By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Too hot to think? We know the feeling. These are the days when the perfect meal means something that requires little or no planning. That includes the wine selection. So we'll make it easy for you: Depending on your mood -- laid back, adventurous or indulgent -- you can pop the cork on one or more of these bottles of summer white wines to drink with your favorite warm-weather foods.

· Mood: laid back. Creating a peak experience can be as simple as buying a baguette and chevre (fresh goat cheese) or throwing fish or other seafood on the grill to pair with a refreshing sauvignon blanc-based wine.

We loved both the 2006 and the just-released 2007 Souverain Alexander Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15), whose richness and complexity are enhanced by a touch of Viognier grapes. This crisp, medium-bodied white with grapefruit and tropical-fruit flavors has creamy vanilla notes on the finish, evidence of its five months spent in French oak barrels.

Murphy-Goode has been making fume blanc (a California alias for sauvignon blanc) in that state's Alexander Valley since 1985, but its 2007 vintage reflects a change in strategy and name. It has been rechristened "The Fume" to signal the vineyard's intention to make the ultimate expression of this wine. Andrew was enamored of the light body, the hint of orange peel and the soft, grassy notes of the 2007 Murphy-Goode The Fume ($11.50), whose mere three months on French oak gave it the slightest toastiness.

If you're looking for a fuller-bodied white to pair with slightly heavier foods such as grilled chicken or pork, try Andrew's pick this week. Acacia, a pioneering producer of chardonnay in California's Carneros region for more than 25 years, brings considerable expertise to a relatively new line. Its 2006 A by Acacia California Chardonnay ($10) is a steal. After spending 4 1/2 months aging on the lees (yeast deposits) in Hungarian, European and American oak barrels, it is full in body and in flavor, with delightful tropical-fruit notes accented by hints of ginger.

· Mood: adventurous. Gather your friends to taste a pair of dry, light-bodied wines made from the rare Arneis (pronounced ar-NACE) grape. See how the same grape grown in Italy and Oregon results in two vastly different expressions, a powerful illustration of the influence of terroir.

Arneis might have died out as a grape varietal if it hadn't been for celebrated Italian winemaker Alfredo Currado, who revived it 40 years ago and inspired dozens of other winemakers in Italy, and a few abroad, to follow suit. On the back label of the 2007 Vietti Roero Arneis ($21), which is Karen's pick this week, Currado is quoted as saying: "In 1967 I experimented with the Arneis grape from the few vines that were left in the Roero area. This is the result; and now some people in Piemonte consider me the father of Arneis Wine. . . ." The 2007 vintage sings, providing a spectacular pairing with prosciutto and melon, Caesar salad with chicken, and pasta with pesto.

The made-in-Oregon 2007 Ponzi Willamette Valley Arneis ($20) is a testimony to Currado's influence. Members of the Ponzi family paid many visits to Vietti, where they were delighted by the grape's unique flavors. In 1991, Ponzi planted its first cuttings of the grape, becoming one of a small number of U.S. winemakers and the only one in Oregon to produce Arneis. Although Vietti's version is unfiltered, Ponzi describes its own as "lightly filtered" before bottling. Still crisp, with bright acidity and with grapefruit and tropical-fruit flavors accenting its own minerality, it is a lovely match with prosciutto and melon, but we enjoyed it most with fresh chevre.

· Mood: indulgent. We misread our notes on the famed 2006 Livio Felluga Terre Alte ($70), initially mistaking its price as a mere $20. Too late: We had already fallen in love with this wonderfully elegant and complex proprietary blend of Tocai Friulano, pinot bianco and sauvignon and had started to imagine special occasions over the summer that might give us an excuse to sample it again. This light-bodied wonder from the Friuli region's star winemaker will surprise you with its powerfully alluring flavors and long, lingering finish, not to mention its affinity for vegetable risotto and seafood, both of which are on the menu for our August anniversary dinner.

For a more accessibly priced taste of the same renowned winery's skill, open a bottle of the 2007 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio ($29). Pinot grigio too often gets a bad rap as a "lightweight" wine, but this version reveals the grape's potential. Its lemon-lime citrus and ripe pear flavors pair beautifully with lighter white fish and shellfish dishes, with or without pasta or risotto. Keep an eye out for Livio Felluga's pinot grigio marketed under its Esperto label, which costs less than $15.

At that price, it's a no-brainer.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat" and the forthcoming "The Flavor Bible," can be reached through their Web site, http://www.becomingachef.com, or at food@washpost.com.