{"id":45,"date":"2009-01-19T13:26:36","date_gmt":"2009-01-19T13:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=45"},"modified":"2009-01-20T11:13:39","modified_gmt":"2009-01-20T11:13:39","slug":"the-world-of-white-whites-has-many-terrific-and-affordable-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=45","title":{"rendered":"The World of White Whites Has Many Terrific and Affordable Options"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WillametteWe just finished reviewing\u00c2\u00a0many White Wines<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 We started with a blind tasting of Pinot Gris – Grigio, Pinot Blancs, and White Blends.\u00c2\u00a0 From this tasting we came away with two Pinots Gris<\/strong> options that stood out.\u00c2\u00a0 The Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007<\/a><\/strong> $15 <\/strong>was our panel's favorite.\u00c2\u00a0 It was balanced, gentle, and showed citrus-like flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this Pinot Gris 87.43<\/strong> points.\u00c2\u00a0 We also recommended the 2006 Rex Hill Pinot Gris<\/a> $16<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine was described by the KWG Tasting Panel as “a nice winter white wine.”\u00c2\u00a0 It was medium-bodied, well balanced, creamy, and had a very nice mouthfeel.<\/p>\n

\"DeLilleIn part\u00c2\u00a0two of this tasting we covered some White Blends<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Again, two wines stood out as being tops.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 DeLille \u201cChalear Estate\u201d\u009d<\/a> $32 <\/strong>is a blend of 61% Sauvignon Blanc and 39% Semillon from Columbia Valley in Washington State.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine was our highest scoring wine of the evening with a score of 88.64<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine opens with a light honeydew melon-like bouquet.\u00c2\u00a0 It was balanced and elegant, with integrated acidity and lemony flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel felt this charming wine would pair quite nicely with chicken picatta.\u00c2\u00a0 The runner up in this section of the tasting was the 2006 Tablas Creek \u201cC\u00c3\u00b4te de Tablas Blanc.\u201d\u009d<\/a> $22<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 This offering is an interesting blend of 59% Viognier, 32% Marsanne, 6% Grenache Blanc, and 3% Roussanne from Paso Robles, California.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel felt this wine was medium bodied and had lots of character.\u00c2\u00a0 It was balanced, savory, with tart green apple flavors with a touch of dried apricot and minerals.<\/p>\n

\"NavarroWe also conducted a number of mini tastings over the holiday season with specific varietals in mind.\u00c2\u00a0 In one tasting we compared one of my favorite grapes, Gewurztraminer,<\/strong> and came away recommending quite a few.\u00c2\u00a0 Let's start with the new \u201cGold<\/strong>\u201d\u009d standard in Gewurz as far as I am concerned.\u00c2\u00a0 The Navarro Vineyards 2007 \u201cDry\u201d\u009d Gewurztraminer<\/a><\/strong> for $19<\/strong> is Excellent<\/strong> and heavenly!\u00c2\u00a0 I scored this wine 94 points<\/strong> and think it might even rival the 2000 which I considered the previous gold standard.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine hails from Anderson Valley, CA.\u00c2\u00a0 Navarro sells most of their wines direct so readers should go to their website<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>to order some of this gem.\u00c2\u00a0 If you love Gewurz like I do, you must try this wine.\u00c2\u00a0 You also must read my review, because to get the most out of this wine it needs to be served at the right temperature.\u00c2\u00a0 I will tell you it is well-balanced and slightly viscous with delicious lychee and lime flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 You should seek out this terrific wine.<\/p>\n

