Freeman Pinot Noir ($46) is an outstanding Pinot and my top pick for steak. It's got the bold personality to stand up to any cut of meat and just about any sauce without taking anything away. Drink it alone, chill it slightly, or even drink it with chicken or fish. This is the kind of Pinot that's going to be good no matter what.

It could be said that a hurricane brought Ken and Akiko Freeman together back in 1985, leading to their partnership and the eventual creation of Freeman Vineyard & Winery, a small winery with a strong following in Sebastopol, California.

Thanks to that following and the Freeman's generosity, they are extending a hand to help fund Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster relief programs.

As in Burgundy, Freeman's wines are blends from various vineyards. In the case of the 2007, four are from the Sebastopol Hills and Petaluma Gap, with 1,804 cases made. I !nd it the closest to the Burgundy style of all Sonoma pinots I've tasted, with a velvety richness very close to wines from the Cote d'Or. If you'd never tasted a pinot noir in your life, this is what it's supposed to taste like. It's a steal at $44.