A Look Into Alsace Varieties Grown in Anderson Valley California and the Perfumed Wines They Make
LeVin Parfumé
What characteristics make a wine region unique and distinguishable from the rest allowing it to qualify for an AVA ‘American Viticultural Area’ status? Is it the historical influence, or better yet the unique geographical features of a place? It is, in fact, both of those things that make Anderson Valley such an interesting grape growing region in sunny California. In order to better understand this AVA, this paper will review the wine grape growing history for growing Alsace varieties in Anderson Valley, the geographic and climatic features of this region in order to better understand why Alsace varieties such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Gris are grown here, and a look into the winemaking techniques by three different wineries in Anderson Valley and how they influence the style of these Alsace varietal wines. This paper will also examine food and wine pairings with dishes from Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam since Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Gris makes for outstanding food pairing partners when it comes to flavorful wine, and spiced enriched South East Asian dishes. Let’s take a dive into a glass and whet our appetites.
A Little Lesson in History
For many early travelers to California, lust and dreams for gold were usually dashed, but for some, the outcome was luckily, liquid gold. The history of Anderson Valley has its start with the Anderson family; a family that left Missouri and made the long journey to California with their children in 1845. The family settled in a number of different places, but the crowding of early settlers from all around the world, drawn in by the gold rush seemed to crowd what the Walter Anderson Family wanted the most, elbowroom! “To people like Walter Anderson, the prospect of having "neighbors" within a few miles was most unwelcome. He had already wandered from Kentucky through Indiana, Illinois, and frontier Missouri before coming to California, and again began to feel the need for more room. In the spring of 1851, he loaded his family, livestock, and possessions and headed west once again. The Andersons considered settling in the Clear Lake area, but kept moving when they found out that the local Indians were angry about a recent massacre by the U.S. Army at "Bloody Island." The pioneer family eventually stopped in a small valley in northern Sonoma County, near Cloverdale.”(avwines.com (1).
The discovery of what is now known as Anderson Valley was a chance encounter by the Anderson Sons, as told by the Anderson Valley Wine Growers Association, It wasn’t until the three eldest Anderson boys went on a nearby hunting trip, “wounded and tracked an elk for quite a distance, when they came to a rocky ledge on a ridge-top. What they saw below both astonished and delighted them. It was a long valley stretching to the northwest, surrounded by dense woods on the southwestern side, and grassy hills to the northeast. The young hunters descended to the valley floor and found the valley to be a veritable Eden. There was abundant meadow grass, and water for livestock. Deer, elk, bear and small game animals roamed the valley and surrounding hills. They camped for several days, exploring and taking in the natural wonders that had perhaps never before been seen by white men. As soon as they rejoined the rest of the family, the young explorers told of their find. Within a few days, the Andersons were on their way to make their home in the small, jewel-like valley that was to be known afterward as Anderson Valley.”(avwines.com (2).
The Valley now known as Anderson Valley may have been established by one family, but it was Anderson’s early Italian neighbors that brought their old-country ways which included skills for winegrowing. These Italian families first started planting on Greenwood Ridge, “high ground with a good road that connected the port of Greenwood with Anderson Valley, a road distance of about 18 miles. The climate and the rich clay soils reminded them of their native Northern Italian homelands. So, to make themselves feel even more at home, they cleared the wooded slopes and planted their native vinifera grapes. Since few of the pioneer vines have survived the ravages of time and replanting, it is not known with certainty what varieties of grapes were planted in the 1890s.”(avwines.com (3). As time passed and more families began to grow grapes, Prohibition, unfortunately, put the festivities to an end. Many vineyards let their vines fall into dismay or pulled them out to make room for more profitable crops such as orchards. With very few roads to reach Anderson Valley as it is, an area that was once semi-prosperous became a ghost town. Once prohibition was over, growers kick started their sales, and with improved roads this made the few growers left very happy until in the 1940s a number of deadly frosts devastated many of the old vines. Eventually, grape growing and wine making made a comeback by an experiment conducted by the Italian Swiss Colony, “a winery located in the northern Sonoma County town of Asti. The colony was looking to expand (it went on to become a giant in the wine industry in the 1950s and 1960s), and figured the nearby Anderson Valley was a promising location. In 1946, the company and its associated growers bought 200 acres of flat land (where Anderson Valley High School is presently located) and began planting about 100 acres of Ugni Blanc and French Colombard the following year. The Italian Swiss Colony also signed contracts with a number of Anderson Valley landowners, guaranteeing to buy their grapes for 15 years. Colony agreed to pay freight charges plus a two-dollar-per-ton premium if they would plant certain high-yielding varietals. Several valley owners accepted Colony's offer. Among them was Ranking Rickard, who planted ten acres--five each of Golden Chasselas and Carignane--on his ranch just north of Boonville. Unfortunately, things didn't go well for Colony or its growers. The company had guessed wrong on its varietals, and most of them were never in great demand at the winery. But the biggest problem was that the grapes never developed enough sugar to satisfy Colony's need. At that time, many wineries were looking to harvest grapes that were extremely high in sugar content--very ripe or mature--in order to make the sweeter wines popular in those days. Anderson Valley, with its coastal marine-influenced weather, just couldn't deliver.”(avwines.com (4).
