I pride myself on my broad tastes in wine. I like wine from everywhere, and don't believe I have a specific bias towards one region or another. However, each year, that claim is shaken a little bit as I emerge from what is one of the best wine tasting events held in San Francisco, The Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri tasting.

For those unfamiliar with the Gambero Rosso, it is essentially an organization focused on the promotion and evaluation of Italian food and wine that each year publishes a guide by the same name. The Gambero Rosso is the Italian Wine bible, and in my experience, it is the most thorough and high-quality guide to any wine region that exists in the world. The guide covers a dizzying 14,000+ wines each year from the incredibly diverse regions of Italy.

Each year the Gambero Rosso guide awards one, two, or three "Bicchieri" (or "glasses") to wines of exceptional character and quality. From tens of thousands, there are usually a couple of hundred Tre Bicchieri wines, and every Spring, along with Slow Food USA, the Gambero Rosso brings many of them to San Francisco for the media and the trade to taste.

While I don't love all the wines at this tasting, I am constantly amazed by the quality and individuality of these wines. I leave the tasting every year pining for many of these wines, and wishing I had the means to add them to my collection.

This year was a particularly interesting year for the Tre Bicchieri awards, if only for the remarkable slap in the face delivered to Brunello. Normally there are a dozen or more Brunello wines that receive Tre Bicchieri awards. This year: only one, thanks, no doubt, to the scandal over doctored Brunello earlier in the year.

Without further ado, let me get on with my ratings. I've tried my darnedest to classify the wines below correctly, but in some cases where my notes were fuzzy, I might have classified a white as a red or vice versa (gasp!), and spelling errors may also exist. If anyone spots such an error, please let me know.

White Wines

WHITE WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 10
2007 Cantina Termeno A. A. Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer, Alto Adige. $??

WHITE WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9.5 AND 10
2006 Jermann W.... Dreams..., Friuli Venezia Giulia. $65. Where to buy?

WHITE WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9.5
1996 Avignonesi Vin Santo, Toscana. $??
2006 Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Cl. Villa Bucci Ris., Marche. $??
2006 Castello della Sala Cervaro della Sala, Umbria. $45
2006 Elena Walch A. A. Bianco Beyond the Clouds, Alto Adige. $??
2007 Elena Walch A. A. Gewürztraminer Kastelaz, Alto Adige. $??
2007 Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo Cutizzi, Campania. $??
2007 Marisa Cuomo Costa d'Amalfi Fiorduva, Campania. $35
2007 Provenza Lugana Sup. Sel. Fabio Contato, Lombardia. $??
2007 Zuani Collio Bianco Zuani Vigne, Friuli Venezia Giulia. $??

WHITE WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5
2004 Benanti Etna Bianco Sup. Pietramarina, Sicilia. $36
2001 Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Annamaria Clementi, Lombardia. $??
2007 Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano A. A. Sauvignon St. Valentin, Alto Adige. $45
2006 Cavalchina - La Prendina Custoza Sup. Amedeo, Veneto. $25
2008 Provenza Tenuta Maido Lugana, Lombardia. $??
2007 Russiz Superiore Collio Pinot Bianco, Friuli Venezia Giulia. $25
2007 Sella & Mosca Alghero Torbato Terre Bianche Cuvée 161, Sardegna . n/a

WHITE WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2007 Bisceglia Bosco delle Rose, Basilicata . n/a
2004 Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Dosage Zéro, Lombardia. $??
NV Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvee Prestige, Lombardia. $??
2007 Ca' Rugate Soave Cl. Monte Fiorentine, Veneto . n/a
2005 Cantina Terlano A. A. Terlano Pinot Bianco Vorberg Ris., Alto Adige. $??
2006 Claudio Mariotto Colli Tortonesi Bianco Pitasso, Piemonte. $29
2007 Giordano Sirch COF Friulano, Friuli Venezia Giulia. $21
2007 Isidoro Polencic Collio Pinot Bianco, Friuli Venezia Giulia. $18
2006 Lis Neris Sauvignon Picol, Friuli Venezia Giulia. $??
2007 Mastroberardino Greco di Tufo Novaserra, Campania. $32
2006 Sergio Mottura Grechetto Latour a Civitella, Lazio. $??
2005 Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Particella 68, Veneto. $24
2004 Tenuta Sant'Antonio Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli, Veneto. $110
2007 Volpe Pasini COF Pinot Bianco Zuc di Volpe, Friuli Venezia Giulia. $??

WHITE WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2007 Abbazia di Novacella A. A. Valle Isarco Sylvaner Praepositus, Alto Adige. $35
2006 Gioacchino Garofoli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Cl. Sup. Podium, Marche. $??
2007 Gumphof - Markus Prackwieser A. A. Sauvignon Praesulis, Alto Adige. $??
2007 Pietracupa Greco di Tufo, Campania. $30
2007 Venica & Venica Collio Sauvignon Ronco delle Mele, Friuli Venezia Giulia. $??

WHITE WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8.5
1999 Ferrari Trento Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore Brut, Trentino. $85
2007 La Tunella COF BiancoSesto, Friuli Venezia Giulia. $22
2006 Pr