Also - are you looking for things you can buy locally? And if so, do you have access to larger wine stores with broader selections? Or do you have time/interesting/willingness to order online and have stuff shipped?

Seafood and fish covers a wider area from tuna to sardines to scallops and all manner of preparation. At the under $20 range, there are many wines. If she's going to do anything like mussels or clams or scallops or shrimp with white wine, I'd just get more of that wine. If it's summer fruit - watermelon, pineapple, honeydew, etc., personally I don't think that works with any wine at all. Vegetables, depending on what they are, don't need to pose a problem but again it depends on the cooking. Grilled zucchini is easy. A tomato-based ragu is a different thing.

But honestly, don't worry too much about it. What I'd do is get a selection of different styles so that if one isn't too popular, another will be.

The lighter suggestions might include something like muscadet from the Loire valley - can get for under $15. Usually really crisp with some lemony notes and a lot of acidity. The classic match with oysters and scallops and also really light seafood. There are a few pinot gris from New Zealand too that are kind of interesting and not run-of-the-mill.


In that vein is also pinot gris / grigio, but there's so much insipid stuf out I'd get a pinot blanc. Interestingly, Paul Hobbs makes one in CA that would be a nice twist if you could find it. Those are made in Alsace so that gets another region into your lineup.

With a little more personality, you can pick up a semillon - the classic is from France, particularly Bordeaux, but they make excellent versions in Australia and I just bought one from Washington. That's also on the lean side for the most part, but has a little more flavor. Kind of in the same niche would be chenin blanc - also from the Loire but South Africa makes it too and they call it steen. Some of those are pretty good. In CA there aren't too many, I think Westerly makes one and Chappellet but not too many people. If you're in the east, get Paumanok from Long Island - one of the best wines made on LI IMO.

Sauvignon Blanc is what is becoming the new pop wine and it may in fact be a good match with some of the vegetables. It's much more aromatic than the aforementioned and depending on where it comes from the aromas can seem like cat pee, grass, or green bell peppers. It's the same molecule responsible for all those aromas but how it's expressed has to do with the ripeness of the grape. Those are from the Loire again - Sancerre for example and also from Bordeaux. But every country in the world is making them now. You can find from Spain and CA and Washington and New Zealand. if you don't have something from NZ, pick up one of those just to round things out.

In a similar vein but much better IMO would be a verdejo from Spain. That is also grassy with notes of grapefruit and green apple, but lacking the bell-pepper quality that I personally don't like but that may work with your vegetables.

For something more aromatic, you can look at many other Spanish whites. Godello for example, can have a nice crisp quality but also nice fruit - it's a larger wine than those already mentioned. Or pick up an albarino - those tend to be even more fruity, with notes of pineapple sometimes. They're from north Spain where they're paired with the seafood from the area.

And don't forget riesling. Made in many places in the world and often with a touch of residual sugar, it's not necessarily a brilliant seafood pairing, but again, it depends on the preparation. Also, you can get a super-dry one from Australia and that will give you the aromatics without the sweetness.

Finally you have to get a chardonnay. It will be expected. Like many white grapes, it doesn't really have a lot of personality on its own IMO, but can be quite nice depending on how it's made. They make unoaked versions, but since you've had all of these other wines w/out oak and with a crisp, citrus edge, get a version with some oak. Every country in the world makes them, and you could get a white Burgundy, but actually I'd pick one up from CA. There are plenty of good values.

And there are about 20 times more choices, but if you get one of each of these, you'll have a decent selection. Just open from lightest to heaviest. In other words, don't start with an oaky chardonnay and then go to muscadet. You can find great examples of all the above for under $20 and some even under $15.

Cheers.