2005 Chateau Guiraud Bordeaux blanc

Somehow it’s always easier to find a good and affordable red wine than a white. That’s why this Bordeaux blanc is such a find: It’s clean and crisp with ripe fruit flavors and a lovely minerality. It’s a perfect aperitif, one that can come straight to the table -- and is a super bargain.

Quick swirl

Region: Bordeaux

Price: About $12

Style: Crisp and bright

Food it goes with: Oysters, steamed mussels and clams, caviar and blini, grilled sturgeon and other fish.

Where you find it: At select Bristol Farms markets; Larchmont Village Wine & Cheese in Los Angeles, (323) 856-8699; Pacific Ranch Market in Orange, (714) 639-9797; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454 and (800) 76WINEX; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731.

-- S. Irene Virbila