Cool nights and warms days meant grapes with high acid and moderate sugar; this also meant that the grapes here are slow and late ripeners. What was lacking was catering a certain cultivar to the environment in which it grows best in, but unfortunately growing knowledge lacked and vines were pulled once again. It wasn’t until in 1964 Dr. Donald Edmeades, a Southern California physician, with the help of his viticulturist’s friends from University of California at Davis advised Edmeades on the right varietals to grow in Anderson Valley; Gewurztraminer being one of them. As many watched to see the folly of growing the wrong cultivars in the Anderson Valley happen again, fortunately, that day did not come! Finally, the right cultivars for the land were being grown and then soon after others growers followed suit. A new beginning for Anderson Valley’s wine history had begun, “Tony and Gretchen Husch bought 60 acres near Edmeades and planted Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Noir in 1968. They crushed their first ripe fruit in 1971 -- founding Husch Vineyards -- Anderson Valley's first winery since prohibition. The Husches also hedged their bets in a different way -- they bought the second parcel of land high on Greenwood Ridge. Betting that the success of the early Italian winemakers was no fluke, the couple planted an eight-acre vineyard with blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and White Riesling.”(avwines.com (5). Overtime Anderson valley saw growth and more wineries began to up. In 1982 the French Champagne company Louis Roederer announced plans to set up shop, which brought watchful eyes and foreign investment to the land. Soon enough, wineries from Napa and Sonoma began sourcing grapes and using Anderson Valley as the appellation designation from where their grapes are being sourced from. Anderson Valley with its cool climate and potential to produce beautifully crisp and aromatic Alsace-style wines had to find a way to promote these wines; this is where Anderson Valley starting hosting the International Alsace Varietals Festival in 2006 and sine there it has gained international attention. What may have been deemed as a lost cause at one time in history, is quite the contrary now. Anderson Valley is now well known for its Alsace Varieties, as well as being one of the top Pinot Noir producing regions in the country.
Let’s Talk About the Weather
At times cool growing conditions, a brief period of warmth but enough to ripen the grapes can be just what the viticulturist ordered, especially when one is growing cultivars such as Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. Anderson Valley boasts the perfect growing environment for these fragrant berries. Tucked away among rolling hills, the Anderson Valley Chamber of Commerce explains, “The Valley floor is 16 miles long low mountains (2000 to 3000 feet in elevation), and opens to the Pacific Ocean via the Navarro River canyon.”(andersonvalleychamber.com(6). Blanked by fog, and the valley being influenced by its coastal marine-influenced weather, at one time it almost seemed impossible and too cold to grow anything worthy of turning into wine, but that was soon proven wrong by the Alsace cultivars grown here. As explained in the book, American Wine by Jancis Robinson and Linda Murphy, “Anderson Valley’s success with Alsatian varieties is directly attributed to its climate, with soils being less important. The valley is a dozen or so miles from the ocean, whose breezes and fog cool the otherwise warm area during the growing season. There is just enough sun and warmth between June and October to ripen grapes, with moderate sugar accumulation; cold nights and foggy mornings help the grapes maintain their acidity which when it’s in balance, gives the wine its refreshing quality. Between the tiny towns of Boonville and Philo, steep hillsides pinch in both sides of Highway 128 that halt the flow of fog through the valley. Vines planted west of this get more fog and rain than those on the eastern side. Locals call the western portion of Anderson Valley “the Deep End”-it’s a Region 1 (coolest) climatic zone on the UC Davis heat summation scale; from Boonville east is considered to be Region 2.” (22-23 (7). These climatic conditions also play an important role in preserving the precious aromas that these Alsace varieties are famed for; for example, if it’s too warm, Gewürztraminer loses what little acidity it has! If the growing season is too long, Pinot Gris’s pretty skins may, in fact, become too ‘Gris’ which may possibly lead to a bitter finishing wine. As mentioned by MW Jancis Robinson, “If extreme care has not been taken to avoid excessive extraction of phenolics from its deep-coloured skins.” (JancisRobinson.com (8). For the water works and temperature, AVWines.com explains, “The average annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 80 inches (900 to 2000 mm). The average annual temperature is about 53 °F (12 °C), and the average frost-free season ranges from 220 to 365 days. Towards the coast, the summers are cool and moist with frequent fog, while the interior Anderson Valley proper features a warmer climate during the day, with daytime highs in excess of 100 °F (38 °C) several times per year, but diurnal temperature swings consistently 40 to 50 degrees. In the southeastern end of the Anderson Valley near Boonville, frost is guaranteed during the growing season; only the frequency varies.”(avwines.com(9). Climate, diurnal range, and even the weather conditions of a particular vintage can have a huge influence on grape quality which will eventually be turned into wine. If all goes well during the growing season, this sets up the winemaker with a supreme product to potentially make excellent wine.
