Main White grapes

Chardonnay

(Shar-do-nay) Chardonnay was the most popular white grape through the 1990's. It can be made sparkling or still.

Food pairings: a good choice for fish (even salmon) and chicken dishes.

Districts: chardonnay makes the principle white wine of Burgundy (Bourgogne, France), where it originated. Chardonnay is versatile and is grown with success in most viticultural areas under a variety of climatic conditions. Yet it only amounts to 2 percent of the world vine areas. Total chardonnay vines cover more than 160,000 hectares (400,000 acres). The biggest states were in 2005:

1. U.S.A.: California: 44,509 ha; Oregon and Washington state: 3,200 ha

2.France: 35,252 ha

3. Australia: 22,528 ha

4. Italy: 11,800 ha

5.Moldavia: 6,000 ha

6. South Africa: 8,000 ha

7.Chili: 7,500 ha

8. Argentina: 5,155 ha

Typical taste of the different types of chardonnay: voluptuous. Chardonnay wines are often wider-bodied (and more velvety) than other types of dry whites, with rich citrus (lemon, grapefruit) flavors. Fermenting in new oak barrels adds a buttery tone (vanilla, toast, coconut, toffee). Tasting a USD 20 Californian Chardonnay should give citrus fruit flavors, hints of melon, vanilla, some toasty character and some creaminess.


Sauvignon blanc

(So-veen-yawn Blah)

Food pairings: a versatile food wine for seafood, poultry, and salads.

Districts: of French origin, sauvignon blanc is grown in the Bordeaux region where it is blended with semillon. The Loire valley and New

Zealand produce some excellent sauvignon blanc varietals. Some Australian Sauvignon Blancs, grown in warmer areas, tends to be flat and lack fruit qualities.

Typical taste in varietal wine: sauvignon blanc normally shows a herbal character suggesting bell pepper or freshly mown grass. The dominating flavors range from sour green fruits of apples, pears and gooseberries through to tropical fruits of melon, mango and blackcurrant. Quality unoaked Sauvignon Blancs will display smokey qualities; they require bright aromas and a strong acid finish and are best grown in cool climates.


Semillon

(Say-mee-yaw)

Food pairings: Semillon goes with fish but there are many better matches. Serve dry Semillon with clams, mussels, or pasta salad.

Districts: sémillon is the major white grape in the Bordeaux region of France. Sémillon is also known as Hunter (River Riesling), boal/bual of Madeira, chevrier, columbier, malaga and blanc doux. Sémillon is also grown in Chile, Argentina, Australia, and California.

Typical taste: the wine varietal features distinct fig-like character. Sémillon is often blended with sauvignon blanc to delimit its strong berry-like flavors.

From the Bordeaux region of France come the great Sauternes and Barsac. These wines are produced from overripe sémillon grapes. They are blended with sauvignon blanc to produce a syrupy, full-bodied wine that may be world class.



Moscato

(Mos-cato) The moscato variety belongs to the muscat family of grapes - and so do moscatel and muscat ottonel.

Food pairings: Moscato shows best on its own: without food but sweet wines will pair with dessert.

Districts: moscato grows in most vine-friendly climates, including Italy, the Rhône Valley (where it is called muscat blanc à petits grains) and Austria (where it is called Muskateller).

Typical taste: often sweet and always fruity, with a characteristic grapefruity and musky aroma. Moscato wines are easily recognizable to anyone who has tasted a Muscat table grape.\



Pinot grigio

(Pee-no gree-zo)

Food pairings: versatile.

Districts: pinot grigio is planted extensively in the Venezia and Alto Adige regions of Italy. Pinot grigio is also grown in the western coastal regions of the U.S.A. It is called malvoisie in the Loire Valley and pinot gris in the rest of France. In Germany and Austria pinot grigio is known as the Ruländer or Grauer Burgunder. Similar aliases are used in the german settled regions of Australia.

