All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide context—vintage, variety or appellation—but never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.
*Products deemed unacceptable (receving a rating below 80 points) are not reviewed.
98-100
Classic
The Pinnacle of quality
94-97
Superb
A great achievement
90-93
Excellent
Highly recommended
87-89
Very Good
Often good value; well recommended
83-86
Good
Suitable for everyday consumption, often good value
80-82
Acceptable
Can be employed
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Discover New Regions for Pinot Blanc
The Alsace wine region is virtually unique in France in that producers are allowed to put the grape variety on the label of their appellation contrôlée wines. It is also unique in that the grapes are both German and French: Riesling and Gewürztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner. These are not light wines, but they have a combination of fruitiness and richness quite different from the German models just across the Rhine. Although primarily dry, some are sweet, so consult individual Alsace wine reviews to see in which style each wine is made. Our Alsace wine guide contains hundreds of Alsace wine ratings.
The Willamette Valley Wine Region is one of the most influential wine producing regions in all of Oregon as well as the entire Pacific Northwest. The region spans from the Columbia River in the north all the way down to Eugene in the South. It is by far Oregon’s largest AVA and is dominated by plantings of Pinot Noir and smaller amounts of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. The Willamette Valley is subdivided into six smaller appellations: Chehalem Mountains AVA, Dundee Hills AVA, McMinnville AVA, Ribbon Ridge AVA, Yamhill-Carlton District AVA and Eola-Amity Hills AVA. According to our Willamette Valley Wine Guide the mild, cool and somewhat moist climate provides ideal conditions for Pinot Noir, creating wines that are often considered the bridge between California and Burgundy style. The Pinot Noirs from this area tend to have black cherry and…