The Fruits of The Winemaker’s Labor
Gewurztraminer, known for its powerful aromatics, full body and at times described as oily in texture has acid levels that fall low quickly during the growing season, hence why it needs to be grown in cool regions and typically why malolactic fermentation is not popular for this grape variety. The styles of Gewurztraminer range from dry to sweet and it’s not surprising to see a bottle at 13% alcohol or higher. Typical aromatics found in this hypnotic variety include ripe citrus, melon, and tropical fruit aromas such as lychee and mango. Then there are floral and spice aromas like rose petals, acacia, candied ginger, cinnamon and other fragrant baking spices, as well as herbal scents like sage and tarragon that put the nose in a trance.
Talking to the locals about their wine is truly a wonderful way to get a better idea about the sense of wine style being achieved here in the Anderson Valley, and the taste of place in each bottle. In a conversation with Vern Boltz owner and winemaker at Toulouse Vineyards & Winery in Anderson Valley, Vern explains when making his delicious Gewürztraminer he typically harvests at 24 Brix, presses the grapes right away, cold soaks the juice off the skins at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, then yeast enzymes are used during the ferment to keep the yeast on track and to deter them from eating anything but grape sugars, this gives the result of the beautiful and complex aromatics his Gewurztraminer displays. When it comes time to racking off the gross lees they are partially racked and some lees are left over which Vern refers to as (fluff lees) Vern then does the practice of bâtonnage, known as lees stirring which contribute to the fuller and creamery mouthfeel of his Gewurztraminer; this practice also prevents the ferment from going into reduction and keeps away unwanted reductive compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans which are associated with aromas of rotten eggs, rotten garlic, or burnt rubber. The fermentation is long, cool, and takes place in stainless steel tanks.
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| It was such a treat to meet Vern Boltz, Toulouse showcases amazing wines and hospitality at its finest! |
At Navarro Winery, the winemaking process is a little bit different from Toulouse’s and is perfectly explained in the winery newsletter, “the fruit from the first Gewurztraminer field is destemmed, and the juice is allowed to macerate with the skins for several hours before pressing; as the harvest progressed, “skin contact” time before pressing was reduced, then finally eliminated. After a slow, cool fermentation in oak ovals, the wine in each cask rested for eight months with the yeast, contributing to a svelte mouthfeel.”(navarrowine.com (9).
Handley Cellars sources their Gewurztraminer from three different vineyards; Handley Estate, Helluva, and Ferrington. The fruit is picked at different intervals to provide a complex blend of flavors. Handley Cellars was kind enough to share the technique they use in the cellar to differentiate their Gewurztraminer from the rest of the valley, “To extract the juice from the grapes, we employed two methods. The first picks from the warmer end of the valley provided firm grapes which were crushed and pressed. This method allowed extra skin contact time to extract more flavors from the skins. The later pick of our riper and softer Handley Estate grapes were direct pressed to maintain acidity. These different lots were pressed to stainless steel tanks and settled for three days then racked to another stainless steel tank to begin fermentation. The lots were inoculated with x16, VL1, and Vin 13, all selected to enhance the aromatics of this varietal. The ferments for the Ferrington and Helluva juice were started in tank and racked partway through fermentation to a 4000 liter wood “foudre” and 500 liter puncheons. We stirred the lees weekly in the puncheons to add roughness to the blend. These wooden vessels enabled oxygen exchange, hastening the maturation of the wine. The Estate juice was fermented completely in tank to preserve its bright acidity, intense aromatics, and a hint of residual sugar which provided richness to the blend. The wine was prevented from undergoing any malolactic fermentation and was sterile filtered prior to bottling. No eggs, dairy, or animal derived products were used in making this wine.”(handleycellars (10).
