captures the floral freshness of Riesling, then rounds it out with dashes of Gewurztraminer and Viognier. Most of the fruit comes from cooler Monterey County, where long sunny days and cool nights help develop flavors while maintaining acidity. Off-dry with peachy fruit notes, it's a wine to enjoy as a cocktail or sip with sushi.

Kendall-Jackson's $10 Riesling comes in at just under 2 percent residual sugar--at the high end of off-dry--and the winery sells 180,000 cases a year, making it the state's largest producer of Riesling in 750-milliliter bottles.

This white had a bracing acidity to cut the natural sweetness of the riesling grape; it also helped emphasize the bratwurst's spice.

Medium body. Dry to semidry. Gentle floral nose with restrained aromas and flavors of honeysuckle, honeydew, mango, apricot and biscuits, nice body and moderate acidity and finish. 1.95% residual sugar.

K-J's Vintner's Reserve line is complex for the price point and delivers pure varietal character. The 2004 K-J VR California Riesling overflows with orange blossom and peach aromas and spicy, sweet fruit notes. Riesling is complemented by the addition of Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Viognier and Arneis, which explains the delightful layers of flavor in this wine.

could easily be confused with one of its German or Austrian counterparts, given its dryness, sleekness and mineral component.

A good example of a fairly sweet style. Flavors of nectarine, peach and mandarin orange. Medium bodied.

Pretty nose of peach and lemon zest with generous peach, apple, almond and hazelnut flavors; crisp, balanced palate, pleasant finish.

The linalool scent of Fruit Loops carries this floral, musky riesling. There's no structure, just sweet fruit, ready to chill for afternoon tea.

Peachy-melon-grassy aroma; full fruit flavors, crisp acidity, balanced finish. A blend of Semillon and Sauvignon. Good with fresh oysters Asian-spiced foods.

A subtle nose that balances fruit and oak, the palate is well textured.

Hints of cocoa, brush and dried orange add a bit of intrigue to a rich blend of sweet oak and ripe cherries in the neatly married aromas. While each of these elements peeks through in the flavors, they are subordinate to a simpler theme of emphatic ripeness here, and the wine is never quite so complex as it is generous.

…crisp, elegant, citrusy offering with good fruit and ripeness, medium body, and a dry finish.

Because of its softness and light lanolin-tinged flavors, classic for semillon, you'll appreciate this wine but maybe wonder how to use it, especially in the context of a meal. It would work best as an aperitif, well chilled.

Pale straw appearance. Medium-bodied. Full acidity. Moderately extracted. Tart peach, lemon, vanilla. Faint vanilla notes with lemony aromas that follow through on the palate. A red tart with subtle oak.

Fragrant scents of yellow hers and chamomile. flower blossoms and pollen give this clean wine a light touch. Match its honeyed spice to a spring salad of beets and arugula.

Medium straw color. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Oak spice, mild citrus fruits. Spicy oak with floral accents on the nose. Aromas are fully expressed on the palate with rather simple fruity flavors.

Because of its softness and light lanolin-tinged flavors, classic for semillon, you'll appreciate this wine but maybe wonder how to use it, especially in the context of a meal. It would work best as an aperitif, well-chilled.

High in bracing acidity, with flavors of green grapes and stone.

Better is the honeyed grapefruit/passion fruit-filled, aromatic, pure, vibrant 1999 Sauvignon Blanc Vintner's Reserve.

Soft, juicy, ripe, a little on the plain side as to varietal character but quite presentable, this wine tastes slightly sweet...

The gospel of ripe fruit according to Jess Jackson finds its manifestation here. This is a rich, soft, full-bodied wine saved from being cloying by crisp green apple flavors at the back of the palate and long, tangy finish. It was also one of the few wines in this tasting that steadily improved in the glass. Pair it with rich-tasting foods like lobster and scallops.

It leads with grassy and lemony scents and follows in the mouth with a sugar sweetened version of the same play.