Wine of the Month

Beringer Vineyards

2003 Alluvium Blanc, Knights Valley

Beringer Vineyards

2000 Main Street

St. Helena, CA 94574
707 967-4412

www.beringer.com

Winemakers: Ed Sbragia and Laurie Hook

Comment:

Beringer makes this wine, and a companion red, from fruit grown in the Knights Valley vineyards, in the rich soil of the alluvial plain there.  In one of the paradoxes of winegrowing, the thin soils there produces rich fruit, and Beringer's long experience with this vineyard, originally purchased in the 1960s, shows forth in the elegance of their wine here.

Alluvium Blanc is an unusual style for America these days: a blend of grapes rather than a predominantly single-varietal wine.  The winemakers of Beringer have chosen to bring us a luscious union of semillon (47%), sauvignon blanc (41%), chardonnay (10%) and viognier.  The result stands out from the usual selections you will find at your friends table: unusual, a bit mystifying, hard to categorize.  A good choice to bring to a blind-tasting party to see how it fares in the judging.

This wine was a surprise to us, pointed out by a friendly salesman at our wine store.  We will have to remember to thank him!

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