lots of fruit flavors. While it has the acidity of a white wine, it’s full bodied and can often take the place of a red. Pinot Gris is an excellent choice with very flavorful dishes. Gewürztraminer is extremely expressive and exotic, highly aromatic, with scents of lychees, rose petals and honeysuckle. It’s full bodied and sometimes slightly sweet. For these reasons, it’s often recommended with spicy cuisines.

GERMAN RIESLINGS
Also at the top of the list as accompaniments to Chinese food are German Rieslings. Generally low in alcohol, they have high acidity, which makes them crisp, fresh, zesty and good with food. The sugar in them is balanced by acidity. They can handle the wide range of dishes served at Chinese meals. (Some pair Rieslings with game, like venison, pheasants and wild duck. Others recommend them with braised meat or steak.)

German Rieslings are made in several ripeness levels, which are indicated on the label. The most important styles for our purposes include: Kabinett-–light, delicate, refreshing wines from ripe grapes with a touch of sweetness; Spätlese–-fuller, more flavorful wines, characterized by high acidity and light sweetness, from grapes picked at least a week after normal ripeness; and Auslese–fuller, riper wines with significant sweetness, made from ripe and overripe grape clusters.

The Kabinetts favor subtly flavored, delicate dishes with light sauces. The Spätlese cut the heat of spicy foods and are also good with dishes with some sweetness. The Ausleses demand aggressively flavored dishes, including sweet-and-sour and orange-flavored sauces that benefit from wines with more residual sugar.

OTHER RIESLINGS
New York, Washington, Oregon, parts of California, Austria, Australia and New Zealand also produce very good Rieslings. This varietal has been regaining popularity as people learn how food friendly it is.

MORE GOOD OPTIONS
There are some other fine choices. Albariño is the floral, citrusy, sometimes minerally, usually dry white wine that the Spanish drink with all fish and seafood; you might try it with the same. Sauvignon Blanc has herbal elements that pair well with ginger and distinctive herbs like cilantro, aka Chinese parsley. It also complements fried appetizers and seafood well. Tangy, racy New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs come to mind first. Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s dry, high-acid white wine, can also be herbal, slightly vegetal, spicy or fruity, with mineral undertones. It’s appropriate with vegetable or shellfish dishes. Off-dry (slightly sweet) Chenin Blancs match well with moderately spicy Chinese food. Pinot Bianco is the Italian version of Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Grigio is the lighter Italian version of Pinot Gris. White Burgundies are elegant and complement elegant dishes. And then there’s Viognier, which the Wall Street Journal describes well: “At its best, Viognier can have the cleanliness of Riesling, the juiciness of Sauvignon Blanc and the orange-blossom charm of Muscat. It tends to taste of peaches, apricots and mango, and sometimes has a bit of weight.”

Rosé is another food friendly wine that takes to Chinese food. Jeff Morgan, author of Rosé and co-owner of SoloRosa, a rosé-only winery, writes, “Rosé is blessed with a fruit-driven, bright-edged core that blends well with the fiery, ripe fruit found in chiles. Refreshingly chilled, dry, pintk wine also cools down the palate.” He recommends it with many dishes, but especially with Szechuan cuisine. If you are a red-wine lover, I recommend Pinot Noir with Chinese duck and meat dishes. Some enjoy Beaujolais, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Côtes-du-Rhône, Shiraz or Syrah, inexpensive red Bordeaux and Barbera.

I suggest you experiment and seek the guidance available at a good wine shop. Chances are, you’ll find many pairings that appeal to you. And if not, remember, there’s always Tsing Tao.

