“He that is proud eats up himself; pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle,” Shakespeare, Trolius and Cressida – Twelfth-Night, II, iii, 165.
Frederick and Jacob Beringer founded one of the most picturesque, charming and quaint wineries in the center of the Napa Valley in 1876 after they moved to California from their native Mainz, Germany. Today, the winery stands as a unique gem in Napa’s crown, and tourists (as does Kodak) adore it.
Beringer’s vineyard holdings are extensive, from the Howell Mountain area to the cooler Carneros region. Winemakers Ed Sbragia and Laurie Hook have further helped to put this National Register of Historic Places on the map.
I organized my tastings into two parts, both those attainable pricewise as well as those of higher quality with their attendant price points. In my former column, I was deeply intrigued by the fragrant and fun Moscato, which I considered to be a bargain at $4.99 in many stores. Moscato is originally from the area near the town of Asti, Italy, and has many names there – Moscato Bianco, Moscato Canelli among them – and the grape is a key component of the joyously sparkling Asti Spumante.
In Part 1, I tasted the reasonable Beringer options – attractive all – and available at many shops in our market. Using my normal “A”-“F” simplistic grading system, my notes follow:
1. 2009 Moscato, California Collection, $4.99: Almost pure, clear white with very light body and almost explosively fruity, ebullient nose of flowers and honey. In the mouth, it danced gaily with honeysuckle and perfumey notes, moving into a lightly acidic finish. A
2. 2009 White Merlot, California, $4.99: A nicely funky idea with a pleasing blush akin to Sutter Home’s White Zinfandel. It displayed medium body with a lightly laced with teasingly dusty notes of strawberry. It had a medium-dry middle with light fruit and an easy, lightly fruity finish. B-
3. 2009 White Zinfandel, California Collection, $4.99: This entry blushed faintly with medium body and a lightly flowery nose. In the mouth, it was lightly fruity, and it eased gracefully into a lightly acidic finish. B
4. 2009 Pinot Grigio, California, $4.99: Barely off-white with medium body. Lightly complex nose with notes of flowers. It tasted lightly fruity with nicely balanced acid. B+
5. 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Founder’s Estate, California, $6.99: Barely off-white with good body. Fairly deep nose with good intensity. I enjoyed its medium fruit with its attendant lightly acidic nod. B
6. 2009 Chardonnay, Founder’s Estate, California, $6.99: Light vanilla hue with medium-to-heavy body. Medium-deep nose with some notes of oak. On the palate, it strutted medium-fruity notes with nice depth, then eased into a clean finish with a tease of butterscotch. A-
Given these prices, I’d consider all of these entries to be winners, but I still lean toward the Moscato, which would be delightful with fresh strawberries in the summer at a picnic. It would even work in this bitter winter weather.
Cheers, and kudos to Beringer!
