Who's Your Pusherman?

memories made

Or How I Fell Deeply In Love With Wine

I recently got to thinking about how I developed such a deep and abiding passion and curiosity for wine. My life has been essentially two chapters - chapter one was gin and tonic, while chapter two has been wine. Now I know this is all more than a bit self-serving, but I very rarely allow myself this kind of reverie. Not to mention, it's my blog, so I'll blog about whatever I want to blog about! Now that we got that out of the way it's time for you to make that sound that Wayne and Garth made when they entered their dreamworld.

It was some 20-years-ago that I met my beautiful wife, Julie, and with that momentous meeting came a crash course in fine wine consumption. It all began over dinner with my future in-laws. Pops, as I call him now, had a penchant for good wines from some of the world's most reputable producers. What would soon become an every Sunday ritual was my formal introduction to the wines of California, Oregon, Washington, France, Australia, Spain, Italy, and Portugal.

Within a matter of mere weeks my vocabulary had expanded to include more than a few buzzwords and catch phrases that now, when I think back to those days, I can only chuckle to myself in a sort of pained amusement. Words like minerality and tannic had no business spilling from between my lips, let alone from my glass. Of course, as time passed, I gradually became cognizant of the meaning of those terms, but to this very day, I still struggle to cobble together cogent descriptions of some wines feeling that my vocabulary is less than adequate.

From Pops I would learn the basics of wine during our once-a-week tours of the world's great wine producing regions. One Sunday would be spent quaffing Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay and reveling in the fact that a passable wine could be had for a mere $5.99! Then there were the Thanksgiving dinners that would feature a tour de force of fine wines starting with an exotic Alsatian Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noirs from the Russian River Valley and Carneros regions, and finally topping the festivities off with one of my favorite after dinner drinks, a 10 year old tawny port.

vineyards of Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru in Burgundy

With my ever-expanding exposure to wine I became curious as to what the entire vine-to-wine process actually entailed. A subsequent trip to Burgundy, including a picnic at the foot of the famed Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, ignited what has blossomed into a full blown fascination with the concept of terroir and an unceasing amazement that it's possible that so many scents and flavors can be contained in a single glass of wine!

I am thrilled to report that my interest in wine is as keen today as it was during those early days of discovery. While my preferences have shifted over time, I continue to treasure those times when I can share my enthusiasm for wine with others. It's a big world of almost countless flavors out there and I am ready to taste as much as I can!

That's Some Delicious Wine!

Three California Gewürztraminers

Worth Your Time

We're back and it's almost like we were never gone! It was a whirlwind journey through three of California's greatest wine growing regions starting with the Russian River Valley then a brief stopover in the Dry Creek Valley, and finally finishing with a flourish in the Anderson Valley. Along the way, my pilot, and beautiful wife, successfully deposited us at some of the truly notable wineries including Quivira Vineyards, Drew, MacPhail Wines, and the list goes on!

However, something stood out to me after our very first stop at a winery I had intended to visit years ago - Joseph Swan Vineyards in Forestville. I realized that I had just come away from one of the most historic wineries in the United States, known mainly for trailblazing the cultivation of Pinot Noir, and the wine that left an indelible impression on me was a 2009 Gewürztraminer!

The view from Joseph Swan's tasting room (©2010 craig allyn rose)

First, a word about this incredibly distinctive varietal. The purest expression of Gewürztraminer is generally believed to be produced in the Pfalz region of Germany and the Alsace region of France. Known for its unique nose of rose petal and lychee nut, this wine makes an amazing accompaniment to spicier foods, especially Asian cuisine. Having hadGewürztraminer from both Germany and Alsace, I wondered if California could actually produce at a level to compare with France and Germany. The answer became crystal clear with one sip.

The 2009 Joseph Swan Vineyards Gewürztraminer (grade A) is sourced from grapes grown at Saralee's Vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Our tasting at the winery kicked off with this wine's extraordinary aromatics of sour apple and flowers. It was immediately clear that this was an outstanding rendition of Gewürztraminer. No doubt this wine will pair beautifully with the usual suspects, including chicken Pad Thai or Yellow Curry Chicken.

Some suggest that this wine "needs" food to really show at its best, but I found this to be a genuine treat as a standalone. Then again, the thought of next Thanksgiving featuring this wine is making my mouth water!

We wouldn't discover the next Gewürztraminer until the next day when we dropped in at the oldest winery in the Anderson Valley, Husch Vineyards, founded in 1971. It was here that we would come face-to-face with another phenomenal wine, the 2009 Husch Vineyards 'T-Bud Dry Cuvee' Gewürztraminer (grade A-).

The quaint tasting room at Husch Vineyards (©2010 craig allyn rose)

This is a wine that offers the traditional Gewürztraminer characteristics, while tacking on a level of minerality and acidity that results in an exceptional flavor profile. Just another incredibly good wine that will pair beautifully with those spicier dishes.

FInally, one more stop in the Anderson Valley, and this time we are presented with a Gewürztraminer that is simply a grand slam! Navarro VIneyards is probably best known for their consistently excellent Pinot Noir, including theMéthode à l'Ancienne bottlings, but do yourself a favor and seek out their brilliant white wines, especially the 2009 Anderson Valley Cuvée Traditional Gewürztraminer (grade A+). This one has it all, from the heady floral and spice aromas on the nose, to the distinctive peach and lychee notes on the palate. It comes all wrapped up in a bone dry frame that leaves you reaching for more.

I intentionally left the best part for last and that's what you'll pay to enjoy these memorable wines. The Joseph Swan Gewürztraminer retails for just $19 at the winery. The Husch 'T-Bud Dry Cuvee' will set you back $17 and the stellar Navarro Cuvée Traditional rounds out the threesome coming in at $15!

If nothing else, I hope that this posting stokes your curiosity, especially if you've never tried this worthy varietal.