WINES PAIRED WITH REGIONS
Cantonese (some sweetness, not very spicy, sweet-and-sour, fermented black beans, soy sauce, salty): sparkling, Pinot Blanc (seafood), Riesling (seafood), Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer (roasted meats and poultry), rosé

Szechuan (spicy, hot-and-sour sauces, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic): sparkling wine, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Moscato d’Asti, rosé, Beaujolais

Hunan (similar to Szechuan): sparkling, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Beaujolais

Shanghai (slightly sweet): Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer
SOME FOOD AND WINE COMBINATIONS TO TRY
spring rolls and egg rolls: sparkling wine, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, rosé
salt-and-pepper shrimp, salt-and-pepper squid: sparkling wine
barbecued spare ribs: sparkling wine, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Albariño, rosé
noodles with sesame sauce: Gewürztraminer
soup dumplings: sparkling wine
dim sum: sparkling wine, Riesling
deep-fried dishes: sparkling wine
Singapore-style noodles: Sauvignon blanc, rosé
shellfish dishes: sparkling wine, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Albariño
hot pepper prawns: sparkling wine, Viognier
lobster Cantonese: white Burgundy
lobster with ginger and scallion sauce: white Burgundy
chicken with cashew nuts: Gewürztraminer
stir-fry chicken and vegetables: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer
kung pao chicken: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Albariño
General Tso’s chicken: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, rosé
vegetable lo mein: Sauvignon Blanc
minced squab with hoisin: Zinfandel
sesame chicken (Pinot Grigio, Riesling),
moo shu chicken: sparkling wine, Pinot Noir
chicken chow mein: sparkling wine
Peking duck: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir
tea-smoked duck: Pinot Noir
roast duck: Pinot Noir
sweet and sour pork: Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, rosé
moo shu pork: Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, rosé
twice-cooked pork: sparkling wine, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Albariño, Pinot Noir
Chinese beef dish at tasting: Pinot Gris
orange-flavor beef: Riesling

PRODUCERS TO RELY ON
Sparkling wines: Lucien Albrecht, Bouvet-Ladubay, Domaine Chandon, Codorníu, Cristalino, Chateau Frank, Freixenet, Gramona, Gruet, Korbel, Albert Mann, Marquis de la Tour, Larry Mawby, Mionetto, Château Moncontour, Monmousseau, François Montand, Raventós I Blanc, René Muré, Saint-Hilaire, Segura Viudas, Valdo, Veuve Ambal, Veuve du Vernay, Willm, Yarden, Zardetto

Champagne: Aubry, Henri Billiot, Bollinger, Chartogne-Taillet, Gaston Chiquet, Egly-Ouriet, Nicolas Feuillatte, René Geoffroy, Pierre Gimonnet, Gosset, Alfred Gratien, Charles Heidsieck, Henriot, Jacquesson, Krug, Jean Lallement, Larmandier-Bernier, J. Lassalle, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Moët & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Pierre Peters, Philipponnat, Louis Roederer,  Pol Roger, Moët & Chandon, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Vilmart & Cie

Alsace wines: Lucien Albrecht, Paul Blanck, Léon Boesch, Albert Boxler, Marcel Deiss, Helfrich, Hugel, Josmeyer, Marc Kreydenweiss, Kuentz-Bas, Albert Mann, René Muré, Ostertag, Stoeffler, Schofitt, Trimbach, Weinbach, Zind-Humbrecht

German Rieslings: Georg Breuer, J.J. Christoffel, Darting, Dönnhoff, J.u.H.A. Strub, Kerpen, Dr. Loosen, Meulenhof, Monchhof (Robert Eymael), Egon Müller, J.J. Prüm, Schaefer, Selbach-Oster, Two Princes, St.-Urbans-Hof, Von Schubert, Robert Weil, Zilliken

Other Rieslings: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Eroica, Chehalem, Covey Run, Dr. Konstantin Frank, Grosset, Heron Hill, Hogue, Lamoreaux Landing, Pacific Rim, Pikes, Poet’s Leap, Sheldrake Point, Swedish Hill, Villa Maria, Hermann J. Weimer

Helfrich’s Versatile Alsatian White Wines

By Sharon Kapnick

Alsace is a region with a rich winemaking history. Alsatians have been making wine for millenniums. In 56 B.C. Caesar called Alsace “optimus totius Galliae,” the best of all Gaul. By 900 A.D. 160 villages in the region were making wine.

The sunny, hot, dry days, cool nights and long growing season offer ideal conditions for growing wine grapes. They contribute to the high quality of the wines, which at their best have beautiful aromas and flavors, great structure, complexity, lively acidity, distinctive minerality and the ability to age.