Typical taste: crisp, dry wines with good acid "bite" are typically made in Italy and Germany. Oregon or Alsace Pinot Gris shows aromatic, fruity flavors. Pairing with food is more difficult because Alsatian winemakers leave the grapes on the vine much longer. The perfume in Alsatian Pinot Gris makes it especially well suited for Thai or spicy Chinese cuisine.



Gewürztraminer

Gah-vurtz-tra-meener) A very aromatic variety.

Food pairings: gewürztraminer is ideal for sipping. It can fit Asian food, pork and grilled sausages.

Districts: gewürztraminer is best known in wines from Alsace, Germany, the U.S. West Coast, and New York.

Typical taste in varietal wine:  fruity flavors with aromas of rose petals, peaches, lychees, and allspice. A Gewürztraminer seems generally not as refreshing as other types of dry whites.




Riesling

(Rees-ling)

Food pairings: dry versions go well with fish, chicken and pork dishes. The crispiness of a Riesling works very well with tuna and salmon while the acidity level intermingles with the slight smokiness of the eel and cuts through the layers of spicier Japanese foods.

Districts: the classic German grape of the Rhine and Mosel, riesling grows in all wine regions. Germany's great Rieslings are usually made slightly sweet, with steely acidity for balance. Riesling from Alsace and the Eastern U.S. is also excellent, though usually made in a different style, equally aromatic but typically drier (not sweet). California Rieslings are much less successful, usually sweet without sufficient acidity for balance.



Typical taste in varietal wine: Riesling wines are much lighter than Chardonnay wines. The aromas generally include fresh apples. The riesling variety expresses itself very differently depending on the district and the winemaking. Rieslings should taste fresh. If they do, then they might also prove tastier and tastier as they age.

Your wine Dr.

KHAN 

CS,CSW,CSC

HALL FAMILY WINES

Kathryn has been involved in the California wine industry since her family first purchased a vineyard in Mendocino County in 1972. The Walt family owns 63 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc in the Redwood Valley and has sold their grapes to such wineries as Fetzer, Parducci, and Beringer. Kathryn managed the family vineyard from 1982 to 1992. During this time she produced Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon under the label Walt Vineyards.


In addition to living in the wine world, Kathryn has an A.B. in Economics from U.C. Berkeley, a J.D. from the U.C. Hastings College of Law and she has had a distinguished career as a successful attorney. She also co-founded the North Texas Food Bank, served on the United States House of Representatives Hunger Advisory Committee, and was the director/vice president of the Texas Mental Health Association. Kathryn has served on the National Advisory Council for Violence Against Women and as a trustee of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She also served as the United States Ambassador to Austria from December 1997 to July 2001.

After her return to the United States, she has resumed her role as proprietor of Kathryn Hall Vineyards. Continuing upon her experience promoting American agriculture in Austria, in September 2001 she was appointed to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for international trade. Wines has two tasting room and winery locations in the Napa Valley, one in St. Helena and the other in Rutherford. Their vineyard collection features 5 Certified Organic estates encompassing more than 500 acres of Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc.






The winemaker for Hall Wines is Steve Leveque who crafts 15 Cabernet Sauvignon wines each with its own distinctive profile which reflect the various unique terroirs of the Napa Valley.





Hall Wines utilizes high-density plantings in the vineyard and has two gravity-flow wineries. They are also very eco-friendly as site maintains one acre of solar panels on its roof and uses 100% recycled water throughout its processes, which is particularly important as the state of California has been experiencing a serious drought this year.





Inside the tasting room, out on the balcony and in the courtyard Hall combines modern art and architecture with comfortable luxury, and warm hospitality for their guests.






Adjacent to the modern winery, the Hall family has meticulously restored the 1885 Bergfeld Winery which they purchased in 2003. It was originally built by a New England sea captain named Peterson and was subsequently owned by Robert Bergfeld, head of one of the first families to make wine in Napa Valley. The Bergfeld Winery and changed hands many times until prohibition ended. After prohibition it was operated again under the Bergfeld Winery name until 1994 when it became Edgewood Estate.