Gewurztraminer Tasting Evaluation:
· Toulouse’s 2016 Gewurztraminer displayed a hypnotic and complex youthful nose of citrus blossom, honeysuckle, yellow ripe pear, candied ginger, and juicy grapefruit. The palate displayed a dry, medium body, medium + refreshing acidity, and pronounced aromas of orange zest, meyer lemon-aid, and tropical notes accompanied by a long citrus driven finish. This wine is excellent quality for value and has wonderful aging potential due to its crisp acidity.
· Novarro’s 2015 Gewurztraminer gave a medium youthful intensity of aromas of melon, mango, fragrant black tea, and tropical scents of mangosteen. The palate is dry, medium+ body, medium acidity, and a medium intensity of flavors of citrus and ripe stone fruit. This wine is excellent quality for value and has wonderful aging potential due to its crisp acidity. The finish was short yet delightful; enjoy this wine while it’s still young.
Riesling, famed for its high and refreshing acidity with the aromas to match, has a light body as well as low alcohol content. Riesling is made in an array of sweetness levels from dry to lusciously sweet late harvest wines. Jancis Robinson points out that, “Riesling is great not just because it, like Pinot Noir for example, is so exceptionally good at expressing terroir, but also because it makes white wines that are so good at ageing. A fine Riesling almost demands time in bottle. They can be quite austere in youth (which may be why so many wine drinkers are wary of them).” (Janisrobinson.com (11). Riesling can display aromas of minerals, chalk, flint, wet stones, jasmine, honeysuckle, nutmeg, white pepper, basil, and rosemary. Fruit aromas pouring out from the nose of a Riesling can include vibrant citrus zest, tree fruit such as apricot and peach, and even creamy melon notes. Tropical fruit aromas such as passionfruit, starfruit, green papaya, mango, and guava are known to dance around the nose of a glass of Riesling.
Handley Cellars explains that in the vineyard, “Riesling can be a difficult grape to farm. It performs best on cool sites that maintain its acidity and delicate fruity flavors. However, it is prone to rot so moist areas need to be avoided. Green Vineyard is one of the few sites in California which provides both these conditions. The vineyard is located in close proximity to the cooling influences of the Pacific Ocean and is above the fog line. We get our fruit from a section of the vineyard planted on its own roots in 1972. These old vines provide us complex fruit flavors with a good acidity similar to its European counterparts. Traditionally, these are some of the last grapes to ripen in Anderson Valley often sometimes hanging into November. Yields were much lower in 2015 due to cool weather, rain during bloom, and dry soil conditions. These conditions resulted in higher sugar levels and lower acidity than previous vintages.”(handleycellars.com(12). Once the fruit comes in, it’s up to the winemaker to take good care of what Mother Nature gave him or her. Handley Cellars explains their winemaking process and how they turn that beautiful fruit into stunning wine, “Since the fruit was clean we used a combination of destemmed and whole cluster pressing to extract more flavors from the skins and temper the acidity. After pressing the juice was settled for three days in a stainless steel tank, racked to another tank, and inoculated with a combination of VL1 and X16 yeast. This hybrid yeast was developed to release aromatic compounds that emphasize the traditional characteristics of this varietal. Post fermentation we collected the yeast lees in a barrel and stirred them regularly to accelerate the breakdown of the yeast cell walls releasing glycerol and aromatic compounds. This was added back to the finished wine to round out the mouthfeel and to prevent oxidation and preserve rich fruity flavors. This wine underwent no malolactic fermentation and was sterile filtered before bottling. No dairy, eggs or other animal-derived products were used to produce this wine.”(handleycellars.com(13).
Riesling Tasting Evaluation:
· Toulouse’s 2016 Riesling gave strong youthful aromatics of citrus sorbet, layers of blossoms, and orange pith, with a memorizing aroma of sea foam. The palate is dry, medium body, medium well-balanced acid, and a pronounced intensity of flavors of citrus water, lemon oil, pineapple, and ripe pear. This wine finishes long a strong.
· On Navarro’s 2015 Riesling, the nose’s intensity is light with youthful aromas of apple, peach blossom and clear notes of minerality. The palate is dry, medium body, medium+ refreshing acidity, with pronounced flavors of citrus, stone fruit, minerals, and briny notes. Lingering finish and beautiful aging potential for this bottle of Riesling.
Handley 2015 Riesling has a light intensity of youthful aromatics of peach, clay, kumquat, and wet stones. The palate is dry, medium- body, medium acidity accompanied by citrus driven flavors such as lemon zest, tangerine and orange juice. This wine has a long citrus peel tasting finish.
