RECENT WINE PICKS:

2006 Roland Schmitt, Pinot Blanc, France
In the next stop on my campaign to promote Pinot Blanc, we visit France’s Alsace where Roland Schmitt makes this nervy little number. Aromas of toasted orange peel, sugary citrus, and mineral spill from the glass. On the palate the flavors are very direct, showing textbook Alsatian intensity of ripe fruit and acidity. Let your local seafood know you care by serving it with Roland Schmitt Pinot Blanc.

2006 Abiqua Wind Pinot Gris, Oregon
From self-proclaimed ‘mom and pop’ operation, Abiqua Wind near Silverton, comes this lovely Pinot Gris. Vines planted are nearly 30 years old, entirely dry-farmed (no irrigation = personality isn’t flushed from the soil, resulting in more interesting wines), and it shows. Ultra crisp style here showing bright green apple, mouthwatering acidity, and a touch of dusty mineral. A beacon of dignity in a sea of wall-eyed Pinot Gris.

Jean-Paul Brun, Terres Dorées, FRV 100 NV: I seem to be on a run of simply pleasurable wines; wines that are so focused in their determination to provide fun that I find them hard to avoid.

The latest is a demi-sec (read: only slightly sweet) sparkling red (pink, actually) from France. Jean-Paul Brun's FRV - which is a play on words in French, read "effervescent" - is produced entirely from Gamay, which is the grape most famous for producing Beaujolais. Now, forget what you know about Beaujolais Nouveau, because Mr. Brun makes the real stuff, Cru Beaujolais, and the juice in FRV 100 is an electrified version of those wines.

Showing a vibrant pink in the glass and throwing the most seductive, bright watermelon aromas. In the mouth it just explodes with juicy, wild strawberry and the same punchy watermelon flavors that are still making their way up your nose and into the part of your brain where you store your desert island fantasies. Sign me up for FRV if I ever find myself stranded on one.

2005 Abbazzia di Novacella, Kerner, Alto Adige, Italy: I put Kerner on my list of wines that it would take a villain or dictator not to like. The white Kerner grape is purportedly a cross between Riesling and the more obscure Trollinger grape. Whatever the truth is about it's origin, it only takes a whiff of this stuff to give you second thoughts about your ambitions to do less important things like go to work or answer your phone.

In the glass, the Kerner is a brilliant straw-gold, giving off some of the most incredible aromatics that you'll find in any white: honeysuckle, wet stone, rose petal, the list goes on and on. Somehow, when the stuff hits your mouth, the aromatics don't overpower the flavor components. I picked up a whole spectrum of stone fruit and mineral that was absolutely mouthwatering. Of course, the slice of acids didn't hurt, and actually made it about as good a food wine as any white I've had in a while. Delicious!

2005 Hugel Gentil: There is something absolutely mouthwatering about the traditional white Alsatian blend of Gewurtzraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Muscat. Hugel puts a spin on it by adding a small amount of Sylvaner, which gives it an extra measure of refreshing character. Tons of tropical fruit, great acidity, and the subtle spice and body provided by the Gewurtztraminer make a wine that is, in my opinion, impossible not to love. And for $11.99, you'd have to be crazy not to see this as an investment in your quality of life.

2004 Cuvée Prestige, Skouras, Greece : This is flat out one of the most delicious white wines that I've had this spring. Of course, there is the initial surprise when you see the label and realize that it was produced in Greece. Look a little closer at their story and you'll see that George Skouras was educated in Dijon, France. He brought this French-style winemaking back to Greece, and boy, it shows. Round in the mouth and full of lovely bright tropical flavors...finishing surprisingly crisp and dry for a warmer climate white. And a deal at $9!

2004 Illmitz, Pinot Gris, Alois Kracher, Austria: This delicious Austrian white is a dead ringer for a dry-style German Riesling, perhaps from the Pfalz, where they make them more on the soft side. The Illmitz opens with a breeze of lemon blossom and on the palate just explodes with juicy tropical grapefruit and lime. A perfect balance of fruit and acidity makes this a wonderful food wine. $13

2001 EIEIO Willamette Valley Pinot Noir:
Jay MacDonald's 2001 WV blend is perfect evidence of how great the nuanced 2001s are showing right now. With a medium ruby hue in the glass, it opens slowly on the nose with sweet cherry and strawberry aromas. The palate is full of Burgundian cherry fruit and spice, finishing with anise, tea leaf, and a beguiling minerality. $26

2001 Villa di Capezzana, Carmignano, Italy: The Italians point to Etruscan wine pitchers unearthed in this region as proof that wine has been produced in Carmignano for 3,000 years. Ugo, the current owner inherited the winery when he returned from the war in 1945. Nestled along the northern border of Carmignano near Mount Montebalno, they are making some seriously delicious wine. This one is 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet. Color is dark and intense purple. Aromas of dark fruit and a slight herbal note are followed by layer upon layer of dried plum, blackberry, and pepper on the palate. Nicely balanced acidity and silky tannins round out what I think is the best Carmignano in this price range. $19.99

2002 Wood Road Zinfandel, Robert Rue Vineyards, Russian River Valley, California: We in Oregon are in the throes of harvest, and as you might expect, this involves abundant tasting of new and old pinot noir. So, when the opportunity arose to switch gears and coat my palate with some highly regarded California Zin, I jumped at the chance. Robert Rue Vineyards' 2002 Wood Road is a classic example of a Zinfandel that shows restraint as much as it shows power. The fruit on the nose is heady: dark, ripe raspberry and blackberry along with subtle notes of spice. The palate runs the same course with dark fruit, well-integrated oak, and a particularly alluring herbal note. This was a treat to taste upon opening and only improved after a day in the bottle. Flat-out delicious. $30.00 http://www.robertruevineyard.com