Dry, refreshing, sturdy acidity — this is the white to pour with broiled seafood or roasted chicken dishes. Think crisp lemon, tart grapefruit, white stone fruit and pear with an herbal streak in the finish.

Light and lively, with aromas and flavors of ripe pears and cinnamon.

A good value, this light-bodied wine with citrus notes is an easy quaffer. Round in the mouth with delicious fruit flavors.

If you wonder what all the interest in Pinot Noir is about, start here. Murphy-Goode delivers incredible quality for the price. This Pinot is sourced off cool vineyards up and down the Cali coast from areas including Monterey, Santa Barbara and Mendocino. It’s juicy and packed with Pinot character: black cherry, strawberry, spice, cola and vanilla. It’s aged in French and American oak. It’s an intense dark color with good texture on the palate and bracing acidity for structure.

Good price for a wine this rich and balanced. It's honeyed, with orange and apricot fruit.

Light and crisp, with flavors of ripe pears and golden apples.

A simple, direct Pinot Noir, light and silky in the mouth, with jammy raspberry, cherry, date and brown sugar flavors.

Finally, be on the lookout for the widely available Murphy-Goode California 2011. It may not match the range or the depth of its high-ticket mates, but it is clean, nicely balanced and delivers plenty of honest Pinot fruit at a price that is easy to take.

2010 Murphy-Goode Pinot Noir, California: aromas and flavors of black plums and cloves, soft tannins.

A great value, this California pinot grigio has simple peach and pear flavors and a hint of spice.

Ripe, smoky cherry flavor with a light oaky taste. This blend of pinot grapes from several excellent growing regions, including Monterey and Santa Barbara, way overachieves. It's full of black cherry fruit and more layers of nuance than one would expect, given the price.

Not a real complex pinot noir, but this wine exhibits nice varietal character and is very easy to drink. Cherry, plum nose with good ripe cherry, berry flavors. Good value.

Golden apples and spice, with a tart lemony finish.

Wines labeled with a California designation are most likely to sport an everyday price. The 2008 Murphy-Goode offers a good varietal character for the price.

Clean and varietal, with no filler grapes blended in to boost the color. Barrel-aged.

Jim Gordon of Wine Enthusiast describes ‘Good fruit concentration and a velvety texture make this deeply colored, dry wine substantial enough for a special occasion. It smells like spicy oak and tastes like ripe black cherries and blackberries, with a smooth mouthfeel. #77 on the Wine Enthusiast 2016 Best Buy Top 100.’ Full-bodied & Smooth.

Tasty plum and red cherry flavors and an easygoing texture make this medium-bodied wine a pleasure to drink. The aromas are quite fruity and fresh, accented with oaky, spicy notes, and the flavors seem generous. A touch of tannin provides welcome structure.

This fruity cocktail of dark berries, plums and spice is infused with smoky oak and braced with sturdy acidity for balance. Tannins are velvet. Alcohol is 13.9 percent — giving it lots of body.

Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of black cherries and black pepper, full body, firm tannins.

Soft and sweet, with black raspberry and spice flavors.

This is the kind of Merlot people will love. It’s smooth, soft and silky, with rich, sweet flavors of raspberries and cherries. There’s even a candied note of chocolate-covered mint.

Soft and rich, with flavors of black raspberries and spice.

A merlot with aromas of cherry, plum and spice. Notes of tangy cherry, anise and pepper. A good quaff.