Wine: Solo standouts

People who get nutty about pairing wine with food sometimes forget there’s a place for choices that are “big, fruity, and high in alcohol,” said Daniel Duane in Bon Appétit. Americans, after all, don’t just drink with dinner; they like wines that taste great by themselves. Below are three that meet that standard, in three loosely defined categories.

2010 Avinyó ‘Vi D’Agulla Blanco’ ($12). This effervescent muscat is my “lemonade white”—a “cold, clean white so light and refreshing” that you may be tempted to drop ice cubes in.

2009 Talbott Logan Chardonnay ($23). When I want “plush indulgence” in a white, I reach for this luxurious chardonnay.

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2008 Fog Dog Pinot Noir ($35). A pinot that I call my “Just Red Enough” choice—“because sometimes you want something special to stand up to a cheese platter.”