I sipped my way into the new summer season by tasting some wines on the west coast and in Broad Ripple. A long weekend in sunny Orange County brought the chance to savor a variety of tried and true white wines that had not passed my lips in a while. Back home in the Ripple, I gathered the neighborhood tasting panel one sultry evening to review a new world take on an old world red. West coast foods paired well with the whites. The Italian red blend found a welcome food partner in home town favorite Bazbeaux pizza. All wines are widely available.

2010 Wairau River Pinot Gris-medium bodied white wine with lovely aromas and subtle flavors of apricots, honeydew melon, and white tea. Finishes dry but with a silky mouth feel. Super tasty paired with toasted whole wheat pita topped with greek yogurt and avocado.

Estancia Pinot Grigio-off dry white; light and easy drinker with notes of bartlett pear and golden delicious apple. Perfect glass with a grilled shrimp taco with shredded cabbage and salsa and a view of the Pacific ocean.

2013 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc-once the exception now the rule when you want a reliable screw capped New Zealand white wine. Still tangy not as zippy. Softer white grapefruit but still delicious. Now widely available and affordable. We found it at Costco for $12.99. Perfect blend of smooth and sassy in the glass with soothing and snappy on the plate as it was paired with a thin, crispy, smokey crusted pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil in a Laguna Beach pizza joint near the beach.

2011 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc-Sonoma County interpretation of Sauvignon Blanc; subtle hints of pink grapefruit with clean, smooth finish. Easy elegant drinking while dining on Thai food as the sun set over the Pacific.

2012 Brancaia Tre Rosso Toscano-blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Dark red fruit dominates. Black cherry, black plum. Young so tannins still fresh but oak aged so softened enough now that tannins are more chewy than grippy. Could age a bit more too. Whiff of old world Italian but not as much as most Tuscans so makes it more American red Italian wine drinker friendly. Neighbors loved the smooth finish even more as they enjoyed with a Bazbeaux Quattro Formaggio pizza.