Pinot Gris

It's pricey, but this is also one of the best, most Alsace-like California pinot gris wines I've tasted. It's ripe, lush and complex -- giving an impression of sweetness while being actually quite dry. The flavors are an appealing mix of lemon, mint, melon, pear and tropical spices. The texture, intensity and finish make it worth the money. Serve with: salmon, turkey

This dry white wine displays full flavors and a creamy texture in a way that finds a middle ground between the style of Alsace and Italian wines from the same varietal. It offers generous flavors of pear, apples, honey and Asian spices. It has much of the appeal of a good chardonnay but without the overwhelming influence of oak. It's all about the fruit. Wine Find: 2009 Carmel Road Pinot Gris From: Monterey, Calif. Price: $18 Serve with: Salmon, swordfish

2001 J Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley ($18). You'll have to look on the back label for any information other than the bold letter J, but this is a wine whose quality matches its distinctive packaging. This dry white wine offers concentrated and complex flavors of pear, peach, mineral, spice, sweet pea, honey and tangerines. It finishes with vibrant acidity that refreshes the palate. This is one of the best wines made from the pinot gris grape, also known as pinot grigio, in the United States.

Standing up to the wide variety of flavors on the traditional Thanksgiving table is a tall order for a white wine, but few do it as well as a well-made Alsace Gewurztraminer. This wine, from the venerable and well-distributed Hugel firm, is powerful and concentrated, dry despite the sweet impression given by the voluptuous, spicy fruit. It's a long-finishing, gripping wine with flavors of peaches, pears, mulling spices and a hint of orange. If you're serving turkey and you can't find this at the last minute, ask a knowledgeable wine merchant to recommend an Alsace Gewurztraminer or pinot gris.

Out of a sextet of white wines from this reliable Washington state producer, this was the best value. It's a full-bodied, dry wine with an appealing, creamy texture. It offers a complex-for-its-price blend of lemon, apple, spice and mineral flavors. All in all, it's a worthy New World echo of Alsace pinot gris. Serve with salmon.

This is a truly exceptional New Zealand pinot gris that ranks right up there with some of the best from France's Alsace region. It's a voluptuous dry white wine with a creamy texture and long finish. It offers a complex interplay of flavors of pears, peach, tropical fruit, spices and honey. This is truly a special-occasion white wine. Serve with baked salmon with a creamy sauce.

2004 Gallo of Sonoma Pinot Gris, Sonoma County ($13). Gallo continues its "up-from-Thunderbird" quality drive with this truly impressive pinot gris, a tremendous value at this price. Pinot gris, known in Italy as pinot grigio, is a white varietal that yields wine with body comparable to a chardonnay but with less need of oak flavoring. This full-bodied version offers generous flavors of lemon, apple, nuts, herbs, minerals and sweet peas. It's a complex, gripping wine with admirable length and smooth texture.

2006 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris From: Sonoma County, Calif. Price: $16 Serve with: Salmon, pork One of the finest products from the Gallo family of wine labels, this full-bodied pinot gris bears a more-than-casual resemblance to the fine wines made from that variety in Alsace, France. It's a rich, intensely flavorful wine with a creamy texture and hints of apricot, peach, pear, honey and mulling spices. Drink over the next year.

2000 Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris Reserve ($14). This exquisitely balanced, racy, dry and full-bodied white wine from Alsace presents a wonderful alternative to oaky chardonnays. It displays lively flavors of pears, peaches, melon, honey, nuts, spices and coconut. Try it with salmon, turkey or Asian cuisine. This is the same grape as Italy's pinot grigio but with more muscle and flavor. One caveat: Don't confuse the pinot gris with Sparr's 2000 Pinot Blanc - a mild disappointment in this vintage.

2007 Etude Pinot Gris From: Carneros, Calif. Price: $24 Serve with: Swordfish, lobster Here's a full-bodied, dry white wine much in the style of a fine pinot gris from France's Alsace region. Its creamy texture underlays rich flavors of lemon, peach, pear, honey, almond and mulling spices. It delivers the complexity of a fine chardonnay without the oak getting in the way.

From: Dundee Hills, Ore. Price: $18 Serve with: Roast turkey and all the trimmings This zaftig white wine is entirely too much to serve with seafood, but it could be just the right choice for a family Thanksgiving gathering. It's full-bodied and intense enough to stand up to the multiple palate assaults of a turkey dinner. The texture is rich and creamy, and it offers a complex array of flavors including peach, apricot, citrus, nuts, herbs and warm winter spices. Not for every occasion, but great for this one.

This is a truly exceptional New Zealand pinot gris that ranks right up there with some of the best from France's Alsace region. It's a voluptuous dry white wine with a creamy texture and long finish. It offers a complex interplay of flavors of pears, peach, tropical fruit, spices and honey. This is truly a special-occasion white wine. Serve with baked salmon with a creamy sauce.

The Vine could easily be the city's least assuming wine bar. With grapevines and a farmland mural painted on the walls outside, the Vine definitely stands out from other Fort Avenue watering holes. But you don't feel like you're in a wine bar when you step inside. The walls are maroon, the ceiling is black, and two flat-screen TVs hang behind the long bar. It's not that different from most other corner bars in Federal Hill. But rather than focus on fancy decor, the Vine offers a solid wine list and one of the best weekday specials in the city.

It's pricey, but this is also one of the best, most Alsace-like California pinot gris wines I've tasted. It's ripe, lush and complex -- giving an impression of sweetness while being actually quite dry. The flavors are an appealing mix of lemon, mint, melon, pear and tropical spices. The texture, intensity and finish make it worth the money. Serve with: salmon, turkey