From the precipitously steep limestone slopes of Italy’s Alto Adige to the pastoral green Loire Valley, these acid-driven, obligingly food-friendly and fruit-forward whites can be your table’s best companion. What other grape has the versatility to pair with raw oysters, fish tacos, ripe and creamy chèvre, or Thai basil fried rice with equal aplomb? Want something stony, smoky, and shatteringly crisp? Check. How about silky, honeyed, and chock-full of sweet/tart fruit? You got it. You know, I believe we might have a perfect Sauvignon Blanc for every occasion.

The arrival of a new producer is always an exciting event here in our Berkeley shop, not unlike the heady days of a new relationship. Everyone is over the moon, staff and clients alike. But this feeling doesn’t last forever. New wines arrive, vintages pass, and the bloom comes off the rose. Mignon McLaughlin wrote a famous aphorism about relationships: “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” This trait is also useful in the wine business, and with our producers it’s frankly pretty easy. We’re now four years into our relationship with the wines of Duline, and I’m just as smitten as I was the first time I tasted them.