This list was meant to be brief. But then I realized that because most wines are available in only some stores (not even most stores), it was better to list a few torrontes rather than my very favorite one. This list also will be changing, as I sample more wines and delve into some areas where my experience is limited (Alsace, for instance).

When possible, I’ve grouped wines under the grape name. Otherwise, it’s by region.

BY GRAPE
Albarino/ Smooth but no wimpy, Spain’s top white varietal — also popular in Portugal as alvarinho — is almost invariably a food-friendly bargain, rarely exceeding $15-$18. I especially like the Do Ferreiro “Rebisaca,” Pazo Senorans and Auratus Trajadura (a Portuguese blend with trajadura);  even cheaper and plenty tasty are the Burgans and Martin Codax.

Arneis/ Saved from extinction two decades ago by an intrepid Italian grower, this Piedmontese delight is redolent of crushed stones and citrus/apple flavors. It’s well worth the usual $15-give-or-take tariff. Try the Malvira Roero, Paitin “Vignde Elisa” or Pertinace Roero.

Chardonnay/ On my last three visits to California, virtually every winery rep – yes, even the guy from Kendall-Jackson — talked about cutting back on the oak and “butter” in their chards. But that rich, ripe style remains enormously popular and can be quite the experience.

At the high end ($70-plus retail), Aubert, DuMol, Kistler, Kongsgaard, Peter Michael and Pahlmayer are worth ponying up for if/when you can find them, with varying degrees of Burgundian touches.

I’m a big admirer of the way these and some more readily available chards — David Ramey, Paul Hobbs, Fantesca, HdV, Keenan, Lynmar, Patz & Hall, Shafer, Babcock, Chateau Montelena, Ridge and Hartford Court — are combining California ripeness and more Burgundian approaches in both the vineyard and winery in the $30-$60 range. On the leaner side, look for Williams Selyem and a pair from Oregon, St. Innocent and Argyle and the Craggy Range from New Zealand.

Moving down to the price points where most of us live, there are myriad options in the lusher style (Murphy-Goode, J. Lohr, Irony and [blush] Yellow Tail Reserve), unoaked/”naked” approaches (Four Vines, Tolosa and the fabulous Lioco) and something in between (Alma Rosa, Cycles Gladiator, Logan). Another great unoaked option is the Fair Hills from South Africa.

And then there’s Burgundy, where the purists lean and the prices vary wildly. For starters, three swell white Burgs to try on chardonnay bashers are the Jean-Claude Boisset Bourgogne and the Olivier Leflaive “Les Setilles” for about $15 and the Philippe Colin Montagny “Sous les Feilles” for about twice that much. Pretty much anything with these names – Joseph Drouhin, Michel Colin, Philippe Colin or William Fevre – is going to be tasty stuff.

Chenin blanc/ Until a short while ago, I was completely missing the boat on how great this grape can be, especially if not exclusively from the Loire. But now I’m trying to make up for lost time. Vouvrays can be varying levels of sweetness but tend to be dry or off-dr and always throw in some minerality. Most are not not super-cheap, but the Marc Bredif, La Craie, Sauvion and Huet Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec provide great bang for the franc, er, Euro. And from nearby Savennieres, the Domaine de Baumard Clos du Papillon is a killer wine.

Gewurztraminer/ Gewurztraminers are a mixed bag on these shores, but I’m a fan of the Hook & Ladder and the dry Foris. I’m trying to sample more from your Europe, but if Lucien Albrecht’s name is on the label, I’m there.

Greco di Tufo/ From the sometimes volcanic soils in Italy’s southern reaches, this crispy critter is seriously seafood-friendly. I like the Torrecino, the Vesuvo and Amano’s fiano-greco blend.
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Gruner veltliner/ Crisp at the outset and lively the rest of the way, this Austrian and German star gets better the more you spend, alas. Two relatively reasonable offerings: Anton Bauer and Lois.

Insolia/ A serious up-and-comer, this Sicilian grape can provide all manner of fruit flavors, but always with a long, lean finish. Favorites include the Casa Ibidini Sicilia, Cusumano Angimbe and Feudo Principi di Butera.

Pinot gris/grigio/ There have been increases in the quantity and quality of this grape on these shores. I like the Alma Rosa, Clos du Bois, Guenoc, Cycles Gladiator, MacMurray Ranch and Pietra Santa from California a good bit, and am a slightly bigger fan of two Oregon offerings, Bethel Heights and Stangeland. Another great bet is from Italy’s Trentino region, the delicious Maso Canali.

Riesling/ I’m still a pup when it comes to checking out rieslings in general and German wines in particular. For those just delving into Riesling, two German offerings — Clean Slate and Jacoby-Mathy “Balance” – and three from Washington — Chehalem, Hogue and Snoqualmie – and another pair from Australia – McWilliams and Rosemount — are worth checking out. Jakoby-Mathy is an up-and-comer in Germany, where the other names to look for include Schlink Haus, Muller-Gatoir, Dr. Loosen and Donnhoff. The Finger Lakes region of New York is rockin’ in this regard, with Anthony Road being one of the few available here. I’m about to immerse myself in Alsace, but already have one brand that I love: Pierre Sparr.

