While sampling some tasty wine accompanied by my first foray into ursine cuisine (a tasty if tough bear sausage), a friend offered up an interesting suggestion: “Why don’t you do a blog post every week on the best stuff you tasted that week?”

I might get my act together enough to pull that off at some point, but in the meantime consider this the first Ward Wine of the Month ramblings.

A few notes: There are a lot more whites than reds because of the season. As for the description themselves, I continue to bounce around a lot of ideas about how to do helpful tasting notes and how to classify wines (suggestions are welcome). Last week, I decided to put wines in three categories. The rules are neither hard nor fast, but weeknight wines will generally be $15 and under, weekend wines $15-$40 and special-occasion wines $40 and up.

WEEKNIGHT

Clos du Bois California Pinot Grigio – I expect pinot grigios to be crispy critters, friendly and quaffable. This puppy, though, was ripe almost to the point of lushness but with enough citrus to provide some backbone. A vibrant surprise.

Chateau Lamothe de Haux Bordeaux Blanc – I’m writing about inexpensive French whites his week, and this was one of my favorites. But I’m also listing it here because its fizzy smoothness makes it almost like a cocktail. I recently blogged about another ever-quaffable spritzer-like wine, New Age,  and just happened upon a third spritely fizz-meister, Juliet Primo Amore.

Konyari Loliense Sigillum – This Hungarian white blend was lean and mean (in a nice way), beaming through the palate and lingering with lemon, peaches and minerality.

Montes Cherub Rose – Found in many restaurants, this raspberry-tinged Chilean rose with the Ralph Steadman drawing on the label might be the most readily available of a dozen-plus swell roses I sampled this month. I dare you to find a food this wine won’t go with. More great pink stuff: Elk Cove, Evesham Wood Tempranillo, Pietra Santa Rosato, Le Font du Broc Cotes de Provence and the Commanderie de la Bargemone that was a Wine of the Week.

Paul Jaboulet Parallele 45 Cotes du Rhone Rouge – This tasty blend might just supplant longtime favorite La Vieille Ferme as my go-to bargain red from Provence. It’s fresh and smooth with that dry French finish, great with grilled rosemary chicken or lamb chops with a lavender-mint rub.

Irony Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs – This is my New-ish Winery of the Month, making juice that’s laden with ripe fruits and with a light touch on the oak. They’re delicious and have enough acidity to work wonders at the dinner table, on the patio or indoors if the ‘skeeters descend.  (Some will have prices that boost them into the “Weekend” category, where they fit just fine.)

WEEKEND

Do Ferreiro “Rebisaca” Rias Baixas – There were all manners of fruits in this Spanish blend (75 percent albarino, 25 traixadura), meaning it’s all over the place till the balance clicks in somewhere between mid-palate and the finish. At the same dinner, we enjoyed the smooth but stout Pazo Senorans Albarino; in fact, my wife liked it more than the Do Ferreiro.

DeLoach Durell Vineyard Chardonnay – I’ve tried like crazy to keep an open mind about the California chards of the uber-buttery/oaky ilk, but I had two expensive ones in July that were, for me at least, virtually undrinkable (no names, but they rhyme with “Beaujolais” and “boardin’”). The Ritchie Vineyard Chard from DeLoach was butter-laden but decent. The Durell, however, tended toward the tropical-fruit, spicy end, tasty and more food-friendly than most of its brethren. I also thoroughly enjoyed the J. Lohr “October Night” chard, with layers of fruit but a lean, Burgundian edge.

Dry Creek Ancient Vines Zinfandel – For me, zins from the Dry Creek region, including of course its eponymous winery, have the most distinctive, recognizable “terroir” of any California varietal. This nicely structured, dark-fruit-laden, briary offering is a supreme example.

SPECIAL OCCASION

Pride Mountain Viognier – One of the best, if not the best, expressions of this grape in California. When we took a big ol’ whiff, we felt like an arbor draped in honeysuckle had suddenly appeared above us. A superb, integreted offering from a great winery.

David Ramey Sonoma Coast Syrah – On the same night as the viognier, we had this splendid effort from one of the Western world’s very best winemakers. Like a lot of wines in this group, this opulent, plush and peppery bottle is hard to find unless you’re on the mailing list or snap it up when the limited release hits the shelves or Web. Same holds for:

Bergstrom pinot noir – Yum. Who’d-a-thunk this earthy, herby pinot would match up with upscale Mexican food? Well, my astute friend Jim did, as he brought it to a dinner at Masa and wowed the entire table. The multi-vineyard bottling we had is no longer available, but all of Bergstrom’s pinots come with a resounding recommendation here.

Pierre Amadieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Fabulous, rich and deep, this wine is a relative bargain for its region at around $40. Pass the grilled meat and pour me another glass, please.

Napa cabs – I wish there was more distinctiveness, pairing versatility and variance in these pricey puppies. But I have to admit they are almost universally very well-crafted and impressive (careful with the ’03s, though). The Ehlers St. Helena 2005, Chappellet Pritchard Hill 2004 and Shafer Hillside Select 1999 were all big and lush, great expressions of this (too?) singular grape.

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