BLOGSCHU

A Toast to the Pruners

The most sensible subject for this month’s club member letter is grapevine pruning; the paramount vineyard task every February throughout the wine growing regions of California. Choosing the optimum harvest day and how to prune vines are the two most important decisions a grapegrower can make with regard to the quality of his grapes.

Used to be (twenty years ago) that February was not necessarily the big pruning month; rather the task was spread throughout all dormant months, December – February. However, back then growers began to notice that over the years, their vines were being attacked by a fungal disease called Eutypa dieback, an ailment that doesn’t usually surface in a vine until it is ten or more years old. Imagine planting a new vineyard, waiting a few years for your first crop, enjoying just a few years of luscious growth and ample, full grape bunches before you observe the vines slowly begin to decline; in three or four years a vine can be dead.

This phenomenon became so prevalent that grower organizations began funding university research to learn more about the disease. The findings led to the reason why most vineyard pruning is now accomplished in February. It was discovered that Eutypa is spread by raindrops – ingenious Mother Nature. The fungus is common in most vineyards on the soil surface, on old vine clippings from the previous year, and even on the growing vine bark. When it rains, drops fall on the fungus, releasing spores into the air which can drift onto any new pruning cuts made on the vines. Once landing on fresh ‘wounds,’ the spores colonize and the vine is infected. If an infected cut is close to a trunk, in ten years the vine trunk is infected and it can no longer transport the nutrients it needs to survive.

In normal years, by February many rainstorms have already passed by, releasing most of the spores before there are no fresh pruning cuts to infect. The more drops that fall before you prune, the more the Eutypa’s ammunition for the season is depleted. Waiting until February to prune is now simple logic, and the best known prevention of infection.

Here on Rhinefarm, the men who do the pruning should be revered by all of us who enjoy the fruits of their February labor. Every cut they make on each vine can be reflected in your glass. A large disconnect is only natural, as they are standing up to their knees in mud on a cold, foggy morning, carefully guiding their shears to make just the right cut. We, on the other hand, are sitting at a comfortable table, a clean cloth and warm meal possibly set upon it, while the cork is pulled and the glass is filled, never giving the pruners a thought. Your pleasure can only be enhanced by reflecting on the great care of the February pruners, so let’s raise our glasses a little higher this month on their behalf.

Salud amigos,

Jim

If these trees could talk

You who have visited the Gundlach Bundschu tasting room since September 2009 may have noticed a new bottled product on our shelves, having little to do with Bacchus’ juice. Rhinefarm is now producing estate olive oil. There is a slight printing error on the front label – it reads “extra virgins”; not sure how that ‘s’ slipped in there…

We certainly are not the first winery to produce olive oil, in fact for years we purposely avoided its production because it seemed so trendy. Boutique olive oil has reached a ‘tipping point.’ And besides, we are practical farmers. Some years ago, while traveling through Spain researching the vineyards and wines of the Tempranillo grape variety, which we grow here on Rhinefarm, we took a side trip to Spain’s olive oil growing region. Mile after mile of olive trees stretching over hill and dale. Picture the endless wheat fields of eastern Montana and Colorado, except not flat. No way could the US ever hope to compete with Spain, not to mention Italy, Greece, etc.

In addition to our recognition of too much entrenched foreign competition, we conceded another practical fact. It is true Rhinefarm has many mature olive trees already growing amidst the vines and around the winery. They were in fact planted by Charles Bundschu, making them well over 100 years old. They have been left unattended for years, growing rangy with too much dead wood and too tall to harvest with anything but a sky hook.

These anti-olive oil production sentiments dissolved one morning when Jim Bundschu arose with the thought that his time was underutilized. He would revitalize the trees that his great-grandfather had planted.

Using hand shears and a chain saw, he lopped off upper branches from each tree until there was just a skeleton of lower branches. Now the trees could be harvested with the aid of a 12-foot ladder.

The first modern olive harvest on Rhinefarm was on November 7, 2007 – a whopping twelve gallons. In 2008, the trees produced 15 gallons, and this December 3rd, the trees gave up enough olives to produce 35 gallons. Things are looking up.

