By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
Wednesday, September 12, 2007

When we met Arnold Schwarzenegger the movie star in Los Angeles in the fall of 2002, the three of us were among the dozens gathered to toast the swearing-in of Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton at a backyard celebration. Since his 2003 election to office, Arnold Schwarzenegger the governor is no longer merely raising a glass of California wine. For three consecutive years, he's been raising awareness of the state's role in wine history by officially declaring September to be California Wine Month.

Schwarzenegger's proclamation praises the state's "extraordinary wines," the "outstanding contributions" of California vintners and their dedication to "the latest in environmentally friendly technologies." Indeed, the sheer size of the California industry has made it virtually synonymous with American wine in general. California's more than 2,400 wineries shipped 541 million gallons last year -- 90 percent of all wine produced domestically and enough so that, if it were a nation, California would be the fourth-largest wine producer in the world.

In deference to the Governator, we're happy to include several outstanding California bottles in this week's lineup of relatively medium-bodied wines to see you through the still-warm weather projected for the weeks ahead.

The key word is "relatively." The California selections all contain over 14 percent alcohol, which used to lead us to characterize a wine as "full-bodied." In these days of rising alcohol levels, however, they qualify as medium-bodied wines that can hold their own against seafood and lighter red-meat preparations, such as in salads and sandwiches. Although this month's school calendars may read "fall," the farmers markets still say "summer" with their abundance of basil, corn, tomatoes and zucchini making their way into many dishes.

Among the whites we tasted recently, two of our favorites were from California. The 2006 J Pinot Gris ($20) is a beautifully balanced wine with enough soft, lemony acidity to stand up to oysters or to grilled chicken with tart plum salsa. As an alternative made from organically grown grapes, the 2006 Cooper Mountain Vineyards Reserve Pinot Gris ($18) from Oregon's Willamette Valley impressed us with similar, though more assertive, flavors that paired even better with the strongest oysters and pasta with clam sauce.

The second California white, a 2005 Domaine Chandon Chardonnay ($24), is from a maker better known for its sparkling wines. We fell in love with it at first sip for what it wasn't: big and overpowering with oak. Instead, the flavor of ripe, juicy pears with a hint of coconut and vanilla was delicious with a grilled pork chop accompanied by garlicky basil pesto and sauteed zucchini.

Among our favorite reds of the week, California ruled with two impressive pinot noirs from Carneros. Both were bursting with black cherry and plum flavors, balanced by light tannins, and they paired perfectly with lamb and fresh goat cheese. In other ways, however, the two couldn't have been more different.

The 2005 Etude Pinot Noir Appellation Carneros Estate ($42) is lighter and silkier, making Etude a longtime favorite of LAPD Chief Bratton and his wife, Rikki Klieman, as well as ours. Whenever Andrew uncorks a bottle of pinot noir at this price point, the flavor and texture of the 2005 Etude are what he's hoping for.

The 2005 Buena Vista Pinot Noir Ramal Vineyard ($42), on the other hand, was on the "big" side of the pinot spectrum. As it opened up in the glass over the course of dinner, this rich, elegant wine revealed new layers of flavor complexity, making it Karen's favorite. The oldest premium winemaker in California, Buena Vista is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, not by resting on its laurels but by investing millions in replanting vineyards and taking its winemaking to the next level.

If you'd prefer something slightly lighter on the palate (not to mention on the wallet) than California pinot noir, check out the 2005 Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abeilles Cotes du Rhone ($10). It's more characteristically Old World in flavor, with more earthiness than fruit, and balanced with more tannin and spiciness than either pinot noir. However, it's a similarly delicious pairing with grilled lamb chops.

If you're still in the mood for a lighter-bodied rose as a carryover from summer, turn to 2006 Mas Carlot Rose ($9) from the south of France, which offers a bright mouthful of strawberries with a dry finish. It's ideal as an aperitif or paired with virtually any Mediterranean flavors found in Nicoise salads, or in chicken, pork or even lighter lamb dishes.

In Southern California, meanwhile, it's perpetual summer. As friends of the chief and his wife, we're already planning our trip to Los Angeles to toast Bratton's swearing-in Oct. 25 to a history-making second term as chief of the LAPD. In his honor, we're sure to be sipping some Schwarzenegger-approved California pinots. But because October is Virginia Wine Month, we're already contemplating which wines to take along to show the California VIPs that although its industry is a fraction of the size of theirs, the Old Dominion knows a thing or two about winemaking.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page are the award-winning authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat." They can be reached through their Web site,http://www.becomingachef.com, or atfood@washpost.com.