Chardonnay is America’s favorite white wine and one that Gary and I find ourselves sipping often. There are many faces of Chardonnay though, from steely, fresh, and mineral-driven, to rich, round, and luscious. As warm summer days continue, the former fresh, racy style continues to top our list, like some of the tasty options noted below. #Cheers! Blending fruit from Monterey County, Santa Barbara County, and Mendocino County, telling the story of Chardonnay in California in it’s purest form, Kendall-Jackson Avant Unoaked Chardonnay layers cool climate grown fruit with warmer climate, riper fruit, delivering a balance of citrus and floral notes, with orchard and stone fruit, and a touch of tropical lychee and pineapple. Not the norm from the winery that is known for their well-rounded, oak-aged Vintner’s Reserve that highlights spiced apple, lemon curd, and toasted hazelnut.

This is a tasty quaff for the budget minded. It has aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis and herbs. It's round, with soft tannins. Nice length. Solid. 3 stars.

Go big and then go home after drinking this structured but enveloping splurge this summer. A blend predominantly made with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon but also 14% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2015 La Joie is an ode to Old and New World wines alike. Expect an earth-driven bouquet of mint, sage, and lavender aromas with notes of ripe fruit—black currant and cherries, damson plum—before a brooding finish with grippy, well-integrated tannins. Developed individually by micro-cru in Vérité's Sonoma County vineyards, the wine should mature gracefully.

This polished ruby-hued wine offers aromas of fresh violet, sage, and mint with soft notes of rose and wild strawberry. Velvety in texture with silky tannins and a long finish, the Chateau's vigneron (winemaker) and his family serves the Lassègue vintage with grilled or baked cod or halibut, often in a red sauce. It's also perfect for barbecues, especially when paired with sautéed mushrooms with garlic and vegetable gratins.

Or try Nielson’s 2017 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay with aromas of white citrus blossoms followed by flavors of tropical pineapple, citrus fruit, and a hint of salinity. This wine comes from three growing regions within Santa Barbara County: Santa Maria Valley - one of California’s coolest AVAs with one of the longest growing seasons in the world, slightly warmer in climate, the Los Alamos area with sandy loam soils, and Santa Rita Hills - characterized by a distinct gravel minerality. Enjoy!

Finally, here’s Freemark Abbey firing on all cylinders (though perhaps that has a little to do with this being a 2014 vintage instead of 2015, though both are considered excellent). A deceptively gentle body kicks off with notes of dark chocolate, raspberries, and blueberries, then folds in layers of baking spice and, ultimately, some brambly notes that evoke charred wood. The tannins are integrating beautifully here, though the wine still has some time left ahead for further improvement. A killer. A

A bit more well-rounded, there’s a gravity in this wine that’s lacking in the above two expressions, a more fulfilling black and red berry character that gives the wine a certain farmer’s market freshness, bursting with acidity and life. Notes of licorice and some dark chocolate give the wine a more engaging conclusion and a sense of opulence. A-

Again a bit on the thin side, and surprisingly bitter up front. Quite floral on the nose, a significant note of potpourri masks notes of blackberry and, to a lesser extent, blackcurrants. As the finish develops, the wine becomes takes on an uncharacteristic astringency — though a chocolate note on the back end lifts the wine up with just a touch of sweetness. B

Surprisingly underdeveloped, this cabernet starts off with promise, offering a juicy red fruit core, with notes of raspberry and red apple skins dominating. A lightly bitter tannin component lingers underneath, but the finish sees a vegetal element dominating — notes of carrot and red bell pepper — with a beef bouillon note behind. B

Try these 7 wines before summer fades This wine comes from the Bordeaux region of France and is a blend of 62 percent Merlot, 30 percent Cabernet Franc and 8 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. It offers up aromas and flavors of blackberries and plums, along with leather and spice notes. It is something fit for a steak from the grill, or try it with steak fajitas or even a burger.

A stark contrast to the above; this is an iconic bottling of California chardonnay, loaded up with vanilla, applesauce, and ample oak. A modest, lemon-driven acidity helps to cut through some of the fat, but by and large this is a wine that appeal primarily to California chardonnay purists. B+

Why more producers aren’t making unoaked chardonnay I’ll never understand. This bottling is loaded with fresh fruit — lemons, figs, red apples, and a dusting of spice — with a finish that offers hints of coconut and almonds. Fresh and lightly tropical, with enough body to add some gravitas. A-

The Best Wines For This Summer Weekend's Outing It was a stifling July evening with pizzas and lamb chops cooked over a charcoal fire. I reduced the temperature of this Oregon Pinot Noir to a reasonable 60 degrees, and it was both refreshing with the pizza, whose Gorgonzola cheese and sweet onions needed a red wine, and a good mineral match with the nicely fatted lamb on the bone, all at a very good price for a party of people.

Napa Valley’s small but mighty white blizzard The juicy peach and red apple flavors of this wine are layered with rich lemon citrus and a touch of mineral complexity.

This summer, try these 10 white wines produced by vineyards from California to Italy As the pendulum continues to swing back to more balanced and restrained California Chardonnays, I am continually impressed by La Crema’s quality and consistency. This wine, hailing from the heart of Sonoma County, has long been a favorite. Packed with tons of citrus, apple and lemon flavors and aromas, the La Crema Russian River Valley Chardonnay keeps things in check with a core of minerality and some nice acidity.

Slightly rustic, but with a vibrant dried and fresh fruit complexity based on a Russian River Valley template, but from the coolest regions of the county. And thus it displays a faintly herby component that adds depth and complexity, and the finish is classic (tar, smoke) to indicate that it means several more years to develop. Simply terrific wine. Exceptional.

Red Wine of the Week This is brilliantly shot through with the inimitable marks of world-class Cabernet Franc: Aromas of brambly purple fruits and licorice precede a rich, seriously structured palate vibrating with notes of spearmint, dark chocolate, allspice, charred rosemary, and something almost meaty pulsing through it all. It’s excellent right now, and promises to continue evolving in fascinating ways for another 30-plus years.

A toast to 40 years of wine-making excellence From the best vineyard sites and clones in Monterey, this wine is fresh, crisp and easy-to-drink. It is distinctive for its mandarin citrus characteristics as well as its strong mineral notes.

A toast to 40 years of wine-making excellence A delicious medium-bodied pinot with big aromas and flavors of red and black berries with hints of dark chocolate and tobacco.

A toast to 40 years of wine-making excellence Rich with good acidity this wine has citrus style aromas and lush flavors of pear, vanilla and almond butter.

Siduri also makes a full-throttle Edmeades Pinot Noir 2017 that abounds in dark berry flavors. Lee uses grapes from the Pommard clone and exposes half of them to whole-cluster fermentation.

Our favorite of the tasting was the Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 2017. Wild cherry and plum flavors dominated the nose and mouth with some interesting spice elements. There was a bit more acidity than the Russian River Valley pinot noir that created a bit more interest along with the abundant fruit.

Parsing the difference between the Russian River Valley pinot noir and the Santa Barbara version proved more difficult. We guessed wrong between the two California selections. The Siduri Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2017 presented very ripe cherry fruit with cherry cola notes and the least acidity of the three samples. Overall, the Russian River Valley was the simplest of the three samples with the least apparent tannins.

We guessed the Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2017 because it was the lightest of the three samples. The Willamette Valley pinot noir exhibited sour cherry and rhubarb notes with a hint of spice and balanced acidity. Overall a lighter version would pair well with tuna and salmon dishes.

A statewide tour of California pinot noir Deep, silky, spicy; Anderson Valley deep, juicy.