Our neighbor to the north is Ordway's Valley Foothills Vineyard, owned for decades by Gil and Marge Ordway. We've been purchasing from this vineyard since 1979 and it is currently the only vineyard in Anderson Valley from which we purchase fruit. We like dealing with the Ordways—they provide housing for their employees and helped finance the construction of our local health clinic. Navarro's Pinot Grigio typically is produced from Valley Foothills' vines growing in a field of loamy soil along a small seasonal creek that feeds the Navarro River. With these deeper soils the vines never struggle for water during in the heat of summer.
The Pinot family of grapes are genetically unstable and we frequently see Pinot Gris clusters with white berries interspersed with the grey.
Navarro's Pinot Grigio is fermented and aged in refrigerated French oak ovals. ![[above]](/images/buttons/arrow_up.gif)
Ted and Jim are demonstrating the size of glass you'll want to pour after a sip of this Grigio, which is a steal for only $14.75 a bottle in a full case.
The clonal selection for these vines is ENTAV 53—which has slightly larger clusters than ENTAV 52—and produces wine with intimations of lemon zest and fresh fennel. We harvest early in the season to keep the alcohol restrained and the acid lively making it a refreshing wine on a summer day.
After the grapes were harvested and pressed the juice was racked to French oak ovals for a long, cool fermentation then aged sur lie for seven months. Whiffs of Meyer lemon and honeysuckle introduce flavors of citrus and green apple framed by refreshingly bright acidity.
