Like most wine lovers, when we hear "meritage" we think "red." Well, a week ago our assumptions changed when we ordered a bottle (then another!) of St. Supery's 2004 Virtu at a dinner in celebration of Lisa's father's 75th birthday. Gary ordered the wine as a "peace offering" between the Chard lovers and the Sauvignon Blanc lovers. Made of 55% SB and 45% Semillon, the Virtu wowed the crowd. It was smooth, well balanced, had just enough fruit and just enough length. In short, a serious wine.

We were smitten and decided to browse our cellar to see if any other White meritages lurked in the shadows.  They did. So we tried two to see how they compared with the spectacular Virtu. (Which retails for $28). Both of the competitors are almost impossible to buy in Boston; we acquired them during trips to the North Fork of Long Island and Woodinville, WA.  We were anxious to see how they cellared and whether it had been worth shipping them home.

Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend 2004, Kennedy Shah (Woodinville, WA) $20
We tasted this in one of the more seductive wineries in Woodinville and hoped that it retained its allure. First taste was not promising—Gary said it tasted like paint remover. We let it sit a while to aerate and tried it again.  Aah, that's what we remembered. Lively, acidic but with enough fruit to satisfy.

A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Chenin Blanc, we called this wine "an inspired pairing" in our Woodinville posting, and we stand by our first review.

Main Road White  2005, Bedell, (Long Island, NY)  $13.50
An inspired blend of Chardonnay, Gewirtzraminer, and Riesling, Main Road White is a fun, drinkable "picnic wine," per their description. Not something to drink with a serious dinner but delicious with the chicken/tomato/eggplant melange Gary cooked up tonight. (The tomatoes and eggplant were from our garden, so of course the meal was delicious.) As we wrote in our Long Island posting, Bedell had a snarky attitude at the winery but we're glad we took home this meritage as a reminder of our delightful trip there.

Verdict: If you can find the St. Supery, buy it. You won't be disappointed. Auntie Meredith's and Main Road White are both good choices if your friends are divided into Chard and Sauv fans and you need a moderately priced compromise.