Wrestling with Riesling
Norm Roby
Mar 24, 2009

Winemakers from Napa, Oregon, Monterey, Washington, Alsace, Texas, New Zealand, Michigan and Mendocino converged on Boonville in Mendocino's Anderson Valley over the weekend of February 20-22. The draw was definitely not the area's night life but was in fact the 4th Annual International Alsace Varietals Festival. Over the weekend, three dozen wineries poured Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and even a Muscat or two.

Alsatian Pinot Gris: How Sweet It Is!
Norm Roby
Feb 21, 2006

To most Americans, Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio is a trendy white wine that suddenly appeared from Italy, California and Oregon just in time to rescue them from a lifetime of Chardonnay. Nowadays we are seeing more and more Pinot Gris coming to our shores from Italy as well as from Australia and New Zealand. Oddly, the one region we have not heard much from yet is Alsace, which is known for its white wines and has long favored varietal names. In this charming wine region along the Rhine, growers have cultivated Pinot Gris for over 400 years.