Sips: Wine

Sauvignon blanc is my favorite warm-weather wine. Honig Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford Reserve (2002; $17.99) is light and refreshing but complex enough to be interesting. Made from grapes grown in California's Napa Valley, it's a blend of sauvignon blanc, muscat and semillon.

This dry white has aromas of toasted oak, grass and lemon blossom. Malolactic fermentation adds a creamy dimension to the crisp taste. It's a tantalizing balance of warm oak and tingly mineral water. Mid-palate comes honeydew and grass, while the finish is lemon peel. This pairs well with summer fare such as grilled salmon.

Rebecca Goodman

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com

Grill Tip

To keep onions slices intact while grilling, Cook's Illustrated magazine suggests inserting a wooden skewer through thick-cut slices widthwise, sliding several slices on each skewer. (Use skewers about the same diameter as a toothpick.) This also makes it easier to turn the onion slices.

Crazy Chili

Send us the recipe for your best "crazy" chili, which must contain at least one unusual ingredient. (Sorry, chicken and turkey don't count as unusual.) Send recipes to Crazy Chili, the Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202. Include your name and phone number. Or e-mail: cmartin@enquirer .com. Deadline for entries: Sept. 1.

Hot Date

Your backyard tomatoes may earn you $5,000 at NatureSweet's Homegrown Tomato Challenge beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Kroger store in West Chester Township (7855 Tylersville Road). To enter the contest, pick up an application at any Kroger produce department. Or, register just before judging begins. For more information: (800) 315-8209 or www.naturesweettomatoes.com.