WineLovers Discussion Group

I opened this 2010 Zocker Winery Gruner Veiltliner from the Paragon vineyard in Edna Valley, with grilled chicken tonight and was fine with the match. The wine was very light straw color with a nose and palate of herbs and a kinda light pinot gris fruit but not sweet at all. Not at all aromatic, this wine is a little hard to describe. The herbs are muted and definitely not the pea flavors I often get from Austrian G.V. Does anyone else in Cal. produce G.V. and if so, who are leading the way? Abv of %13.5

Jim Grow wrote:I opened this 2010 Zocker Winery Gruner Veiltliner from the Paragon vineyard in Edna Valley, with grilled chicken tonight and was fine with the match. The wine was very light straw color with a nose and palate of herbs and a kinda light pinot gris fruit but not sweet at all. Not at all aromatic, this wine is a little hard to describe. The herbs are muted and definitely not the pea flavors I often get from Austrian G.V. Does anyone else in Cal. produce G.V. and if so, who are leading the way? Abv of %13.5

Your take on the Zocker is pretty much the same as mine, Jim. Just a bit on the dull side. Pleasant enough..but not a lot of GV character.
The first Calif GV was by vonStrasser. They priced it at $60. Way/way overpriced. But (a little bit) of sanity prevailed and they've dropped the price
to $35-$40. Pleasant enough, but just that..still overpriced.
DonSchroeder/Chien down in Lompoc makes one that pretty good. About $25.
But easily the best is MikeOfficer/Carlisle. Stand heads & shoulders above anybody eles's in Calif. Very good even by Austrian standards.
Priced abouut $27 and worth every penny. But frightfully difficult to find...very scarce.
Tom

I had this one back in September, and thought it an impressive effort:

Darci Kent, Gruner Veltliner, Rava Blackjack Vineyard, Monterey County 2009
Classic GV character on the nose, with vegetal notes, creme fraiche, citrus, pear, and slate. Similar on the palate, with citrus rind, ripe pear and apricot, and some salty notes. Less acid and slate than in Austrian GVs, but this is instantly recognizable and quite faithful, while bringing the nice ripe fruit that Cali has to offer. * * 1/2 [9/27/12]

There is an interesting discussion on another board where Casey asks for thoughts about putting in GV at the vineyard he manages now in Anderson Valley. He has targets for what he wants to be able to gross per acre and the majority opinion is that Gruner is not going to get the price needed to justify planting. Too little demand and too low of a price point.