What: Alsace is one of those special regions where you find many producers creating great wine. The region is noted for its Rieslings, Gewurtztramminers and sparkling wine. Most are crisp and clean with a touch of minerality. If you aren’t familiar with the wines from Alsace, you should try one. They’re easy to find and reasonably priced. The Crémant d’Alsace always calls up great memories for me, from my first trip to Europe almost 40 years ago. I was in a bus full of wine tourists from Charlotte drinking our way through Germany and France. At one of the stops in Alsace we found a wonderful Crémant priced at the equivalent of three for $5. We stocked up and had plenty of Crémant to drink in the bus for the rest of the trip. Prices have gone up since then, but a good Crémant d’Alsace is still one of the…

Gotas de Mar Albariño 2020, Spain Cost: $21-23 What: You never know where you are going to find your next bottle of favorite wine. I was first attracted to the Gotas de Mar Albariño by the striking bottle, tall and thin, made of blue glass with bold white and blue stripes. But I was won over by what is inside the bottle. This is a classic Albariño, with powerful stone fruit aromas and flavors with some minerality and a touch of the sea. If you have never had an Albariño you owe it to yourself to try one. My wife Teri is a huge fan of Chardonnay, but she will never turn down an Albariño. They usually are crisp and clean, with a touch of minerality and loaded with flavor. While they usually are a touch on the lighter side, they have enough weight to handle most any seafood dish.…

Veramonte Chardonnay Cost: $11-13 What: When you find a wine you like it’s a good idea to write it down and keep a list of favorite wines. If you are like me that list gets long. The Veramonte Chardonnay is on my list, but I had not opened a bottle in a few years, so I was eager to try it again. If anything, the wine was even better than I remembered it. And at about $12 a bottle it is a great bargain. My wife Teri and I sometimes try to forget about the price of the wine and then try to guess it when we drink it. I think our lowest guess on this wine came in at $20. It’s a bright, smooth wine, with some good weight. It is a not a wimpy wine, and can hold it’s own with a great meal. The wine is made…

Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner 2020, Austria Cost: $17-19 What: After you have been drinking wine for a while you start to feel like you can figure out just about anything you come across. But one of the best things about drinking wine is you are guaranteed to be surprised at times. I have had several pleasant surprises lately, and I will be writing about them in the weeks ahead. Today’s surprise is the Grüner Veltliner from Domäne Wachau in Austria. I have had Grüner Veltliner (or gru-vee as it’s sometimes called) many times, and have always enjoyed it. But this one was really something special. It was loaded with fresh fruit and strong minerality, a combination I love. I have never had a bad gru-vee, but this one stood out. As I researched the wine I figured out why I liked this one so much. This wine had “federspiel terrassen”…

Line 39 Spritzers, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc Cost: $13 What: Just in time for the hot days of summer we get a new refreshing wine drink called Line 39 Spritzers ($13/4 pack). Each of the three flavors features good wine, sparkling water and a hint of a natural flavor. They are delicious and with just 5% alcohol, each small aluminum bottle contains only 100 calories. So if you are watching your weight and still want to drink wine, this is the drink to try. I liked all three flavors, but I think my favorite was the Rosé, which has a hint of strawberry flavor added. It’s bright and refreshing. The strawberry flavor comes through clearly, but without any sweetness. It’s perfect for a light lunch, or an afternoon snack on the deck. I also tried the Pinot Noir and the Sauvignon Blanc. I loved the strong black cherry and…