After three harvests we have found there seems to be a larger vintage variation in our olive oil than in our wine, whether due to vintage or the expertise of the farmer is unclear. In 2007, the oil reflected black pepper flavors, 2008 a walnut character and this year, the oil at only four days old seems to exhibit both characteristics.

Our favorite way to evaluate any olive oil is to drizzle it on freshly cut leaves of butter lettuce and a bowl of plain spaghetti, nothing more. Unless you count the bottle of Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir to satisfy any unforeseen thirst.

Harvest Innovations

posted by Jim Bundschu

This time of year, we usually see lots of news stories about our local weather and projections for quality and size of the wine grape crops. But the news regarding the 2009 harvest seems to be less about the vintage itself than the state of the business. It’s been a fantastic year for quality so far, but economically, things are tough this 09 season.

Independent grape growers are worried about selling their vineyard’s produce at all – forget profiting from their year’s toils; break even is their battle cry. There are roughly 30% fewer white tablecloth establishments across the U.S. than there were in 2008; wine list sales are way down. Wineries are cautious about purchasing grapes, and when they do, they are mostly not willing to pay as much as it costs to grow the finest grapes. This scenario is not unique to the wine industry; times have been economically tough all around.

We at Gundlach Bundschu feel we have a different perspective than most any other producer, and it is a result of our family’s longevity. One hundred fifty one years of growing wine have brought it all – phylloxera, fires, earthquakes, prohibition, the Great Depression, wars, Bernie Madoff and more, in addition to the cyclical uncertainties of farming and business.

At Gundlach Bundschu, we need only look over our shoulders to see how previous generations survived tough times. They constantly pursued quality and value in their wines, buttressed by their confidence in the joy wine provides to you. Our family has been able to stay the course, to enjoy it even, through all the calamities. This has been the constant that we have over time learned to rely on for six generations.

At times such as this, it is easy to stray from the right path. Undoubtedly decisions are being made throughout the wine industry that compromise quality in the pursuit of savings and stability. But history tells us those that invest in quality strengthen their business and are better off in the long run.

We are, as this is being written, in the middle of harvest on Rhinefarm. We have finished picking gewürztraminer, chardonnay and pinot noir and we are awaiting the maturing merlot, zinfandel and cabernet. If you visited us this harvest you would have witnessed new winemaking techniques and seen new equipment in use, all improving the gentle handling and rigorous inspection of grapes to improve our wines’ quality and therefore your enjoyment of them.

Briefly explained, a new technique with gewürztraminer. We rented a cold storage container into which we placed 30% of the fruit harvested, freezing them at 30°F. The resulting juice should reflect more intensity, more body and less astringency. The theory, brand new to the industry, is the cell walls closest to the grape skins will break down as they freeze due to expansion. This releases more of the berry’s positive components and allows the grapes to be pressed more gently, thereby avoiding the astringent agents that are released with heavy pressing.

Next, to Pinot Noir. Undoubtedly you have heard that of all the red grape varietals, this is the one that needs to be spoiled, pampered and treated gently. We purchased a new grape receiver in 2008 that allows us to unload bins of pinot noir onto a sorting table to check fruit and slowly deliver it to the vibrating destemmer. This year, once the plump, whole, uncrushed berries are shaken free of their stem, they are caught in another bin, and then poured directly into a fermentation tank. Not once in this process have the berries been roughed up by an augor or a pump.

Yet one more innovation this season. In our main fermentation tanks, we have installed meshed screening devices for the purpose of keeping the grape seeds away from the draining valve. Seeds are extremely astringent, and if they are broken or crushed by the impellers of a pump, their astringency goes directly into your wine. The screens prevent the seeds from being sucked into the hoses when freshly fermented wine is transferred or pumped.

These are just some of the innovations our new winemaker Keith Emerson proposed introducing to our winemaking regimen when we first discussed having him join the team, back when the economy was still in high cotton. All of us at GB are proud that we are able to stay focused on the golden ring and implement these improvements this year.

Those generations that preceded us set the pace – continue the pursuit of the highest quality wines, and your best customers will be there for you. You have been since 1858. Thank you, WOMers.

Gearing up for the 09 Harvest!

Jim Bundschu is off enjoying the calm before the storm of the 2009 harvest. Filling in for him this month, we have an update from our winemaking team.

