Wine Of The Week

Winery: Wente Vineyards, Livermore Valley, Calif.

Varietals: 96 percent chardonnay, 3 percent gewurztraminer, 1 percent pinot blanc

Flavor profile: This is a rich, medium-bodied, full-flavored California chardonnay with aromas of apples, pears and some citrus, with flavors of butterscotch, toasty vanilla and pineapple. It has a luscious, harmonious mouthfeel and long finish.

Price: $19

About the winery: Wente is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. It's the country's oldest continuously operated family owned winery. In 1936, it was the first California winery to produce a wine labeled as chardonnay. The property includes a tasting room, fine-dining restaurant and a championship golf course designed by Greg Norman.

Fun facts: Karl Wente, a fifth-generation winemaker and accomplished musician, recently launched his second "Discover the Wine, Discover the Music" campaign, in which he pairs estate-grown Wente wines with specific songs. He paired the Riva Ranch chardonnay with Tally Hall's "Good Day" because "both are versatile, playful, uplifting, refreshing. Both are soothing and enticing at the same time. Both the song and the wine have a lot going on."

Other pairings include Miles From India's "Great Expectations" with Nth Degree merlot, Allison Moorer's "Mockingbird" with the Wente Louis Mel sauvignon blanc, Duke Spirit's "The Step and the Walk" with Wente Charles Wetmore cabernet sauvignon, Hello Stranger's "Big Boots" with Wente Sandstone merlot, and Shurman's "Wonder Where You Are" with Wente Southern Hills cabernet sauvignon.

Some of these wines will carry bottle-neckers through March 2009 that will have a redemption code to download a free song from each featured artist.

A variety of Wente Vineyards wines are available in Tulsa. Check your wine merchant for availability.