A Whiter Shade of Pale

Mark Daeschel, an Oregon State University food scientist and microbial safety specialist, along with research assistants Jessica Just and Joy Waite, completed research last year that indicates white wine kills bacteria when it is consumed with a meal. That means consumers drinking Chablis with their oysters are less likely to come down with food poisoning -- something in the grape has anti-bacterial properties that kill germs that cause common types of food poisoning, such as E. coli and salmonella.

So, let's think about killing those nasty bugs with white wine that's worth drinking. Since January I've tasted my way through a couple of hundred whites wines and after eliminating the poor, the overly expensive and the unavailable I've managed to come up with six interesting wines.

Today's picks offer terrific value for their price:

The Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc 2001 is a good as it gets for the price. It would appear this cool-climate Chilean winery based in Casablanca has a firm grasp on the making of sauvignon as evidenced by the pleasant, melon, kiwi, and lemon rind character on the nose. The entry is soft and round with similar ripe melon/apple/kiwi fruit flavours on the palate. It has lovely elegant styling and quite a long, ripe finish -- impressive.

Few will have heard much about Domaine Chiroulet Les Terres Blanches 2001 that hails from the Gascony area of France. Les Terres Blanches mixes 50 per cent gros manseng with equal parts of sauvignon blanc and ugni blanc presenting a pleasant passion fruit, melon and green apple skin nose. The textures are supple with bright fruit flavours of green melon and kiwi flecked with mineral and citrus. An interesting, flavourful white for the adventurous wine drinker and good value.

The Torres Vina Esmeralda is among the most consistent white wines made on the planet and the 2001 with its clean fresh spicy, lemon rind nose is exceptional. Despite its exotic sweet aromatic nose Esmeralda is always bone dry on the palate with more spicy, mineral floral flavours and a dash of citrus oil. Unique and perfectly suited to a wide variety of spicy Indian and Asian cuisine.

Viñas del Vero Chardonnay 2001 is not your run-of-the-mill chardonnay if only because it's grown in the Aragon region of Spain and the emerging appellation of Somontano. The grapes are cold macerated before tank fermentation with an additional touch of barrel fermented juice in the final blend. Smoky mineral lees aromas blend with nectarine and citrus fruit flavours and just a touch of canned fruit cocktail. Serve with most light seafood dishes.

The Cà da Bosio Gavi di Gavi 2001 is a terrific bottle of white wine and proof a new-wave Italian co-op can make a difference. Terra da Vino has revolutionized the co-op method by building a high tech winery that processes small lots of high quality fruit from Piemontesi growers. Look for an open buttery, dry, mineral/leesy nose with some peach streaks in the background. The flavours are a delicate mix of nutty, peach with vanilla oak edging. Well made with some finesse and very easy to sip. This would be a fabulous addition to restaurant wine lists.

Finally, Rioja-based Marqués de Riscal turned to Rueda in Spain's Castilla-Leon region in search of better white grapes in the mid-90s and has been rewarded by the likes of Rueda Blanco 2001. This unusual blend of verdejo and viura grapes shows generous floral notes, gooseberry, yellow star fruit and green tea flavours with just a touch of spice and pepper. Fine length and power for the money. Drink now and through the summer with local seafood.

WHITE WINE FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Wine:          Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc 2002

Valle de Casablanca, Aconcagua, Chile

Price: $15.95

UPC: 083085611293

Score: 16/20

Comments: Stylish, Casablanca cool fruit white.

Wine:          Domaine Chiroulet Les Terres Blanches 2001

Gascony, France

Price: $15.95

UPC: 3439901100002

Score: 14/20

Comments: Green melon and kiwi fruit

Wine:  Torres Vina Esmeralda 2001

Penedès, Cataluna, Spain

Price: $13.95

UPC: 8410113001122

Score: 15/20

Comments: Aromatic, savoury white wine.

Wine:  Viñas del Vero Chardonnay 2001

Somontano, Aragon, Spain

Price: $13.99

UPC: 8421293121005

Score: 13.5/20

Comments: Smoky, mineral, nectarine flavours.

Wine:  Cà da Bosio Gavi di Gavi 2001

Piedmont, Italy

Price: $21.95

UPC: 8007425003649

Score: 16/20

Comments: Peachy, nutty, vanilla fruit.

Wine:          Marqués de Riscal Rueda Blanco 2001

Rueda, Spain

Price: $12.99

UPC: 8410866430019

Score: 15/20

Comments: Sauvignon-like with a peppery finish.