gundlach-bundschu

[Randy Caparoso]

I agree with you, Curmudgeon. Fogarty and Ventana both get that true Gewurz character in their wines; and not coincidentally they are getting their fruit from the same highly conducive climate (Monterey) as the Storrs, and undoubtedly (although I'm not sure) with the use of the same clonal material. I'll check with Doug Meador and Steve and Pamela Storrs about this.

What I mean by "underripe," foodie, is that it's the general consensus that if you don't wait until the exact right moment to pick Gewurztraminer, you just won't get the full range of its varietal fragrance and flavor (i.e. lychee-like). Most California vintners, however, either won't (or can't) wait (due to the fact that they can't exactly camp out in the fields during their busy harvests), or else they are working with less than ideal clones and/or less growing conditions.

So we are definitely in agreement, foodie, that most California leave something to be desired. Because they're picked at less than optimal quality, they make 'em "sweet and insipid." The fact, furthermore, that no one else in the world makes Gewurztraminer as potentially lush and perfumey as the numerous top Alsatian producers is testimony to the fact that the grape is extremely site, or terroir, sensitive. It gives what Mother Nature allows; not to mention the meticulously gentle care it demands in the winery (like, say, Pinot Noir, it does not like to be crushed or mishandled!).

I also stand corrected about the cat litter, foodie. My wife and three daughters insist on having three cats. Their only compromise with me is that they have to do their things outside!