2001 Allan Scott Marlborough Pinot Noir.

Refreshing little pinot noir, from New Zealand. I've long loved NZ sauvignon blancs, so I'm delighted to see some of their reds making to the East Coast. And there are some similarities: fresh, vibrant flavors explode in your mouth with with crisp (or even sharp) acidity. It's not as serious or portent-filled as an Oregon pinot noir, but it doesn't intend to be.

Light to medium shade of red - no mistaking it for a serious burgundy. Red cherry aromas with a hint of spice. Red cherry and strawberry flavors to knock you over. Medium finish. And if you're looking for the complex, earthy, mushroom flavors and aromas of higher-end pinot noirs, you'll be disappointed. But you shouldn't be looking for them here.

Great wine to drink by itself, for the sheer enjoyment of a young wine. Possibly with fruit, but I wouldn't pair it up with food for fear of missing out on the fruit in the wine. And for nine bucks? I can see drinking a lot of this out on the deck this spring.

Wine Warehouse, Charlottesville. $8.99.

2002 Red Truck, California red table wine, Cline Cellars.

This is a delightful blend of mourvedre and syrah, and doubtless some other odds and ends. Very full, accessible fruit, with the ripeness of the fruit accentuated by the .26% residual sugar.

Ruby-purple in color, cherry-fruit acidity in the nose. Flavors of red cherry and blueberries, a little harshness still in the tannins. Nice long cherry notes in the finish. Good workhorse red, goes well with tomato-sauced pasta, and priced to be an everyday house red.

While I don't often recommend that you buy a wine for its label, this one is surely worth looking for: an antique red farm truck, in use, under a summer sky.

Wine Lovers, Richmond. $ 8.99.

Hearts on the Vine wine festival.

Interesting wine festival here in Richmond last weekend. Described as 150 wineries and 325 wines, from all over the world. A lot of California wineries - many were small Napa and Sonoma producers - but the Pacific northwest was represented, as were international producers: from France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand. It was a fund raiser for the American Heart Association, so it was a bit on the expensive side, but the majority of the wines you could taste were very good.

A couple of disappointments - there were some wineries that were present, but only barely. Cakebread Cellars was there, but represented only by their chardonnay, when I'd have loved to have seen some of their cabs. Kim Crawford wines were represented only by their unoaked chardonnay, which I certainly enjoy but I'd have expected to see at least their pinot noir and sauvignon blanc, as well.

My favorites: Barboursville's viognier, Smoking Loon's viognier, and Arrowwood's syrah.

The event was a lot of fun, and I hope that it was sufficiently successful that they'll do it again next year.