A fresh and breezy white wine is perfect company at the cafe

What we call plonk in this column is the kind of thing that might once have been called cafe wine -- and may still be in lots of places. Served up with inexpensive meals in small-scale mom-and-pop restaurants all over Europe, cafe wines may come in a glass carafe rather than a bottle and are likely to be described on a wine list in the broadest possible terms -- Cotes du Rhone, Chianti, riesling, for example -- with no details about the vintage or the producer. In a situation like this, we're really only hoping for one thing: that the wine will be recognizable for what it is. Our little pitcher of Beaujolais may be perfectly run of the mill -- but as long as it smells and tastes and drinks like Beaujolais, we're going to be pretty happy.

In France, at least, no white wine is more emblematic of cafe culture than Muscadet, the prototypical little quaffer from vineyards near Brittany's rugged Atlantic coast. It enjoys this status in part because, try as you might, you simply cannot pay very much for it. But it's also because Muscadet, with very rare exception, just never gets what you would call serious.

Because it has elements in common with the racy, high-toned fruit and nervy acidity of Burgundy's extreme chardonnays, Muscadet is sometimes thought of as poor man's Chablis. In fact, there's more to Muscadet than mimicry. At its best, this spry little Breton displays a savory tang distinctly reminiscent of sea air -- perhaps derived from the time it spends on its yeasty lees (that's the "sur lie" on the label) -- that's all its own.

That breezy freshness, often joined with stirring minerality and the occasional trace of spritz, is why you're most likely to encounter Muscadet at some trendy seafood joint, where its miraculous affinity with plates of raw oysters, sizzling calamari, or grilled sardines comes at half the price of Chablis. We'd call that a serious advantage.

Joseph Landron "Amphibolite Nature" Muscadet 2005. Long a favorite at B&G Oysters in the South End; lightish and delicate with a faint almond note and some minerality; low on the leesiness and tang, but pure and bracing. Around $12. At Vintages, West Concord, 978-369-2545; Cambridge Wine & Spirits, 617-864-7171.

Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2005. Bright, crisp apple and melon fruit; nicely balanced, with good acidity and some tang; just might be our fave in a fine group. Around $10. At Federal Wine & Spirits, Boston, 617-367-8605; Curtis Liquors, South Weymouth, 781-331-2345; Wine Emporium, South End, 617-262-0379.

Château du Cléray "Haute Culture" Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2005. Robust by Muscadet standards; ripe and flavorful with some emphatic earthy notes, good steady fruit and firm acidity. Around $12. At Leary's Fine Wine, Newburyport, 978-462-4451; Blanchards, Jamaica Plain, 617-522-9300; Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, 508-347-2231.

Domaine de la Louvètrie Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2006. Lively, crisp, and bright with solid apple-pear fruit; a little more minerally than leesy. A real pleaser. Around $10. Martignetti Liquors, Brighton, 617-782-3700; University Wine Shop, Cambridge, 617-547-4258; Yankee Spirits.

Château de la Ragotière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2005. Most typical, straight-ahead Muscadet character we encountered. Fine, persistent fruit, good leesiness, and firmish acids. Around $8. At Post Road Liquors, Wayland, 508-358-4300; Upper Falls Liquors, Newton, 617-969-9200; Gordon's Fine Wine, Waltham, 781-893-1900.

Stephen Meuse can be reached at onwine@comcast.net.