White Wine

A delightful counterpart to Cline's "Red Truck," this skillful blend of sauvignon blanc, viognier, pinot grigio and chardonnay combines freshness and an impressive complexity. Just a little off dry, it exhibits flavors of pears, citrus fruits, gooseberries and minerals. Its lively acidity gives it a finish that just keeps on truckin'. Serve with Indian, Thai, Cajun dishes; seafood.

Even after some 30 years of reviewing wines, there's something new to learn. Falanghina, a white wine varietal I had not encountered before, comes from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius and dates to ancient times. This version is exceptionally complex and elegant, dry almost to the point of being severe. There are hints of nuts, apple, pear and orange zest — along with a delicate hint of pine resin. Among Italian whites, it's a standout. From: Taburno, Campania, Italy Price: $20 Serve with: Salmon, swordfish

Logic says it should be easier to find truly distinguished white wines for under $10 than it is to find reds of comparable quality.After all, white wines generally do not require as much time -- for which you can read money -- in oak barrels as comparable reds. Whites are generally less vulnerable to vintage variations. And with some exceptions, white grape varieties retain more quality despite high yields than reds.But logic doesn't seem to know a whole lot about wine. A recent sampling of what's on the market showed that shopping for white-wine bargains is a riskier business than seeking reds.

Argentine torrontes is one of the great white wine values in the world today, and this is a splendid example at an attractive price. It's the tiniest bit off fully dry, and it offers clean, fresh flavors of citrus peel, lime, pear and minerals. There's just enough sugar to give it a rounded feel, not enough to make it sweet. And the bottle comes with a lesson in Argentine history. Viva la Revolucion! From: Mendoza, Argentine Price: $12 Serve with: Light-fleshed fish, shellfish

Bordeaux offers the wine consumer a vast range of styles of dry white wine -- from light, fruity brand names for poolside quaffing to majestic, intensely flavored rarities that deserved to be carefully matched with the finest cuisine.Prices and aging potential are just as variable. A simplshipper's blend can cost under $5 but lose its freshness after two years. A hard-to-find bottle of Chateau Laville-Haut-Brion or Domaine de Chevalier can set you back $50 to $100 but develop in a good cellar for two or even three decades.

Pinot gris and pinot blanc are two white-wine varieties grown in the Alsace region of France and, increasingly, in Oregon. They are names that are well worth keeping in mind during the Thanksgiving season.While most white wines fade into insignificance in the face of the traditional Thanksgiving feast, the better examples of these varieties hold their own.That can be useful to know, because not everybody can drink the red wines that go so well with roast turkey with all the trimmings.While some of us enjoy red wine with impunity, many people pay a steep price in headaches for a single glass.

From: Elqui Valley, Chile Price: $13 Serve with: Seafood, salads Find it at: i.m. Wine, 8180 Maple Lawn Blvd, Fulton, and other local wine shops Pedro Ximenez is a white wine grape varietal best known for its role in producing dessert wines in Spain's sherry region and in Australia. But this version from Chile shows it can also produce a compelling dry white table wine. The 2010 Falernia Pedro Ximenez Reserva shows a bright range of flavors: mint and other herbs, lime, grapefruit, pear and minerals.

Karen Russell from Bryan, Texas, was looking for a recipe for cream of crab soup similar to the one she had at a restaurant in Chestertown when visiting the area a few years ago. Cream of crab is a popular menu item at restaurants all around the Chesapeake Bay region and is as ubiquitous here as clam chowder is along the coast of New England. Recipes for the soup are plentiful, but the best versions are the simple, straightforward ones that allow the sweet and succulent meat from local blue crabs to shine.

Combine wine, fresh fruit, a little brandy and maybe a few other ingredients, and you have the recipe for one of Spain's great gifts to the world - sangria. Sangria is a happy drink, perfect for celebrations. Although sangria was originally made with red wine, traditionally Rioja, some regions of Spain developed versions with white wine as well. When made with white wine, the drink is called sangria blanco. Either way, it goes well with food, says Emilio Sanz, chef at Baltimore's Tio Pepe Restaurant, where sangria is a favorite drink.

2006 Leasingham Magnus Riesling From: Clare Valley, Australia Price: $12 Serve with: Grilled seafood Australian rieslings offer some of the best values in white wine, and this is a stellar example. It's a bone-dry, firmly structured white wine with nuances of apple, orange, lime, herbs and minerals. It's a gripping, clean wine that lingers on the palate and brings out the best in the food it is served with.

