To keep things simple, I have included some of the Beringer wines from Knight’s Valley, including the delicious, value-priced 2008 Alluvium Blanc, a white Bordeaux look-alike. It offers lots of grassy, lemon oil, honeysuckle, and tropical fruit notes, crisp acidity, a steely backbone, and fresh, medium-bodied flavors. Drink it over the next several years. As I have written in the past, Beringer offers between 200-250 cases of each of their single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons that go into their Private Reserve program. Interestingly, as good as the single vineyard cuvees tend to be, and they’re all very different, the Private Reserve blend is as good or better than the finest single vineyard, demonstrating that the blending process is essential and important.Tel. (707) 963-7115; Fax (707) 963-1735

As always, Beringer’s Alluvium blend is a complex white wine, meant to pair with good food. The '08 is comprised of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay and Viognier. It’s fruity, crisp and dry. ——S.H.(2/1/2011)—— 88

The excellent 2007 Alluvium Blanc, their white Bordeaux-like blend, is a superb value. Steely, honeyed citrus (grapefruit and lemon) notes as well as admirable fruit, medium body, and good minerality are present in this fresh, crisp white. This would be a sensational accompaniment to an assortment of cuisines, including the spiciest, most torrid Asian cooking. Beringer continues to turn out an impressive array of wines, proving that a gigantic global operation can be focused on quality and character. Beringer’s Pinot Noir program continues to show more and more promise. Beringer’s Cabernet Sauvignon program includes two outstanding bargains, one from Knight’s Valley and one from Napa. They are both serious Cabernet Sauvignons meant to be drunk young, but both are capable of lasting a decade or more. For their Private Club members, Beringer offers approximately 200 cases of all the single vineyards that go into their Private Reserve cuvee. I’ll keep my tasting notes brief since these wines are only available to Private Club members. However, it is always interesting that, aside from two or three of the single vineyards, the Private Reserve final blend is always the finest wine of the group. This has been proven time and time again at these tastings.Tel. (707) 963-7115; Fax (707) 963-1735