Out-of-the ordinary wines make appealing and affordable gifts

If you want to make your holiday gift of wine a little more memorable, consider giving an unusual varietal.

We wandered the back corners and hidden bins of several wine stores in search of labels beyond the usual suspects. We came up with lesser-known grapes such as Viognier and Petite Sirah; the Spanish white Verdejo; the Zinfandel alter ego Primitivo; a German Riesling cross known elegantly as Rivaner and more clunkily as Müller-Thurgau; and a sweet Hungarian called Tokaji Aszú.

Each provided a tasting adventure. For relatively new wine drinkers, any of these wines are almost certain to expand horizons. But even veteran wine drinkers will appreciate your efforts to seek the out-of-the-ordinary, and some of them may never have tasted the more obscure wines like the Tokaji and the Rivaner.

2005 Renwood Viognier ($6.99 at Randall's Wines and Spirits, 10800 Lincoln Trail in Fairview Heights)

Viognier often has an aroma that doesn't quite match its flavor. In this case, it's a mix of apples, citrus and flowers in the nose, but a much drier flavor than the nose would suggest, with a bit of citrus in the finish.

2001 Báró Waldbott Tokaji Aszú 4 Puttonyos ($15.99 for 500ml at Randall's Wines and Spirits, 10800 Lincoln Trail in Fairview Heights)

Tokaji is a Hungarian dessert wine; the more Puttonyos (up to six), the sweeter the wine. This one has a rich golden color with glints of orange. You'll notice lots of honey with a bit of spice in the aroma; the wine is honeyed in flavor as well, smooth but with a slight bite at the finish.

2006 Donna Marzia Primitivo ($9 at Crushed Grapes, 1500 Troy Road in Edwardsville)

Primitivo is genetically identical to Zinfandel but is grown in Italy. This one has a deep ruby color with touches of orange at the edges and a soft berry nose. The berry notes are stronger in the flavor, which also has a hint of spice.

2007 Naia Verdejo ($12.99 at Lukas Liquor, 15921 Manchester Road in Ellisville)

Dry Verdejo-based wines from Spain are fairly new. The Naia has a nose of pear, minerals and a touch of vanilla, with a crisp flavor dominated by the minerality but tempered by the orchard fruits.

2005 Castle Rock Petite Sirah ($10.99 at Friar Tuck's, 9053 Watson Road in Crestwood)

Petite Sirah is great for people who like big, inky wines. The Castle Rock isn't as big as most, but it has good blackberry and plum flavors and aromas, with spice and a little chocolate adding some complexity to the medium finish. Decant the wine or open the bottle about half an hour before serving.

2007 Schmitges Rivaner ($13.99 at Lukas Liquor, 15921 Manchester Road in Ellisville)

The name Rivaner comes from the widely held theory that the underlying grape, called Müller-Thurgau, is a cross between Riesling and Sylvaner. The Schmitges is pale in color with aromas of apples and a touch of flowers. The tart apples and a touch of citrus in the flavor yield a mid-dry, crisp wine.