The 2009 harvest is just 2-3 weeks away and we are getting everything ready! "We" has a new meaning this year with our new winemaking team of Keith, Anne and Jessica, affectionately referred to as the 3-headed monster. We've been preparing all year and are excited to kick off this 2009 vintage!

In the winery, we just finished bottling the last of our 2007 wines, and are now busy blending our delicious 2008 wines, making room in the cellar and getting ready for harvest. Last year we welcomed our new grape receival system, and after seeing 2008 produce some fantastic wines, we can't wait to work with this equipment again in 09.

In the past, we used to drop the grape clusters into a hopper that used a large screw to slowly move the fruit into a destemmer. The destemmer had spinning rubber paddles that knocked the berries off the clusters. Last year, we got rid of that system, and replaced it with a sorting table and a Roto-Vibe. The sorting table moves a single layer of clusters forward on a belt (like a little moving walkway), allowing our production crew to take one last look at each and every cluster to ensure no unripe or uneven clusters get past us. Then the Roto-Vibe shakes the whole berries off the stems, a much gentler process than the old destemmer which would break up the fruit more, and even sometimes the stems. The result of all these new toys is that we can better ensure that clean, ripe, whole fruit is delivered to the fermentation tank, which results in higher quality wines for you.

In addition, this year we will be adding a grape chute that lets us deliver the grapes directly to tank for some wines, and louvers which are screens in the tank that prevent the pumping of berries during red wine fermentations. Both are designed to continue the gentle handling of our fruit to ensure highest quality in our wines.

In the vineyard, our attention is focused on working closely with the vineyard team to give our vines the most attention to detail possible. The season is shaping up to be a good one with steady temperatures and ideal crop levels.

Veraison is upon us with the grapes turning color (from green to red, or to golden for the white varieties) and the skins starting to soften. The vineyard crews are busy doing veraison thinning, which is when they ‘green harvest,’ cutting off the clusters that haven’t yet turned color or are ripening unevenly. The goal is for each vine to ripen all its clusters simultaneously so that when we harvest, there are no over- or under-ripe flavors in the bunch.

This is also the time when we start sampling fruit daily, checking not only the sugar levels but also the overall fruit flavors, the health of the vines, how they are responding to the weather and specifically planning their irrigation. If a vine can’t get enough water from its roots, particularly during a heat spell like we’re currently having, it can yellow and lose leaves, steal water from the grapes and otherwise cause uneven ripening. With too much water, a vine may focus on green growth and not develop flavors and concentration in the grapes. A careful combination of measuring leaf water potential, as well as visually inspecting the vine and tasting the fruit helps us to plan carefully and judiciously when and how much to irrigate each block of the vineyard.

We’re all gearing up for the busy months ahead, some of the crew have even shaved their heads in preparation for those early mornings and long days. It won't be long now! We’re looking forward to having many of you here at the height of the season for the Wine Club Harvest Weekend in September, we’ll certainly be ready for a celebration by then!

Salud, Amigos!
Keith Emerson, Winemaker
Anne Dempsey, Lead Associate Winemaker
Jessica Koga, Associate Winemaker

Bacchus Must be Smiling

Bacchus had to be smiling recently as he witnessed two distinctly different events that could only happen at Gundlach Bundschu. We recently returned from our annual WOMer (wine club) Revel in Charleston, SC. Shortly thereafter, an apparition of Jacob Gundlach appeared at the winery.

On the 23rd of April, an adventurous group of our wine club members (we limit revels to 60, and it was once again sold out, thank you!) convened in Charleston. Many were veterans of previous revels in Boston, New Orleans and Memphis, but many were first timers. This balance is core to an ancient Bacchanalian axiom: old friends + new acquaintances + wine & fine dining + no responsibilities = … (If you don’t know the answer, hand over your club member card).

Destination on Friday morning was Middleton Place Plantation, about an hour trolley ride from downtown Charleston. A guided tour of the pre-Civil War rice farm culminated by walking through the Middleton Family manor, preserved as though they’d exited just before our arrival.

We learned a great deal of history, but the highlight for some of us non-locals was seeing our first water moccasin slither along the shaded wall of the small rice mill. Our tour guide, who had not seen the snake, wondered what she had said that made us all jump and scramble so.

