Winemaker Notes
Play with pairings for this wine. Some favorites include butternut squash ravioli with Marsala cream sauce. smoky, spit-roasted chicken, spice-rubbed pork loin, herb-crusted sea bass on a bed of bacon-sauteed kale, and bresh Burrata with compressed watermelon & verbena salad.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
Located in the Gabilan Mountains east of the fertile Salinas Valley, Chalone is named for the nearby Chalone peaks and produces fine Chardonnay and Pinot noir, among others.