The Wines


While visiting I sampled the following wines:


2013 Hall “T Bar T Ranch” Alexander Valley Sauvignon Blanc






This is a clear white wine, pale straw in color with minor tint of green around the rim with medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with medium+ to pronounced intense aromas of white grapefruit, lemon, under ripe pineapple, white flowers and lemon pith. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it is very crisp with medium+ acidity, medium bodied and it has a long clean and refreshing citrus finish. It was around 95 degrees outside so this was a very refreshing wine. I brought a bottle of this wine home for $30.


2012 Walt “The Corners” Anderson Valley Pinot Noir






This is a clear red wine, ruby at the core to pink at the rim with medium viscosity. On the nose it has medium+ intense aromas of strawberry jam, raspberries, clove, cinnamon and a hint of cola. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it is very soft on entry with medium- tannins, it has mouth-watering medium+ acidity and a medium+ length finish. A well-balanced wine, it sells for $65 per bottle.


2012 Walt “Savoy Vineyard” Anderson Valley Pinot Noir






This is a clear red wine, ruby at the core to pink at the rim with medium viscosity. On the nose it has medium+ intense aromas of red plums, very ripe strawberries, with hints of dried herbs, smoke, bacon fat and root beer. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it is very soft on entry with medium- tannins, it is medium bodied with medium+ acidity and a long finish. Although this wine and the previous Pinot were both from the Anderson Valley, “The Corners” Pinot reminded me more of the Russian River. I loved them both but I preferred the “Savoy Vineyard”. This wine sells for $65 per bottle but unfortunately it is available to Club Members Only.


2011 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon





This is an opaque dark ruby red wine with minimal rim variation and medium+ viscosity with slightly staining tears. On the nose it had moderate intense aromas of cassis, black cherries with a hint of green bell peppers, cocoa powder and touch of vanilla. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it is soft on entry with moderate velvety tannins, medium acidity, medium+ body and it has a long finish. This is a very easy-drinking wine and yet well balanced. The green notes are common for this vintage and yet they aren’t overbearing in this wine, in fact I prefer it to the stereotypical fruit bombs that are overblown with vanilla. This wine sells for $45 per bottle and I brought a bottle home.


2011 Hall “Ellie’s” Cabernet Sauvignon





This wine is a Napa Valley blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot. It is an opaque dark ruby red wine with minimal rim variation and medium+ viscosity with slightly staining tears. On the nose it has intense and concentrated aromas of blackberries, black cherries, and black currants with hints of black licorice, freshly cracked pepper and cedar. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it very refined medium tannins, medium acidity, it is full bodied and has a long fruit driven finish. This wine sells for $80 per bottle.


2011 Hall “Kathryn Hall” Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon fruit selected from a number of vineyards in the valley stretching from St Helena to Howell Mountain to their Sacrashe estate vineyard in Rutherford. It is an opaque dark ruby red wine with minimal rim variation and medium+ viscosity with slightly staining tears. On the nose it has intense and concentrated aromas of black currants, cassis, chocolate covered cherries, dark chocolate, violets and damp earth. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it very refined medium tannins, medium acidity, it is full bodied and has a long fruit driven finish. This wine sells for $135 per bottle, members only.




All of the wines I tasted at Hall were spectacular, all of the Pinots had a very seductive bouquet and the Cabernets were well balanced and delicious. I highly recommend visiting Hall on your next trip to the Napa Valley.

YOUR WINE DR.

KHAN CS,CSW,CSC

Alsace

Alsace:-

Almost all wines are white, except those made from the Pinot noir grape which are pale red, often rosé, rarely red (e.g. Rouge d'Ottrott . Sparkling wines known as Crémant d'Alsace are also made. Much of the white wines of Alsace are made from aromatic grape varieties, so many characteristic Alsace wines are aromatic, floral and spicy. Since they very seldom have any oak barrel aromas they tend to be very varietally pure in their character. Traditionally all Alsace wines were dry (which once set them apart from German wines with which they share many grape varieties), but an ambition to produce wines with more intense and fruity character has led some producers to produce wines which contain some residual sugar. Since there is no official labeling that differentiates completely dry from off-dry (or even semi-sweet) wines, this has occasionally led to some confusion among consumers. It is more common to find residual sugar in Gewürztraminer and Pinot gris, which reach a higher natural sugar content on ripeness, than in Riesling, Muscat or Sylvaner. Usually there is a "house style" as to residual sugar, i.e., some producers only produce totally dry wines, except for their dessert style wines.

