During the red wine boom of the 1990s, wine-crazed folks in Japan glugged trendy, robust red wines all year round. Even in the midst of muggy summers, restaurant patrons could be seen stoically sipping Cabernet Sauvignon, thick and tannic as espresso. Few wine drinkers wished to be mistaken for frivolous neophytes.

Those frenzied, status-conscious days have given way to more adventuresome, pleasure-driven wine consumption. Wine fans have discovered that in the Tokyo city heat, sipping a heavy, high-alcohol red wine is tantamount to wearing sandals with thick wool socks. By all means, go ahead if it makes you happy (both wine and fashion are more fun without slavish devotion to rules). But today, consider the wine lover's equivalent of going barefoot in the grass, with several refreshing, quaffable wines that taste and smell of spring.

We recently polled professionals from the Tokyo wine scene on their tips for good value springtime wines. The results were intriguing. For a long time, New World wines have been associated with affordability. France, on the other hand, still evokes memories of staggering bubble-era prices. These spring wine tips demonstrate how that image of exclusivity and expense no longer holds true for consumers in Japan -- these great-value discoveries all come from venerable French terroir.

Emmanuel Heurtematte, wine agent/consultant for the Champagne house Philipponnat, reveals one of his favorite crisp white wines for this season: 1998 Cha^teau de la Guimoniere Anjou Blanc (about 1,990 yen at Vinos Yamazaki Wine+ist in Shibuya's Seibu department store, (03) 5728- 1169; for availability outside Tokyo, contact Vinos Yamazaki at (054) 251-3607).

Unsung, out-of-fashion grape varieties and regions are often good sources for wine bargains. Heurtematte notes that Cha^teau de la Guimoniere Anjou Blanc "is made from a grape that I like very much, but which is unfortunately not very popular -- 100 percent Chenin Blanc." Cha^teau de la Guimoniere is a 15th-century estate, located in the district of Rochefort-sur-Loire. The property's shale-and-clay hillside vineyards are planted entirely with the Chenin Blanc grape; some vines are up to 70 years old.

Chenin Blanc is the foundation for many of the great white wines of France's Loire Valley. In the cool Loire region, this grape variety performs at the peak of its potential, yielding wines with snappy acidity, hints of flowers and melon.

"A good wine for spring should be promising, but not too serious; young, but already giving pleasure -- and with complexity that unfolds in the glass. This wine reveals exactly such qualities," Heurtematte enthuses. He recommends trying it with fish such as colin au beurre blanc (hake with a light sauce of butter, shallots and white wine).

The underappreciated Chenin Blanc grape may be making a stealthy comeback among wine cognoscenti. Coordinating editor for the glossy, bilingual Eat magazine, Jeanette Robinson also chooses her springtime wine from among the Loire Valley's Chenin Blancs.

"The 2000 Marc Bredif Vouvray is a complete bargain at 1,990 yen," Robinson reports. "After all the heavy reds of winter, I inevitably gravitate toward a feminine, off-dry white, something floral with a hint of sunshine to it. My ideal spring wine has roundness and warmth, but freshness, too."

Bredif is a renowned Vouvray producer, who crafts this pale gold wine from 100 percent Chenin Blanc grapes. Robinson suggests serving it with "poached chicken breast in a delicate cream and fresh tarragon sauce as a main, or a goat's cheese crostini as a pre-dinner nibble." The wine is available at Shinanoya Wine Kan (Daita, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; (03) 3412-2418).

For other distinctive white wine options, Robinson points out that "Viognier, with its blossom, apricot and peach aromas always feels appropriate at this time of year. Riesling is another springtime favorite; it's a good match for the lighter Thai-style dishes I'm inclined to experiment with at the onset of warmer weather."

Still, rising temperatures do not render red wines off-limits. Tokyo wine consultant Jay Rodriguez favors soft, succulent reds without the drying, tannic intensity of heavier wines. "Spring is strawberry season, so I go for rose or Pinot Noir wines. They make me want to sit outside under a cherry tree in full bloom while I sip."

His best-value choice is the 1999 Domaine Cachat-Ocquidant et Fils les Madonnes Vielles Vignes Ladoix (2,880 yen at Cave du Vin Moritaya in Jiyugaoka, (03) 3718-1515). "Ladoix is one of the 'runt' appellations in Burgundy and its tiny vineyards border Aloxe-Corton. Take a great vintage like 1999 and old vines [vielles vignes] from a lesser-known appellation, and you get this incredible good value in Burgundian Pinot Noir," Rodriguez explains. "This wine is dark, intense and almost brooding for a Pinot, but without going into excess."

For spring fare to match this earthy Pinot, "salmon is the best match," Rodriguez tells us. "You can eat it raw or lightly marinated with herbs as a carpaccio, or gently grilled outdoors until the smoke gives it a light, sweet, smoky crust. Serve it with a simple strawberry mayonnaise with black pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar."