A mysterious Mosel Riesling from a Californian winery that doesn't exist.
This light and off-dry Riesling is made by Bex Winery in Graton CA, which also has a website at bexwinery.com, but it is a concept rather than a winery. Behind of it is the Purple Wine Company, which was founded in 2001. The Purple Wine Company creates wine brands such as Avalon (for Cabernet Sauvignon), Blue Jean (for Syrah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc wines) and Bex (for Riesling). Amongst others.
The Bex Riesling 2008 was produced from grapes grown in the Mosel region in Germany. If I understand their business model correctly, the Purple Wine Company sends their (American) winemaker to Germany, where he buys grapes from local growers and vinifies the wine at a local winery. The idea is to create a decent wine and sell it for little money. In this case $11.
Mission accomplished. The Bex 2008 Riesling is light and fresh and has pleasant citrus and apple aromas. It is slightly sweet on the palate, which is well-balanced by its acidity. The grapefruit and apple flavors have a medium length.
Not too shabby for an $11 Riesling! And with only 10.5% alcohol this is a good choice for a summer picnic. And almost perfect for any discussions of Ayn Rand at parties.