Chardonnay-based wines from warm, sunny regions like Napa Valley push the white-wine envelope. Their alcoholic strength and strong oak-barrel influence rivals that found in world-class reds. While this style can be overly rich and lacking refreshment, there are balanced chardonnays with enough tangy tropical fruit qualities to provide counterpoint. Franciscan is known for their unusual approach to achieving this. Since 1987, Franciscan’s Cuvée Sauvage Chardonnay (Chariman’s Selection, $19.99) has eschewed cultured yeast strains, a standard California operating procedure in favor of the traditional French technique of wild yeast fermentation.

Wild fermentations are inherently risky and unpredictable. But the reward is wines with great diversity of character. In successful vintages like 2005, this wine has an unusual combination of opulence and sharpness, spiciness and crispness. This wine somehow manages to deliver the vibrancy of caramelized pineapple and the creaminess of homemade eggnog. Few other whites are as well equipped to handle Filet Mignon or lobster with drawn butter.

Chile is the only country in the world to produce wine from the carménère grape. Originally a French grape from the Bordeaux region, it has long since lost out to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in plantings there. But in Chile, where cuttings from Europe were planted widely the 1800’s carménère thrived because it was mistaken for merlot. More than a century passed before the error was discovered, and this smaller berried grape with higher quality potential was hailed as the lost grape of Bordeaux.

Flavor-wise, carménère bears strong resemblance to its relations in the Bordeaux family, with the black plummy core of fruit so pleasing in merlot, cabernet sauvignon’s depth and chocolatey aromas, and the herbal edge of cabernet franc, yet it also has a Mediterranean character all its own. Carménère is a delight with savory foods, from cheese pizza to pot roast. One of the best values — just $10.99 — and most widely available in Pennsylvania, is premium Casillero del Diablo from Concha y Toro.

Many people associate white rum with a cheap buzz. But one sip of Rhum Clément Première Canne, a $27.99 stunner from Martinique, demonstrates conclusively why experts consider rum one of the world’s superlative spirits. Exotic and complex, silky textured and rich, Première Canne is to Bacardi Light as Valrhona is to Hershey’s. Its nuanced layers of subtle fruit flavors slowly reveal an essence of earthy spice redolent of the tropics — all in a spirit so whisper-light as to feel ethereal on the palate.

Most rum is made from molasses, a byproduct of refining white sugar. Rhum Agricole is made from fresh-squeezed sugarcane juice and a process modeled on the finest French brandies. Première Canne makes a delightful change of pace for fans of premium vodka or silver tequila, whether chilled alone or in any white spirit cocktail recipe. Especially poignant is the classic daiquiri — shaken, not frozen.

Like many wines with a hint of natural sweetness, German riesling often gets a bum rap, saddled with a lowbrow or déclassé reputation. Yet, these wines are undeniably some of the most pleasant to drink on earth.

Rieslings from the Mosel region of Germany, like this $10.99 S. A. Prüm Essence, are remarkably light in body. Rarely more than 10 percent alcohol, these wines practically embody refreshment. Packed with crisp sweet-tart flavors, they are as crisp and juicy as a Granny Smith apple. Few wines are as delightful with fresh produce or simple seafood, and the style is adept with challenging sauces and spicy heat. Sample a glass with a fruit and cheese plate on a lazy spring afternoon, or pack an icy bottle for a visit to a Chinatown BYOB. This riesling will shine with everything from Vietnamese to Korean, Chinese to Thai.

Sparkling sake is the newest craze to hit American shores, a refreshing alternative to beer or wine. The bubbles are a natural product of alcoholic fermentation, but, until very recently, the carbonation was always allowed to escape. Sparkling Harushika Tokimeki is unfiltered, opalescent in the glass. Bright, fruity aromas of lemon curd and yogurt smoothies prepare the palate for lively summer flavors of cantaloupe, poached pears and crème fraîche. Its whisper of sweetness and understated effervescence are pleasing as either an aperitif or as a food partner.

At $15.49 for a 300 ml bottle, Tokimeki is remarkably versatile, as yummy with appetizers like spring rolls as it is with desserts like cheesecake.

Spanish cava is the world’s most popular sparkling wine, made in the traditional method first pioneered in the French region of Champagne, most often from native Spanish wine grapes, obscure varieties of modest heritage like parellada, macabeo and xarel-lo. Only recently have Spanish cava wineries begun to use the French varieties that help give the finest champagnes their finesse — pinot noir and chardonnay.

