Lagrein, colombard, and pinotage were not the most uttered wine terms of 2009 — not even with the three winemakers who made the wines.

But they were among some of the most exciting wines of the year to me, especially after a flood of chardonnays, cabernets, pinot noirs and other standard wines.
I love the excitement you can find in unusual varieties, which is why I also was consumed by dry rosés, dry rieslings, chenin blancs, pinot blancs, gewurztraminers, and a host of other wines that rarely make the lists of best wines of the year.