When wading through the world of wine, it is easy to get stuck in a rut buying the same wines again and again. The great thing about wine, however, is that there are always new varieties and regions to explore, no matter how much you know about wine. The best thing about new regions and esoteric grapes is that, because of their relative obscurity, there are often many values to be had.

The grapes Marsanne and Roussanne which are often produced with one another are among the world's most intriguing grapes. Historically these grapes hail from the Rhone region of Southern France but have since been planted with great success in some New World regions such as California.

Many winemakers tend to shy away from these grapes as they have a low threshold for rot and mildew, and hold a poor resistance to drought. As a result they are high-maintenance grapes, but when they work, they make some of the coolest wines out there.

Another fun variety is Albariño. This white grape hails from the Galicia region of northwestern Spain and is one of the greatest wines out there for shellfish. This wine is made primarily on the steep slopes of the Rias Baixas region where water-bound invertebrates are a common delicacy of the local cuisine. Many of these wines are often great values and due to there relatively small production often benefit from Utah's small winery discount and are therefore often less expensive in Utah than any other market.

Finally, one of my favorite unusual white wines comes from the Gargenega variety. This grape hails from the rolling hills of the Soave region in Northeastern Italy. You have to watch out for these wines as many Soave wines are watered down with the higher yielding and lower quality Trebbiano variety but when they are made purely with Gargenega, they can be one of the most interesting and refreshing whites in the world.

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* ZEV ROVINE is a certified sommelier. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com.

Three wines to try

2006 QUP MARSANNE ($20) This wine is made primarily from Marsanne with about 13 percent Roussanne to back it up. This wine, from the Santa Ynez Valley in California, is a great example of the variety expressing peach, apricots and honey on the nose. This is a great wine for grilled fish.

2005 PAZO PONDAL ALBARI O ($16) This wine is a local favorite in Galicia and is made from 100 percent Albariño grapes. It is bright fresh and fruity with notes of almond, lemon and great minerality.

2006 INAMA SOAVE CLASSICO ($15) This is a good example of the Soave region being made from 100 percent Gargenega. This is a distinctly floral wine with notes of chamomile and honey freshened up by a bit of citrus. A great buy for the price.

Marsanne and Roussanne are high-maintenance grapes, but when they work, they make some of the coolest wines out there.