Sauvignon blanc/ The California sauv blancs tend to be almost voluptuous, but the better ones have an almost steely backbone. Martinelli, Duckhorn, Ehlers, St. Supery, Spottswoode and the spectacular Spring Montain are my favorites among the $20-plus ones available in Minnesota. In the next price tier, Snoqualmie, Bernardus, Folie a Deux, Rancho Zabaco Russian River and Everett Ridge are lovely. For richer flavors, look for the Ferrari-Carano Fume, Murphy-Goode or Envy.

A lot of the better New Zealand offerings – generally grapefruity but with some grass and/or stone-fruit notes – have settled into the $14-$24 range. I like, in some semblance of order, Dog Point, Whitehaven, Craggy Range, Kia Kahn, Starborough, Eddy Valley and Giesen.

In the under-$12 range, check out the Hogue Fume Blanc from Washington, the Dry Creek from California, the Selaks or Brancott from New Zealand and the Veramonte, La Playa or Casa Lapastole from Chile.

Turning to France, I’ve liked pretty much every Sancerre I’ve tried, but I’m particularly fond of  the Lucien Crocket, Domaine Des Grandes Perrieres Vielles Vignes and Roger Champault “Les Pierris.” And the Fournier Sauvignon, while big for a French wine, is a delight, as is the Domaine du Rin du Bois Touraine. Pascal Jolivet makes lovely sauv blanc whether the label reads Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume. And most of all, grab anything with the recently deceased Didier Dageuneau’s name on it.

Torrontes/ Typically showing just a bit of lushness and minerality and bountiful fruit, Argentina’s foremost white grape rarely costs more than $12 . Among my favorites: Crios de Susana Balbao, Crios Lafayette, Finca Koch Cafayate Salta, Michel Torino Don David, Solemne 2-2 Tango and Tamari Riserva.

Viognier/ Aside from high-end, hard-to find brands such as Pride, most American viogniers are so-so at best. I like the Desert Wind and rather enjoy the Incognito and the Calera. At a much higher price range, Condrieus from E. Guigal can be mind-blowing; a cheaper option from France is Le Grand Noir.

BY COUNTRY
France/ I’ve tasted few if any wines as vibrant as the wallet-friendly Abymes Vin de Savoie. Unless it was the Le Poule Blanche blend. Or the Le Font du Broc Rolle. Or the Domaine Reine Picpoul de Pinet.  Or the lush Henri Milan Le Grand Blanc. Two sauvignon blanc-semillon blends from Bordeaux – Augey Bordeaux Blanc and Laulerie Montravel – are wonderful summer sippers at reasonable tariffs. Slightly pricier but still a great value are the Zind Humbrecht Pinot d’Alsace and another blend from Alsace, the Hugel “Gentil.”

Hungary/ This emerging haven is producing wines of character and steely personality. If any of these names are on the label, it’s worth a try: Konyari, Szeremley or Szepsy.

Italy/ The Friuli region east of Venice has been spawning fabulous whites for years, and now the rest of the peninsula has joined it. Out of Friuli, anything with Marco Felluga or Zuani (made by Patrizia Felluga) on the label is highly recommended; the Zuani Vigne is a steal at around $22. Just to the west, the Inama Soave Classico gives a much-maligned grape a worthy rebirth. To the north, Alois Legeder makes a number of tasty whites. From central Italy, I like the very different vermentinos from Clos Poggiale and Piero Mancini, and the fabulous falanghina from Taburno and the Terre di Tufi blend from Teruzzi & Puthod. A recent revelation from Abruzzo was the lovely Barone di Valforte Passerina. 

Portugal/ I enjoy the refreshing, zingy vinho verdes, but haven’t found any that truly stand out above the rest. In “Sideways” parlance, these are quaffable but not transcendent.

Spain/ Verdejo is emerging as the “next albarino,” and Naia provides a swell entry-level rendition. I’m also a fan of the godelo grape (Bodegas Valdesil “Monte Novo”) and a wonderful muscat d’Alexandria/muscat Frontenac/sauvignon blanc blend called Gramona “Gessami.” And I flat-out love the Grenache blanc called Conreria d’Scala Dei Blanco.

U.S.  of A./ I’m a big fan of West Coast blends, which can be rather heavy on the palate but also seriously packed with flavor. The Conundrum, Au Bon Climat “Hildegard” and Tabas Creek “Esprit de Beaucastel” are exemplars in the $20-$40 range. Just under $20 and well worth seeking out are the Sokol Blosser “Evolution,” Abundance “Bountiful Blanc” and Beringer’s “Alluvium Blanc.” Less spendy still and quite delicious are the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier, Hook & Ladder’s “The Tillerman” and the Hedges CMS. Closer to home, the Cannon River St. Pepin is quite tasty.