White flowers, raw almond and apricot lead off the nose while juicy, sweet red apple and pear hang out on a mellow neighborly palate.

Beat the heat with summer whites. I love Riesling this time of year. It's light, lively frame, juicy apple fruit and suggestion of sweetness are perfect for warm weather sipping...and 2010 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve are eminently affordable options.

Floral aroma, moderately sweet, flavors of ripe citrus.

Although there are no layers of compelling or complexity to be found here, there is nonetheless a fair sense of Riesling's mildly peachy fruit, and the wine's slight sweetness and soft balance invite stand-alone sipping. It is as good now as it ever will be, and it should be tagged for picnic gulping before another year has passed.

For this tender cake, Buttermilk Cake with Riesling-Poached Pears, choose a sweet Riesling like the apple-scented 2007 Kendall-Jackson Late Harvest.

K-J figured out California Riesling: It doesn't have to be flabby and sweet. This one has some sweetness, but it is balanced by a siren of citrus, minerality and floral notes. The aromas pierce the nose long, long after you open the bottle. The palate is sturdy, body is big. Alcohol is 13 percent--now that's California. The finish is so impressive--so intense, dry, crisp and minerally. When I have an open bottle of K-J Riesling in my fridge, it's an arsenal of flavor to embolden sauces with. This is a hidden gem on store shelves. Trust me.

...here are my favorites...the fruity, firm and finely balanced Kendall-Jackson 2006 Vintner's Reserve California Riesling...

White grapefruit flavors, crisp, dry.

...Kendall-Jackson's lively 2006 Vintner's Reserve Riesling, which typically has a zippy acidity that's a good complement to sharp cheese.

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.