In “The Tale of the Sewerless Lobster Killer,” I recommend some of the usual suspects for lobster pairings. This Albarino could also work. It has enough body to stand up to the lobster but more importantly, it has a citrus, sea air-laced, floral aroma that will work well with the lobster.

This winery, established in 2000, is in its infancy, but already racking up the points. This particular vintage received 90pt from Parker, as well as 90 pts from the “International Wine Cellar."

Continuing the theme of light and bright for summer here is a selection to enjoy when the sun is out. While not as light of some other summer whites, this one has the brightness that delivers a bigger body without weighing the palate down. Serve with some crudité and Manchego cheese, you will have a home run. Made from 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia in stainless steel, this wine will not disappoint.

Organic since 1986, this Sauvignon Blanc is steal, even though it is not vinified in steel. Typically I prefer stainless steel fermented Sauvignon Blanc, but this barrel fermented beauty is quite pleasant. The oak comes off integrated and gives some nice body to the bright aromatics. No wonder that was the Gold Medal winner from the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

WOW! I wish every Sauvignon Blanc tasted like this. It's a party in my mouth with flavors zooming around in my mouth—minerals, wild grassy flavors—yet all still focused and streamlined. It's a well choreographed 4th of July pyrotechnic feat of flavors. No fear, just glory—you are in capable hands because it knows when to dial down the flavor.

Repeat after me: “Light and bright is what I need for the summer." Seriously! Here's the perfect wine for warm weather. Pick up some Vietnamese spring rolls and you have a home run for a quick appetizer & wine pairing. Also pairs nicely with salads since the higher acid level works well with dressings. And the best part—this wine comes in 1 liter!

Pale yellow with a green glint; hard-to-define aroma of grass, herbs, tangerine, and wet stones; medium-weight in the mouth with good lively acidity and a long, very clean finish. Good all-purpose aperitif or wine for antipasti; maybe some salame, some olives...

A young wine producer in Piemonte, who, through lowering his yields in the vineyard, is able to create a rich wine with some depth of flavor.

Indigenous to the Roero (an underestimated growing area near the Langhe), this grape almost died out in the middle part of the twentieth century, but was revived, and is now thriving. It gives wines that tend to be pale in color, and intriguingly herbal in aroma and flavor.

Back by popular demand: The new vintage of the Arbe Garbe. I love what I do—finding undiscovered wines that are pure and authentic: apples, minerality and bliss. Think Reese Witherspoon (Stanford grad and all: fun, smart, blond and just cute as a button). As the Italian owners write: “Arbe Garbe (pron. Arbay Garbay), literally ‘bad weeds’ is what we call the cover crops on the Fruilian Colli Orientali.” This wine is a blend of Viognier, Pinot Bianco and Malvasia Bianca. A good food wine, but would also pair with white proteins and fuller sauces.

The perfect transition wine for spring into summer. It also is perfect with Mexican food. It has the body to stand up to the food with the acid to be malleable. The Sauvignon Blanc provides the expressive aromas and that welcoming invitation for most foods. The Semillon gives the body and and more substance. The wine was aged in stainless steel on the lees and then fined and filtered. Couronneau is an organic and certified by Ecocert producer.

Light and bright and aromatic... a must have for any summer get together.
Kacher writes: "Inacayal’s vineyards are located in Tupuntago near Mendoza, Argentina and benefit from a temperature amplitude and an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level, which both play an important role in the ripeness of the grapes, allowing natural acidity and fruit retention as they reach full maturity. Yield is kept very low and hand harvested at the beginning of March. Torrontés is the main varietal used in Argentine white wine. This particular wine stays in tank for 2 months. Of a bright pale yellow color with greenish hues, it displays an aromatic, herbal nose with a touch of lemon, peach and flowers. The palate reveals ripe melon and delicate floral notes along with a vibrant acidity. This wine is exotic, full of freshness, and shows a lovely crispy finish. Our Torrontés is ideal when served with spicy Thai food, Chinese and seafood dishes; or simply as an apéritif."

Yes, I am a HUGE fan of Odisea. A creative winemaker who knows how to use his tools and has respect for the grapes, the vines and the land. This wine was barrel fermented sur lie but no ML was allowed to happen. The wine was bottled unfiltered. The winemaker describes it the best: "It begins with aromas of ripe pear, acacia flowers, pineapple and honeydew melon, which yield to apricot, honeysuckle, toasted almonds and savory spice. The palate exhibits medium to full body and a luscious, creamy texture yet remains lively and refreshing. Exotic flavors of lychee, coconut, candied ginger and citrus are released as the wine opens in the glass with touches of pepper and chalk. The finish delivers a silken seamlessness that is expansive yet totally in balance." 120 cases produced, 76% Grenache Blanc, 12% Marsanne, 12% Roussanne

Crisp, clean, bright with some light tropical fruit. Springtime in a glass. Easy drinking aromatics that won't hit you in face, so bring on the asparagus! Serve with a carmelized onion tart and a salad of arugula and lightly blanched shaved asparagus and you have got a homerun.

