chateau du trignon marsanne 2007, cotes du rhone

COST: $20-24

WHAT: This is a lush, beautiful white wine made from 100 percent Marsanne grapes, a variety that doesn't get nearly enough attention in the United States. It is soft and friendly, pairing well with many different foods.

It has a gorgeous golden color with aromas of almonds, honey and peach. That opens to flavors of peach, plum and spices, with some lime and mineral notes.

It is a dry wine, but not one I'd describe as lean. About 20 percent of it is fermented in oak, the rest in stainless steel before blending. Based on my experience with other Marsanne wines I'd say this wine will continue to improve in the bottle for at least another three to four years.

Marsanne is a popular white grape variety in France, Switzerland, the U.S. and Australia, often blended with Roussanne. It is also known as Grosse Roussette, Ermitage Blanc (Switzerland) and Marsana (Spain).

WINERY: The wine estate of Chateau du Trignon was acquired in 1895 by Joseph Roux and run by his descendants until 2007, when Pascal Roux, a passionate winemaker, who had kept the quality of the wine at the highest levels, sold the vineyard to another Rhone Valley winemaker, Jerome Quiot, who also owns and runs Domaine du Vieux Lazaret in Chateauneuf du Pape and Domaine Houchart in Provence. The wine is made from 150 acres of vines in five villages: Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Rasteau, Sablet and Beaumes de Venise. The winery produces several red wines and a Cotes du Rhone Blanc, a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne.

GOES WITH: I had this with steamed shrimp and it was excellent. It also was nice to sip after dinner by itself. It should do well with oysters, crab or poultry, or grilled salmon with bearnaise sauce.

WINE EVENTS

THURSDAY

Wine and tapas tasting, 5 p.m., Veritas at La Maison on Telfair, 404 Telfair St.; taste four wines and three tapas, $19.99.

FRIDAY

Tasting, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Vineyard Wine Market, 4414 Evans to Locks Road.

SATURDAY

Tasting, 1-6 p.m., Vineyard Wine Market, 4414 Evans to Locks Road.

Bottle signing with golfer Gary Player, 3-5 p.m., Vineyard Wine Market, 4414 Evans to Locks Road, Evans. Player will have his Muirfield and Masters labels to celebrate his winning the British Open and the Masters Tournament. The new Masters label celebrates the 50th anniversary of Player winning his first Masters Championship.

APRIL 15

Charity wine tasting, 6:30-9:30 p.m., St. Paul's River Room, 600 Reynolds St., Augusta, $50. Fund raiser for the Alzheimer's Association featuring food, wine, art, prizes and an auction.

Blues, Brews and Barbecue, 6-9:30 p.m., Columbia County Government Complex on Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans. First of three weekly concerts, this week features the Trunk Junkies and barbecue by Edmunds.

Wine tasting, 7 p.m., Wine World, 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, $15 with prepaid reservation, $20 at the door. Features premium California wines from Benziger, Foley, Sequoia Grove, Cakebread. Mark Carnucci will be the guide.

APRIL 21

Wine tasting, 5-8 p.m., Wine World, 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, $4 with rebate on purchase on one bottle of the featured wines.