Pine Ridge 2010 Chenin Blanc + Viognier, $12.99

OK. Those of you who have been reading my wine blog(s) for any length of time know that I prefer red over white, but if I must have white, I prefer a heavy, buttery, oakey chardonnay. You would also know that my personal holy trinity of red wine is cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot & either malbec or tempranillo (depending on the day). But what about my holy trinity of white wines? Without a doubt, it's chardonnay, chenin blanc & viognier. Despite the sweetness that the viognier (and sometimes the chenin blanc too) can bring, there's something about their body & heft that make me love them. So when I saw this white blend of 79% chenin blanc & 21% viognier with a 13% alcohol content, I was sold.

This wine looks like pee in the glass. Yeah, OK, not the most appetizing image. But if you can move past its color, this wine is just dripping with aromas of peach, honey, apricot, baby spring flowers...I want to eat it. It is so heavy-bodied that the legs just drip down the side of the glass, more so than even some of the red wines I've had.

But the best part about this wine is the taste. Despite its aroma, it is not sweet. Its flavor is reminiscent of a sauvignon blanc, slightly sharp, good acidity, minerally with hints of unwashed apple & pear on the tail end. Delicious!

I am so pleased with this wine, and not just b/c it's a good wine at a good price. As I've explained before, I'm not a fan of white wines from CA, especially not ones that aren't chardonnay. I'm not a huge fan of CA sauvignon blanc b/c I think there are other places - New Zealand, Chile, Australia - that turn out it better. This is a lovely alternative to CA sauvignon blanc, one I will purchase again. http://www.pineridgewinery.com/

Cheers!

Kate