Day 313 Drink: The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio

Grape Valley Wine Co. is located in Modesto, Calif., and is a trademark of the E. & J. Gallo Winery. Grape Valley markets four non-vintage varietals from California under The Naked Grape brand, a pinot grigio, chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon.

The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio is a pale straw color and has a soft note of pear for an aroma. The winemaker used pinot grigio as the primary grape, blended with gewurztraminer, viognier and riesling. The flavor is light, with a decent level of acidity.

Day 113 Drink: Maso Canali 2008 Pinot Grigio

Maso Canali 2008 Pinot Grigio is from Italy's Trentino-Alto Adige region. The 500-year-old Maso Canali Estate, not far from Lake Garda, has been home to vineyards since the Middle Ages. Starting in 1893, growers planted pinot grigio grapes on the land.

Maso Canali 2008 Pinot Grigio is a blend of 92 percent pinot grigio and 8 percent chardonnay. It pour a bright straw color and has hints of citrus and peach in the aroma. The wine has a pleasant dry mineral quality with a nice level of acidity. A great wine for seafood or cocktails.

Tuesday Tasting: Italian Whites

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we sample some white wines from Italy.

The Beyond Beer column in the current issue of All About Beer magazine focuses on Italian wine. When you pick up a bottle of Italian wine, look for a set of letters or words that will give you an idea of the pedigree of the wine. There are four basic designations you will encounter, but keep in mind that not all wines of a certain designation are equal. When it comes to the designations on Italian wine labels, vineyards not following the accepted norms get penalized and cannot use the “highest” designation levels. These are reserved for wines that follow tradition. If a winemaker displays some individuality that they believe results in a better wine, they do so knowing they will not be able to use the prized DOC or DOCG designations. the four designations include:

Vino da Tavola (VDT), or “table wine.” The wine may be a basic quaffing wine or it may use this designation because it is a blend of grapes that does not comply with standards set for the other designations. While “table wine” can often mean lower grade wines, it is not always the case with Italian VDT wines.

Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT), a category of wines from a specific growing region, which do not meet the specific strict, traditional rules. There are about 120 IGT zones for Italian wines. These are quality wines that reflect what locals in the region often typically consume.

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), 300 wines from regions across Italy qualify for this category. Established in 1963, to meet this grade wines must be made using specific grapes, in specific blends, with a minimum alcohol content, aged for a prescribed period and from vineyards that meet specific production guidelines. These wines meet a defined set of criteria for traditional quality wines of the region.

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garanitita (DOCG), a cut above DOC wines in terms of quality. These wines must be made from traditional grapes grown in the region, but they also have undergone a blind taste test that indicates the judges have picked these vineyard areas as the best of the best. There are just over 30 DOCG designated appellations.

Five Italian whites to try:

Conte Priola 2007 Pinot Grigio Veneto: Straw colored wine with a clean aroma. Nice grapefruit base to a palate cleansing wine that would match we with seafood and a number of pasta dishes.

Ecco Domani 2007 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie: Clean, slightly floral aroma. The wine has hints of tropical fruit and pineapple, finishing with some green apple qualities.

Monti Rossi 2007 Pinot Grigio Veneto: This wine offers a slight floral and herbal aroma. Crisp with a nice level of citrus and pear qualities throughout the flavor.

Neirano 2007 Pitule Moscato: This sweet lower alcohol wine (7 percent abv) is lightly sparkling. Good to accompany an after dinner pastry.

The Sopranos 2007 Pinot Grigio: Straw color wine with a crisp, tart flavor profile. Grapefruit and tropical fruits in the finish.

Tuesday tasting: Summer Whites for Poolside Sipping

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we taste some white wines that are perfect for enjoying when alfresco when the temperatures spike.

In the upcoming issue of All About Beer magazine my Beyond Beer column is focused on ABC Wines -- Anything But Chardonnay -- because the summer is the perfect time to break away from the usual, leave heavy oak flavors behind and look for crisp, fruity wines. Here are 14 wines tasted for the article.

