From: Livermore Valley, Calif.
Price: $15
Serve with: Salmon, ham, poultry
To say I was impressed by this chardonnay from one of California's oldest wineries is an understatement. It has everything so many ponderous, serious chardonnays lack. It has real snap, a live-wire electric character that lights up the palate. I don't see "Morning Fog" as simply a marketing term for this wine, but as an accurate description of what goes on in this cool-climate vineyard. The apple-lemon crispness is quite exciting, and there's just enough oak to season it without dominating. This is the best Wente wine I've tasted in decades, and I'd rank it above many $40 chardonnays.
—Michael Dresser, The Baltimore Sun