I recently had the opportunity to try the wines of Helfrich with Anne-Laure Helfrich and winemaker Nicolas Haeffelin. The Helfrich family has been prominent in the wine and spirits business for three generations, but its importance extends beyond its years. In 1979 owner Joseph Helfrich founded Les Grand Chais de France, a leading wine and spirits company.

Haeffelin’s family has been steeped in winemaking for centuries. They’ve had a winemaker in every generation since 1560, a rare occurrence even in Alsace. At 14, Haeffelin spent most of his free time and school holidays helping out at Domaine Viticole, where his father worked. Today, at 31, he’s in charge of winemaking at the Helfrich and Arthur Metz wineries and Domaine Viticole.

Authenticity is very important to Helfrich. They believe in minimal intervention, so that the truest flavors of the grapes and the splendid Alsatian terroir take center stage. Their wines are full of flavor and brimming with character, all at very reasonable prices.

 

RECOMMENDED  WINES

Crémant d’Alsace (SRP $20; 100% Pinot Blanc): Fresh, fruity bouquet and delicate fruit flavors. Crisp and refreshing. Light and lovely. This sparkling wine serves well as an aperitif, for celebrations and to accompany all kinds of food.*

 

Noble Varieties (SRP $15): The grapes hail from the Couronne d’Or (Golden Crown), an association of local vineyards and winemakers that runs through the middle of Alsace. The Noble line uses screw caps. Helfrich likes them because they reserve the aromatic potential of the wines. I like them–rather, I love them–for most wines because they’re easy to open, easy to store and more convenient than corks. They also eliminate the chance of wine spoiled by cork taint.

2012 Pinot Blanc: Fresh and fruity. Serve with cold buffets, asparagus, salads, vegetables, fish and Asian food. Because of its accessibility, this wine serves well as a house wine.

2112 Pinot Gris: Aromas and flavors of white fruits and apricots. Very flavorful. A hint of spice. Rich, full, opulent and round. Serve with foie gras, grilled pork tenderloin, mussels and crab.

2012 Gewurztraminer: Aromas of citrus and tropical fruit, including lychees and passion fruit. Fragrant and fresh. Full bodied. Serve with spicy Asian cuisine, Chilean sea bass, smoked oysters, quiche Lorraine, roast chicken or turkey.

 

Grand Crus (SRP $20): There are 51 Grand Cru sites in Alsace. Helfrich’s Grand Crus all come from the Steinklotz Vineyard, one of the oldest documented vineyards in Alsace. It allegedly belonged to the Merovingian King Childebert II in 589 A.D.

2011 Pinot Gris Steinklotz Grand Cru: Appealing complex aromas. Smoky notes. Round and rich. Well-balanced acidity. Serve with fish and shellfish, quiche, chicken, veal and pork.

2009 Gewurztraminer Steinklotz Grand Cru: Aromas of candied apricot and clementine. Opulent, lush and fragrant. Serve with lobster, scallops, spicy Asian cuisine and soft cheese.

*The food recommendations above are those of Helfrich.

THE GRAPES: Pinot Blanc, sometimes called the poor man’s Chardonnay, is a light, crisp, fresh, lively, delicate, versatile, all-purpose wine. Pinot Gris is similar to Chardonnay in weight and texture. It’s dry, rich, round, opulent, powerful, complex, sometimes smoky, with lots of fruit flavors. While it has the acidity of a white wine, it is full bodied and can often take the place of a red. Gewurztraminer is extremely expressive and exotic, highly aromatic, with scents of lychees, rose petals and honeysuckle. It’s full bodied and sometimes slightly sweet.

ALSATIAN WINES AND FOOD:  Alsace’s food friendly, aromatic white wines pair well with many dishes. Their fruity flavors and (generally) high acidity cool the palate and complement flavorful, spicy and sweet dishes. Their lack of oak is also a plus. As Mary Ewing-Mulligan and Ed McCarthy wrote in Wine Styles, “[Aromatic] white wines excel particularly with cuisines that are challenging for other wines,” especially those with some sweetness or hot spiciness. “Alsace wines in general are great choices when the meal has you wondering what wines could possibly work.” Pinot Gris is an excellent choice with very flavorful dishes. Gewurztraminer is often recommended with spicy cuisines.

