California's Greatest Everyday White? Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier 2012

Pine Ridge Vineyards is one of those vaunted Napa Wineries that has done so much so right since it's founding in 1978. They're certainly best known for their Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings, which have always been made in a style that chooses elegance and grace over power. I was fortunate to have a few bottles of their 1994 Stag's Leap Cab, the last of which I only recently drank. They were delicious wines.

But the only wine that Pine Ridge produces in the under $15 category is a wonderful little white wine that almost nobody knows about. It's an absolutely delicious blend of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Viognier. In retail shops here on the east coast, it sits in the section usually called "other whites". It's a section that sees few visitors as most shoppers head right for the Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc sections. And even the folks that visit this section rarely give this wine a shot. It's a lonely bottle for sure.

I certainly can't claim the discovery either. Major critics like Robert Parker have been trumpeting the virtues of this great little wine for a decade or more - but you always had to pay for his advice.

This lovely white is very aromatic with up front scents of ripe pear, melon and a tropical note of mango. It's got a fairly lush medium-bodied mouth feel with the pear and melon flavors supported by notes of orange peel and lime. It finishes long with zesty acidity that makes it very crisp and refreshing. This fantastic everyday white is vinified in stainless steel and sees no wood whatsoever. And at $10.99, it's an excellent value. I tasted the 2012 but I would not be concerned with vintage - this wine is delicious year after year. We served this wonderful wine with some grilled chicken wings that I marinated in peanut oil, soy sauce, lime juice, Chinese 5 spice powder and chili. Bottoms up!

South Africa Rising - A.A. Badenhorst Chenin Blanc "Secateurs" 2012

South Africa is not the first country you think of when you're thinking about wine. Apartheid officially fell in 1994 and South African goods finally reentered the marketplace. The Wine Spectator published a major feature on South Africa recently and I found it fascinating. I've read a lot of wine publications on Italy, France, Spain and the US but I had never read a thing about South Africa. According to the Spectator article, once Apartheid fell, wine production jumped into high gear and by 1997 there were 260,000 acres under vine. In addition, since wine has been produced there since the Dutch colonists arrived in the 17th century, there are still some very old vine vineyards. Old vines means less fruit which in turn means more flavorful juice, both in concentration and soil driven elements.

A view of some of A.A. Badenhorsts's old vine Chenin Blanc

Courtesy of A.A. Badenhorst Winery

Chenin Blanc, South Africa's most widely planted white grape, is not a grape that is on the radar of most Americans. Vouvray, from the Loire Valley is the best Chenin Blanc in the world - and the most famous. But other than that vaunted region, there are very few that can claim much success with Chenin Blanc. South Africa may change that yet. The A.A. Badenhorst Winery resides to the west of Capetown in Swartland, the fourth largest South African wine region. It's a hot, arid region with soils that contain lots of stone, both shale and granite. This climate is beneficial to Chenin Blanc, an acidic, late ripening varietal that needs hang time but which is also very sensitive to it's terroir.

The $12.99 Secateurs Chenin Blanc is hands down the most incredible entry level example of this grape I have ever had. Beautiful aromas of ripe pear, roasted nuts, honey and stony notes are front and center. There's excellent concentration and a velvety mouth feel with pear and peach flavors accented with citrus notes. There's also plenty of acidity to balance the sweet fruit. This beautiful wine finishes long and dry and I am very much looking forward to getting back to the store to pick up a few more bottles. Imported by Broadbent Selections - Don't miss it!

Update - I received a very nice email from Helena Sheridan of the A.A. Badenhorst Winery. Some of their Chenin Blanc vines date to the 1960's. As you can see in the picture above, they are what you call bush trained with cover crops in between the rows. These are unirrigated vineyards. The fruit for this bottling was hand picked over 12 days with juice being added to the fermentation tanks each day. This extended the fermentation by about 20 days, which is quite a long time. In addition, a small percentage is fermented in old French oak barrels and left on the lees (dead yeast cells) for 7 months prior to bottling.

Extreme Holiday Value - Varichon & Clerc Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine is for some reason almost never on my radar which, I suppose, is the same for a lot of folks. It creeps back into our consciousness when special occasions are at hand and, like now, when the holidays are upon us. There's so many choices with regards to sparklers nowadays that it can be hard to decide which way to go. As far as inexpensive sparkling wine goes, there's the domestics, some of which are wonderful if slightly to the sweeter side. Some people prefer that style. There's the Italian Proseccos, many of which are very good and also more to the fruity side. And there's the Spanish Cavas, which are usually a bit drier and nuttier than the aforementioned wines. Champagne of course, real champagne, is the benchmark for sparkling wine.

