Winemaker Notes
This classic, Loire Valley-style wine is excellent when paired with fresh oysters, seafood, or just about anything!
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc takes a page out of France's Loire Valley as it plays on a level field with the best of Vouvrays. TASTING NOTES: This wine is fresh, bright, and attractive with aromas of honeydew, dried earth, and tart apples. Pair it with a seafood salad of grilled prawns, Mandarin oranges, and pickled ginger. (Tasted: August 5, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
The vineyards just inland from the Sacramento River Delta, along the deep banks of the Sacramento River, comprise the Clarksburg AVA. The River Delta channels in cold air and fog from the Pacific Ocean creating a cooling effect in this area. Warm summer days quickly change to chilly evenings and make a great environment for grape growing. While a range of grape varieties grow here, Chenin blanc stands out the most, distinguishing itself in the appellation.
The Clarksburg Wine Growers and Vintners Association, made up of nearly 50 grower members and over a dozen wineries, has been working since the late 1980s to promote the high quality wine of its region.