Don't Overlook Alderbrook

Prologue: At the southern end of the Dry Creek Valley enough cool air from the Russian River pools to make Chardonnay grow well, as demonstrated by Alderbrook.

...Bob Thompson, "Wine Atlas of California"

Our 1995 is the finest Alderbrook Chardonnay to date. It is a dazzling wine, made from grapes grown entirely on our estate in the southern tip of Dry Creek Valley.

...Catherine Bartolomei, Alderbrook Winery

The Rest of the Story: with credentials like that, it was hardly a suprise that the Alderbrook won BEST WHITE at our last blind tasting. But there was a BIG suprise...the PRICE.

During the last six months we've had only three other Chardonnays score as high as the Alderbrook. The cost of those three averaged $26. The Alderbrook is only TWELVE DOLLARS!

The Wine:
1995 Chardonnay, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Alderbrook Vineyards and Winery
Phone—(800) 655-3838 or (707) 433-9154
Price—$12

Postscript: About the Dry Creek Valley: It is only 16 miles long and two miles wide. It contains no city or town. and of all things, it is NOT DRY! Dry Creek flows southeast through the valley and into the Russian River near Healdsburg.

About the Writer Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College and is Northern California Editor for American Wine on the Web. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.

Read more articles by Fred McMillin in the eGGsf

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