My favorite value sparkler hands down though is a little known wine formerly made in the foothills of the French Alps, but now made in Burgundy by Varichon & Clerc. Made via the Champagne method as it is called, where the secondary fermentation takes place in bottle after the addition of yeast and sugar, the result is the effervescence. This wine is non-vintage, which means that a blend of vintages make up the still wine that forms the base for this bottling, and three grapes make up the wine, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Ugni Blanc. It retails at my local store for just $9.99. The bubbles are small and the aromas are dominated by nutty/yeasty tones with supporting elements of apple and lime zest. It's got a wonderful steely mouth feel and taut white fruit and toast flavors backed by zingy acidity. Imported by one of my favorites, Maximum Wine Co. , this wine is absolutely a great value at this price point. And it's a nice package also. Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Table Mates - Lobster and Vouvray Domaine d'Orfeuilles 2010

I wrote up the 2009 version of this wonderful Vouvray sometime last year so this post is a bit of an update with the current 2010 vintage in the spotlight. Chenin Blanc is the grape of Vouvray and it is native to the Loire Valley, having been cultivated there for centuries. It's a late ripening varietal with high natural acidity that easily picks up flavors from the soil in which it grows, in this case from clay and limestone soils that add richness and stony elements. Vouvrays, when soundly produced, are wonderful wines that have the size and versatility to enhance a wide range of foods. But for me, one of the best pairings for Vouvray is lobster. There's something about the combination of flavors, the richness and the zingy acidity that just make the two a perfect match.

The 2010 Domaine d'Orfeuilles Vouvray features wonderful pear and citrus aromas with wet stones nuances. It's large scaled and creamy in the mouth with wonderful richness and texture. The poached pear and lemon peel flavors are offset nicely with brisk acids and a finishing note of roasted nuts. At $11.99, this is an outstanding bargain as good examples of these wonderful wines can easily go for $20 or so. Vouvrays age magnificently and even entry level examples like this will last 10 years or so, becoming more honeyed as they mature. Cheers!

Definitely too Hot for Big Red Wine - These Cool Quaffers Save the Day

I usually love to open a friendly everyday red when we're grilling chicken, but with temps in the mid 90's again, I had to go with a couple of chillers. These are beautiful wines, one white and one rose, and they were perfect on the deck with some dinner as the sun got low in the sky and the temperature began to fall. They are both from oddball AOC's in the Loire Valley made from grapes that are not.

The white is a 100% Chenin Blanc cuvee from Coteaux du Vendomois, which is a bit north of Vouvray, the appellation where the best Chenin Blancs in the world come from. The producer is Domaine de Brazilier and this bright, crisp white has all that you want from an everyday summer wine. Aromas of grapefruit, lime zest and white flowers are very prominent. There's beautiful texture in the mouth with bold citrus fruit flavors, a bit of stoniness and bracing acidity. It's light, crisp and very refreshing and it kept me coming back for more.

The rose is a 100% Gamay cuvee. Gamay is a grape that is usually associated with Beaujolais and not found too much in the Loire. From the Coteaux d'Ancenis AOC and produced by Domaine Pierre Guindon, this beautiful wine delivers the goods. Strawberry and raspberry aromas are supported by notes of watermelon and a distinct minerality. Again, the texture is very smooth with the red berry flavors repeating. The balance is outstanding, with bright acids giving it lift and notes of candied orange on the dry, refreshing finish. These are both from the 2011 vintage and retail for around $12.99. Imported by the quality importer, Maximum Wine Company, these are two to seek out. The wonderful wine critic Steve Tanzer said of this wine, "I could drink this all day". Me too! Cheers.

No power, No Water....Get Out the Corkscew.

    I know it's been awhile since my last post but I was set back a bit by Hurricane Irene, which dumped about 7 inches of rain in our area. We were without power for a couple of days, a small number compared to folks just over the hill from me who still haven't had the lights turned back on. Our hearts go out to those folks in upstate New York and Vermont, areas hit especially hard. Wilmington, VT, a town we know intimately due to many years of skiing was destroyed. It's just too sad.
   We did get to enjoy some great wines by candlelight. One was a delicious Pinot Noir that is a private label project of Polaner Selections called Wyatt. It sports typical pinot aromas of bright cherry and cinnamon. In the mouth it has a very lush feel with bold cherry fruit, excellent concentration and good balancing acidity. It sells for around $15.99 and though I know it's a little expensive to be an everyday wine in these pages, it's a good one for Saturday night.

   Another delicious wine we tried was a fantastic and very affordable Vouvray from Domaine d'Orfeuilles. Good Vouvray has gotten so expensive so finding this $11.99 beauty made me very happy. Vouvray comes from the Loire Valley of France and is made from the Chenin Blanc grape. These wines are fantastic with seafood of all kinds, especially lobster, but they have the body to stand up to heavily sauced chicken dishes as well. This beauty features aromas of pear, lemon zest and a distinct stony element. Pear and mineral flavors are balanced by typical Vouvray acidity that keeps it fresh and lively feeling. These wines can easily age 10 or more years and develop more nuance along the way. I'm a big fan.