With the new month, another Vintners Tasting! I’m Tom Simoneau with today’s wine minute here to say this past week the Napa Valley Vintners and St. Helena Star hosted our monthly tasting group… this time, white wine other than Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Now we all know that Napa Valley is synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon, but don’t forget at the southern end of Napa Valley is the cool Carneros growing region. The white Rhône’s like Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier prosper as do the Alsace varietals like Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat. Thirty-six wines were tasted from up and down the valley. And as it turns out, this hallowed Cabernet ground produces some outstanding Chenin Blanc and Riesling. Top 3 wines of the tasting: #3 Swanson Vineyards 2010 Pinot Grigio, Oakville, $21; #2 Hill Family 2011 Albarino, Carneros, $28; and the top wine, Ballentine Vineyards 2011 Chenin Blanc, $17. Click on sthelenastar.com for the related article July 5^th.