Wines of the Week: April 27-May 3

Everyday: Many Proseccos are a bit too creamy for my palate, but the Cavicchioli 1928 Extra Dry Prosecco ($14) has only deft touches of creaminess gently nudging through the snappy stone-fruit goodness. This bubbly beauty lingers long on the palate. The name comes from the year that Umberto Cavicchioli began bottling wine under his family name at a site near Modena (think balsamic vinegar); his grandson Sandro is the current winemaker. This is a fantabulous patio wine but also would play beautifully with most any brunch dishes and salty appetizers. So would the clean but assertive music of a fabulous 1960s band that has aged well: Spirit.

Occasion: The folks in Oregon’s Willamette Valley are excited about chardonnay — now planted primarily with Dijon clones after the California stock bombed — and it’s easy to see why. The 2012 Ponzi Willamette Valley Reserve Chardonnay ($33) has one of the freshest aromas I’ve ever encountered with this varietal, and the wine follow suit, with a fruit-cocktail array of flavors and a texture that proves both racy and refined. The waves continue through the delightfully persistent finish. I can;t imagine a better match for shrimp or crab claws with a zingy/hearty cocktail sauce, and barbecued chicken would sing with this gem. Its lush/lively nature brings to mind the deep, rollicking music of harmonica maestro Little Walter.