We found shade and protection from the southern sun in the lunch pavilion overlooking the grounds, shaded by towering oaks. An ample southern buffet was quickly served and the tables were provided with bottles of ice-cold Gewürztraminer along with Pinot Noir and Merlot. Not a glass of sweet ice tea was present, usually a ubiquitous sight at southern lunches, but indeed this was not a typical group.

Just as the crescendo of conversation and laughter was peaking, Ann Caldwell and the Magnolia Singers appeared. She immediately stilled the enthusiastic WOMers with a brief introduction of her Gullah heritage – a local community that has preserved the culture and language of their African ancestors. The group sang us their traditional songs and eventually coaxed some timid members to join the chorus line.

Saturday morning in the hotel lobby we were greeted by belles who instructed us on the rules for a competitive treasure hunt through downtown Charleston. They turned out to be somewhat diabolical, as two of the required items (along with historically significant buildings and paintings) were a palmetto bug, which mostly come out at night, and a urine marker, a device used by the horse-drawn carriages to mark the spot where steeds may relieve themselves, so street cleaners can clean up properly. In both cases, the clues instructed us to find but don’t touch.

After the exertion of the hunt, we adjourned to McCrady’s, the oldest and one of the most respected restaurants in Charleston. Delicious food, graciously served, much devine wine presented by Jeff Bundschu, toasts, no iced tea, and again, much laughter and camaraderie.

Once again, WOMers proved themselves worthy of Bacchus’ praise. This is an adventurous group that enjoys life and wine, and they made those of us from the winery feel proud.

On a totally different note, I’d like to briefly share a story that probably no other winery in America could tell.

A few weeks ago, we received an email out of the blue from Heinz Gundlach. He explained that he is a winemaker in Germany and a relative, as he is descended from the brother of our founder Jacob Gundlach. He and his daughter Sarah were planning to visit San Francisco in May and would like to come see us.

HUH? We know much about the our family tree since Jacob emigrated to San Francisco in 1850, and his diary mentioned his father was a brewer and winemaker in Bavaria, but the details pre-1849 have always been a mystery. Heinz taught us that his great-great-grandfather was Jacob’s brother, making us 5th cousins. Heinz owns and operates the very same family winery started in 1824 by Jacob’s father, David. He produces only 4,000 cases annually, which he personally hand delivers to his customers throughout Germany.

Sparing you all the details of our visit, Jeff has recently blogged about it already, it was an amazing experience to meet a fifth cousin. They spent two days with us in Sonoma, and we are planning to visit them soon at the original Gundlach Winery in the Rhineland. Perhaps some of you WOMers might get there first. Ask him about the WOMer discount….

Salud amigos, Jim

Cerry Mhristmas!

Below is a sample from a collection of envelope addresses we have received at our wonderful, old world, Vineburg post office.  This collection began in about 1984 and continued on until about 1990: at which time the shoe box they were being collected in became too full and the collection stopped.  Recently while clearing out an old file cabinet, this shoe box was discovered.  Thought you might enjoy seeing the various interpretations of both our winery name and my name.  We still receive some doozies occasionally, but much less often, so our family must be gaining in brand recognition. Still, at the time this collection was accruing, there was a temptation to give up the Gundlach part of the name. If we had wanted to become a large winery, we would have been forced to, for obvious business reasons.  Instead, we stayed small, and put our faith in people like you.  At the winery, many of our guests take great pride in being able to properly pronounce our name. We don't take that for granted.  Thank you for learning to say “Gundlach Bundschu.”

 

  This month, we received a wonderful letter, properly addressed, included below for your enjoyment.

“Un Vino Americano a Roma”

November 18, 2008

Julianne Van Wagenen

 

There is a small, sixty year old Italian sommelier from Sorrento named Oreste Perna. He holds your winery in the highest of opinion.

I started working for him as an English teacher at his cultural association in Rome in the summer of 2007. A few months later he offered me a trade. I could take his entry-level sommelier course at the association in exchange for some lessons of English. Sure, I thought, it could be fun. I like wine.