Pinot Gris, the white that drinks like a red if it’s done in the Alsatian style, gives a full-body and a rich texture that often reminds people of velvet. This liquid velvety grape typically has a medium to low acid, and at times can be high in alcohol. Wine made from this variety can display exotic aromas of melon, banana, mango, meyer lemon, and zesty lime. Spice notes also tickle the nose which includes ginger, cinnamon, clove, and floral aromas.
Navarro gives special attention to their perfumed Pinot Gris, in their newsletter they state, “we’ve often talked about night hand-harvesting Pinot Noir but rarely do we discuss the importance of picking under the stars to produce a white wine with a velvety mouthfeel. Grape skins contain phenolics, which may be fine for red wine, but the harshness they impart is unwelcome in a delicate white wine. The amount of skin phenolics extracted from the juice is determined by two factors: the amount of skin-contact time after destemming and the temperature of the must. The warming climate is promoting earlier budbreak, which then results in an earlier harvest; the likelihood of picking grapes in sweltering heat during the day has become a likely reality. We began night harvesting almost thirty-five years ago; there was no scientific proof but we, and other young winemakers, were convinced that the wines have better mouthfeel when produced from cold fruit. Then, in 1986, a paper published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture showed that skin contacted Mendocino Chardonnay at 28.6C (49.5F) produced four times as much bitter flavonoid phenols, like Catechin and Quecitin, than skin contact at 9.7C (49.5F). The grapes from this Gris were harvested at night when the temperature was about 50.0F. Those same days, the afternoon temperatures exceeded 100F. The mouthfeel of this wine would have been coarse had we processed hot grapes. After destemming, the must was quickly pressed, the juice chilled and, a few days later, clear juice was racked to an oak oval to ferment and age sur lei for eight months.”(navarrowine.com(14).
Pinot Gris Tasting Evaluation:
· Toulouse’s Pinot Gris gives a pronounced and youthful nose of orange blossoms, citrus peel, lemon pith, and notes of musk. The palate is dry, with a medium+ refreshing acidity, medium silky body, and layered flavors of ripe juicy oranges, cream, and lemonade. Excellent quality, complexity, and mesmerizingly long finish.
When Wine Meets its Match in Food
When thinking about food and wine pairing, the first thing that comes to mind for many is to pair regional wine with regional cuisine, or a fatty cut of meat and a bold red wine, or of course the classic, wine with cheese. These pairings have been done time and time again, but what about a wine that pairs with an intensely aromatic curry? Or a spice and herb-infused dish from Thailand? The trend towards being an adventurous eater, or some call it being a foodie has become ever so popular. With adventurous eating follows adventurous wine pairings and one cannot simply go with regional Vietnamese cuisine with the locally made wine. It’s rare in Southeast Asia to grow grapes and make wine, simply because it is much too warm a growing region, and too close to the equator to grow wine grapes of significant quality. Through obvious challenges come inspiration and curiosity; what exactly can pair with cuisines so heavily influenced by the spice trade? Spiced wine? Or better yet, extremely aromatic and flavorful wine. If one follows the basic principles of pairing with a little creativity in between, the fragrant Alsace varieties of Anderson valley can be a food and wine match made in heaven for Malaysian, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes.
The Principles, Not Rules!
Because Rules Are Meant To Be Broken.
In order to understand how food and wine pairings may work, one must begin to comprehend the way certain dishes and wines interact, enhance, and play with one another. Many of the principles that are applied to the dishes recommended in this paper are those taught by the WSET ‘The Wine & Spirits Education Trust’ and some through trial and error:
Acidity in Food:
-Increases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine. Acidity in food can also bring a very high acid wine into balance and enhance the fruitiness which is exactly the case for Riesling which has a naturally high acidity.
Acidity in Wine:
-Can act like a palate cleanser cutting through fatty, oily, or rich foods.
Flavor Intensity:
-Matching the flavor intensity in a dish to that of a wine works well since one will not overpower the other.
-Mirroring flavors in wine to food: The tropical aromas, zesty citrus, exotic spices, and fragrant herb notes often displayed in Alsace varieties can make these beautiful aromas even more apparent in a dish that displays these charters as well, or vice versa.
-Umami in dishes: The flavor of umami in certain foods typically is considered a risk for pairing with wine since it can make a wine seem bitter or increase astringency in wines that possess tannins. In South East Asian cuisines with the flavor of umami typically comes from soy sauce, and fish sauce which is often used when cooking. According to the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, “dishes high in umami should be paired with wines that are more fruity than tannic as the umami in the food will emphasize the astringency and bitterness of the tannins. High levels of umami in a dish can be balanced by the addition of acid or salt. However, the amount added should not alter the basic character of the dish.”(WSET (15).
