Yet for me, ABC also means “Anything But Chardonnay.&#. Now there is nothing wrong with Chardonnay. The first was a 2007 Domaine de Cezin, a wine made from the Chenin Blanc grape that grows in a tiny AOC region called Jasnieres in Touraine in the Loire Valley (France). Apremont Appellation in the French Alps.

I'm talking about wines from Sancerre or Touraine, for example. I'm thinking Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Sauvignon Blanc, or a good Sancerre. Although I've heard talk about Savagnin in this wine, I think it is all Chardonnay. First of all, I think this whole asparagus are impossible to pair with wine thing is exaggerated.

Anyway, on this afternoon I witnessed the following exchange: Man with two young kids: Excuse me, I bought two bottles of Yellowtail Chardonnay here last week and they were both corked. Is it even physically possible for Yellowtail Chardonnay to be corked? There was a second bottle present, so we tasted that one too.

Thierry Puzelat, along with his older brother Jean-Marie, is responsible for a big lineup of delicious wines from the Touraine and Cheverny appellations in the eastern part of the Loire Valley. 006 Puzelat Touraine La Tesni è res Pinot Noir , $18. 2005 Puzelat Touraine La Tesni è res , $19. You love good wine, right? It works.

2006 Jardin de la Fruitiere, $10, VdP Loire Atlantique, JD Headrick Selections (50-50 Chardonnay and Melon de Bourgogne). Reds: 2006 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Pif, $14, Louis/Dressner Selections (blend of old vines Malbec, young Cabernet Franc). For several months now the Euro is comfortably in the 1.5 range. Yup, it costs over $1.50

His 2006 Touraine Blanc Brin de Chèvre Menu Pineau smelled of citrus oils, smoke, and shoe polish, and tasted great! And the 06 Touraine Blanc Buisson Pouilleux Sauvignon Vielle Vignes smelled like the Menu Pineau, but tasted like Sauvignon Blanc, in a way. But of course I missed some great stuff. Pinon's wines. Did I just say that?

Happily for consumers, there are many producers making great wine in Touraine, Cheverny and other parts of the Loire, many of the wines at this price. This one, like all Cheverny, is actually a blend, with about 10% Chardonnay in the mix. That's a fun thing to do on a summer evening though, so no complaints. Another time.

Sauvignon Blanc tends to dominate the blends, the balance typically Chardonnay. Sancerre and Pouilly Fume are the big shots for Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley, but great wines hail from appellations like Menetou Salon, Quincy, Touraine, and tiny Cheverny, and at about half the price. Whites, like reds in Cheverny, must be blended.

This is just north-east of the Touraine appellation - you can see the area in gray below. White wines labeled Cheverny may contain Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc, but every white Cheverny I have encountered is primarily a Sauvignon Blanc with a bit of Chard blended in. But in this case, I'm going for it. It costs $13.50

Yes, there is some white wine (Chardonnay) made in Beaujolais, but almost 99% of production is red wine, and it's all about Gamay. If you are really into wine from the Loire Valley you know that Gamay appears in some Touraine wines. First time checking out the Beaujolais Challenge? Don't worry, you haven't missed anything.

Used a nose dropper to take a sample of the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc we had with lunch, took home in a small vial, "for testing," he said. Tried to get me to "chug-a-lug" a half bottle of late harvest Chardonnay dessert wine with him. How sometimes they just don't conform to any of your expectations? Proclaimed her to be "very healthy."

2005 Jean Manciat Macon Vieille Vignes , price unknown (about $30) - old vine Chardonnay from the Maconnais, a Burgundian region known for value whites. 2005 Jean Manciat Macon Charnay Franclieu , $17 - Manicat's Chardonnay for younger drinking, fresh, vibrant, and delicious. 2005 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cabernet Franc , $13.