Kitchen Sink White

By Chris and Sherry Hardie
Not every California winemaker is a farmer, preferring instead to leave the viticulture to others. That's always been the philosophy of Adler Fels, which purchases bulk wine from Russian River Valley growers, blends it with other wines and finishes it.
That's the case with this non-vintage white, which is a blend of chardonnay (36 percent), chenin blanc (32 percent), gewürztraminer (21 percent) and other mixed varieties (11 percent). It is a veritable kitchen sink of wines and is cold fermented in stainless steel.
But the blend works surprisingly well, offering juicy melon and citrus notes and a tart, crisp finish. It's a good value, too.
Sherry: "Tart lime flavor with almond on the finish." (3 stars)
Chris: "Peach and pineapple layered in citrus." (3 stars)
Available locally for about $7.
Coming next week: Follies Touriga Nacional