California's time is ripe for Grenache Blanc

With its mix of ripe fruit and herbal nuance, it offers the best of what Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc can offer, without stridently green flavors or buttery overload, and with far more charm than the insipidities of much Pinot Grigio.

2012 Holly's Hill Estate El Dorado Grenache Blanc ($22, 13.4% alcohol): The Cooper family has taken full advantage of the potential of white Rhone-native grapes from their Sierra foothill soils near Placerville.

2012 Kinero Alice Paso Robles Grenache Blanc ($22, 13.6%): Anthony Yount continues to set a standard for this grape - and not just for California - from western Paso Robles, where he also makes the Denner wines.

2012 Bokisch Vista Luna Vineyard Borden Ranch Garnacha Blanca ($18, 13.5%): Markus Bokisch's great site for Iberian whites in eastern Lodi shows its relative warm origins with an exotic side: papaya seed and wax bean, with fresh apple fruit and a richer profile than some of its counterparts.

2012 Donkey & Goat El Dorado Grenache Blanc ($27, 13.1%): Jared and Tracey Brandt used a bit of maceration on grape skins (there's also a skin-fermented version for the curious) to great effect.