Almost all production in Alsace is of AOC wine, since there is no Vin de pays region, which covers Alsace. Thus, the only alternative to producing AOC wine is to declassify it all the way down to Vin de table, which generally means that neither grape varieties, region of origin or vintage may be identified. However, this solution is mostly avoided since edelzwicker and gentil may be blended from several varieties, i.e. varieties that exceed the AOC rules in the concerned season.

Bottles

There is a legal requirement for bottling Alsace wine in tall bottles commonly called flûtes d'Alsace In the AOC rules; the bottle type is actually called vin du Rhin, i.e., "Rhine wine bottle". Without being mandated by law, this bottle format is also common and traditional in many German regions, particularly for Riesling and other traditional white wine varieties.

Late harvest wines

There are two late harvest classifications, Vendange Tardive (VT) and Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN). Vendange Tardive means "late harvest" (which in German would be Spätlese), but in terms of must weight requirements, VT is similar to Auslese in Germany. Sélection de Grains Nobles means "selection of noble berries", i.e. grapes affected by noble rot, and is similar to a German Beerenauslese. For both VT and SGN, Alsace wines tend to be higher in alcohol and therefore slightly lower in sugar than the corresponding German wines. Therefore, Riesling VT and Muscat VT tend to be semi-sweet rather than sweet, while Gewürztraminer and Pinot gris tend to be rather sweet already at VT level. But as is the case with sweetness in other Alsace wines, this depends to a large extent on the house style of the producer.

The required level of ripeness of the grapes, which was increased in 2001, are as follows, expressed as sugar content of the must and potential alcohol

The producer Aimé Stentz produces a late harvest Pinot blanc known as Pi-Noblesse, which is ineligible for either VT or SGN labelling

Varieties	VT since 2001	SGN since 2001	VT before 2001	SGN before 2001
Gewürztraminer Pinot gris	243 grams per liter or 15.3% potential alcohol or 110 °Oe [14]	279 grams per liter or 18.2% potential alcohol or 128 °Oe	14.3% potential alcohol or 104 °Oe	16.4% potential alcohol or 117 °Oe
Riesling Muscat	220 grams per liter or 14% potential alcohol or 102 °Oe	256 grams per liter or 16.4% potential alcohol or 117 °Oe	12.9% potential alcohol or 94 °Oe	15.1% potential alcohol or 108 °Oe

The minimum required must weights have again been increased to the following:

VT: Riesling, Muscat, Muscat Ottonel: 235 g/l (formerly 220 g/l); Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer: 257 g/l (formerly 243 g/l)

SGN: Riesling, Muscat, Muscat Ottonel: 276 g/l (formerly 256 g/l); Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer: 306 g/l (formerly 279 g/l)

Grape varieties

Variety	Area 2008 (proportion)[
Riesling	21.7%
Gewürztraminer	18.6%
Pinot gris	15.2%
Auxerrois blanc	14.2%
Pinot noir	9.6%
Sylvaner	8.9%
Pinot blanc[16]	7.0%
Muscat varieties	2.3%
Chasselas	0.6%
Other, including Chardonnay and Savagnin	1.3%
Mixed vineyards	0.6%
Sum	15 535 ha

Over the last decades, plantings of Riesling, Pinot noir and in particular Pinot gris have increased, while Sylvaner (once the most grown variety) and Chasselas have been on the decrease.

Varietal labels and similar designations[

Alsace is known for being the only French wine-growing region with a long practice in varietal labeling, which was a German tradition long before varietally labelled New world wines scored considerable export success. However, under appellation rules, not all varietal-sounding names on labels need to correspond to a single grape variety. Only one varietal label may be used on a wine, and a blend may not have more than one varietal name on the label.

