Mayo Family Winery, Sonoma Valley, Laurel Hill Vineyard, Methode Champenoise, Brut 2003 There’s plenty of green apple and tart cherry as well as a little toastiness. P&B in Lower Lake 12.5% $27.99 at Bottle Barn Mayo

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When Vacu-Dry ceased operations in Sebastopol, California, many bemoaned the continuing decline of the apple industry in Sonoma’s West County region. Yet from those ashes many a high-flying phoenix has taken flight.
The large and rather dingy industrial complex that used to house Vacu-Dry has been turned into a rabbit warren of artisan winemakers, each with [...]

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There’s a broad spectrum to what is considered dry white wine, as we see in these two examples from California.
Kunde Estate Sonoma Valley Magnolia Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2007
This is an exciting wine of floral and citrus notes, high acidity and light body. G, P & B in Kenwood 13.8% $9.49 at Bottle Barn Kunde
Cambria Santa [...]

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So many of us enjoy dry white wine. Yet what is dry is not one thing, as we see in the case of these two dry white wines.
Benziger Sonoma Valley MacLeod Family Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2006
This is crisp citrus in a bottle. The Benziger family is a leaders in sustainable practices and encourages a similar [...]

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Nelson Estate Sonoma Valley Bennett Valley Vineyard Malbec 2004
The nose is oak city and the palate is very supple with moderate acidity and a long finish. I think that many will find this wine agreeable and readily approachable. Aged in Fr oak for 18 mos. C&B in Healdsburg 13.6% $21.99 at Bottle Barn Nelson [...]

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D’Argenzio Sonoma Valley D’Alfonso Sangiovese 2005
I had an opportunity to taste this wine twice in the past 2 weeks, once at the sweeps round and again during the D’Arenzio Harvest Party at the winery on Cleveland Avenue. This wine sports fresh red fruits in a light-bodied package where the acidity is in balance and there [...]

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Kunde Estate Sonoma Valley Grenache Rose 2006
A clean wine with parfum and strawberries framed by great acidity. We awarded this wine a Gold Medal and it won best of Class of the 10 pink wines tasted. The wine also showed well during the sweepstakes round. Unfortunately pink wines never have a chance to win sweepstakes [...]

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Gran Sasso, Puglia, Primitivo IGT 2005
Tasted in May ‘08 this wine was blooming with brett and would repulse most consumers. A bottle tasted later in the summer proved to be a different animal. Oaky and earthy with new world fruit, an appropriate amount of acid to brighten the wine and some tannin. Thus it lacked [...]

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