2007 Paras Vineyards, Viognier, Mount Veeder,California
This is an interesting wine for a couple of reasons. While it has some traditional characteristics of Viognier there are some that deviate, and this is where it gets interesting. It is aromatic like a Viognier should be, but it has some residual sugar making it off-dry. It is a well-made wine with the acid to balance it out. There is a talented winemaker at work here. Seamless from start to finish. Parker is also a fan of this winery.

Pronounced : oaks sur ra
Here’s the perfect pairing to Chef Jay Murray’s Butternut Squash Soup. It has the acid to cut through the body, yet has the body and minerality to support the crab.

Located in the village of Wettolsheim, this small domaine is owned and run by Philippe and Corinne Ehrhart. In the family since 1725, this 21-hectare vineyard produces certified organic wines, a tradition started by Eugène Ehrhart two generations ago. This commitment to promoting and maintaining a diverse eco-system in the vineyards has been continued by François Ehrhart, and now Philippe. The Pinot-Auxerrois grape is considered the finest clone of Pinot Blanc because it is naturally low yielding and smaller size berries which increase the skin to juice ratio. Their vineyard, located at the mouth of the Valley of St. Gregory, is at the top of the slope and bordered by woods. The cool air descending out of the valley combined with the steep, east-facing exposition provides the perfect growing environment for Auxerrois. Philippe presses the fruit immediately after picking to extract the maximum aromatics and retain the bright fruit qualities. Fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. This wine offers up intense scents of apple and peach blossoms, and then in the mouth is round and slightly off-dry, with juicy fresh red apple fruit. Bright and delicious with a long lingering finish, this is a terrific Alsace wine value. —Robert Kacher

Small wineries make great wines but sometimes they are overlooked because the packaging. This is a good case in point. The label is absolutely hideous but the wine is a great value at $14 a bottle. The wine is lush and rich, but also has nice minerality to it. Great terroir speaks volumes here.

Want to offer something different for your Thanksgiving feast? While this wine is perfect with fish and shellfish, it also actually pairs extremely well with turkey. You can impress your friends and family with a varietal they never heard of!

Kacher writes: “Paulo Saturnino Cunha is the owner of the Quinta do Alqueve, a terrific property in the Ribatejo region of Portugal, approximately 40 miles north of Lisbon. He has worked hard to transform his family’s farm of many generations--planting nearly 140 acres of tightly spaced vineyards 20 years ago in the sandy, dry calcaire soil. Paulo decided to use grape varieties that originate from the region of Porto, including Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, which is better known as Tempranillo in Spain. These wines are made very carefully-- starting in the vineyards. Yields are severely controlled, crop-thinning is done twice each season, and all the fruit is picked by hand and hand-sorted before vinification. Fernão Pires is an ancient Mediterranean grape varietal produced in the Ribatejo. The flavors remind one of the stone fruit of Marsanne. This bottling has 10% barrel fermented Arinto blended in.”

Stainless steel fermentation keeps this wine’s fruit bright and clean. Pear and citrus notes with some minerality on a refined crisp finish. Great structure and great acidity made me fall in love this wine. It is perfect to enjoy with or without food. If reaching for a pairing, go for fish and shellfish.

The best way to describe this wine is to compare it to Lindsay Vonn (US Olympic Skier). It’s fast, smart, curvy and is definitely American. This is to say that the acid level in the wine drives the pace, but allows the wine to reveal its curves. You sense the oak, it’s there but not in your face. A smart choice for Chard lovers—only 175 cases produced.

Some Pinot Grigios are flat and uninspired (of course, nothing WU would ever offer), but this one is quite the opposite. This wine is lean but also has some meat to it. It’s as if someone didn’t tell how she was supposed to act. It is very pretty and sincere its delivery. Inacayal’s vineyards are located in Tupuntago near Mendoza, Argentina and benefit from a temperature amplitude and an altitude of 3,117 feet above sea level. Both play an important role in the ripeness of the grapes, allowing natural acidity and fruit retention as they reach full maturity. Yield is kept very low and hand harvested at the end of February. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature in order to resemble the traditional Italian Pinot Grigio. Bottling takes place at the end of June after spontaneous clarification and stabilization. Inacayal’s Pinot Grigio displays a brilliant whitish color with delicate green tones. The perfect balance between sugar and acidity make this wine outstanding in its type. It is fresh and floral, with citric notes mixed with white fruits and delicate traces of licorice.