From 1974 to 1990, he was at the helm at Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma County, crafting wines that would lay the groundwork for decades of success at that establishment. Nearing the end of his tenure there, Dick and his wife Alis founded Arrowood Winery in 1986, making wines in a cozy setting in the foothills of Sonoma County.

They dedicated their time to producing wines that carried Dick Arrowood’s personal touch, soft textures, intense flavors, and supple finish. Each sip a mouthful; each glass a banquet.

Arrowood remained with that enterprise until June 2010 when he left the winemaking at his eponymous winery to Heidi von der Mehden and began another venture. This time, like the previous two, it is in Sonoma County and is called Amapola Creek, after the creek that runs through the property.

  The vineyards are on Mayacamas Mountains and are farmed organically by famed vineyard manager Phil Coturri. True to his roots, Arrowood specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, a sumptuous wine that is hard to put down. But in a nod to his wife and constant partner, he’s created another bottling called Cuvée Alis, a blend of syrah and grenache. They also produce Zinfandel from the Monte Rosso vineyard, a site that has long been extolled by wine lovers for the depth and concentration of the wines it yields.

I haven’t tasted the Syrah, Zinfandel, or Cuvée Alis, but I recently had the opportunity to taste the Amapola Creek 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. I have to say I wasn’t stunned – but that’s because I’ve come to expect so much from Dick Arrowood. And, once again, he has lived up to the Olympian standards he set when he first set foot in Sonoma County. Stunned, surprised? No. Infatuated? Yes.

Notes: Amapola Creek 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($70). Ebulliently fruity and forward, yet elegant and refined. Flavors tend toward black cherries and plums, with hints of tobacco and cassis. A vein of toast and roasted coffee bean threads through the palate, wrapped in velvety smooth textures.

In fact, Albariño – called Alvarinho in Portugal – is a wonderful complement to a wide range of foods. With its focus on peach and nectarine flavors, accented by a bit of citric acidity, the wine balances zest with texture to serve up a medium-bodied, long-flavored wine. Usually it is slightly on the sweet side, but this helps deliver fullness of flavor when matched against spicy foods.

Starting with seafood, Albariño is best with steamed shellfish or broiled spine fish, although it merits attention with the better versions of ceviche. And it has enough body to serve alongside fish soup or cioppino.

But Albariño also pairs well with chicken – especially those with cream sauces or accented by herbs – and pasta dishes with clam sauce or mushroom-based sauces.

In the restaurant scene, you should find excellent examples of Albariño in establishments like Taberno del Alabardero, La Tasca, and Jaleo, but the wine is also likely to appear on well-drawn wine lists in wine-savvy restaurants, like Grapeseed, Tallula, and Cork. If it’s not there, ask – no, demand – and see how your favorite watering hole reacts to your new discovery.

Meanwhile, here are some Albariños for you to try on your own – with or without preparing a complete Spanish meal as accompaniment. All are from Rias Biaxas, in the northwestern region of Galicia.

  Condes de Albarei 2010 -Apricot and peach on nose, vibrantly fruity

Don Olegario 2010 – Floral, fruity, bright white peach and nectarine flavors

Mar de Frades 2010 – Refreshing touch of acidity to add sparkle to a forward-fruity wine

Marques d Vizhoja Torre la Moreira 2010 – Bright, fresh, a bit more reserved than other Albariños

Pazo Señorans 2010 – Unctuous and smooth, richer in texture than other Albariños

Robaliño 2010 – Butter, hazelnut and flowers on nose, supple textures with vein of acidity

Santiago Ruiz 2010 – White peach, hint of pineapple on nose and palate

Well, maybe some of it is, and that’s the reason this reasoning has gotten traction. But so many quality Merlots are left out of the conversation. Beringer’s Merlots have been stupendous for years, especially the Bancroft Ranch. Pahlmeyer and Pride have Merlots that easily stand above the crowd. Etude’s bottlings are age-worthy, and Shafer Merlots – earlier to mature – provide instant gratification. I’d push any Pinot Noir off the table to make way for a Château St. Jean Merlot, and Joe Cafaro still makes Merlots that sing.

