Outdoor wine season has arrived – Two outdoor white wines

Two outdoor white wines

• Tax Day signals the start of outdoor activities: planting veggies, picnicking, barbequing, and lots more
• Rosé and white wines go hand-in-hand with outdoor activities
• Here are two extremely fun and lively white wines that will go with any outdoor activity

Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier 2016

Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier 2016 $10 – $12

This is big-production wine. I see it at Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Total Wines and other stores. I purchased the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc at Total Wines on sale for $8.82. That price was included on a coupon  for the Total Wines Grand Opening at Bridgepoint in Foster City.  The Chenin Blanc gives this white blend wine crispness and a refreshing flavor, while the Viognier adds a flora character to the wine. Picture yourself sipping this wine in your flower garden or in a meadow flanked with wildflowers. Life can’t get much better than that. The winery price is $16, but I see this delicious white blend in several stores for around $10 to $12. If you are having an outdoor gathering, stock up on this wine and your guests will love you for it.

The Pine Ridge Vineyards winery (Napa Valley) spec sheet does not give the exact blend, but past vintages have been 80% Chenin Blanc from the Clarksburg, CA Appellation. Clarksburg is Chenin Blanc country along the Sacramento River banks.  The Viognier is from Lodi.  Alcohol is 12.5%; that’s a nice alcohol level for mid-afternoon sipping. Wilson Wong of Wine.com rates it 90 points. Consensus rating on the Wine-Searcher.com is 88 Points, and that is where I rank it.

Dry Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Dry Creek Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc $11.49 at Costco

This is my favorite Sauvignon Blanc for the outdoors. I like it more than any of the other great values out there in Sauvignon Blanc including Bonterra, Hanna, and Ferrari Carrano. The Dry Creek Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc is zesty with the right blend of tropical and floral characteristics. It is crisp, refreshing, and downright tantalizing.

The spec sheet indicates that the grapes are sustainably farmed from estate vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley.  Here is the interesting part. The wine is a blend of 81.5% Sauvignon Blanc, 13.5% Sauvignon Musque, and 5% Sauvignon Gris. 18% of the wine was barrel fermented and the rest in stainless steel. This is a fascinating wine and an incredible value at this Costco price. Buy several – 90 Points.

Dry Creek Vineyard winery is located in Sonoma County on Lambert Bridge Road. If you visit be sure to picnic with this wine. Just before you go to the winery, buy your picnic lunch at the nearby historic Dry Creek General Store.