Technically, Clif Family's "The Climber" ($14, often less) is a sauvignon blanc, with 81 percent made from that grape. But it tastes more like a blend, with the citrus notes rounded out by some pinot blanc (12 percent), chenin blanc (4 percent) and muscat (3 percent) that provide jolts of pink grapefruit, melon and tropical fruits, depending on one's palate. Whatever the concoction, it's flat-out delicious and lingers on the palate seemingly forever. Try it with lightly spiced Asian dishes, shrimp or scallops or as an aperitif.
BILL WARD