Label

Varieties allowed (if different)

AOC Alsace

AOC Alsace Grand Cru

VT & SGN

Comment

Noble varieties

Gewurztraminer

Gewürztraminer

X

X

X

Written without umlaut in French

Muscat

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Muscat Rose à Petits Grains Muscat Ottonell

X

X

X

Blends within these varieties are allowed for AOC Alsace, But only for specific AOC Grands Crus in certain cases. Not allowed for Grands Crus on Zotzenberg (fr) or Kaefferkopf

Pinot gris

X

X

X

called Tokay d'Alsace before 1994 and later Tokay Pinot gris. The use of Tokay has been phased out to avoid confusion with wines from Tokaji in Hungary. From the 2007 vintage, Pinot gris is the only allowed designation.

Riesling

X

X

X

Other single variety labels

Chasselas Gutedel

Chasselas

X

Klevener de Heiligenstein

Savagnin Rose

X

Allowed for existing vineyards in Bourgheim, Gertwiller, Goxwiller, Heiligenstein and Obernai, with no replanting allowed outside the designation area after 2021.

Pinot noir

X

For red and rosé wines

Sylvaner

X

The variety Sylvaner - pure or mixed with Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris and Riesling - is allowed in wines from the Grand Cru vineyard Zotzenberg (fr) in Mittelbergheim since 2006, but not the varietal label.

Labels allowing blends of several varieties

Pinot[19] Klevner

Auxerrois blanc Pinot blanc Pinot gris Pinot noir, vinified as blanc de noirs

X

Pinot-labelled wines can be varietally pure or blends in any proportions of any of these varieties. Klevner-labelled wines are not supposed to be different. It has been claimed that the regulatory bodies, quietly tolerate the blending of Chardonnay into Pinot blanc-labeled wine, while against the AOC regulations.

Edelzwicker

Any variety allowed in AOC Alsace

X

Commonly blended from several varieties in any proportions.

Labels outside the appellation regulations

Gentil

Any variety allowed in AOC Alsace

Unregulated older designation for blends that has been reintroduced.Consensus seems to be that a Gentil should have a minimum of 50% of the four noble grapes, and can therefore be thought of as a high-end Edelzwicker.

Other varieties grown in Alsace

Chardonnay

Allowed in Crémant d'Alsace, but not in AOC Alsace wines. Still Alsace wine from Chardonnay can only be sold as Vin de table according to regulations, but its blending into "Pinot blanc" is said to be quietly tolerated.

Non-AOC wines

Almost all Alsace wine is produced under one of the region's three AOC designations—Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru and Crémant d'Alsace. Unlike most other French wine regions, there exists no Vin de pays designation for Alsace. This means that wines that do not qualify for AOC status have to be sold as simple Vin de table de France. This happens in some instances when producers wish to use other grape varieties in their wine, like Domaine Zind-Humbrecht which sells its cuvée Zind, a blend of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Auxerrois.

Industry structure

Up to 2,000 growers bottle their own wine, but more than 80% of the wine is produced by 175 producers, including many winemaking cooperatives. Even the largest winemaking companies/négociants in Alsace tend to be family-owned.In 2001, approximately 45% of Alsace wine was made by cooperatives.

Producers

Some of the best-known producers include Maison Trimbach, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Hugel & Fils, Léon Beyer, Weinbach, Josmeyer and Marcel Deiss. Many of the larger houses, such as Hugel, sell both wines from their own vineyards and market wines they have produced from purchased grapes, i.e., operate as négociant. Producers calling themselves "Domaine", such as Zind-Humbrecht, are supposed to only use grapes from their own vineyards. There are also several winemaking cooperatives, some of which have a rather good reputation.

Route des Vins d'Alsace

The Route des Vins d'Alsace (Wine route of Alsace) is an approximately 170 km long road, crossing the main wine producing areas of the region. From north to south, the following 67 communes