Today, wine lovers can enjoy a diverse range of bottlings from regions across the United States. While some areas make wines from local and hybrid grapevine species, the best-known examples are typically made using Vitis vinifera. The results include delicious white wines, as our latest Tasting Highlights shows with new reviews of Riesling, Vermentino, Pinot Gris and blends from several acclaimed wine regions, including California's Sonoma and Monterey, Oregon's Willamette Valley and New York's Finger Lakes.
Prompted by their love of southern European wine, Mick Unti and his father, George, plant mostly Mediterranean varieties on 35 acres when they established Unti in California's Dry Creek Valley in 1997. That includes nearly 4 acres of Vermentino vineyards planted to three clones, one of which comes from Italy's Liguria, where the grape is widely planted. 2023 was the first vintage for which winemaker Jason Valenti used all three, resulting in a lovely mix of almond, pear and citrus zest notes with a jolt of fresh acidity (provided by cool evenings at the wine's source).
Tasting Highlights' wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors' most recent ratings—including scores and full tasting notes—to WineSpectator.com members.
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