Our sweet little valley is calm and quiet during the first month of the new year. We prepare for our Winter White Wine Festival, previously Alsace Fest, and invite white wine fans from all over the world to participate; we locals call it daily living. The rains come and turn forests bright green; mushrooms start to pop, and people drink wine by the fire for warmth and coziness.
In Anderson Valley, we focus on Riesling and other aromatic white wines in February and Pinot Noir in May (Pinot Fest). February we hope you join us for our White Wine Weekend, and if you cannot join us online most Friday’s we cheer from our kitchen to yours to celebrate wines from Mendocino County.
Cellar Treasures & Mendocino Bounty
Reach into the cellars of any ridge folk and you will find delicate Riesling ripe for drinking. Riesling does not always have to be sweet. It varies in flavor and can be bone dry and even sparkle. Whatever your assumptions about white wine, especially Riesling, I dare you to try something new. You might be pleasantly surprised.
In addition to wine from the cellar, neighbors often will bring crab and mushrooms from recent adventures!
Come find a myriad of mushrooms popping out this time of year. Join us for a hike in person or via Facebook & Instagram live. Winemaker Andy will take you on his favorite mushroom-hunting trails and describes what he finds!
Did you know that you can age white wine? If the bottle is made and stored correctly, it will become fuller bodied over time and grow in lusciousness. Take our 2014 Bee Hunter Dry Riesling. It is tasting better than it ever has. The acidity has mellowed over time giving more attention to the subtle flavors hidden in the grapes.
You do not need to take my word for it. Next time you purchase a Riesling, preferably from Anderson Valley but any world-renowned region will do, get some extra and open a bottle each year and compare your tasting notes from year to year. Like a detective, you will be able to discover the wonders of well-aged white wine.
Always Bee Huntin’ For Vineyards
At Bee Hunter, we choose to make wine from some of the best vineyards in California (like Greenwood Ridge as shown here) and we like to let the original flavors of the vines shine. Rarely do we add any yeast, meaning most of our wines ferment themselves on their own. Our goal is to keep the flavors and essence of the wine as close to the grapes that grow on the vine.
Connect with us on social or by email to stay tuned for our future food and wine pairing dinners to see how three ingredients plus a splash of wine and you will be the star of any meal! Just ask Winemaker Andy….as it is one of his signature moves.
~ Alisa Nemo, Bee Hunter Wine
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