The sleeper hit of Napa winery Pine Ridge, first made by founder Gary Andrus 30 years ago, this Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend now bears the mysteriously vague non-appellation ‘American’, but it remains impressively delicious for the price. Chenin – 80% of the blend, pulled mainly from Clarksburg, California, with some from South Africa depending on vintage – provides the round, smooth texture and the bright, lemony acidity, while Viognier (from Lodi) adds gentle peachy fruit and just a touch of floral character. There’s also a crisp green note that recalls cucumber or borage.
Vinified entirely in stainless steel and blocked from going through malolactic conversion so as to retain that zesty acidity, it’s fresh and lively, and surprisingly full-flavoured for a wine with just 11.5% alcohol.
The winery, which is part of International Wineries for Climate Action and certified Napa Green, also bottles it in a light 405-g bottle. Altogether, it offers terrific value for the price ($16 via the winery, and often less in the wild). Widely distributed across the US, it’s also available in 32 other markets, from Armenia to Vietnam – and of course the UK.
Image at the top of this article is the author’s own; all others courtesy of Pine Ridge.
Chenin Blanc has been grown in California since the 19th century. Read more about its history, and the growers and makers keeping that history alive in delicious ways, in Alder Yarrow’s story on California Chenin Blanc.
