Be prepared, though, to pay for the pleasure. Some of these wines are quite costly, starting in the upper $20s and reaching well into the hundreds of dollars.

"I think when you're spending a ridiculous amount of money on lobster, you should spend a ridiculous amount of money on wine," quipped Howard Silverman of Howard's Wine Cellar in Chicago.

Both Silverman and Mike Baker of Chicago's Wine Discount Center think the price is worth it.

"Once you taste a truly great bottle of chardonnay from Burgundy, chances are you are going to be bitten by that bug," Baker said.

Entry-level Burgundies can represent good value and offer a glimpse of what all the fuss is about, but Baker said the "whole package" - flavor, character, texture - can't be achieved in entry-level wines.

Great white Burgundies also are meant for aging, from seven to 10 years or more. While drinking those 2004 and 2005 vintages may be fun and, Baker said, educational, the wines will be ideal years from now.

"The original fruit flavor will be there but you'll get these tertiary flavors, flavors of honey and nuts and some darker flavors," he said.

But don't despair if you don't have some old Burgundies sleeping down in the cellar. While the 2004 and 2005 vintages need aging, Baker said some 2002s are just beginning to reach their peak. And 2003s are ready now because a hot summer made these whites fatter and rounder.

What to buy? White Burgundies come in a variety of quality levels, from generic, regional and village designations to premier cru and the top-ranked grand crus. Where the best whites come from is also widely known: the Cote de Beaune.

Joe Alter, co-owner of The Bottle Shop in Winnetka, Ill., with Amy Lafontant, said they return over and over again to "that exalted 3 ½- mile wedge of exposed limestone that links the villages of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet" for "captivating and splurge-worthy" whites.

Daniel Johnnes, beverage director of Daniel in New York City, offered the following advice in "What to Drink with What You Eat," by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page: "Look for producers who are tried and true. They may be wines you have previously tasted and enjoyed, or you can ask sommeliers and wine merchants, or read reviews in various publications. Equate a Burgundy to another crafted product like a handmade pair of shoes. Look for the name of the producer. ... When they put their name on the bottle, they're very proud."

How to serve your expensive wine? Here's advice from Silverman:

"I tell my clients to decant their chardonnay an hour ahead and try to drink it as close to 55 degrees, which is cellar temperature," he said. "The wines suffer from too much coldness."