Russian river whites

Jun 29, 2005 2 Replies

We'll be hosting a pre-wedding party in a couple of weeks.



It will be an outdoor barbecue (evening) with lots of veggies and then salmon, chicken, pork and maybe a few steaks.



I would like to have all the wines from Sonoma and preferably from the Russian River Valley.



We will have prosecco and booze for aperitif.



I need help on the whites. I'll screw up the reds all by myself.



Personally I like leaner chards with very little oak ; I like a bit of subtlety in Sauvignon Blanc and I am open to suggestions of other varietals.



However I will not be drinking most of the wine so I should be thinking more of my guest preferences.



About half are into wine though none to the point of reading a wine board.



The crowd will be about 50% under 50, the rest around 70. 80% eastcoasters.



Would like to stay under $25 per bottle if possible.



Thanks for any suggestions.



E

For an un-oaked RR Chard, Toad Hollow comes immediately to mind. IIRC, they are 100% SS fermented and spend 0% time in oak. I found these to be a bit austere, but if one is shying away from oak...

Kistler Sonoma, a bit up the price range, is very nice with only a hint of oak. Last tasted vintage was '01.

Hunt

For that price and your descriptions of liking leaner wine I would give Sonoma-Cutrer a try.

Dimitri

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required