Delightful Segura Viudas Sparkling Pinot Noir displays vivid fruit aromas of raspberries and ripe cherries, as well as a vibrant pink color. On the palate, a whisper of sweetness is balanced with a surprisingly red wine-like tannic grip and scoured clean by a tart cranberry-ish finish. Pinot Noir’s distinctive delicacy and food-oriented character give this wine ample grace and charm, while the light-hearted Spanish approach dispels any hint of stodgy seriousness. It’s a natural for daytime affairs, such as lunches and brunches, and a terrific partner for cheese plates and antipasto.

Burgundy holds a place in the heart of wine lovers everywhere as the original home of modern fine wine culture. It is also the native region of two of the world’s most famous grapes – white chardonnay and red pinot noir. Few of us can afford to obtain the finest white burgundies, like Corton-Charlemagne or Le Montrachet. But, not all Burgundies are beyond reach, there remain a few modest examples that are delicious and widely available.

Cave de Mâcon Lugny Les Charmes, a simple white wine from the Mâconnais district, is one of the most popular on the export market. In superb vintages like 2006, farmer’s co-operatives like the Cave de Lugny have no difficulty crafting delicious wines. Crisp and clean, it is elegant and understated — 100 percent pure Chardonnay made in a mid-weight and un-oaked style. Without toasty, buttery oak, Chardonnay flavors are reminiscent of fresh Fuji apples and Bosc pears, accented with a mild undercurrent of nuttiness, like that of pinenuts. Best of all is this grape’s inherently silky texture, which needn’t overwhelm to impress.

This wine is impeccably put together and tastes far classier than its $10.99 price tag might suggest. Next time you’re thinking of a light white like pinot grigio to pair with simple cuisine like salad or poultry, consider a grace note like this wine instead.

Image, cave-lugny.com

While Irish stouts like Guinness are described as dry, for their burnt-coffee bitterness, most English-style stouts deliver a hint of sweetness. Within this sweet stouts category, smooth oatmeal stouts, brewed with unmalted oats and barley, have pride of place as the most delicious and drinkable. And among oatmeal stouts, Samuel Smith’s brew has come to be the world benchmark. The Old Brewery at Tadcaster in North Yorkshire is one of the few artisanal breweries to survive the dark days of industrial dominance of brewing in Britain, and the beer’s fermentation still takes place in traditional Yorkshire Squares, slate-lined box-shaped vats.

The beer looks like black coffee, topped with a pillowy head of foam. On first sip, flavors of dusty chocolate, dried cherries and pumpernickel bread are rich and layered. Silky texture and a whisper of malty sweetness soften the beer’s impact. Pair it with both savory dark meat dishes, like traditional pot roast, and as well as chocolatey desserts. Or use it to make a memorable grown-up ice cream float.

Image, courtesy of Merchant Du Vin

Last Saturday, the Craft Beer Fest at the Navy Yard — a Philly Beer Week special preview event — set the tone for the week’s upcoming festivities as brewheads raised their four-ounce glasses every 30 minutes in a toast to “America’s Best Beer-Drinking City.” This Friday, the week — more like a full 10 days — officially kicks off with Joe Sixpack’s Philly Favorites, a sampling of favorite local ales and lagers.

Some of the other 100-plus events include food and beer pairings with Sunday’s The Brewer’s Plate, and a region-wide “Meet & Greet” on Tuesday evening, when area bars host brewers from around the world. And, the ’burbs will be getting their drink on, too. Check out phillybeerweek.org for a complete listing of events.

This pink wine is hardly a subtle blush. Vivid mauve in color and packing a hefty 13 percent alcohol, Pedroncelli Zinfandel Rosé 2006 is for red-blooded, meat-eating Americans. It is also less sugary than much-maligned white zin, hovering just on the cusp of perceptible sweetness.

Pedroncelli has been tending their family vineyards in Sonoma for over 80 years, and most of their land is in Dry Creek Valley, a dry and sunny zone whose claim to fame is the depth and power of its old vine zinfandel. This cuvée is a light-hearted pink spin on the big red style, perfect for quaffing alone or with simple everyday foods. It is particularly adept with take-out food, from sweet and sour pork to double cheese pizza, and, at $6.99, it is priced to match.