I was first introduced to wine when I was 15, one of three teenage girls in the dark of my friend’s garage, pouring pink wine from a box into plastic cups. The experience sold me on the attributes of vodka. About as disgusting as wine and gets you drunk quicker.

I began the sommelier course as a 23 year old American abroad—I drank anything you put in front of me, indifferent to what time of day it was, what I was eating, what I’d been drinking the previous round. Give me tacos and Riesling, spaghetti with clams and a mojito, a peanut butter sandwich on Wonderbread and Passito. Then, suddenly, I was thrown into this distinguished course; I was sniffing and swirling and slurping Barolo, Montepulciano, Aglianico, Chardonnay, all of the Pinots, Falanghina. I was claiming to smell tar and roses, black currant, a cornucopia of berries, tart apple, canned figs, chestnut. I was alleging ruby red with reflections of garnet. But in reality all that I smelled was wine and all that I saw was red and yellow.

After four months of classes I only managed to pass the final test by pretending to be unable to express myself in Italian and by presenting the sommelier with a bottle of 2003 Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon which my mom had sent from The States for him. He beamed, “AAH! I didn’t know your mother was a wine intenditrice (someone who understands wine).” I just smiled. I didn’t tell him that I wasn’t sure my mom really knew anything about wine other than that she liked it.

A few months later he called me. Could I come that evening to do live translation of a wine meditation he was hosting? There were a few English speakers that didn’t understand any Italian. When I arrived I was appalled to see my mom’s bottle of Gundlach Bundschu open on the display table. NO! I thought. We can’t meditate on my mom’s wine! It might be vinegary, it might taste like cork or fungus or may be just bad wine!

Then he told me who the guests would be—his colleagues from a Sommelier Association. We’d spend two and half hours examining two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, one American and one Italian. And as the group arrived I started to panic. “American wine! Oreste are you mad?! I will take one sip and not more. American wine gives me headaches,” said one Italian sommelier.

It was the general opinion of the group that America has poor soil, young vines, and a dearth of experience. I hid behind my notes, sheepishly hoping no one would pinpoint my accent as American. Signore Perna didn’t hesitate, however, to mention that my mother (indicating me with a Vanna White flourish) had picked the bottle out and sent it as a special gift. Why Mom, WHY?!? I thought. Then he whispered in my ear that he was a bit concerned. He’d taken a good look at the wine through the bottle and it appeared brown. He’d let it air over two hours and it still smelled strongly of alcohol. He wasn’t sure it was a very well-balanced wine. Hadn’t I told him my mom was an intenditrice?

We poured the wine. The Italians made dubious faces as they smelled it. We swirled it. Black currant and pepper? “Hmmmm.” They said pensively. Then they tasted it and their faces changed. A subtle current of smile flashed across the room. No Italian wanted to be the first to concede anything. There was a long, swirling silence. Finally, Signore Perna turned to me, “Complimenti to your mother. She really does understand wine. This is one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted in my thirty-odd years of being a sommelier. At auction this bottle could go for 1,000 euro.” Everyone in the room nodded their heads solemnly in agreement.

As we finished the bottle I told them how the people of Gundlach Bundschu of Sonoma Valley had dressed up as bandits and stopped the Napa Valley wine-tasting train. Italians love cowboys. They all agreed that Sonoma Valley wine must be far superior to that of Napa.  

 

Revel Reminiscence

We recognize that without you, our clear-thinking customers, life would not be so blissful here on Rhinefarm. 

This is why we attempt to say thank you to all you loyal wine lovers by celebrating our good fortunes with you at our annual wine club gatherings.  Most years, we hold a Wine Club Revel in the spring somewhere far from Rhinefarm and a Harvest Celebration in September at the winery.  In honor of our big anniversary, this year we combined them into a single grand event.  That is the subject of this letter, the 2008 Harvest Revel.

On Thursday evening, one hundred and thirty worthy and trusting WOMers gathered behind the Sonoma Mission, built in 1829, to receive their Revel marching orders.  A more enthusiastic group of Bacchus torch bearers could not be imagined.  This event had been sold out for over a month, and 130 seemed to be the right number for everyone to get reacquainted and new friendships to cultivate through osmosis.  A larger group could become a herd of sheep no matter how much wine we consume.

