I didn't know that the 2012 Tortoise Creek "Cuvée Jeanne" Sauvignon Blanc ($14) was from one of my very favorite wine regions, Gascony. But I did know that it was made by one of my very favorite vintners, the irrepressible Mel Masters. What a kismet-kissed combo, producing gobs of stone-fruit and citrus flavors, surprising depth and zingy minerality and acidity. The finish is clean, focused and persistent, evoking an immediate "time for another sip." This French white would cozy right up to most fish or fowl dishes and absolutely rock with, yes, one of my very favorite meals, pasta carbonara.

Available at Lakeville and Eden Prairie munis, the Little Wine Shoppe and Bacchus.

BILL WARD