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With all the attention we wine lovers are supposed to pay to complex aromas, it's a wonder the so-called aromatic white grape varieties don't get more respect.

Familiar with aromatic whites? The term is wine-insider shorthand for a group of grapes with a pronounced, and usually boisterously fruity or floral, bouquet.

The most obvious is gewurztraminer, with its uncanny scents of lychee and rose petal.

The list also includes muscat, one of the few grapes (actually, there are several types of muscat) that even a wine novice can easily identify in a blind tasting with a few minutes of training.

Hint: It smells of actual grapes, in this case white table grapes.

Beyond these two, the list gets less definitive, but it is often said to include riesling (peach, apricot and petroleum are the telltale markers) and the more obscure sylvaner (infamous for its role in that popular 1970s "training wine" Blue Nun), ehrenfelser (a hardy cross between riesling and sylvaner with a stone-fruit perfume), viognier (candied orange and honey), chasselas (stone fruit) and torrontes (muscat's spiritual twin, common in Argentina).

Often, wines made from these grapes carry a perception of sweetness, if not actual residual sugar.

But some are bone-dry, and it's usually impossible to tell until you pop the cork.

The northern Alsace region of France is considered the aromatic-white capital, most notably for gewurztraminer and muscat.

But there are not many more enthusiastic torch-bearers in the New World than Heidi Noble and Michael Dinn of Joie Wines in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.

Noble, a chef, sommelier and author of the recent book Menus from an Orchard Table, and husband Michael Dinn, who was a sommelier at several top Vancouver restaurants during the 1990s, recently christened a cavernous new winery building near Naramata, north of Penticton.

One of the most striking features of the place, at least to a veteran winery visitor, is its stainless-steel glow uninterrupted by even a single wood barrel.

Aromatic varieties are almost never aged in oak. To do so would rob them of their fruity essence and subtler floral tones. Barrel aging for extended periods also invites gradual oxidation, thanks to the pores in the wood, which again mutes freshness.

And fresh whites demand the kind of cool fermentation temperatures best achieved with temperature-controlled stainless tanks.

Like most of their Alsatian counterparts, Noble and Dinn are committed to white wines (as well as an attractive rosé made from pinot noir and gamay).

And they're committed to aromatics.

Their most distinctive wine has a suitably distinctive name, A Noble Blend. An obvious play on Heidi's last name, it's also the rough English translation of Edelzwicker, the term reserved in Alsace for wines blended from several of the best local white varieties. The Joie label even carries the line "A wine inspired by Alsace."

Joie A Noble Blend 2006 ($20.90) is a silky mix of gewurztraminer, kerner, pinot blanc, ehrenfelser and riesling. Harmonious flavours of lychee, peach, grapefruit and clove-like spice resolve in a slightly sweet, clean finish.

It's currently available only in private wine stores and restaurants in British Columbia and Alberta. Select restaurants in Ontario are likely to carry it in the new year, where sommeliers will no doubt suggest pairing it with Asian or spicy cuisine.

Another very good choice out of B.C. is Red Rooster Gewurztraminer 2006 ($14.90) from a winery just down the road from Joie.

It's medium-bodied and plump, it shows flavours of ripe lychee, melon and green apple, with a subtle rose-like note and spice on the finish. Great value. It, too, is currently available in the West only and is selling out fast.

Also from British Columbia is Quails' Gate Chasselas Pinot Blanc 2006 ($15.99), a smart, medium-bodied blend dripping with tropical fruit. There's a hint of sweetness here counterbalanced nicely by tight, clean acidity.

Residents in Ontario can get in on a serious and excellent rendition of gewurztraminer with the recently released Vintages product Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Wintzenheim 2005 ($35.95, No. 918078). Medium-bodied and medium-dry, this remarkably earthy, minerally gewurz hides its 14.5-per-cent alcohol quite well. The finish is beautifully smoky and spicy.

For the lead on next week's Vintages release of fine wines and spirits in Ontario, here are a couple of highlights. (Shoppers outside major centres can place orders with their locals stores by Tuesday to reserve stock.) Tradition Le Grand Montmirail Gigondas 2005 ($28.95, No. 960104) is a fine effort from the southern Rhone, just as good as many similarly styled Chateauneuf-du-Papes for a lot less money.

It's juicy and spicy, with forward dark-berry fruit and fine tannins. Worth aging for five years, but soft enough for current drinking.

One of the best bargains of the release next week is Lyngrove Reserve Shiraz Pinotage 2004 ($12.95, No. 743526). The shiraz here tames the rugged, smoky pinotage variety quite nicely. But the wine is still powerful and rich, with cherry-like fruit and a slightly gritty, dusty texture. A good choice for game and hearty meat stews.

And the other standout bargain is Vina Maipo Carmenere Reserve 2006 ($13.95, No. 663047). Full, rich and brimming with black-skinned fruits, it's low in acid for a carmenere and has an attractively earthy nuance running through it.

bcrosariol@globeandmail.com

PICK OF THE WEEK

Joie A Noble Blend 2006 ($20.90) is a silky mix of gewurztraminer, kerner, pinot blanc, ehrenfelser and riesling. Harmonious flavours of lychee, peach, grapefruit and clove-like spice resolve in a slightly sweet, clean finish. J. Kevin Dunn