Jeff Bundschu whistled a blast to get everyone’s attention and then proceeded to outline the weekend rules.  Specific events and destinations were not revealed and remained a mystery to all.  Jeff announced, “many of you have been together before, so please help the ‘newbies’ to understand the meaning of the word PACING.  We don’t want anyone to be road-kill, do not be late for your bus, stay together!  Dress casually, wear walking shoes, bring a jacket or sweater.”

Each WOMer received a package with a token for a glass of Gundlach Bundschu at local restaurants and a red blinking silver-dollar-sized pin with our logo on it, which seemed corny but proved effective.  As we all dispersed from the Mission to various restaurants around the plaza, to dine and further enjoy each other’s company, it became dusk and we became the blinking light brigade.  After dinner, WOMers continued to look for the red fireflies wandering from restaurant to restaurant and throughout the town square.

Our first bus departed the Sonoma Valley Inn at 7:30 sharp the next morning.  Stuffed with bagels and loaded with coffee, the most alert of the WOMers soon realized we were headed south towards San Francisco.  Two other buses followed.

We exited the bus on the south end of Balmy Alley, a one block street in the Mission district, the historic Latino neighborhood in San Francisco.  The alley is not on your regular tourist route, yet it is well known by aficionados of Latino culture for its murals.  Every building on both sides is painted with a poignant mural depicting various struggles and stories in the Latino culture.  Our guides explained each mural in detail to us.

It was in this alley that Ray Patlan, a local muralist, introduced us to Balmy’s charm back in the 1980’s.  Ray was one of the two artists we hired to paint our mural, here at the winery, depicting the contributions that Mexicans have made to Rhinefarm.  We later photographed sections of the mural and made three labels for our Vintage Reserve Cabernets.

The weather was bit nippy, with usual San Francisco fog, but we were warmed by the stories of our guide and also by the feeling that we WOMers were seeing something not many visitors to San Francisco experience.

After the 45 minute tour, we were greeted on the other end of the alley by our bus.  We were whisked across the city to the waterfront, more specifically, the San Francisco Maritime Historical Park, the smallest U.S. National Park.   We had been given instructions to explore on our own while waiting for the other buses to catch up. A few enterprising WOMers realized that the Buena Vista Café, known for their Irish coffee, was only a block away.

Once together again, we boarded the historic ferry, ‘Eureka,” which is a completely restored 1890 sidewheel paddle steamboat docked at the pier.  Seated on the stern in the passenger area, we were given a lecture by the charming Monica Clyde of St. Mary’s College on the contributions German immigrants made to San Francisco culture from the gold rush through the first World War.  Gundlach Bundschu was founded in 1858, and in her research, Monica discovered much about Jacob Gundlach and Charles Bundschu, made all the more significant to our WOMers by the fact that they were seated on the very ship that Charles Bundschu and his family boarded to escape the 1906 fire and earthquake.  We know from old letters that as the Bundschus departed that infamous day aboard this very boat, from this very vantage point, they witnessed the hills of San Francisco and their own home go up in flames.

As we approached the lunch hour, we were bused back across the city to the warehouse district, south of Market Street to an undistinguished looking corner.  Building windows were painted over with no apparent identity of an eating establishment.  We had arrived at a restaurant called, Asia SF.

As the door swung open, the coolest hip hop music escaped.  Once inside, it was another world, perhaps one of the coolest restaurants this side of the Mississippi, depending on your definition of ‘cool.’  The lighting, the cat-walk bar, the Asian fusion dishes, the music, the wine, all Gundlach Bundschu of course, and our servers.

The service was provided by the most attentive, gorgeous wait staff you could feast your eyes on. (Here the author’s ability to relate the story, because of his cloudy, incredulous hallucinations, may be a bit muddy)  The wait staff would alternate between graciously presenting dish after dish of delicious delicacies, to pouring wine, to performing on the cat-walk.  No, Asia SF is not a topless place or a strip club; we have far too much pride and dignity at Gundlach Bundschu to ever expose WOMers to such debauchery. All the same, it was a distinctly San Franciscan experience. (Ask Kathy or an attending WOMer for the details, or google if you must.)  Did I mention the food was spectacular?

