As we sat down I took out the wine I brought along, the 2008 Pierre Gonon St Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers , $32, Fruit of the Vines Imports. This is a phenomenal wine, and one of the interesting things about it is that honestly, served blind, there would be no way to peg it as Sauvignon Blanc. Thai food for the western palate.

It has come up a few times in (offline) discussion that I have been in recently: do people still cellar wine? Just as it is advisable to play tennis with someone better than you to sharpen your skills, it is also advisable to find a generous friend who has a better (or, at least) different cellar than yours. Is mature wine relevant?

Chenin blanc is one of the world’s most underrated grapes. polled them after tasting, and to my amazement, only two people disliked the wine–chenin blanc with such low negatives, it could run for office! The long, fluted bottles of Belliviere may make you think Riesling. Another great value Vouvray.

John Gilman, author of the newsletter The View from the Cellar , joins us again for a Q&A. But being younger than the gentleman I just mentioned, I do not have the same reserves of old vintages of white Burgundy or white Bordeaux in my cellar, and so premox has really hit my collection hard. Are these wines forcibly better?

We’re back with Part Deux of our interview with John Gilman, author of the newsletter A View from the Cellar ( part one is here ). German Riesling. Austrian Riesling. Australian Riesling. John has offered a free issue from his backlist to any Dr. Vino reader so surf on over to his site and check it out. The Loire.

Ben Hagan, one of the wine buyers at Slope Cellars in Park Slope, Brooklyn recommends (Slope Cellars prices listed) : Whites: 2006 Caves de Saumur Saumur Les Pouches, $13, LVDH Imports (100% Chenin Blanc). For several months now the Euro is comfortably in the 1.5 range. Yup, it costs over $1.50 to buy one Euro. So there.

love French wine, but the good doctor ruled out what he called "the big six grapes" from France, namely Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. Chenin Blanc is, in my opinion, the superstar white grape of the Loire Valley. And Chenin Blanc tends to age well, so let's see.

Sancerre, the darling of wine bars everywhere a few years ago, is made from Sauvignon Blanc. Many producers say that demi-sec (off dry) is the best expression of Chenin Blanc. Will rival far more expensive Riesling if aged properly. You will see that the structure will allow for cellaring though. And $17 - c'mon.

Cheverny wines are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, with the Sauvignon Blanc the primary grape at about 70%. Like the great Chenin Blanc grape, also a daughter of the Loire Valley, Romorantin might show best in its demi-sec (off-dry) form. I hesitate to do this, because right now it's still basically a secret.