Riesling

Like so many Americans, my curiosity about German wine was nipped early on by Blue Nun, the infamously cheap liebfraumilch from '70s TV that was the bottled equivalent of a sloppy sweet kiss. "Liebfraumilch . . . ," Hansjakob Werlen says with a shudder, cursing Germany's generic low-end swill. "Insipid! Dull! Overly sweet one-note wine! So much plonk! People need to taste some real riesling!" The inimitably enthusiastic Werlen, a German professor at Swarthmore College and founder of the local Slow Food chapter, does not make such statements idly.

Only a grape as noble as riesling can be such a chameleon, and pull it off convincingly at a bargain price. Consider these two completely opposite examples on sale in the state stores. From Germany's Kallfelz Estate comes the more classical take, a 2006 kabinett for $14.99 that delivers a pretty nose of honey and beeswax, with juicy peach on the palate and a balanced finish of citrus pith and acidity to keep it from cloying. A great aperitif for a holiday party. Riesling's drier side, meanwhile, gets a lively expression in this well-regarded 2007 Alkoomi from Western Australia.

My congratulations to The Inquirer! In this Age of Iron it has successfuly created a new hero - the drinker of Pennsylvania. We picture elderly couples plucked from the bridge clutching their black beer to their bosom, disconsolate citizens fretting away dry Sundays, forced to read the newspaper as a barren alternative to making purchases and deprived young executives unable to satisfy their craving for Yalumba Carte d'Or Riesling at a moment's notice....

Food can be as nourishing to our fantasies as to our bodies, especially in winter, when we want to escape the cold but see no salvation on the horizon. Although you may not be able to go to the tropics, our Fish Filets (mahi- mahi, swordfish or halibut) With Ginger-Orange Sauce will give you that tropical feeling, if only for a moment. There's nothing unusual about oranges and ginger, but when they are combined in a sauce for fish, it's easy to imagine you are basking on the sand at Waikiki, with ocean waters tickling your feet.

It took many years of hosting my extended family for the big annual feast before I finally realized an unsettling truth. Thanksgiving, the most food-centric holiday of the year, is a wine lover's lament. To begin with, there's the guest list: my relatives. I love them dearly, because they rave about my famous grilled turkey. (Sincerely - I think.) But when it comes to the vino, they are lightweights supreme, so disinterested in what we're sipping, they'd just as happily drink bulk wine with cuddly animals on the label instead of the high-priced grands crus I've pulled out of the cellar all these years.

Today Shop, cook and eat with chef Chris Allen of Lotus Farm to Table, who will lead participants through the Media Farmer's Market to pick out fresh items that he will prepare in front of you for the evening's dinner. $55. Meet at 3 p.m. at Lotus Farm to Table, which is a BYOB, 112 W. State St., Media, 610-565-5554, www.lotusfarmtotable.com . Saturday, Sept. 24 Cast Iron Chef , a demonstration featuring experienced hearth cooks who will prepare period-appropriate meals over an open fire or on a hearth with items from a basket of surprise seasonal ingredients.

  With low alcohol and a pleasing, sweet-tart balance, German Riesling is the wine world's version of summer quenchers such as lemonade, margaritas and wheat beers. Clean Slate stands out as much for its value as for its modern packaging. Full of zingy green-apple and jasmine-tea flavors, it's a natural for sweet-tart and spicy foods - think chips and salsa or sweet-and-sour chicken.   - Marnie Old

Domaine Zind Humbrecht is a name any lover of Alsatian whites should know - especially if you crave the exotic embrace of gewürztraminer. For these opulent beauties, Zind Humbrecht is the best, as evidenced by the 2006 Wintzenheim now on discount for $24.99 in Pennsylvania's online store. But Zind Humbrecht is also a master of Alsatian riesling, considerably drier than its German counterpart, but equally intriguing. Zind's Clos Häuserer 2007, now on 50 percent discount for $29.99, is a perfect example of that.

The French region of Alsace is one of my favorite sources for autumn white wine drinking. Showy grapes like gewurztraminer and pinot gris take on an especially golden hue, with exotic floral aromas that border on lushness and spice, and are a fine complement to the richer flavors of cold-weather cooking. But I consider Alsatian riesling to be the region's most intriguing grape, because it hints at that opulent richness but typically ends up being considerably drier than its close German riesling cousins just across the border from France.

It took many years of hosting my extended family for the big annual feast before I finally realized an unsettling truth. Thanksgiving, the most food-centric holiday of the year, is a wine lover's lament. To begin with, there's the guest list: my relatives. I love them dearly, because they rave about my famous grilled turkey. (Sincerely - I think.) But when it comes to the vino, they are lightweights supreme, so disinterested in what we're sipping, they'd just as happily drink bulk wine with cuddly animals on the label instead of the high-priced grands crus I've pulled out of the cellar all these years.