Sonoma County

2000 Geyser Peak Chardonnay, Sonoma County ($12). Just when I was about to swear off California chardonnay, along comes this superb value from the highly reliable Geyser Peak winery. The Geyser Peak winemaking team seems to grasp the notion that fruit, rather than oak, is the point of a wine. Lush flavors of apple, lemon, tropical fruit, nuts and melon predominate - without going over the top. The oak influence is subtle, and the wine finishes with crisp, refreshing acidity. In terms of complexity, it blows away many a $20 California chardonnay.

2009 Ferrari-Carano Tresor From: Sonoma County, Calif. Price: $50 Serve with: Prime rib, rack of lamb Yes, it's expensive, but if you are looking for a special-occasion red wine that you can drink with pleasure now, this is a fine choice. It's a Bordeaux-style blend of exceptional elegance and style. It's complex and rounded, with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, vanilla and chocolate. It's structured to age well but there's really no need to wait. -- Michael Dresser

This unfiltered, barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc packs a lot of complexity and flavor into one very reasonably priced dry white wine. You can find nuances of pear, peach, honey, nuts, sweet oak and herbs in a wine soft-textured wine with a long, satisfying finish. It's as weighty as most chardonnays, but will complement a wider range of foods.

This is not a wine for people with delicate Euro-palates. It's a full-throated, concentrated, ripe (15.5 percent alcohol) red zinfandel with a distinctive old-vines character. It offers deep blackberry fruit, hints of chocolate, coffee and herbs and more than a suggestion of vintage port minus the sweetness. Despite the high alcohol, there's no "burn" in the finish, and it goes down as smoothly as its starts. 2007 St. Francis "Old Zines" Zinfandel From: Sonoma County, Calif.

Souverain continues to offer consistently fine value with this rare example of a moderately priced California chardonnay with character. It beautifully integrates flavors of apple, spices and vanilla with toasty oak that doesn't get out of hand.

Longtime readers of this feature have probably noticed a pattern here: another year, another Marietta rave. No, the winemaker is not my cousin, it's just that Marietta Old Vine is one of California's greatest wine values. Supplies of this wine can get spotty, but astute wine merchants buy every case they can of this full-bodied, meaty red wine with concentrated blackberry fruit and delicious herbal overtones. Ignore the lack of a varietal name or vintage -- this wine should be stockpiled by the case, especially if you can find a retailer who will come close to the $6.46 a bottle price advertised in D.C.

Twelve years ago, Jess Jackson carried a bottle of chardonnay up and down the streets of New York City, popping into fashionable bars and restaurants to pour free samples."

Life Alert, the company that puts the "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!" commercials on late-night television, has been sued for deceptive advertising by eight California districtattorneys.The $2 million lawsuit filed Wednesday in Sonoma County Superior Court claims that the maker of emergency medical alert systems uses high-pressure sales tactics and misleading ads to bully old people into buying its products."One 80-year-old woman was subjected to a six-hour sales presentation," said Jeffrey Holtzman, a deputy district attorney in Sonoma County.

1997 Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County ($18). It isn't inexpensive, but this cabernet sauvignon stacks up well against others in its price range and should be broadly available. It displays an appealing cigar box aroma, along with intense black currant, black cherry, smoked meat and mint flavors. In structure and weight, it bears a resemblance to a good Bordeaux. If you're looking for a white wine to precede this moderately complex red, Benziger's 1998 sauvignon blanc from Sonoma County is a fine value at $12.

1999 Murphy-Goode "Liar's Dice" Zinfandel, Sonoma County ($19). This full-bodied, rich, creamy-textured zinfandel is a fine example of why Sonoma County is to zinfandel what the Napa Valley is to cabernet sauvignon. It displays lush flavors of blackberry, herbs and smoked meat and a long, satisfying finish. You can serve this wine with hearty pasta dishes, risotto, red meat or pizza. Murphy-Goode continues to be one of California's finest performers in its price class. While its wines aren't cheap, they offer consistent value.

Here's an intense, no-holds-barred sauvignon blanc that isn't for folks who are ambivalent about this bold white varietal. It's very dry, intensely herbal and fresh. There's a complex mix of flavors of figs, grass, lime, minerals and smoke. Wisely bottled under a screw cap. Best drunk over the next year. From: Sonoma County, Calif. Price: $19 Serve with: Shellfish, Creole dishes

From: Sonoma County, Calif. Price: $18 Serve with: Barbecued ribs, spicy pasta Not for the faint of palate, this well-made Gallo product is a big red wine with a heady alcohol level but even more fruit. It boasts lush, ripe flavors of blackberry, wild berries and chocolate — kind of like a vintage port without the sweetness. It's a real mouthful that stacks up well against more exalted names. — Michael Dresser 2008 Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel From: Sonoma County, Calif.

2004 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County ($24) This winery is not the industry leader it was back in the 1980s, but this cabernet sauvignon is a strong showing for the brand - now part of Australia's Foster's Group empire. It's a lush, full-bodied red wine with impressive length and complexity. The flavors are typical California cabernet: black cherry, black currant and hints of vanilla. It's drinkable now but will repay five to 10 years of cellaring. Serve with beef, lamb.

There's a racy, wild-berry nuance to this wine that lifts it out of the ranks of the ordinary. An imaginative blend of merlot, sangiovese, zinfandel and grenache, it delivers vibrant flavors of black cherry and spices. It's a medium- to full-bodied wine that is well-suited for immediate consumption. SERVE WITH // grilled steak or lamb, pasta or pizza

If you're a fan of no-holds-barred zinfandel, this is a sterling example of the breed - with true "old vines" character and intense blackberry, spice and black-pepper flavors. Made from vines older than 80 years old, it's not for the faint of palate. For all its power, its texture is smooth and there's no sign of alcoholic heat in the finish. Serve with - - pizza, pasta, red meat

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.

From: Sonoma County, Calif. Price: $18 Serve with: Barbecued ribs, spicy pasta Not for the faint of palate, this well-made Gallo product is a big red wine with a heady alcohol level but even more fruit. It boasts lush, ripe flavors of blackberry, wild berries and chocolate — kind of like a vintage port without the sweetness. It's a real mouthful that stacks up well against more exalted names. — Michael Dresser 2008 Rancho Zabaco Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel From: Sonoma County, Calif.