Then there’s Duckhorn, Havens, Keenan, St. Francis, Château Ste. Michelle, and Matanzas Creek. In fact, during an extensive tasting of Merlots for a cover story in Wine News a few years back, I concluded that almost any Merlot from the cooler climes of Carneros would be a special treat.

Through the years, Merlot styles have changed and, after the initial boom-years in the 1990s, better terroir has been chosen for plantings. Below are a few recent tasting notes that might offer a primer on the grape.

  Beringer 2008 (Napa Valley, $21). A rich ruby red, with coffee and licorice aromas hosting hints on dark berries and milk chocolate, forward flavors and nicely balanced. Score: 87

Beringer 2006 Howell Mountain Bancroft Ranch (Napa Valley, $75) Up-front aromas of coffee and dark chocolate, with latent dark berry aromas, soft tannins, sumptuous red fruit, and wonderfully balanced. Score: 93

Charles Krug 2008 (Napa Valley, $24). Deep and dense in color and aroma, black cherry and petrol like Pomerol, hefty body, rich textured and dense fruit flavors. Score: 91

Castello di Gabbiano 2007 Alleanza (Tuscany, $35). Soft red fruit, rich body, tangy acidity, dry impression but fruity finish. Score: 90

Columbia Crest 2007 Reserve (Columbia Valley $30). Delicate aromas but pungent flavors. Score: 88

http://www.pridewines.com/content/default1421.html

White wine makers finally realized that they were being scoffed at and decided to ramp up the quality to retake their market share. And red wine drinkers who, for years, tut-tutted the shallow whites as useless suddenly discovered the joys of a lightly chilled and briskly acidic wine as a come-hither invitation to the delights of the table.

Chardonnay was good, but had already given birth to an anti- market. Dubbed ABC wine, it referred to wine drinkers looking for “anything but Chardonnay.” There was a dalliance with Viognier and Riesling, and perennial flirtations with exotic Old World wines like Torrontes, Marsanne, Aligoté, and Albariño, but as aperitif wines go, we were looking for brisk, lively wines that tantalized the palate and prepared us for the meal.

Enter Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. Not the PGs of years past, wines that lacked finish and were hard to distinguish from the water glass standing next to it. PGs of today boast a panoply of flavors, citrus overtones, balance, and – more so in the case of Pinot Gris – supple textures.

  I would still choose a Pinot Grigio for a pre-prandial drink. Its racy flavors and gulpability are perfect for the first drink of the evening. And I would pick Pinot Gris, with its fuller mouthfeel and longer impression as the wine to serve with food. But both have their place.

Banfi 2010 Le Rime Pinot Grigio (Tuscany, $9). Refreshing and bright, with lemony acidity.

Castello di Gabbiano 2010 Pinot Grigio (Tuscany, $8).  Scents of lemon zest and lime come first, followed by a zesty, bright fruity wine with highlights of citrus.

Erath 2009 Pinot Gris (Oregon, $14). Silky smooth, luscious white peach and pear flavors yet with a tingling threat of acidity to hold it all together.

Kumeu River 2009 Pinot Gris (Auckland, New Zealand, $21). Peach and vanilla on the nose, followed by the rich flavors of ripe peach and tropical fruit. The slightly oily hint to the texture bodes well and shows a full-bodied wine to pair well with cream-based dishes.

Ponzi 2010 Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, $15). Zesty and refreshing, hint of lime and floral accents on nose, main theme of lime on palate, with citrus acidity bracing the entire impression.

Santa Cristina 2010 Pinot Grigio (Sicily, $16). Crisp bright fruit aromas with a floral hint, slight apple and citrus flavors with touch of orange on finish.

