Pfeffingen Dry Scheurebe @ Armada

The glory of a friendly neighborhood wine bar is stumbling into wines that you would otherwise never even hear about. Case in point: scheurebe, a German grape thought to be a cross between riesling and an unknown wild wine. That’s what I settled on during a recent impromptu visit to Armada Wine & Beer Merchant (1129-A State St.; [805] 770-5912; armadasantabarbara.com), where co-proprietor Tucker Huget let me try this sleek though aromatic white wine. Traditionally made into sweet wine, there’s a welcome rash of Old World producers doing it dry, and the results are elegant in wound-up energy and yet approachably fruity for many palates. It’s refreshing, texturally grippy, and, best of all, something to talk about with friends. $11/glass, $40/bottle.