Other Gewurztraminers we tried and recommended were as follows.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Navarro Vineyards \u201cDry\u201d\u009d Gewurztraminer<\/a> $19<\/strong> was Very Good and we scored this wine 89 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It opens with an attractive floral and peach-like bouquet. It was light bodied, well balanced, and has noticeable, but nicely integrated acidity. Its flavor profile was light lime with hints of lychee and spice.\u00c2\u00a0 \"HermannStaying with the Dry styled Gewurz we really enjoyed the 2006 Herman J. Wiemer Gew\u00c3\u00bcrztraminer<\/a> $22<\/strong> from the Finger Lakes <\/strong>in upstate New York.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 This Gewurtz was wonderfully aromatic with a classic lychee-like bouquet.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a full-bodied wine that is balanced, creamy, and viscous with lychee flavors with a touch of spice and sweetened lemon tea.\u00c2\u00a0 This was a perfect Thanksgiving option.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"SnoqualmieNext up was the Snoqualmie 2007 \u201cNaked\u201d\u009d Gewurztraminer<\/a><\/strong> for $12<\/strong>. The \u201cNaked\u201d\u009d name of this wine, means that it is made from 100% certified<\/strong> Organic<\/strong> grapes.\u00c2\u00a0 Which several tasters felt was a plus once they were informed.\u00c2\u00a0 It is a light bodied wine that shows a little residual sugar and is slightly sweet.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays primarily apricot and peach like flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 There is also a touch of lime and spice as well.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a nice mixture.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel felt this wine would pair nicely with bacon wrapped scallops or an oven baked ham.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you are a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc fan and want to try something new, you might want to give this Gewurtz a try.\u00c2\u00a0 The Ventana 2007 Gewurztraminer $16<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>from Arroyo Seco, CA was voted as Very Good.\u00c2\u00a0 This offering is lively and crisp with lime flavors with notes of green apple.\u00c2\u00a0 We thought it was semi dry and very refreshing.\u00c2\u00a0 This Gewurz would pair nicely with grilled swordfish with lemon.<\/p>\n

Finally, for readers that like their wines a little bit on sweet side, you might prefer the 2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurtztraminer<\/a><\/strong>. $10<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 This Very Good value wine is moderately sweet with light lime flavors and some hints of spice.\u00c2\u00a0 It would be perfect with chicken lo mein.<\/p>\n

\"ConoThe next mini tasting was Viognier<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It yielded 2 winners.\u00c2\u00a0 The big winner was the 2008 Cono Sur \u201cBicycle\u201d\u009d Viognier<\/a><\/strong> for $10<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It might be one of the bargain wines of the year.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this wine Very Good<\/strong> and gave it 88 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This tasty wine is from the Colchagua Valley in Chile.\u00c2\u00a0 It would be a perfect wine to serve\u00c2\u00a0at a party.\u00c2\u00a0 It's quite pleasing, it’s affordable, and you would be introducing most of your guests to a new grape.<\/p>\n

The\u00c2\u00a0second Viognier that we recommended was the 2007 Bergevin Lane Viognier<\/a><\/strong> from Columbia Valley, WA. $25<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this blend of 92% Viognier & 8% Roussanne with 87 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It was light-bodied, balanced, and easy to drink.\u00c2\u00a0 It shows light citrus flavors and a touch of honey.\u00c2\u00a0 The group thought this wine would pair very nicely with a delicate meal like Dover sole.<\/p>\n

\"PineNext up was Chenin Blanc<\/strong> blends.\u00c2\u00a0 The first was the 2007 Pine Ridge<\/a> $14 <\/strong>which is a blend of 80% Chenin and 20% Viognier.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this wine Very Good.\u00c2\u00a0 It is a wine that seems to be consistently Very Good every year.\u00c2\u00a0 This year’s version was light bodied, with some roundness, with forward tangy lemon lime flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 We thought this wine would appeal to readers who like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.\u00c2\u00a0 It is best to serve it cool, not cold with grilled swordfish with lemon.\u00c2\u00a0 The other Chenin we liked was the 2007 Simonsig<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0from Stellenbosch, South Africa.\u00c2\u00a0 For $12 <\/strong>we thought this wine would serve the reader well if they were looking for an everyday white wine quaffer.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this wine 86 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 (Good+)<\/p>\n

\"PerrinSpeaking of quaffers, we came across 2 French white blends that were both affordable and tasty.\u00c2\u00a0 Both options scored an 86 (Good+)\u00c2\u00a0 First was the 2007 Perrin & Fils \u201cCotes du Rhone Reserve Blanc\u201d\u009d<\/a><\/strong> for $11<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine is made from 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Bourboulenc, 10% Marsanne, 10% Viognier, & 10% Roussanne.\u00c2\u00a0 If you have not had many of these affordable Grenache Blanc<\/strong> driven options from the Rhone, you should try some starting with this wine.\u00c2\u00a0 For another option, readers should consider the 2007 La Vieille Ferme \u201cCotes du Luberon\u201d\u009d<\/a><\/strong> for $9<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine is made from 30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Bourboulenc, 30% Ugni Blanc, & 10% Roussanne.\u00c2\u00a0 It is medium bodied, round, slightly creamy, and very easy to drink with light apple flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 This bargain wine would complement a light fish meal like sole.<\/p>\n