WillaKenzie 2010 Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, $21).  Crisp, fresh, lively acidity, bright pear and crisp apple flavors, touch of pineapple on finish.

Kenny’s latest batch of wines is another example of his consistent quality.  All of them come from fruit grown on a 100 acre hillside vineyard in Alexander Valley, which is covered with blue stones and serpentine boulders.  He bottles the wines at three quality levels.  The entry level Baby Blue is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Syrah, Merlot, and Malbec.  It is truly a wine for everyone; a special occasion bottle for those on a budget or a daily drinker for the collector-types.  It has that soft richness to it that is commonly found in ultra-premium Napa Cabernets that have cellared for 10 or so years.

Kenny’s flagship Cabernets are good candidates for such cellaring.  The elegance of these complex and powerful reds needs time to emerge.  I brought the 2008 and 2009 to a dinner party full of wine-savvy friends and they were a big hit, though one person expressed regret that I was not able to bring vintages from earlier in the decade so that he could get a real sense of the wine’s potential.   I reminded him that with wine, good things come to those who wait.

It’s hard to give up on summer, even when Mother Nature threatens another plague or two before nightfall.

In the spirit of summer, before we forsake the patio for the eat-in kitchen, let’s toast the best days and shake our fist at the skies. And I can think of no better wine than the spicy, spirited flavors of a hearty red Zinfandel.

Forget the stories of its origins in southern Italy, or its sojourn in Croatia and Hungary. Zinfandel is as American as apple pie and the stars and bars. Don’t let the summer fade without pulling the cork from a bottle or two. Here are some suggestions.

  Grgich Hills 2008 Zinfandel (NapaValley, $35). Scented with coffee and tobacco leaf, rich succulent flavors and light spice, even a slightly fruity finish. A simply superb wine.

Paul Dolan 2009 Zinfandel (Mendocino County, $25). A standard-bearer for ol’ time Zinfandel, with flavors of raspberry and chocolate accented with pepper and brown spice.

Plungerhead 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi, $16). Deep red color, pungent with full-blown fruit, dark cherry and raspberry, a touch of white pepper on finish.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel (Sonoma County, $24). Deep black cherry and blackberry aromas, chewy and highly structured, layers of ripe red fruit and polished tannins, hint of coffee on finish. A perennially superb wine.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel Home Ranch (Alexander Valley, $38). Scents of plums and black currants, followed by flavors of black cherry, plums, and sweet tobacco, with lively tannins but soft finish.

Sledgehammer 2008 Zinfandel (North Coast, $15). Red fruit aromas and flavors, medium body, tart finish.

We had reached Atlas Peak, the mountain but also the former name of a winery. Founded originally by a partnership between Marchese Piero Antinori, Bollinger, and Whitbread, Atlas Peak Winery was host to newly planted Italian varietals as well as the first ever Sangiovese Symposium in 1997.

The Italian grapes struggled to survive and, now, the new enterprise called Antica has returned to Napa Valley’s preeminent grapes: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, though some Sangiovese is still vinified by winemaker Nate Weis on the property.

Antinori’s style shows through in the wines, the estate, and the layout of the vineyards, green lines of lush vines that cascade down the slopes from this aerie. Hidden from Napa’s busy commerce on Route 29 and surrounded by lazy hills and cultured vineyards, the landscape below us seemed snatched from a photographer’s rendering of the bucolic beauty of Tuscany. So it is no surprise that the wines should show elegance, respect for tradition, and bountiful flavors. 

The 2009 Chardonnay ($35) has scents of pear and apple, with luscious textures and layered flavors, interwoven with a racy thread of minerality. It would be a perfect pair for trout almondine. The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) shows black cherry fruit and, while still a little closed, seems to be coming out of hibernation.

There are just a handful of wines that have the acidity and fruitiness to truly refresh us. Pinot Grigio, Torrontes, off-dry Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc are the first to come to mind.