Texture/Weight:
Think of the creaminess of adding coconut milk to a Thai soup, or the silky texture of a steamed sea bass. Scott Calvert, sommelier at the Inn at Little Washington Virginia is quoted from the book, What to Drink with What you eat, “You want the weight of the wine to match the dish. If you have a very rich dish, you need a pretty rich wine that is full-bodied in style or at least very flavorful.”(P.34 (16). The idea of a bowl of flavorful food with a full bodied wine from Anderson Valley is the perfect food and wine pairing experiment.
Pinot Gris is a perfect example to pair with a Thai style steamed lemon fish; the body of the wine carries weight, and a waxy or creamy like texture in the wine mirrors the texture of the fish. The powerful flavors the wine has to offer is the perfect contender to stand up to this citrus and fragrant herb-infused dish.
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Dishes from Malaysia are intense, flavorful, and spice and herb-heavy; many wines can get lost in the spice trade, or simply become masked by the dish and lose their presence altogether. A powerful dish such as fish head curry or an intensely aromatic wine like Gewurztraminer can stand up on their own well enough, but there comes a time when one simply meets their match and a love story is born, this story being a marriage between body, spice and everything nice.
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Vietnamese cuisine is light and refreshing, fresh herbs and pungent fish sauce can be found in just about every dish. Each dish has its own bottled fragrance; lemongrass, mint, cilantro, basil, as well as savory and spice-infused meat. Vietnamese cuisine has this brilliant balance of aromatics much like an Anderson Valley Riesling; there’s so much going on, but somehow it all meshes together perfectly. The high acid often found in Riesling is the perfect palate cleanser to a fatty cut of Vietnamese charbroiled pork, and the citrus and herb notes in the dish will make those aromas typically found in a Riesling that much more present.
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Working with an off-dry Riesling? Try pairing a little sweetness with the slight sweetness one can find in Vietnamese sizzling crepes. Pork belly, crunchy bean sprouts and lots of fragrant herbs are the perfect match for a crisp and flavorful Riesling.
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Recipe: Retrieved from: http://whattocooktoday.com/vietnamese-crepes-banh-xeo.html
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The history of the Anderson Valley started with a family simply wanting to get away from it all and have their own little slice of paradise. Gradually many others wanted a slice of nirvana in the form of a valley, and with the arrival of more people to a new place brought traditions and old world practices such as winemaking; this inevitably led to the development of wine growing and winemaking in the Anderson Valley. Prohibition in America may have put winemaking to a halt in Anderson Valley for a time, but once the Volstead Act was over and done with, settlers once again gave grape growing in the Anderson Valley a try. It took a bit of time for America’s knowledge of viticulture to grow, but gradually Anderson Valley struck gold in the form of liquid by finally understanding the correct cultivar to grow in the cool climatic conditions this area is famed for. A little slice of Alsace is found in Anderson Valley with its intensely aromatic varieties that shine in this area such as Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. Matching rootstock to soil and cultivar to climate can showcase an area’s fruit, but it is the winemakers of Anderson Valley that showcase the finished product, wine. With exploring the world of wine, or to be specific, a region this often opens the door to other pleasures, these pleasures being food. By pairing the two together, or even better, by pairing wines made from Anderson Valley’s Alsace varieties with exotic dishes from South East Asia; this will lead one to nothing less than being in euphoric awe of the senses.
Toulouse Vineyards & Winery
8001 Hwy 128, P.O. Box 152 | Philo, CA 95466
Phone:707-895-2828
Hours:
Monday-Sunday 11AM-5PM
Navarro Vineyards
5601 Highway 128 Philo, California
Phone:(800) 537-9463
Hours:
Summer: Monday-Sunday 9AM-6PM
Winter: Monday-Sunday 9AM-5PM
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| The Tasting Room |
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| An amazing list of aromatic white wines to choose from |
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| Both tanks, and stainless steel are used for making their aromatic whites |
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| My favorite of the tasting!!! |
Navarro's Edelzwicker is fermented and aged in oak ovals. We designate Edelzwicker as “semi-dry” but we suspect that the “semi” part of the moniker discourages many wine enthusiasts who think only “dry” wines should accompany a meal. The sweetness in this blend is offset with a dazzling acidity creating a delightful yin-yang of fruity and tart that make it the perfect match for many spicy dishes.
