As summer season settles in and temperatures rise, wine lovers are reaching for bottles that not solely refresh but in addition align with a extra wellness-minded life-style. Crisp, food-friendly, and versatile for any event, few wines match the invoice higher than Pine Ridge Vineyards’ hottest white mix: Chenin Blanc + Viognier, fondly often called CB+V. This gentle, refreshing wine has quietly change into a staple for wellness-conscious drinkers and informal sippers alike.
The brilliant, zesty white mix is of course decrease in alcohol (11.5 %), gluten-free, vegan-friendly and accommodates underneath 1 gram of sugar and solely about 80 energy per glass. With zero oak or malolactic fermentation, CB+V delivers a clear, but flavorful mouthful – and it’s no marvel why its now considered one of America’s most beloved white wines.
Unconventional From the Begin
When Pine Ridge first crafted CB+V again in 1995, it was definitely a unprecedented transfer: Mixing these two varieties was unprecedented of their native France. However on the vineyard in Napa Valley, innovation thrived, and Pine Ridge noticed a possibility to interrupt the mildew and create one thing distinctive. Chenin Blanc, initially from France’s Loire Valley, pairs effectively with quite a lot of dishes due to its vibrant acidity and notes of pear, apple, and lime. Viognier, which is mostly planted within the Rhône Valley in southeastern France, is notably much less acidic and identified for its pronounced floral and fruity notes equivalent to lychee and orange blossom. Whereas each of those grapes can function standout single varietal expressions, they weren’t usually introduced collectively in a single bottle. Pine Ridge got down to change that idea with its California plantings, and right this moment its CB+V is among the many hottest white wines within the U.S.
As its winemaker Colleen FitzGerald explains: “I really like working with Chenin Blanc as a result of it has distinctive acidity and vibrant lemon-lime characters that complement the burden and floral notes of Viognier. When you uncover it, there’s no going again.”
A Completely different Form of Wine
Although Pine Ridge relies in Napa Valley, the vineyard has lengthy sourced the grapes for CB+V from areas greatest suited to those varietals. The Chenin Blanc comes from Clarksburg, the place cooling Delta breezes protect acidity, and the Viognier from Lodi, a heat area with Mediterranean-like situations that promote ripeness and fragrant depth.
The result’s a white wine that gives flavors of yuzu, tangerine, orange blossom, melon, and peach, all with a vibrant, clear end. Crafted with minimal intervention, with out oak or pointless components, it matches seamlessly into the trendy wine drinker’s life-style.
Wellness Meets Excessive High quality and Higher for You
Whereas the unique objective of CB+V wasn’t to create a lower-calorie, low-sugar wine, its composition occurs to align with right this moment’s conscious consuming motion with out altering a factor in regards to the wine.
As FitzGerald places it: “This wine was forward of its time. It has all the time been crafted to be of top quality and with care, not energy in thoughts, so its superb to see how completely it matches into the way in which individuals wish to drink right this moment.”
At 11.5 % ABV, it’s additionally barely decrease in alcohol than common white wines, because the Chenin Blanc grapes used within the wine are constantly harvested when sugars are low. For a similar cause, CB+V has solely round a gram of sugar and 80 energy per pour. The wine is each gluten-free and vegan, making it a real crowd-pleaser for these looking for a extra conscious consuming possibility.
The wine’s summery taste profile is vivid and zesty, with aromas of kiwi, melon, peach, and citrus, superbly contrasted with floral touches of honeysuckle and jasmine. Though Chenin Blanc by itself is thought for its acidity, the addition of Viognier provides a delicate richness to the mix, making this balanced wine a flavorful option to sip by itself or pair with meals. Whereas it matches all kinds of meals from greens to seafood, its balanced profile makes it a beautiful accompaniment for spicy delicacies equivalent to Thai and Mexican dishes. It additionally goes notably effectively with softer cheeses (assume ricotta or chèvre).
A Sustainable Alternative
Sustainability isn’t a facet observe at Pine Ridge — it’s a guideline. The vineyard is licensed Napa Inexperienced and a proud member of Worldwide Wineries for Local weather Motion (IWCA), considered one of simply 30 international producers dedicated to reaching Web Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Since 2019, Pine Ridge has decreased the glass weight throughout its portfolio, together with the beloved CB+V, and it was one of many first identified wineries to print a light-weight glass brand on its labels, signifying bottles underneath 420 grams. Meaning much less carbon, simpler delivery, and decrease impression, with out altering what’s within the bottle.
The Girl Behind the Bottle
On the helm of one of many world’s largest Chenin Blanc initiatives is Colleen FitzGerald. She can also be one of many few ladies winemakers main a challenge of this scale within the white wine area. Raised in California and armed with a biochemistry diploma from Cal Poly, FitzGerald brings a singular mix of scientific rigor and artistic ardour to her work.
“I’ve all the time been captivated by the right steadiness of chemistry and artwork in winemaking,” she says. After honing her expertise by means of harvests in New Zealand, Paso Robles, and Napa, she joined Pine Ridge full-time in 2015. Since then, she’s helped form CB+V right into a benchmark for the class.
FitzGerald’s ardour echoes what many followers of CB+V expertise upon first sip: a wine that’s refreshing, expressive, and made with care. It’s a scrumptious selection for solo sipping or meals pairing—and a go-to for wine lovers looking for one thing decrease in sugar, energy, and compromise. And that’s definitely one thing to toast to.
This text is sponsored by Pine Ridge Vineyards.