\"MastroberardinoWhile we were tasting some European options, we tackled some indigenous Italian<\/strong> and Portugal<\/strong> options.\u00c2\u00a0 The\u00c2\u00a0two that we recommended from Italy were from the same producer.\u00c2\u00a0 The first and our favorite was the 2007 Mastroberardino \u201cGreco di Tufo\u201d\u009d<\/a> $25<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this wine Very Good with 88 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 We really liked the balance, with a little crispiness, to go along with its mineral infused lime-like flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 The other option was the 2007 Mastroberardino \u201cFalanghina\u201d\u009d $20<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>from Sannio, Italy.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine also had minerally infused flavors but they were more Anjou pear like.<\/p>\n

From Portugal, we recommended the 2007 Castello D'Alba \u201cReserva Branco\u201d\u009d<\/a> $15 <\/strong>from Douro.\u00c2\u00a0 As a matter of fact, this is the 3rd time that I have recommended this wine.\u00c2\u00a0 It is medium bodied, creamy, smooth, with mild apricot and pear like flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 Serve it with chicken, broccoli, and penne smothered with a white cream sauce.<\/p>\n

\"JLastly, I thought I would share some of the\u00c2\u00a0other gems that fit the Misc. White varietals bill.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 J Vineyards\u00c2\u00a0Pinot Gris<\/a> $20 <\/strong>from the Russian River Valley\u201d\u009d may be the best Pinot Gris that I have had from California in quite some time.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine is full bodied, very well balanced, and creamy with delicious fruit forward pear like flavors with a hint of apple and minerality on the back palate.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a true gem & I scored it Very Good+ with 93 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 I hear the 2007 is Very Good as well, but I have yet to try it.<\/p>\n

Another Very Good option is the 2007 Fillaboa \u201cAlbarino\u201d\u009d<\/a><\/strong>from Rias Baixas, Spain for $17<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine is a nice representation of the grape.\u00c2\u00a0 It is nicely balanced and rather savory with light lime like flavors with a touch of minerality.\u00c2\u00a0 It's a very food friendly wine that would pair well with chicken piccata.<\/p>\n

\"AtwaterThe final wine I am going to recommend in this post is the Atwater Estate 2007 Vidal Blanc<\/a><\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 If you have never had Vidal before, this one will spoil you.\u00c2\u00a0 This\u00c2\u00a0wine has to be one of the best Vidal Blancs I have tried in recent memory.\u00c2\u00a0 Its medium bodied, crisp, and slightly viscous with slightly sweet ripe pear like flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 There are also notes of minerality and a touch of grapefruit. We scored this gem from the Finger Lakes 90 points<\/strong>. \u00c2\u00a0The best news yet is it only costs $14<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 We are certain you will enjoy this winner.<\/p>\n

I hope you enjoy experimenting with all these exciting white varietals the way we did.\u00c2\u00a0 The world of White Wines<\/strong> is very expansive and there are many terrific and affordable options.\u00c2\u00a0 Cheers – Ken<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We just finished reviewing\u00c2\u00a0many White Wines.\u00c2\u00a0 We started with a blind tasting of Pinot Gris – Grigio, Pinot Blancs, and White Blends.\u00c2\u00a0 From this tasting we came away with two Pinots Gris options that stood out.\u00c2\u00a0 The Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 $15 was our panel's favorite.\u00c2\u00a0 It was balanced, gentle, and showed citrus-like flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 We […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,25,91,11,33,32,20,31,90,8,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chenin-blanc","category-gewurtztraminer","category-grenache-blanc","category-kens-wine-guide-tasting-panel","category-pinot-grigio","category-pinot-gris","category-vidal-blanc","category-viognier","category-white-wine","category-wine-recommendations","category-wine-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}