The bright breezy flavors of Sauvignon Blanc are the highlight of many wines. In the U.S., Australia, and South America, the wines are known by the name of the grape, but in France, where some of the most elegant wines are made, “SBs” are labeled as Sancerre, a Loire Valley wine with herbal, flinty characteristics, or Pouilly Fumé, also from the Loire Valley and featuring a hint of smoke on the palate. White wines from Bordeaux are also made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Here are some recent finds, all worthy or our attention before fall sets in and we abandon the delicious white wines of summer.

  From Loire Valley:
Michel Redde 2007 Pouilly-Fumé La Moynerie ($30). Rich and smooth, yet zesty, with lemon peel accents on finish.

Michel Redde 2007 Sancerre Les Tuilieres ($30). Fresh and delightfully fruity, pineapple, grapefruit, green apple accents, and a light flinty touch. A mouthful of zesty, spirited wine.

Others:
Dancing Bull 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (California, $12). Refreshing and forward, with pineapple and mango on nose and palate.

Emiliana Natura 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Chile, $11). Brisk and lively, easily quaffable, highlighting lemon/lime flavors.

Girard 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley, $23). A distinctive wine, with accents of herbs and lime, soft and approachable.

Merry Edwards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley, $30). Beautifully structured, flavors of kiwi and ripe citrus, hint of lime, just a touch of sweet white fruit.

Paul Dolan 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Mendocino County, $18). A bright beautiful display, with lemon citrus and orange peel flavors, medium body, modest finish.

Plozner 2007 Sauvignon (Fruili, $17). Slight grapefruit and citrus on nose, softly fragrant and zesty, apple and grapefruit flavors, nectarine accents.

Robert Oatley 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Western Australia, $17). Lime, citrus and green grass on nose, limey flavors, tropical fruit on finish.

So most of us have huddled inside our homes where the air conditioner groans under loads that violate manufacturers’ specs and wait for deliverance. As the perceptibly cooler air wafts about and slowly curbs the rising body temperature, thoughts turn to red wine.

What else? I’ve always said that A/C was invented to make it possible to drink red wine in summertime.

It seemed like a perfect time to test the reports of a superior vintage coming from California in 2007. Vintage scores in the high-90s by many wine publications suggest that there’s much to look forward to.

But why wait for the next anniversary or the hoped-for kid’s scholarship? With temperatures holding steady at Underworld levels, we need to take care of ourselves – - now.

Souverain 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $17). Scents of wet earth and oak, black cherry, plums on nose, currants, black cherry, soft textures, full body.

Dry Creek Vineyard 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Dry Creek Valley, $25). First impression is tobacco smoke and oak, with deep long lasting dark fruit aromas and flavors.

Ferrari-Carano 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $30). Black cherry, cassis and plums on the nose, same impression on the palate, dense cherry flavors, intense, long finish.

Rodney Strong 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Alexander Valley, $45). Rich, dark fruit and licorice accents on the nose, followed by cranberry, plums, and cassis on the palate, with licorice and mint accents.

Sbragia Family Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte RossoVineyard (Sonoma Valley, $50). Black cherry, cola, and plums on nose and palate, soft approach, incredibly deep and textured, a magnificent wine.

Ferrari-Carano 2007 Tresor (Alexander Valley, $58). Rich vibrant aromas of dark fruit and earth notes, mocha and cassis dominates the flavor profile, layers of black cherry and boisenberry, soft silky finish.

Rodney Strong 2007 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $75). Brewed coffee aromas, with concentrated black cherry flavors, dense and chewy, soft tannins, hint of chocolate on finish.

Sbragia Family Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rancho del Oso (Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, $75). Superb balance, richly textured dense and concentrated, reminiscent of black fruit, herbs, and subtle earth tones, this is a keeper.

Chateau St. Jean 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cepages (Sonoma County, $75). Packed with black plum and black cherry aromas, dense and chewy, black plum flavors accented by roasted coffee bean, slight hints of mocha on finish.