was reminded of this recently when drinking a glass of 2011 Domaine Les Fouques Cô tes de Provence Blanc Cuv é e de L'Aubigue , $14, Imported by Fruit of the Vines. It is mainly Rolle, also known as Vermentino, with about 10% each of Ugni Blanc and Clairette. Doesn't it seem like an acidic wine? And no! Peter agreed. Anyway.At

Clairette and Ugni blanc have become the dominate grape varieties with some smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Mouvedre and Syrah. Wine from Algeria! Who would'a thunk. Ok, for some reason I may have missed this in Geography class. When I think of Algeria, I think of desert, sand, sun and boiling hot!

One of the new ones, at least for me, is Vidal Blanc. Vidal Blanc is a French hybrid bred from the crossing Ugni Blanc(Trebbiano) and Rayon d'Or grapes and is best known for the hardiness of the vines, and is usually grown in locations that are too cold for well known grape varieties.

A blend of half Torrontes and half Ugni Blanc (known as Trebbiano and is also used in the production of Cognac), this tasty but simple white wine from Mendoza, Argentina begins with pearly, mineral notes.

Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc (3A). 2009 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills. 2008 Angullong Sauvignon Blanc, Orange. 2008 Logan Sauvignon Blanc, Mudgee. 2008 Goundrey ‘G’ Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Mount Barker, Great Southern. 2006 Cape Mentelle Walcliffe Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Margaret River.

Delicious and earthy Blanc de Blancs. beautiful wine from the Côte de Provence, a blend of 85% Rolle (that's Vermentino to you Italo-philes) and 15% Ugni-Blanc (that's Trebbiano to you Italo-philes). Call me crazy, but I don't see us climbing out of this recession any time soon. Give it some air and watch it expand.

Here are some thoughts on the other other wines I tasted: I love the 2006 Cassagnoles wine from the southwest of France, a rich, zesty, and well balanced blend of Gros Manseng, Ugni Blanc, and Colombard. The Kuentz-Bas Alsace Blanc is good too. First, I think that it is absolutely possible to find great wine at this price point.

Pineau can be red when it is made from Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and/or Cabernet Franc, but in the USA it is far more common to see white Pineau, made from a host of grapes including Colombard, Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, and Semillion. What on earth are you thinking, pal?!? Maybe they order apricot schnapps over there.

The wine I came to love over the summer is made from grape varieties that are also used to make Armagnac - Gros Manseng, Ugni Blanc, and Colombard. What happened to Colombard and to Ugni Blanc? Early on this past summer I found a great wine from the Côte de Gascogne in the southwest of France. But it should be.

blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc (now that's an obscure pair, eh?) I didn't love my recent foray into inexpensive Spanish white wine, but thanks to a few helpful comments, I have some new Albarinos to sample some day. There are not many wines I know of at the $10 price point that meet all of those criteria, but here is a great one.