Two small-scale sites produce these classic wines

Wines at their very best rarely come from large-scale productions. The rule of distinctiveness usually precludes scaling-up. The reason is not technology, but rather, what might be called the "limits of place." Sites that have something to say are usually small-scale. (Vocal wine writers, however, are in apparently limitless supply.)

The following two wines really have something to say by virtue of their respective sites -- and some very fine, deferential winemaking.
 
Soave Pieropan 2008: When it comes to famous wine names, usually the abuse comes from outside. For centuries, renowned place names such Chianti, Champagne, Tokay, and Burgundy  were gleefully appropriated by producers in California, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and surely a dozen other winegrowing nations.

The famous Italian white wine called Soave has only itself to blame for losing its luster. Soave once was famous as a delicious, distinctive dry white wine grown in the hills around the town of Soave itself.

But starting in the 1960s, a flood of insipid Soave emerged from newly planted vineyards on the vast, flat Po Valley plain nearby. Big, industrial winemaking facilities processed dilute insipid wines that shared only the same grape varieties (garganega and trebbiano) and, most importantly, the famous name.

How did they get the name? That was easy. The Italian government simply changed the boundaries. Traditional hillside vineyards, the sites that create the "real" Soave, got a consolation prize: Their zone got the more prestigious designation "Soave Classico."

Fast forward to the 2008 vintage. The Pieropan family, which has consistently created some of Soave's finest hillside-grown Soave wines, decided that their pristine-tasting wine would be better served by an equally pristine screw cap.

Pieropan had one problem, though: Italian regulation forbid the use of any closure other than cork for wines designated "Soave Classico." But -- welcome to Italian flexibility -- you can use a non-cork closure for wines simply labeled "Soave."

Pieropan decided, starting with this 2008 vintage, to do what's best for the wine and their customers. They jettisoned "Classico" from the label. I daresay no one misses it. (I failed to spot the omission myself.)

Ultimately, no one will miss the "Classico" designation on the label because you can taste it in the wine -- a dry white brimming with an unmistakably mineral savor reminiscent of a French Chablis. (Here, however, the grape variety is the unique and indigenous garganega rather than chardonnay, as is found in Chablis.)

This is superb, truly classic Soave in a nearly perfect package. It has a screw cap (which doesn't even look like one, by the way), and this proud and worthwhile statement prominently displayed: "Estate Grown and Bottled."

If you want to savor the real Soave -- ideally accompanied by grilled or broiled fish or a few choice cheeses -- this is the wine you want. $14.95. (Distributor is Young's Columbia
 
Clos de la Briderie "Vieilles Vignes" 2007: I've said it before, and I'll happily say it again: Some the greatest deals in top wines today comes from France's Loire Valley. Moreover, there's a convenient little secret to finding them, too. If a Loire wine label tells you that the wine is grown organically or, better yet, biodynamically (a kind of ultra-orthodox organic approach) the odds are greatly in your favor of finding something really special.

This red wine blend from Clos de la Briderie wins on all counts, not least in taste. An ancient site originally tend by monks (the term "clos" is a giveaway, as only Church-owned vineyards in France were allowed to be enclosed by stone walls), Clos de la Briderie's 25 acres have been biodynamically cultivated since 1994.

A blend of malbec (in the Loire it's called cot; 45 percent), cabernet franc (35 percent) and gamay noir (20 percent), this is a supple, dense, beautifully made red wine blend that's only just beginning to unfurl.

Serve this wine slightly cool in a large wine glass accompanied by some grilled meats or even a slice of meatloaf, and you'll be mightily impressed with its bright, berryish flavors given backbone by the malbec. Supply is limited, but this wine is worth seeking out. $16.95. (Distributor is Bon Vivant Merchants)
 
Matt Kramer is a Portland wine critic and author. Reach him at 1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201