Many professional wine buyers scoff at chardonnay, finding the flavor profile boring. Most in the trade prefer big red wines like cabernet and zinfandel. I prefer lighter wines that are more elegant than huge Godzilla wines with their tongue-dulling alcohol and teeth-cleaning tannins.

The problem that most chardonnays face is that they all kind of taste alike. Many try to imitate the flavor profile of Kendall Jackson vintners blend: a little butter, tropical fruit and a slightly sweet finish. People like that flavor profile and have made chardonnay the top-selling wine varietal.

In any grocery store, all the chardonnay on the two lowest shelves tastes almost exactly the same. The only difference is the label. Following are some chardonnays I like to drink. All prices are retail.

Frogs Leap Chardonnay: What a tasty wine. The tropical fruit is well integrated with apple-spice flavors. Totally organic. $25

Morgan Double L Chardonnay: Morgan is a terrific winery. No better-structured chard on the market. $28

Landmark Overlook: If you like elegance, than this wine is for you. It’s very Burgundian in nature, like a Meursault – just lovely. Be careful not to serve this wine too cold because it will close up like a flower. A light chill will do fine. $23

Saddleback Chardonnay, Napa: Nils Venge is my favorite California winemaker. His reds are blockbusters and get the majority of the praise, but I love his whites. He makes a great pinot blanc, a super pinot grigio and a beauty queen chardonnay with little caramel nuances and kisses of tropical fruit. $20

Morro Bay Chardonnay: A little Central Coast chardonnay that tries hard to be a real wine. Full of all the typical flavor notes and a wee bit of oak. A winery owned by Lafite. $8

Husch Vineyards Chardonnay: I like Mendocino fruit, and Husch makes a fun-loving chardonnay that is well balanced, with lovely fruit. $12

Ancien Chardonnay: Ancien wines are almost unknown in the market, but the quality is very high. They make one of the best chards from the Carneros region. $30

Patz & Hall Dutton Ranch Chardonnay from Sonoma: A very French-like chardonnay, restrained and subtle. A flavor giant. $30

Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay: A crazy-wonderful chard. It is pure perfume on the nose and multi-layered on the mid-palate. Gorgeous! $25

Talbott Sleepy Hollow: An erotic and beautiful chard, very well balanced, with spicy oak. Just wonderful $30

On a side note, I love the Wine Bank and feel very fortunate to have worked there for many years. Early on a Saturday morning, I decided to visit my friends who still work there.

I parked my truck out front and noticed a nifty champagne display in the front window along with the big yellow sign from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control that indicates a change of ownership. The Wine Bank had been sold.

The wine business in San Diego is a small world, and there are always rumors floating around. The rumor that the shop was for sale had been floating around for awhile, and it turned out to be true.

The Wine Bank is known by its loyal fans as The WB. It is one of the greatest wine shops in the country, with $3 million in inventory. The shop is a labyrinth of rooms dedicated to Burgundy, Italy, Champagne and many other regions. It also sells premium liquor and has a wine bar that has been a watering hole for wine enthusiasts for years.

There is an energy in the air that can’t be duplicated anywhere else, which stems from the staff and patrons’ love of wine. The WB is housed in the historic Brunswig building, which was built in the 1880s. Aside from selling fine wine, The WB displays an outstanding collection of paintings, rugs, furniture, books, antique wine openers and other curiosities.

The WB is a magical place, but the reason for the sale is obvious: The owner, Mike Farris, is in his 80s. He’s had a successful career and probably decided to retire.

I don’t know what the new ownership plans for The WB. I just know that it is the end of an era, and that Mike and his talented nephew, Bryan Farris, will be sorely missed.

It takes a month or so for the sale to become final, so it is time to celebrate and visit The WB on the final farewell tour.