Albarino 2006 Salneval: This Spanish wine from Rias Baixas is light and refreshing. Nice floral nose and crisp grapefruit and lime citrus flavors. Perfect for the deck or poolside.

Ballentine 2007 Chenin Blanc: This Napa wine comes from a grape that got its reputation from the wines in the Loire Valley. Floral aroma, nice minerally base and citrus tones. Perfect aperitif to transition from the work of a long day.

Barefoot Moscato: A California value label that delivers a sweet white with plenty of peach, pear and apricot notes.

Bonterra Vineyards 2006 Viognier: Made from organically grown northern California grapes, this wine has an oaky nose and a dry fruit base to the flavor. It is a blend of 85 percent viognier, 11 percent marsanne and 4 percent rousanne grapes and aged for four months in French oak. Ripe apricots dominate a pleasant flavor profile.

Brennan Vineyards 2006 Viognier: Clean and crisp. This Texas wine has inviting honeysuckle aroma notes. Ripe fruit. A bit of grapefruit and plenty of apricot throughout.

Carta d’Imbarco 2006 Pinot Grigio: This Italian-style white is produced in the Monterey area of California. Fermented in stainless steel, this wine is crisp with a good level of acidity and fresh fruit. Nice cocktail wine.

Casa Nuestra 2007 Dry Chenin Blanc: Dry, apple and citrus backed wine with a nice level of acidity to match well with pasta and seafood dishes.

Kim Crawford 2007 Marlborough Pinot Gris: This New Zealand white is creamy and fruity. Peach skins, apple and pear flavors dominate.

Fontana Candida Frascati 2006 Superiore Secco: Produced from vineyards near Rome using malvasia and trebbiano grapes, this wine has an appealing floral nose and inviting citrus flavor.

Dr. Konstantin Frank 2006 Rkatsiteli: A rare find. An Eastern Europe grape that thrives in a small corner of the Finger Lakes. If you like Riesling and gewürztraminer, then you will love this wine. Mango, spice and pineapple in a refreshing white wine.

J 2006 Pinot Gris: This Russian River white has an attractive floral nose and a nice dry tropical flavor bed. A great way to change the mind of a diehard chardonnay drinker.

Little Black Dress 2006 Pinot Grigio: Light citrus nose, hints of peach and green apple in a easy going flavor profile.

McWilliams 2005 South Eastern Australia Riesling: Very nice bouquet of jasmine and honeysuckle. Dominated by citrus, pear and apricot flavors.

Shannon Ridge 2007 Viognier: Produced in California’s Lake Country this wine is aged in neutral French oak and packs plenty of rich tropical fruit flavors. Mangos, pineapple, peaches dominate.

A London Size Hangover After $216,632.43 Bar Tab

London is one of the world's most expensive cities and Crystal is one of the most expensive nightclubs in London. A businessman said to be from Dubai can attest to this after running up a $216,632.43 bar bill at the club this past Saturday.

Crystal, which is famous for celebrity and royal sightings, has seen its share of big bar tabs. Nothing comes close to the giant cost of the party the Middle Eastern businessman and 15 of his friends rolled up.

The amount consumed is almost as astonishing as the cost. Before the night was over, the group and a crowd that joined in the fun in the V.I.P. area had ordered the equivalent of 102 bottles of champagne and other assorted drinks. By the end of the drinking marathon the bill included:

- One Methuselah (equals 8 normal bottles) of Cristal Champagne

- 28 bottles of Dom Perignon Champagne

- 40 bottles of Cristal Champagne

- Two Jeroboams (equals six bottles) of Cristal Champagne

- Nine Magnums (equals two bottles) of Dom Perignon Champagne

- A Methuselah of Belvedere vodka

- A Magnum of Grey Goose vodka

- A bottle of Absolut vodka

- Six cans of Coke

- 17 Red Bulls

- Eight bottles of still water

- A bottle of Pinot Grigio