When Tony Soter first established Etude Wines back in 1982, the label very quickly became THE most sought-after Pinot Noir in a very crowded field of north coast Pinots. Tony’s masterful touch with this finicky grape variety eventually lured him to Oregon, where he continues his winning ways with Soter Vineyards. Etude, on the other hand, under the leadership of winemaker Jon Priest, has expanded their impressive portfolio with a range of stellar, single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, gorgeous Chardonnays and with perhaps California’s best expression of Pinot Gris, done in a true Alsatian style. You’d be surprised at how much Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio is actually planted in California (over 12,000 acres) but it seldom appears as a single-varietal bottling, and certainly not handled in the serious fashion that Etude employs. Sourced from true Alsatian clones, densely planted in the loamy soil of the Carneros district, where the warm days and cool nights yield a wine of beautifully ripe fruit with plenty of natural acidity, the wine takes on more complex aromas, flavors and texture from extended lees contact. It's been my experience that when California wineries attempt to make white wines from aromatic grape varieties like Pinot Gris, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Arneis and others, all too often the wines are overly alcoholic or overly sweet. Not so with the Etude Pinot Gris. The wine hits all the right notes with fruit flavors that are reminiscent of green apples, lime zest and kiwi, with a bouquet that captures the exotic, sometimes spicy, aroma of this noble grape variety. I personally love Pinot Gris from the Alsace region of France but give me the Etude Pinot Gris in its place and I’ll be a very happy man. What’s more, throw in a super-low price and free shipping and I’d be absolutely delirious. Anyone care to join me? – Frank Rothstein