Sparkling and White Wines for Summer Sipping and Dining

by Sharon Kapnick

When I think of summer’s culinary joys, I think of steamed lobsters and fried clam rolls at the shore, clambakes at the beach, and sautéed softshell crabs wherever I can find them. I think too of mouth-watering barbecued and grilled foods–ribs, steak, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, salmon, pizza, portobello mushrooms and a bevy of other vegetables. Why, I can even smell their seductive barbecue aromas right now. Then my mind wanders to old-fashioned picnics: roast and fried chicken, cold-cut sandwiches, coleslaw, potato chips, potato salad, pasta salads, well, actually, all kinds of salads.

Summer offers up a wide array of food, which calls for a wide array of wines. Fortunately, there are plenty of wines that shout, “It’s summer  Drink me! ” Here’s an appealing assortment that includes many bargains perfect for parties, some white wines that complement barbecued ribs surprisingly well,  some wines to sip between meals and even, as a lagniappe, a liqueur. ( Also see the second part of this story, including rosés and red wines.)

Sparkling Wines

Although they’re generally very reasonably priced, Spain’s Cavas are made using the same expensive and time-consuming method Champagne makers use. The usual grapes, however–Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo, native to Catalonia–are another story. While the taste is different, they’re still festive and celebratory.

When I want to serve Cava, I often turn to Jaume Serra Cristalino, which is made in four styles and four sizes. Cristalino is always singled out for terrific value by the print wine publications. It’s no wonder it’s the fastest-growing Cava brand in the U.S.

Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava (SRP $10*): Toasty nose. Citrus, green apple and mineral flavors. Clean, crisp and lively. Complements just about any meal, especially hors d’oeuvres, seafood, sushi, caviar, quiche, fried food, tapas, dim sum and other Asian dishes. And it’s good all by itself.

Jaume Serra Cristalino Extra Dry Cava (SRP $10): Aromas and flavors of toast, pear, apple, citrus, peach and green apple. Refreshing, smooth, easy to drink, very slightly sweet and surprisingly elegant at this low price. Try it with barbecued ribs, fried foods, sushi and other Asian dishes, especially spicy ones.

Both white and pink sparkling Moscatos perfectly embody the breezy, carefree personality of summer. Over the past few years, a Moscato boom has been raging across the U.S.  If you’re curious to see what all the fuss is about, here are a couple of vivacious, lighthearted bargains to try on their own or with dessert.

Opera Prima Sparkling Moscato (SRP $8): Aromas and flavors of lychee, pear, tropical fruits and rose petal. Crisp and refreshing. From Spain’s La Mancha. With some 500,000 acres of vineyards, it’s the largest wine-making region in the world.

Opera Prima Pink Moscato Vino de la Tierra de Castilla (SRP $8; 97% Muscat, 3% Tempranillo): Aromas and flavors of fresh berries, cantaloupe and tropical fruits. Delicate bubbles. Crisp, effervescent personality. Quite sweet.

White Wines

Sauvignon Blanc complements fish and shellfish, grilled and tough-to-pair-with-wine vegetables like asparagus and artichokes, main-course and side salads and simply roasted or grilled meats; it’s a classic with goat cheese. And it’s flexible enough so that Danny Meyer, owner of several beloved, top-rated restaurants in New York City, including the barbecue joint Blue Smoke, recommends it with barbecue. “Go with any white wine that is high in citric acid, like Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre,” he said, “particularly if you’re a lemonade-with-barbecue fan.”

Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2011 (SRP $12): Vibrant aromas and flavors of citrus and tropical fruit. Has the zesty, zingy, lively acidity New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are loved for.

