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Pick of the week Adelaida Cellars Schoolhouse Recess Red 2002 ($17.95, product No. 686253) is brimming with flavours of chocolate, black cherry, vanilla, cedar and spice.

They didn't offer winemaking classes at the tediously impractical schools I was forced to attend, or else I'm sure I would have ended up in another, even more purple line of work than journalism. But I'm happy to report that my passion for the grape has dovetailed nicely with a subject I did excel in as a kid: recess. I'm talking about Schoolhouse Recess Red, a fetching misfit of a wine just released in Ontario through Vintages stores (not yet available in other provinces, unfortunately).

I say misfit because it's made from a minestrone of grapes not normally considered compatible: pinot noir, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, sangiovese, barbera, mourvèdre and cinsault. Egad, it sounds more like the spit bucket at a wines-of-the-world course than a finished product.

But AdelaidaCellars, the wine's excellent producer, knows what it's doing. It's a 25-year-old winery set amid the rugged landscape of the Santa Lucia Mountains, 25 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, in the Paso Robles region of central California. Adelaida makes a slew of superpremium wines based on one or two of those individual grapes. Often there are grapes left over that didn't make the cut for its higher-priced estate line. And that's where the lower-priced Schoolhouse label comes in.

I'm not normally a fan of kitchen-sink-type blends, but this one is compelling. Adelaida Cellars Schoolhouse Recess Red 2002 ($17.95, product No. 686253) is full-bodied and brimming with flavours of dark chocolate, black cherry, vanilla, cedar, tobacco and spice. It's a delicious mouthful, chunky and complex for the money. It would be fine on its own or with a range of foods, from red meat to pizza.

California, as it happens, fields the most winners in this week's Vintages release. Especially good is Truchard Syrah 2002 ($40.95, No. 687749). Many of California's best syrahs come from the central coast, but this one is from the northern, and relatively cool, Carneros region, better known for pinot noir and chardonnay. It's big and rich, oozing with sweet cherry, cedar, black pepper and tar-like flavours. It's a great match for braised meats such as lamb shanks.

Respected Cakebread Cellars of Napa Valley fields a luscious and classically Californian chardonnay, Cakebread Chardonnay 2004 ($54.95, No. 709717). It's full, creamy and toasty, with notes of pineapple and butter and a long finish. Roast chicken, lobster or corn on the cob would be nice matches.

Another terrific California chardonnay released recently is Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay 2004 ($29.95, No. 608653). Sonoma-Cutrer specializes in superpremium chardonnay and is hugely popular in high-end restaurants in the United States. This is their multivineyard blend, and it is delicious, with a beautiful balance between ripe, tropical fruit and crisp acidity, accented by just the right amount of toasty oak and a hint of minerals.

Also good from California, from the same Santa Lucia Highlands as the Schoolhouse red, is Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir 2004 ($32.95, No. 642249). It's big, silky and smoky, with a silky texture and good shot of spice and acidity on the lively, lingering finish.

I should also mention that some of the expensive wines destined for the special Classics mail-order catalogue in Ontario have gone, instead, straight to shelves of many high-traffic stores, so you can buy them in person rather than order by phone or fax. One of the standouts among those I've tasted is Groth Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($74.95, No. 606517; call 416-365-5767 or, toll-free, 1-800-266-4764 for store locations).

This is classic California cabernet, impressively dense and fruity yet elegant. It's full-bodied, creamy and luscious, with superrich dark-fruit flavours and notes of chocolate, cigar and toasty oak. Groth, located in Napa Valley's central Oakville district, was the first California winery to receive a perfect 100-point score from famed U.S. wine critic Robert Parker (back in 1985), and it's top cabernet continues to shine against some pricier and better-known competitors.

Another limited-inventory beauty from Napa is Whitehall Lane Merlot 2003 ($37.95, No. 606517). Lush, dark-berry fruit gets the full-on oak treatment here, with notes of tobacco, cedar, spice and chocolate. It's a smooth, big and quintessentially Californian merlot.

Turning back to the regular Vintages release, and to France specifically, fans of classic, subtly fruity pinot noir should appreciate Nicolas Potel Gevrey-Chambertin 2003 ($42.95, No. 004911), a nice red Burgundy with solid fruit and herbal-tea character and firm acidity.

And for a big pinot bargain, don't miss Cono Sur Vision Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005 from Chile ($16.95, No. 689992). This is an impressively styled, medium-bodied red from one of the world's biggest pinot noir producers (by volume) and one of Chile's most experimental wineries. Fruit-forward and silky, it shows flavours of ripe plum and spice and a satisfying, harmonious finish.

Aficionados of big-bodied Amarone will appreciate Michele Castellani Campo Casalin Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2000 ($41.95, No. 946558). Full-bodied and rich, it's brimming with cherry liqueur, chocolate and spice flavours and has a long, firm finish. Save it for the cheese course.

Turning back to whites, if you want to enjoy a last, refreshing blast of summer, consider Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc 2005 ($17.95, No. 990580), a harmonious New Zealand white with juicy grapefruit, gooseberry and mineral nuances. It's a good value, and would be nice with light seafood dishes and goat cheese.

In a more offbeat vein, there's the terrific Yalumba Viognier 2004 from Australia ($21.95, No. 954644), with a musky aroma, lots of apricot, orange, honey and spice flavours and a thick, oily texture typical of the viognier grape.

Finally, also from Australia is the excellent Clover Hill Sparkling Wine 2001 ($34.95, No. 588236), made in the classic champagne method. A top award winner at the 2005 International Wine and Spirit Competition in London, it shows a medium body, cherry and lemon-like fruit, a hint of bread dough and a very crisp, citrusy finish.

bcrosariol@globeandmail.com