We hurriedly, but sadly departed from lunch and boarded our awaiting buses, which drove us back to the wharf to board a ferry for Angel Island State Park in the middle of San Francisco Bay.  Our time was limited on Angel Island because we took so long to enjoy our lunch, but the sun came out and so did more wine!  Some of the WOMers enjoyed spirited games of kick-ball, bocce and Frisbee while others watched and conversed with each other over glasses of Gundlach Bundschu wine. We eventually departed Angel Island for Tiburon, to catch our buses.  We were back safe and sound in Sonoma by six o’clock.

The next day, Saturday, was spent on vineyard excursions with Shannon aboard the six-wheeled Pinzgauer, wine education seminars with winemaker Linda Trotta, and tasting and visiting with Queen Kathy. Early evening found us all seated on the amphitheatre lawn where we enjoyed the Towle’s Hill play.  Dinner followed, with dancing and more wine, more laughing, more of enjoying each other’s company. 

This Revel was special to us at Gundlach Bundschu because it was our 150^th anniversary.  WOMers learned over the weekend that our family has been enjoying various forms of revels with friends of Gundlach Bundschu for 150 years, and it is always the people who have energized these events.  To all of you dedicated WOMers, we thank you for your continued support and the generous energy and enthusiasm you bring to our gatherings.  For those of you who only know about our revels by word of mouth, next time you are in San Francisco drop by AsiaSF for all the details.

Salud amigos,

Jim

Wine as art

There appears to be an increasingly scarce ingredient missing from practically any modern discussion about wine.  Just a nudge here from this unabashed huckster of one’s values and you loyalists will not be guilty of this pervasive omission.

Why is it that we seldom see or hear the word art, as in “wine is an art?”  It used to be, before wine became a mainstream beverage in the U.S. market, that wine was nearly always introduced to new customers by convincing them that by enjoying a glass of wine, they were tasting art.  Probably because wine as art became too much of a marketing cliché; picture the man riding a white horse through the Italian Swiss Colony vineyard.  Most Americans now ingest mostly sound bytes.  The concept of wine as art takes some telling. 

Also, early on in America’s wine resurgence, we were all concentrating on simply spreading the gospel...drink wine and be happy.  Our wine industry is maturing, we now need to emphasize the importance of our own brand; we need to protect and grow our own nest egg.  There is little time for the discussion of wine as art.

Why is wine still art? 

Look up the definition of art.  The old tome in my hallway has the following: “The production, or expression, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful or appealing.” 

Aesthetic – “Having a sense of the beautiful involving pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.”

You can substitute the word wine for art in my book.

So much of winegrowing and winemaking has and will continue to rely on “gut feelings” of how to produce a most beautiful wine.  Relying solely on the almost unlimited supplies of wine making and grape growing technology is not enough.

Art in the Vineyard: What varietal and which rootstock to plant in the vineyard?  Organic or not organic? Which trellis system to use?  How to pull leaves to obtain the most efficient use of sunlight for flavor and sugar?  How much and how often to irrigate or not?  When to harvest?

Art in the Winery: Which yeast selections? Fermentation strategy relating to each vintage? Oak -- European, American, old, new, light or medium toasted barrels?  How much time in the barrel? Filtration methods and strategies for blending?

None of these winemaking decisions can be guided solely by relying on technology, and yet it is the technology that receives most of the attention today.  Not just with winemaking, but with pretty much every facet of our lives. 

The creation and appreciation of any art form is a personal one, and wine is no exception.  The next time you lift your glass of Gundlach Bundschu at the table to salute family and friends, and your own good fortune, remember you are relying on art to convey your sentiment.

Of Frost and Family

An inter-winery memo recently arrived on everyone’s desk one morning two weeks ago from Carly Fedor, who is Kathy Fedor’s 27-year-old daughter.  (Some of you might not know that Kathy has been working here at Gundlach Bundschu since 1982 and is the manager of WOMer operations.)  The memo simply stated, “I’m getting married again…to the same guy, different continent! I’ll be taking the next week off.”

Here is a story for you, fleshing out Carly’s memo, which reflects Gundlach Bundschu’s pride in multi-generational family employees; not just Bundschus, but also the families who help contribute to the joys of Bacchus and work here on Rhinefarm.

