Mix-and-match party wines

A few weeks ago, I was asked to organize a wine tasting for a private event. The table was laid out with an assortment of picnic foods: olives, nuts, cheeses, pâté, salmon spread, various dips and salads and a cold pork tenderloin. Rather than worry about matching particular wines to particular foods, I put together a group of whites and reds that allowed the guests to mix and match according to their own tastes and whims.

I realized, as I watched people having a great deal of fun trying out the various bottles, that the mistake that is often made when purchasing wines for casual parties is limiting the selection. Why have six bottles of the same wine when you can have two bottles each of three different wines? Guests will have more fun, and everyone will be more willing to experiment if there are interesting choices laid out.

Don't worry too much about specific food/wine matches. Let people find their own favorites. As we move into spring, and casual outdoor dining is once again possible, it is especially nice to find low-priced wines that will go with a wide variety of spring picnic menus. Here are some favorites from recent Washington releases.

White wines for appetizers

Columbia Winery 2006 Riesling ($12). The grapes are from vineyards in the heart of the Yakima Valley, which is becoming the epicenter for Washington Riesling. Despite some residual sweetness, it tastes rather dry, with tangy citrus fruit flavors. It's a fine choice to accompany summer salads and light seafoods.

Hogue 2007 Pinot Grigio ($9). This affordable, straightforward white wine is fresh and crisp, with flavors of citrus rind, pears and green apples. It has a bit more concentration than its budget-priced Washington competitors.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates 2006 Chardonnay ($11). Apple, pear and peach flavors dominate, with broad flavors of butter and vanilla supported by crisp acidity. This is one of the best vintages of the Grand Estates Chardonnay in years.

Columbia Crest Two Vines 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($8). Two Vines makes an outstanding sauvignon blanc for the price. The 2006 release is a high-acid rendering, fruity and quite dry. Citrus and melon aromas and flavors stand out, along with characteristic and quite pleasant herbaceous notes.

Red wines for entrees

Three Rivers 2006 River's Red ($15). Each year this value red blend is surprisingly different. Last year, merlot was the main component; this time around it's syrah. So it's spicier, more sappy and loaded with bright and forward berry flavors. The Bordeaux grapes that fill in the second half of the blend add notes of herb, earth, leaf and a hint of stone.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates 2005 Merlot ($11). The Grand Estates merlot is a surefire choice, especially in a ripe, sweet vintage such as 2005. The soft mid-palate offers ripe cherry and prune flavors, with streaks of coffee leading into somewhat earthy tannins. This is a merlot that can take on wines from California that cost three times as much.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon ($11). Another winner for Columbia Crest. Spicy blackberry and cassis fruit flavors lead into streaks of vanilla and tobacco. The wine has a firm and full-bodied finish, with added notes of chocolate and toast.

Columbia Crest Two Vines 2005 Merlot-Cabernet ($8). The 2005 Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet is easily the best since 2002. Dusty, toasty and bone dry, this excellent budget red includes a little cabernet franc in the blend. Along with the supple berry-flavored fruit, there are pleasing grace notes of spice, coffee and cocoa.

Hogue 2006 Shiraz ($9). The aromas start out with pretty blueberry pie and spice rising from the glass. It's a high-acid style, with citrus notes dominating and adding layers of lime, grapefruit and lemon peel.

Covey Run 2005 Quail Series Syrah ($9). Lean and peppery, with plenty of color and tannin, this would make a fine accompaniment to simple grilled meats. It's got fairly simple flavors of red currants, lightly earthy tannins and proportionate acids.

Wine for dessert

Thurston Wolfe 2004 JTW Reserve Premium Dessert Wine ($20). Thurston Wolfe makes one of the country's best Port-style dessert wines, a selection of barrels of late-ripened zinfandel, touriga, petite sirah, cabernet sauvignon and souzao. At 20 percent alcohol and 10 percent residual sugar, it has the concentration and raw power of genuine Port, packed with a sweet array of baking spices, clove and fruit flavors of citrus, orange peel and pungent blossoms. This is a real showstopper!

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Washington Wines and Wineries The Essential Guide." His column appears weekly in the Wine section. He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.