At just fourteen bucks a bottle, this easy-drinking Aussie Chardonnay should not be missed! (And I like the label, too!)

Shoofly 2007 Chardonnay Adelaide Hills Chook Raffle ($14). Crisp, fresh, easy to enjoy — with tropical melon and juicy nectarine laced with a zesty grapefruit note. Shows very little oak influence. Medium-bodied, with a moderate finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

This clean, fruity Chardonnay works quite nicely on its own, thanks, but is also easy to pair with food. Here’s one idea for a pre-dinner nibble:

Recipe: Blue Cheese Pecan Crackers
These are addictive – and so versatile! For a variation, try substituting sharp cheddar for the blue cheese and adding a pinch of cayenne pepper. This recipe makes about 90 crackers, depending on how thinly or thickly you slice them.

1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 large egg, separated
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces blue cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Spread ½ cup of the pecans on an ungreased baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes. Watch carefully, these can burn quickly. When you begin to smell a toasty pecan fragrance, they’re done! Cool pecans.

Finely chop cooled pecans. In a food processor, combine butter and cheese until smooth. Add egg yolk and process again until combined. Add flour and chopped pecans and process just until a dough forms.

Empty dough on a work surface, and divide into two halves. On sheets of wax paper, form each half into a log that is about 1¼ ” in diameter and about 12″ long. Wrap each log in wax paper and freeze for about 30 minutes, or refrigerate for about 4 hours, just until firm.

Preheat oven to 375F. Slice logs into ¼” thick slices and arrange about ½” apart on greased baking sheets. Top each cracker with a pecan half, pressing lightly into the dough. Brush entire cracker with lightly beaten egg white. Bake until golden, about 10-13 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.