Lost River Winery 2008 Rainshadow (about $15): This white white blend duplicates the percentages of 60 percent Sauvignon Blanc/40 percent Semillon that were used in the 2007 vintage, but that’s where the similarities end.

While the 2007 was much more lush and tropical, the 2008 Rainshadow is lean and mean and full of citrus and green apple flavors. There’s also plenty of grassy and herbaceous notes including alfalfa and whisper of mint.

This wine begs for a food pairing, and clams, mussels and oysters on the half-shell come to mind. Serve it well chilled and enjoy.

King Estate 2008 Signature Pinot Gris (about $16): This noteworthy wine was released in the fall of 2009, but it should still be readily available for purchase.

It’s classic Oregon Pinot Gris with it’s crisp, clean finish, but it also carries some lovely aromatics of pear and stone fruits. In between, the flavors are quite tropical, with some distinctive papaya and pineapple to compliment the touches of citrus.

This is just a terrific wine; well-priced and highly recommended.

With Thanksgiving less than 10 days away, now is a great time to get your wine shopping out of the way.

Although lighter bodied red wines are perfectly fine to serve with your traditional holiday meal, white wines definitely have the edge when paired up with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, or even Aunt Peg’s sweet potato casserole.

For starters, serve the Barnard Griffin 2008 Fumé Blanc (about $9). It’s an incredibly versatile wine at an unbelievably low price. Citrus aromas and flavors are polished by hints of creamy peach and pear, resulting in an elegant wine from Washington’s Columbia Valley. If you’re not sure what defines elegance, sample it next to a sometimes more austere New Zealand sauvignon blanc and see if you don’t taste the difference.

From California’s Central Coast region, the Edna Valley Vineyard 2008 Chardonnay (about $11) will make a fine addition to your Thanksgiving Day dinner. Plenty of tasty peach and apple flavors up front are followed by a lengthy finish that is highlighted by touches of tropical fruits and toasted oak.

Have you ever tasted a lychee nut? If not, try the Pacific Rim 2007 Gewurztraminer (pictured at left, about $10), which displays all the flavors of lychee along with mango, apricot, melon and a hint of spice. The finish might have a bit too much residual sugar for some, but for those who drink wines less frequently and enjoy them a bit on the sweet side, this could be an excellent Thanksgiving wine.

Local winery Mount Baker Vineyards also has a couple of brand new releases that make excellent white wine choices for Thanksgiving. The 2008 Gewurztraminer (about $15) is the winery’s first stand alone version of this varietal, and it displays a lovely trace of rose petal aromas and flavors and a whisper of sweetness on the finish. Unique and definitely worth a taste.

The 2008 Marsanne (about $15) is also exceptional, with gentle flavors of dried apricot, a touch of allspice, and a clean, bone-dry finish that make it an ideal food-pairing wine.

It’s not often that I dedicate an entire column to a single wine, but I came across one a few weeks ago that I think deserves special recognition.

The wine is produced by Adamant Cellars in Walla Walla and appropriately called “Bliss.” It’s the winery’s spectacular combination of 65-percent sauvignon blanc and 35-percent semillon from the 2008 vintage that, when blended together, result in an absolutely heavenly white wine.

Let me point out that not everyone may be enamored with this wine as I was. It’s definitely on the fruit-forward side, so if your inclination is towards European whites with leaner, more savory characteristics, this may not be the wine for you.

But to me, this wine embodies much of the best of what Washington wineries have to offer; bold flavors, good balance, affordability, and broad-ranging appeal.

Beginning with a slightly floral aroma, the wine features generous stone fruit flavors of white peach, apricot, and nectarine. The trailing acidity on the wine is balanced by just a note of sweetness, providing a richer, more complex finish than one might expect, with lingering flavors of apple and pear. Serve it well chilled for maximum enjoyment, perhaps with a bit of mild cheese such as brie, an appetizer of Dungeness crab, or simply on its own.

Owner/winemaker Devin Stinger created Adamant Cellars just three years ago. Bliss is a grand slam wine from this upstart winery and it may leave you eager to try his other current releases; the 2007 Spofford Station Syrah and the 2006 Red Blend (a combination of cabernet sauvignon and merlot).

I enjoyed the 2008 Bliss while visiting Hellams Vineyard in La Conner ($7 a glass, $21 a bottle) and it can also be ordered on line at the winery web site at adamantcellars.com.

Summer is a great time to enjoy an ice cold bottle of wine. Just keep in mind that the chilled wine scenario doesn’t work well for all white wines.

Full-bodied whites that are low in acidity such as chardonnay or viognier don’t do well when they’re served too cold. That’s because the cold tends to mask the flavors of the wine, increasing the chance that it will taste watery and flavorless.

But white wines that are fruitier and higher in acidity are optimum when they’re chilled down for several hours. Gewurztraminer, riesling, and pinot gris are good examples of wines that fall into this category.

Chardonnay and viognier taste best when served at cool room temperature; about 55 to 60˚ F. To achieve this, you’ll only need to pop the wine into the refrigerator for about an hour (or less) before serving. If you purchase these wines at a store where they’ve been sitting in a cooler, do just the opposite. That is, let them sit out for at least an hour before serving to allow them to rise to cool room temperature.

Here are a couple of Washington wines that make great choices for the summer. The first wine should be slightly chilled and the second served ice cold.

The Legoe Bay 2007 Reefnet White (pictured at left, about $10) is a lighter style blend of chardonnay and viognier at an incredibly low price. Gentle fragrances of fresh peaches, subtle yet distinctive flavors of citrus, apple and honeydew melon, and a clean, dry finish make this an excellent summertime wine. The winery is located on Lummi Island and its wines are well distributed at Whatcom County wine shops and grocers.

Trio Vintners 2007 Riesling (about $16) is the follow up to this Walla Walla winery’s initial 2006 vintage that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s noted for aromas of peach and lychee nut, big mouthfeel, and a slightly sweet finish balanced by crisp acidity. You should be able to purchase or order Trio Vintners wines at area Haggen stores or order them online at triovintners.com.