Most Alsatian wines today bear the name of a specific grape variety but traditionally Alsatian vineyards were planted with varietal blends, which created a bit of a marketing problem. What do you name a wine made from a mixture of grape varietals? The terms Zwicker (blend) and Edelzwicker (noble blend) was a source of controversy between growers in the south and the north of Alsace for decades. Chasselas, considered a standard variety, was mostly grown in the Haut Rhin (southern Alsace) and Sylvaner, once considered a noble variety, was mostly produced in the Bas-Rhin. To resolve the conflict, the order of October 2, 1945 stipulated that blends of wine from the standard varieties, including Chasselas, with noble varieties, could only bear the Alsace appellation if the wine was labeled Zwicker, and blends of exclusively noble varieties (including Sylvaner) could only bear the Alsace appellation if the wine was labeled Edelzwicker. The term Gentil has gained popularity in recent years with Alsatian producers for their blends; it is different than Edelzwicker because the blend only needs to be made 50% from the four noble varieties, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat, and allows the balance to be Chasselas or Pinot Blanc, as well as Sylvaner.
Information Provided by Navarrowine.com
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| The wines were still dormant when I took my trip here |
Hundreds of sheep and lambs were out to graze! What a treat to watch a self sustainable vineyard at work.
Phillips Hill Winery
5601 Highway 128 Philo, California
Phone: (707) 895-2209
Hours:
Summer: Monday-Sunday 10AM-5PM
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| Love the artwork on their lables |
Handley Cellars
3151 Highway 128 Philo, California
Phone: (800) 733-3151
Hours:
Summer: Monday-Sunday 10AM-6PM
Winter: Monday-Sunday 10AM-5PM
Husch Vineyards
4400 Highway 128 Philo, California
Phone: (800) 554-8724
Hours:
Monday-Sunday 10AM-6PM
I absolutely adore Husch Vineyards, their hospitality, and their Dry Gewurztraminer that possesses the notes of rose water that I adore and constantly seek out when tasting Gewurztraminer.
Pick any 6 for your flight
I love this style of wine tasting!
The cozy little tasting room at Husch Vineyards, if you are coming in a big party I suggest giving them a call.
So I went a little crazy after getting their 2016 Dry Gewurztraminer. Great wines pose questions...here I am wondering why I didn't buy more!
With each swirl aromas of orange blossom, white peach, cherry plum and clear as day rose water releases itself from my glass and hypnotizes my nose.
Pairing this with a tuna poke salad sprinkled with edible flowers is a match made in heaven. The intensity of the flavors in the salad, and the meatiness of the fish goes well with the pronounced aromas, flavors, and silky medium bodied palate of this dry Gewurztraminer.
Anderson Valley 13th Annual Aromatic White Wine Festival
2018
A Celebration and Exploration of Aromatic White Wines from Around the World
This festival is packed with educational sessions, food pairings, and tons of aromatic wines to taste at the grand tasting.
Session one was a "Vineyard Designate Riesling Tasting"
Which was a look at 4 Maidenstoen Rieslings from the viewpoint of men who grow the grapes for these vineyard designated wines. These Central Coast wines are like night a day in their diversity of vineyard soils, climate, and exposure.
Wine 1:
Coast View Vineyard:
Gave pronounced aromas of sweet crisp yellow apple, pear, intense apple blossom and hints of coconut flakes. Extremely clean and pure, the palate is dry, high zippy acid, medium minus body, medium alcohol with lots of sweet lime, green apple, cilantro among the many lively green notes the palate gives.
This wine would be a dream to pair a refreshing Vietnamese chicken and shrimp salad.
Wine2:
Talley Vineyards:
Pronounced notes of honeycomb, mango, papaya, slight leesy/cream aromatics, and mangosteen. Soothing and tropical! Am I in paradise?
The palate is dry, medium well balanced body, medium integrated alcohol with complex flavors of guava, starbursts candy, pineapple cream and burnt sugar. Long finish.
Wine3:
Zabala Vineyards:
This site is challenging with the high winds which makes the vines want to shut down. Popular trees are planted all around the vineyard to guard the vineyard. The soils are sprinkled with cobble stone soils and kissed by morning fog in this old dried up riverbed.
On the nose I got hay, dust, intense hits of guava, crisp melon aromas, and meyer lemon.
The palate is off-dry, medium+ acidity, medium body that is well balanced. The flavors in the palate mirrored the nose with extra flavors of passion fruit to finish.
Wine4:
Lafond Vineyard:
Shared from the Anvil Wine Company,
"When Richard Sanford was planting own rooted Chardonnay vines just down the road, Pierre Lafond was planting his 65 acre vineyard in what is now the heart of the Santa Rita Hills. Miraculously, the 1972
Riesling block still resides—windblown and elderly, a complete eyesore to all the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay the appellation is now famous for. But, if you understand something that today is a bit unlikely and improbable you can see why this Riesling is so compelling and rare.Night Hand-harvested: August 29-30th 3.5hr press cycle, 24hr settle and racked to neutral french barrels, low pitch inoculation and 30+ days fermentation at 12-15C.Elevage: Neutral french oak barrels, kept on lees for 6 months. No fining. Sterile filtered and bottled on April 15, 2016"The palate is dry, medium+ acid, medium minus body, and a medium citrus driven finish.
