2007 Lois Grüner Veltliner – $14

LOIS grabs your nose with a walk through bushels of fresh apples, and has a spiciness that surprises you, but in a good way. Tastes of exotic fruits remind you of that last vacation to Mexico – not Vienna – as this wine hails from Austria.

Its crisp acidity makes it perfect with chili or sushi and it can stand up to the heat of firecracker shrimp, but it’s also very easy-drinking all by itself.

Grüners have long been popular to drink young in the hip bars of Vienna, and are now getting popular here in the states as Yanks learn that they are beating out world-class Chardonnays from the likes of Mondavi & Latour in blind tastings. Plus, it’s nice to have another white in your arsenal when you’re sick of your friends serving Chardonnay and Riesling, Riesling and Chardonnay. Boooooooor-ing.