Our bottle of 2007 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Clos des Briords was corked, sadly, as was our 2005 Luneau-Papin L D'Or. 2007 Domaine de la Louvetrie Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie Le Fief du Breil , $18, Martin Scott Imports. The palate was as youthful as the 2005 I had a few months ago. Someone said pineapple. MORE >>

Dressner did cut a few corners this year, for example by refusing to hire staff for the tables and thereby forcing wine makers from small villages scattered throughout the Loire Valley to travel all the way to NYC to pour the wines themselves. loved the 2005, not as much the 2006, never saw the 2007, and now we have the 2008. MORE >>

And I thought the 2007 Ernst Clusserath Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Kabinett Trocken (about $30) was a great pairing. The 2005 Reynald Héaulé Vin de Table L'Insoumis de Village , or 'Black Sheep of the Village' (about $30) is a serious country wine made by one of the new wave Loire Valley natural wine hipsters. MORE >>

2007 Domaine Hu e t Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg , $28, Robert Chadderdon Selections. I'm putting together a case of birth-year wine for my older daughter, who was born in 2007. Many people consider these to be the finest Chenin Blancs from the Loire Valley and in the world. And happily, I can afford to buy and drink them. MORE >>

Moving to the Rhone valley in France I tried some wines from Eric Texier. On the white side I tried a sweet white, the Texier Opale 2007 which was quite sweet but was very well balanced with a crisp acidity. But his 2006 Peillot ALTESSE (the name of the grape) de Montagnieu was very nice (as was his 2007). don't know. MORE >>