As summer settles in and temperatures rise, wine lovers are reaching for bottles that not only refresh but also align with a more wellness-minded lifestyle. Crisp, food-friendly, and versatile for any occasion, few wines fit the bill better than Pine Ridge Vineyards’ most popular white blend: Chenin Blanc + Viognier, fondly known as CB+V. This light, refreshing wine has quietly become a staple for wellness-conscious drinkers and casual sippers alike.
The bright, zesty white blend is naturally lower in alcohol (11.5 percent), gluten-free, vegan-friendly and contains under 1 gram of sugar and only about 80 calories per glass. With zero oak or malolactic fermentation, CB+V delivers a clean, yet flavorful mouthful – and it’s no wonder why its now one of America’s most beloved white wines.
Unconventional From the Start
When Pine Ridge first crafted CB+V back in 1995, it was certainly an extraordinary move: Blending these two varieties was unheard of in their native France. But at the winery in Napa Valley, innovation thrived, and Pine Ridge saw an opportunity to break the mold and create something unique. Chenin Blanc, originally from France’s Loire Valley, pairs well with a variety of dishes thanks to its vibrant acidity and notes of pear, apple, and lime. Viognier, which is most commonly planted in the Rhône Valley in southeastern France, is notably less acidic and known for its pronounced floral and fruity notes such as lychee and orange blossom. While both of these grapes can serve as standout single varietal expressions, they weren’t typically brought together in one bottle. Pine Ridge set out to change that concept with its California plantings, and today its CB+V is among the most popular white wines in the U.S.
As its winemaker Colleen FitzGerald explains: “I love working with Chenin Blanc because it has distinctive acidity and vibrant lemon-lime characters that complement the weight and floral notes of Viognier. Once you discover it, there’s no going back.”
A Different Kind of Wine
Though Pine Ridge is based in Napa Valley, the winery has long sourced the grapes for CB+V from areas best suited to these varietals. The Chenin Blanc comes from Clarksburg, where cooling Delta breezes preserve acidity, and the Viognier from Lodi, a warm region with Mediterranean-like conditions that promote ripeness and aromatic intensity.
The result is a white wine that offers flavors of yuzu, tangerine, orange blossom, melon, and peach, all with a vibrant, clean finish. Crafted with minimal intervention, without oak or unnecessary additives, it fits seamlessly into the modern wine drinker’s lifestyle.
Wellness Meets High Quality and Better for You
While the original goal of CB+V wasn’t to create a lower-calorie, low-sugar wine, its composition happens to align with today’s mindful drinking movement without changing a thing about the wine.
As FitzGerald puts it: “This wine was ahead of its time. It has always been crafted to be of high quality and with care, not calories in mind, so its amazing to see how perfectly it fits into the way people want to drink today.”
At 11.5 percent ABV, it’s also slightly lower in alcohol than average white wines, as the Chenin Blanc grapes used in the wine are consistently harvested when sugars are low. For the same reason, CB+V has only around a gram of sugar and 80 calories per pour. The wine is both gluten-free and vegan, making it a true crowd-pleaser for those seeking a more mindful drinking option.
The wine’s summery flavor profile is bright and zesty, with aromas of kiwi, melon, peach, and citrus, beautifully contrasted with floral touches of honeysuckle and jasmine. Although Chenin Blanc on its own is known for its acidity, the addition of Viognier adds a soft richness to the blend, making this balanced wine a flavorful choice to sip on its own or pair with food. While it matches a wide variety of foods from vegetables to seafood, its balanced profile makes it a wonderful accompaniment for spicy cuisine such as Thai and Mexican dishes. It also goes particularly well with softer cheeses (think ricotta or chèvre).
A Sustainable Choice
Sustainability isn’t a side note at Pine Ridge — it’s a guiding principle. The winery is certified Napa Green and a proud member of International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), one of just 30 global producers committed to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Since 2019, Pine Ridge has reduced the glass weight across its portfolio, including the beloved CB+V, and it was one of the first known wineries to print a lightweight glass logo on its labels, signifying bottles under 420 grams. That means less carbon, easier shipping, and lower impact, without changing what’s in the bottle.
The Woman Behind the Bottle
At the helm of one of the world’s largest Chenin Blanc projects is Colleen FitzGerald. She is also one of the few women winemakers leading a project of this scale in the white wine space. Raised in California and armed with a biochemistry degree from Cal Poly, FitzGerald brings a unique blend of scientific rigor and creative passion to her work.
“I’ve always been captivated by the perfect balance of chemistry and art in winemaking,” she says. After honing her skills through harvests in New Zealand, Paso Robles, and Napa, she joined Pine Ridge full-time in 2015. Since then, she’s helped shape CB+V into a benchmark for the category.
FitzGerald’s passion echoes what many fans of CB+V experience upon first sip: a wine that’s refreshing, expressive, and made with care. It’s a delicious choice for solo sipping or food pairing—and a go-to for wine lovers seeking something lower in sugar, calories, and compromise. And that’s certainly something to toast to.
This article is sponsored by Pine Ridge Vineyards.
