Where to find those coastal gems

You may have to do some sleuthing to find Italian coast whites, but a number of importers are bringing in little gems such as these. Sometimes the best strategy is to ask if your retailer carries wines from these firms, including Vias, Robert Chadderdon, Domaine Select and Oliver McCrum, and local importers Wine Expo in Santa Monica, J.K. Imports in Pasadena and Vino Bravo in Aliso Viejo.

Liguria

2004 Durin Riviera di Ligure Ponente Pigato An exotic pine-needle scent accompanied by a faintly earthy, cinnamon-stick aroma and a strong current of minerality. A creamy texture with flavors of pear and quince and plenty of acid. At Silverlake Wine in Los Angeles, (323) 662-9024, and Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463, about $20.

2004 Ricardo Bruna Riviera Ligure di Ponente Pigato “le Russeghine” Bruna’s wines tend to come in a little riper than other Pigatos; the wine’s characteristic herbal tinge is muted here. Rich, honeyed flavors of ripe white peaches. At Wine House in Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, about $18.

2005 Giacomelli Vermentino Colli di Luni With aromas of olives and the sea, its flavors are of pear and salt. There’s a faint pine flavor in the finish, informed by pretty, almost eggnog-like spices. At Silverlake Wine, about $32.

2004 Ottaviano Lambruschi Colli di Luni Vermentino “Costa Marina” A beautiful wine, intensely leesy, complex. Minerally with a salty tang and a scallion-like herbal note. Exotic and penetrating on the palate, with flavors of tarte Tatin, butter and sweet cream. At Silverlake Wine, about $42.

The Marches

2004 Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Generous and inviting, with a yellow-gold hue. A mild herbal scent of tarragon hovers above flavors of citrus, orange oil and ripe peach. At Hi-Time Wine Cellars and Wine House, about $16.

2004 Ciu Ciu Offida Pecorino “le Merlettaie” Much tighter, with fresher, tighter acids than Verdicchio; leading with scents of fresh milk and sweet cream with a fine, fleshy, tropical mid-palate, giving way to a racy, acidic finish. At Wine Expo in Santa Monica, (310) 828-4428, about $14.

Sicily and Sardinia

2004 Piero Mancini Vermentino di Gallura (Sardinia) Delicious gold-hued wine that gathers the sun into the glass; scents of lemon curd and olive. Its flavors are full and exotic, almost like passion fruit spiced with honey, and the olive aromas give way to lavender. At Hi-Time Wine Cellars, about $12.

2003 Mirabile Bianco Sicilia I.G.T. A blend of Grillo, Grecanico and Viognier, its aromatics benefit from that touch of Viognier, giving the wine peach aromas and a full, grapey freshness accented by fresh-cut herbs. Rich and mouth filling, with flavors of pear and peach. At Wine House, about $16.

2005 Firriato Altavilla della Corte Grillo I.G.T. Vinified from 100% Grillo, an indigenous variety, this wine has a frisky, salty, sea-air scent that seems to leap out of the glass. It’s especially clean and bright with tropical flavors of passion fruit and papaya, a zinc-like minerality and plenty of snap. At Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese, Los Angeles, (323) 856-8699, about $16.

Campania

2004 Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio A classic, updated here by Mastroberardino from Coda di Volpe grapes from the slopes of Vesuvius, this wine has scents of exotic, white peach blossom and lemon curd, a sturdy, grapey flavor and a touch of earthy minerality that gives the wine contour. At Wine House, about $19.

2003 Marisa Cuomo Fiorduva Furore Costa d’Amalfi A proprietary blend named for the cliffs (furore) of the Amalfi Coast, this is a honeyed wine with a heady scent of waxy florals and hints of orange water; it’s mouth filling, with tropical fruit flavors and a broad, rich texture. At Wine House, about $39.

2004 Bruno de Conciliis Donnalunna Fiano I.G.T. A warm, seaside Fiano, unlike those from the more mountainous Avellino, this wine leads with warm tropical aromas of pineapple and a hint of mango. Quite rich and especially creamy in the mouth, where those tropical flavors gain amplitude. At Wine House, about $16.

-- Patrick Comiskey