Le Jaja de Jau Sauvignon Blanc Cotes de Gascogne 2010 (SRP $10): This wine benefits from an explanation of its front label, which is found on its back label: Jaja is old French slang for a glass of wine, an everyday wine. Jau is a wine estate in southern France. Ben is the artist who penned the label. Now, on to the wine: Aromas and flavors of grapefruit, lemon and lime. Ideal as an aperitif and for fish and other seafood. Crisp, with good acidity. Lovely wine, distinctive label, great price.

(also see my November post “White Wine Lovers Flock in Droves to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc” for more recommendations)

Albariño is considered by many to be the most prestigious Spanish white wine. It’s certainly my favorite Spanish white. It hales from Rías Baixas on the Atlantic coast, where the natives drink it morning, noon and night. It’s perfect with the seafood caught in the region and just as perfect with the seafood served here. And it’s another one of those whites that shines with barbecued ribs. Vince Friend, president of importer CIV USA, attended a Food & Wine Magazine Classic tasting in Aspen, Colorado, some years ago and reported that when six wines were paired with barbecued ribs, everyone expected the Merlot and the Sangiovese to stand out. Surprisingly, the favorites were the Champagne and the Albariño.

Condes de Albarei Albariño Rias Baixas 2011 (SRP $12): Aromas and flavors of tropical fruit, citrus and melons. Vibrant, juicy. From a cooperative of 362 grower/owners. Consistently well rated year after year. An excellent value.

Mar de Frades Albariño Val do Salnes Rías Baixas 2010 (SRP $25): Aromas and flavors of pear, melon and citrus. Crisp and fresh. When the wine is chilled to the right serving temperature (50-52 degrees F), a blue ship appears on the back label. It disappears when the wine becomes too warm for optimum pleasure.

The island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea is renowned for its white Assyrtiko wines. And Domaine Sigalas crafts some of the best in some of the driest, hottest, sunniest (i.e., desert-like) and windiest vineyards in the world. (Great wines come from vines that suffer.) In the summer, evening fog provides the only water of the season to the grapes. Influential wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Sigalas one of Greece’s best white wine producers and “a master with this grape.”

Domaine Sigalas  Santorini Assyrtiko 2011 (SRP $25): Aromas and flavors of citrus fruits and minerals. An elegant, crisp, fruity, well-balanced wine that currently tastes much better on the second day (as quite a few wines do) and should be even better in 2013. High acidity. The average vine age is more than 50 years old. Try it with spreads and dips (hummus, tzatziki, guacamole, baba ghannoush, fava bean puree), olives, vegetables (greens and tomatoes), seafood (octopus, oysters, sushi) and fatty fish.

While Pinot Grigio is wildly popular, I prefer something with a little more oomph. Pinot Gris from California and Alsace are the somewhat heftier versions from the same grape. It’s more like Chardonnay in weight and texture. While Pinot Gris has the acidity of a white wine, it’s fuller bodied than most and can often take the place of a red.

Chateau Ste Michelle Pinot Gris Columbia Valley 2010 (SRP $13): Aromas and flavors of pear, melon, citrus and spice. A small amount of Viognier (3%) adds texture and floral character. Good acidity. Serve with scallops and other shellfish, halibut and other seafood, cheese and fruit. From one of the most reliable producers in the U.S.

Lagniappe: Limoncello

If the trees give you lemons, well, you can make lemonade. Better yet, you can make Limoncello. That’s exactly what Italy, the world’s largest producer of lemons, has done. While Limoncello is a specialty of Southern Italy, it’s quite popular throughout the country–and with U.S. tourists.

Villa Massa Limoncello Liqueur (SRP $15): Villa Massa’s Limoncello has been made in Sorrento since 1890 following an old family recipe that uses only four all natural ingredients: fresh Sorrento Oval Lemon peels (rich in essential oils), sugar, water, and pure alcohol. Traditionally an after-dinner digestivo, it also serves well as an aperitif (ice cold from the freezer), in cocktails, in Champagne, or over ice cream, fruit salad and other desserts.

*Wines can usually be found for less–sometimes considerably less–than the SRP (suggested retail price). Check out wine-searcher.com to get an idea of actual prices.

I requested samples of some of these wines and was sent samples of some others.