- Rillettes of goat cheese toasted onions and black forest ham on Baguette smoked salt and chives.
- Corn beef from eye of round, fragrant German mustard, daikon sprout rye crumbs.
- Duck confit with celery root-apple remoulade fresh tarragon.
- Aged munster cheese with apricot mostarda and toasted caraways.
The food pairing also was a blind taste test of these wines below.
Wine writer and my teacher for my California AVA class at Santa Rosa Junior College Dan Berger, along with Ryan Woodhouse from K&L Wine Merchants presented the German Riesling class.
This was such a treat!
2012 Gutzler Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Rheinhessen, Germany
The nose was extremely complex with petrol aromas, dried stonefruit, dried orange peel, toasted cedar, burnt lemon peel, Japanese orange cedar, toasty tropical notes, kiwi juice, honey sticks, and wildflowers! The nose was incredibly layered and rich.
The palate was in perfect balance with some residual sugar, and a high acid to balance it back out.
2015 Goldatzel Johannisberg "Bestes Fass" Riesling Spatlese Troken, Rheingau, Germany.
Intense peachy nose with cherry blossom, dried mango, slightly toasted honey, gooseberry and kiwi.
Balanced palate and that distinct high acid German Rieslings give, but in a refreshing and delightful way.
A site farmed for 14 generations (1627) on volcanic soils.
2015 Paul Anheuser Kreuznacher Hinkelstein Riesling Kabinett Troken, Nahe, Germany.
Funk in a good way! Smoked apricot preserves, candied dried stone fruit, bees wax, and this surprising savory umami almost dried mushroom like, aroma on the nose.
Dry, medium+ acid, medium minus body with flavors of sour lemon, smoky honey, sour peach, grapefruit and a stony quality to the long lingering finish.
From one of the oldest estates in Germany (1251) in iron rich limestone.
2016 Burg Ravensburg Riesling Trocken, Baden, Germany.
White blossoms, elder flower, white nectar, sour plum, and kaffar lime leaves play a game with my nose.
The palate is dry, medium+ acid, medium body that is beautifully balanced and a palate full of flavors of citrus oil, white flowers, and minerals.
Everyone of these wines was a 5 star in my book!
The Grand Tasting Hall
Vern pouring his delicious Toulouse aromatic whites
Spicy Thai Shrimp is a great snack from some off-dry Riesling
Love this label! A close look at a vine cutting
Bacon and high acid aromatic whites! Yes!
Give me some creamy avocado and a silky Pinot Gris and I will be happy!
I love all their aromatic whites, but feel head over hills for their Dry Muscat Blanc.
Alsace is here to!
The bites were delicious, the wines were of course amazing! And the whole vibe of the grand tasting was perfect. I would love to go to this event again next year.
Cheers Winos! & Aromatic White Wine Lovers!
Works Cited
-Bell, Neill. "Anderson Valley History." Avwinesw.com. Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association, 2010-2017. Web. 8 Apr. 2017.
-Bennet, Ted, Deborah Cahn, and Aaron & Sarah Chan Bennet. "Shattering News & Starry Night." Navarro Vineyards Holiday Newsletter (2016): n. pag. Print.
-Boltz, Vern. "Interview with the Winemaker and Owner Vern Boltz, Toulouse Vineyards & Winery Alsace Varieties." Personal interview. 13 Mar. 2017.
-Dornenburg, Andrew, Karen Page, and Michael Sofronski. "Rule#2 Come to Your Senses, Let Your Five Senses Guide Your Choices." What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers. New York: Bulfinch, 2010. 34. Print.
-Jimenez, Ramon . "A small family-owned winery, making consistently excellent Pinot Noir & Alsace white varietals in the Anderson Valley since 1982." Handley Cellars. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
-Robinson, Jancis. "JancisRobinson.com." JancisRobinson.com. Jancis Robinson MW, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2017.
-Robinson, Jancis, and Linda Murphy. "Mendocino County." American Wine: The Ultimate Companion to the Wines and Wineries of the United States. Berkeley, CA: U of California, 2013. 22-23. Print.
-"Two Hours from San Francisco.A World Away from It All." Anderson Valley Chamber of Commerce. Anderson Valley Chamber of Commerce, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2017.
-"Wine with Food." WSET Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust, 2004. N. pag. Print.
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