There are few absolutes in life, and with food and wine there are even fewer. Unless you have a food allergy, I think drawing a line at eating or drinking specific things (“I only drink red wine.” “I never eat pasta.”) limits your growth in all kinds of ways.

So I’ve been cognizant of what I’m drinking, and when, going back quite a few years. My palate has definitely changed and grown. I realize this summer I’m drinking more white wines than in the past decade. Part of it may be due to increased outside temperatures, but I think a big reason is that I’m pairing white wines with meals in ways I hadn’t before. I’m breaking the rules – yes, I’m drinking whites with (gasp!) meat – and it tastes great.

Join me this summer in breaking the rules. Here are both red and white wines we’ve reviewed recently.

2011 Carmen Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Valley, Chile ($8.99, Total Wine) -

This is a lightly yellow-colored wine with a tropical nose that includes grapefruit and pineapple. It has a really nice fragrance, and that’s always a good start for a wine. On taste, I found grapefruit, pineapple and some coconut, and some tartness of lemon and lime. This went very well with sushi, and would go with most seafood.

2008 Davis Family Vineyards Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Calif. ($35 online) -

This chardonnay is a deep straw-lemon color in the glass, and that makes a pretty addition to a table just for the pouring. The nose is honeyed, with peach, apple and some buttered toast. This is where my love of oaked chards comes in. On taste, there’s a slight minerality, with green apple, vanilla notes and more buttery goodness. As the wine opened, it lost the minerality and was a richer-bodied wine with a nice, smooth mouthfeel. I had this wine with two meals, one with Chinese food, one with pizza and it went well with both. It sure helped beat the summer heat.

2010 Echelon Collection Series Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Calif. ($9.79 online) –

I like the Echelon series of wines, and this chardonnay is no exception: It’s very good, and for the price, you can’t beat it even with shipping costs. Aged in stainless steel and cold-fermented, this straw-yellow wine has a crisp nose with citrus, tropical melon and a bit of coconut. On taste, I found a buttery pineapple, with vanilla and some sweet cream there. It’s a smooth wine with a beautiful finish. It was excellent with a crabmeat and salmon dinner, and would be great with a cream-sauced pasta dish or anything with a higher fat content. I will rank this as one of my favorites this year.

2009 Beni di Batasiolo Barbera d’Alba Sovrana, Piedmont, Italy ($16 online) -

This is a very pretty, light-purple wine with a big, cherry nose. On taste, it has bigger sour cherry notes with a little spice. It’s a pleasant sipping wine with a smooth mouthfeel, and goes well with food. I had it with swordfish and a tomato/onion salad, and then it went well with my chocolate-toffee cookies for dessert. That’s what I call versatile.

From ‘Dry’ Gwen:

2011 Ponzi Vineyard Pinot Gris – Willamette Valley, Oregon ($17, Total Wine) -

Ponzi Vineyards has been producing pinot gris for more than 30 years and employs certified sustainable practices in their Aurora, Avellana and estate vineyards. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and malolactic fermentation is prevented to keep the character of the wine fresh and fruity. The wine has a bright citrus nose of lemon, lime, green apple and pear with hints of minerality and fresh flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied and refreshingly crisp with a high acidity, fresh citrus flavors and a very dry finish. This is a nice summer sipper to pair with light fare.

2009 Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva – Maipo Alto, Chile ($17 online) -

From the Quillayas vineyard, this blend of 95 percent cabernet and 5 percent carmenère. The grapes are handpicked from old vines and aged in French oak for 10 months. On open, the aromas were quite closed and tight in this wine with some red and black cherry, blackcurrant and a slightly herbal note. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with slightly green or unripe fruit flavors and notes of menthol and herbs, fairly tight tannins and a dry finish. This wine could use a bit more time to develop.

2010 Michael David 6th Sense Syrah, Lodi, Calif. ($16, Total Wine) -

A very inky magenta color in this glass, this wine has a huge berry nose. Blackberries, blueberries, stewed fruits, chocolate and vanilla all waft powerfully out of the glass with a kick of alcohol (15.5 percent ABV). On the palate, the wine is ripe and full – bursting with berry fruit. This is more like the Australian shiraz than a French syrah in style.

2009 Frank Family Vineyards Zinfandel, Napa Valley, Calif. ($30, Total Wine; $35, ABC) -

Another bombastic wine of ripe fruit and high alcohol, this one is all wild raspberry, strawberry and blackberry on the nose with a serious kick. On the palate, the wine is big and juicy with ripe, sweet fruit and notes of vanilla and coconut, medium acidity and soft tannins.

2009 Prats & Symington Prazo de Roriz, Douro, Portugal ($15 online) -

From one of the oldest estates in the Douro known for both wonderfully sweet fortified wines and dry table wines made from a blend of local varietals. The Prazo de Roriz is the entry-level dry red, made to drink now. A deep magenta color in the glass, the wine has a grapey and red and dark berry fruit aroma with hints of mineral and earth. On the palate, the wine has fresh red and dark cherry and berry fruit with a nice balance of acidity, medium tannins that softened quickly on open, and a dry finish. A good everyday value wine.

2009 Davis Family Pinot Noir Soul Patch Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Calif. ($35 online) -

Farmed organically on a steep hillside vineyard, this is a complex and elegant pinot noir. A magenta-ruby color in the glass, it’s got a briary berry nose of wild blackberries, blueberries and raspberries with hints of toasted oak and baking spice. On the palate, the wine is juicy and smooth with all manner of fruit blended into a jammy compote balanced by good acidity and soft tannins. A very pretty wine with great balance.

2009 Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico, Italy ($23, Total Wine; $25, ABC) -

A bright red cherry color in the glass with aromas of cherry, raspberry, red plum and oak. On the palate, slightly sour red fruit is balanced by a bright acidity with fine tannins and a dry finish.

2010 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Calif. ($32 online) -

A very pleasant wine with aromas of black cherry, roasted strawberries and raspberries and smoke. On the palate, the wine has a medium body with ripe, juicy strawberry and cherry flavors balanced by a bright acidity and soft tannins.

2009 Numanthia Termes, Toro, Spain ($24, Total Wine; $32, ABC) -

Focused on low-yielding, old-vine tinto de Toro (a local variety of tempranillo), the wines of Numanthia are powerful and robust. Their entry-level Termes wine is made from 30-year-old vines and is a dark purple color with pungent aromas of blackberry, blueberry, black plum and bittersweet chocolate with a strong mineral component. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with concentrated dark fruit flavors, a balanced profile of acidity and tannin and a long, very dry finish.

2010 Michael David Earthquake Zinfandel, Lodi, Calif. ($22, Total Wine; $25, ABC and Crown) -

Another powerhouse of big fruit and big alcohol. This deeply hued magenta wine is full raspberry, blackberry and blueberry jam with a sharp and slightly unpleasant waft of alcohol on the nose. On the palate, the wine is full bodied and super juicy – a fruit bomb if there ever was one. Big, round and ripe fruits explode in the mouth with soft tannins and again, an overwhelming alcohol (the wine tops the charts at 16 percent ABV). The finish lingers more like a hard liquor than a wine.

2010 Ricossa Barbera d’ Asti, Asti, Italy ($12 online) -

A bright ruby color in the glass with aromas of red cherry, raspberry and fresh herbs. On the palate, the red fruit is slightly sour and candied in flavor. The wine is fairly light-bodied with very soft tannins and a short finish. It’s an easy-drinking wine, but there’s not much going on.