Wine: Argentine chardonnay

Order a glass of the world’s most popular white wine and you often get something “undistinguished or worse,” said Dave McIntyre in The Washington Post. But Argentine chardonnay is made from grapes grown high in the sunny Andes, yielding “stunning” wines that, despite their relative affordability, can often stand with the world’s very best.

2011 Salentein Reserve ($15). “An incredible value,” this chardonnay is “electric”—proof that the 2009 arrival of a new winemaker did wonders for the Salentein estate.

2010 Catena Alta ($29). Bodega Catena Zapata sets the bar for Argentine chardonnay, and the Catena Alta is “consistently top-rate, with deft barrel treatment that adds structure and spice.”

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2012 Viña Cobos Felino ($17). Oak aging adds body to this chardonnay without overpowering its tree-fruit and citrus flavors.