From: Tuscany, Italy Price: $14 Serve with: Clams, oysters This complex but moderately priced Italian white wine shows the distinctly nutty character of vernaccia, with a strong underlying flavor of minerals. Fruit flavors don't predominate in this severely dry but satisfying wine, but they are present: citrus, pear and a hint of coconut. This is another fine selection from Angelini Wines — an importer to watch.

From: Elqui Valley, Chile Price: $13 Serve with: Seafood, salads Find it at: i.m. Wine, 8180 Maple Lawn Blvd, Fulton, and other local wine shops Pedro Ximenez is a white wine grape varietal best known for its role in producing dessert wines in Spain's sherry region and in Australia. But this version from Chile shows it can also produce a compelling dry white table wine. The 2010 Falernia Pedro Ximenez Reserva shows a bright range of flavors: mint and other herbs, lime, grapefruit, pear and minerals.

Karen Russell from Bryan, Texas, was looking for a recipe for cream of crab soup similar to the one she had at a restaurant in Chestertown when visiting the area a few years ago. Cream of crab is a popular menu item at restaurants all around the Chesapeake Bay region and is as ubiquitous here as clam chowder is along the coast of New England. Recipes for the soup are plentiful, but the best versions are the simple, straightforward ones that allow the sweet and succulent meat from local blue crabs to shine.

The Downtown Partnership is bringing back the Rockfish Celebration, Feb 16-26. Twelve restaurants are participating in the 11-day promotion. You're just going to have to double up one day. Here's who's doing what in this year's Rockfish Celebration . B&O Brasserie - Rockfish with frog leg jambalaya, braised greens and gumbo sauce The Brewer's Art - Daily rockfish entrees Charleston - Chef Cindy Wolf...

From: Vinos de Madrid, Spain Price: $12 Serve with: Grilled seafood, Asian cuisine Even after more than 25 years of reviewing wines, there are new discoveries to be made. Malvar is a little-known white wine grape indigenous to Spain. This example is quite distinctive, with a piercing but refreshing acidity balanced by generous flavors for orange, grapefruit, lime and spices. With no oak influence, it's a real wake-up call for a tired palate and an excellent value in a dry white.

From: Valle Central, Chile Price: $10 Serve with: Salmon, ham, poultry I'm not a big fan of Chilean chardonnays, most of which seem heavy and clunky, but this one I found very appealing — especially at this price. It combines the standard flavors of New World chardonnay — apple, lemon and vanilla — but does so with admirable balance and harmony. It's not a great dry white wine, but it is a great value. — Michael Dresser

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.

This Italian white wine in the unusually shaped bottle delivers a lot more flavor than your typical, watered-down pinot grigio. It's a full-bodied, ripe and smooth wine with hints of almonds, hazelnuts, lemons and apples. It has the kind of layered, creamy complexity you would expect in a more expensive white wine from Alsace or Burgundy, France. Serve with salmon.

Russell Brown, executive chef at O'Learys Seafood Restaurant in Annapolis, was in Today's Kitchen on Nov. 18 with Al Roker and Natalie Morales. The funniest thing happened. See, Brown is demonstrating how to make swordfish steak au poivre, and Morales notices that among the ingredients on the counter was white wine. So, Morales asks Brown about it, and then Al Roker makes it seem like Morales was interested because she wanted to DRINK the wine!!!!! You can watch this classic TV moment here . The Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog is running Thanksgiving Tips from the Stars -- here's a recipe for Brussels sprouts with pancetta from Chazz Palminteri, which you can try for yourself at Chazz: A Bronx Original in Baltmore's beautiful Harbor East.

It's quiz time! Time to gauge your wine savvy. Below you will find a host of questions on topics covered these past seven months. See how much you've absorbed... information-wise! 1. "Pride of the Wineries: A California Living Book" stated that this wine is "for people who like to sleep on the ground, play rugby, climb mountains, eat brussel sprouts and do other things in which some punishment is part of the pleasure. " They were referencing… a. Cabernet Sauvignon b. Syrah c. Merlot d. Zinfandel 2. What grape has the following flavor profile: peach, quince, apricot, apple and pear with intriguing hints of clotted cream, crème fraiche and buttermilk followed by aromas of ripe grain, strawflower, marzipan and toasted nuts?