Cameroni "Giovanni" Pinot Bianco ($14)

Cameron Winery is a most amazing place nestled in the Red Hills above Dundee, Oregon. Its very talented proprietor, John Paul—who has nicknamed himself "Giovanni" and who bears a striking resemblance to the Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini—can often be found bouncing through the vineyards astride his tractor with his tattered San Pellegrino hat. Have dinner with the Paul family and you are thrown back to the long table in Big Night, everyone sipping some of the finest chardonnay and pinot noir around with Italian and pseudo-Italian enlivening the conversation. It was only fitting that when John, er, Giovanni, decided to bottle the pinot blanc, he used the clean, fresh wines of Friuli and Trentino in northern Italy as his benchmarks. Only with this wine does Cameron Winery become Cameroni and the domestic pinot blanc become "pinot bianco." The '98 Cameroni "Giovanni" Pinot Bianco is a bright, honeysuckle- and orange-scented wine that leaves a hint of spritz on the palate. It sees not one bit of oak aging or malolactic fermentation, and could be served with chilled seafood or prosciutto and melon. Enjoy! Like a customized Ferrari or Armani suit, it may be hard to find but it's worth your while.