I have been in a wine slump. Most of the wine I have tasted over the past six or eight weeks, including wine that I bought for myself (as opposed to samples), has not been much fun. The wines have been flabby and uninteresting, boring and predictable. At dinner Saturday night, the three wines we opened – two of which were long-time favorites – were amazingly disappointing. In short, I was drinking lousy wine, and I needed to do something about it.

Hence the Bogle, from a winery that has never let me down. And it didn’t this time, either. The sauvignon blanc is fresh and clean and bright, all those things that I enjoy and look for in a wine. Best yet, it was $9 and avaialable almost anywhere wine is sold.

Look for what the Californians call grassiness (not unpleasant at all, which resembles a freshly mowed lawn), some citrus and tropical fruit, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Drink this chilled on its own or with spaghetti with clam sauce, as I did, and marvel at how some producers understand consistency and quality.