First, however, and totally disassociated with Carly’s story, you must know that your scribe is a most fortunate soul.  Often you long-time members have read this missive about what it is like to be on “frost patrol,” i.e. protecting the vines’ annual tender new shoots from Spring frost, which can kill the shoots and young grape bunches.  By now you have probably heard that the Spring of 2008 was the worst year for frost in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties since 1972.  That year happened to be the first year we installed frost protection devices on Rhinefarm. There were 22 straight nights of frost and we were there, up all night, protecting the vines.  This winter while the vines were still dormant, we established a new “frost patrol” team, with yours truly serving as merely the advisor.  This brand new patrol had to get out of bed a record 26 out of 32 nights in March and April.  I’m still humbled by this great good fortune, as I lay in bed snuggly tucked away listening to the wind machines purr for 26 nights.  We suffered a 5% loss of crop, far better than some of our neighbors.  We would have lost 70% without protection. 

Now back to Carly.  European wineries have earned global respect for maintaining generations of family ownership.  For example, the Trimbach family began their winery twelve generations ago.  Likewise, there are generations of the same families working at these wineries.  That is not the case in the U.S., as our industry is relatively new and we were forced to endure Prohibition.  So it is unusual to have second-generation family members work at the same winery.  Fortunately, for wine quality sake it is beginning to occur more often.  Here at Gundlach Bundschu, Carly Fedor is a member of this rare group.  She was born in 1981, one year before Kathy, her mother, came to work here in the tasting room.  Carly grew up with our daughter, Katie, and the two of them were constant companions at all our winery parties.  Once, at one of the late night revels, the two wandered down to the tanks and proceeded to open a valve, draining out 750 gallons of 1980 Merlot.  They sheepishly reappeared, whimpering and totally drenched in the juice.  While in high school Carly worked in the Gundlach Bundschu warehouse, helping with the inventory and janitorial duties, she would even drive the fork lift in a pinch.  She attended and graduated from U.C. Santa Cruz, yes the “Slugs.”  She always had the urge to travel abroad, going to Thailand, while still in high school.  After she graduated college she traveled around Europe and while in Scotland, had a drink with Sean Howell, a Kiwi visiting the Single Malt country.

She returned to Sonoma and begun working again at Gundlach Bundschu, this time in the tasting room, where she could now legally pour wine instead of spill it.  Lo and behold, Mr. Sean Howell arrived a few months later on her doorstep.  They decided that Carly should visit him in New Zealand.  Carly continued to work at the winery until she saved enough for the air fare to New Zealand.  Off she went.

Fast forward a few more trips, and they were married in New Zealand in February 2007.  She was the only Yankee present.  Fast forward again, and that explains the memo – “married again.”  Two weeks ago, Sean and Carly were married overlooking the Pacific here in Sonoma County.  Sean’s family and friends were here for the celebration and finally met the Fedor clan. 

Carly is now the tasting room supervisor and Sean will be a “cellar rat” for us during the 2008 Harvest.  While producing great wines for you is our major goal, we also want Gundlach Bundschu to adhere to an honorable lifestyle and a spirited environment.  What can be more indicative of our success than to have children work willingly, side by side, with their parents.

One final note, Carly is the cop in our new Sesquicentennial Gewürztraminer poster.

Deed Day Commemoration - March 12, 2008

Throughout 2008 you will be hearing about and invited to events geared to help us celebrate our family’s 150th anniversary of producing grapes and making wine here on Rhinefarm. Bacchus has never tired of watching over us.

This past March 12th we held Deed Day at the winery. It was on that date, in 1858, that Jacob Gundlach signed his name on Rhinefarm’s deed. One of the honors we received was a letter of recognition from our esteemed state Governor (the Terminator does not have a total grasp of who is whom between Gundlach and Bundschu, but he captured the sentiments we sincerely cherish) The other recognition is an editorial written after the event by the editor of our local newspaper, The Sonoma Index Tribune, who attended our Deed Day celebration.

You may interpret this month’s letter as self-aggrandizement; however it is important that you as our customers know that you are linked to 150 years of Gundlach Bundschu customers and without your continued support, we would not be able to continue our pursuit towards our 200th anniversary.

Salud amigos,

Jim Bundschu