Gewurztraminer – let’s all say that together – gə-ˈvu̇rt-ˌsträ-ˈmē-nər or guh-VURTZ-trah-mean-er or however you like to say it. However you pronounce it, Gewurztraminer is one of our favorite. Spicy, full-bodied, pungent white characterized by fruity, nutty flavors. Pair with BBQ, grilled chicken, and blackened fish. The 2009 from Becker is one that we are proud of. I’ll put a link up when they update their site for the 2009.
We tasted some at the winery – and then brought home of few cases. Today we had some at lunch with a chicken and rice soup. Then we had some at supper with a spicy sausage and rice dish. The Gewurztraminer was just right with each. We’ll have to pull out another bottle. It is all for scientific research, you know. We are doing our final berry sensory tasting evaluations when it comes out in the final wine. It is nice having such fun work to do. But it is hard work you know. But then there is a lot of dirty work to do in the vineyard, also, so it is nice to relax at times.
In this photo you can see the delightful woodblock print that Becker puts on their Gewurztraminer bottles. Wonderful art. The woodblock was executed by the late artist Tony Bell in 1970. This scene depicts the proprietor, Curly, and several patrons. It was a familiar haunt of Bunny and Richard Becker and friends in the 1960’s before real life began. Bunny and Richard are just some of the most fun people to be around. I bet they have warmhearted memories of this place. My close-up also helps you notice the vineyard designation – which we are mighty proud of.
We love working with Becker to provide them with the best quality fruit to make the best quality wine possible. That is also one reason that we are putting in the experimental evaporative cooling system, so that we can have a more consistent supply year in and year out of quality grapes for the wineries to work with. I took some more pictures of putting in that system that I will try to get up on the web soon.
Last Saturday some of us went down to Becker and got to check out the progress of some of the 2009 wines. First we got to see their new tasting room again in action.
There were people lined up all over getting to taste the great wines at Becker. But isn’t the room just beautiful. The wood work, the chandeliers, willow tree mural on the wall.
Just beautiful. And then we went through those doors right there to get a tour of the wine tanks in action. If you call a head and pay a little extra for you tasting you get to do this, but it is well worth it. Very interesting.
OK, yes, I have been playing with and experimenting with the different lens on my camera. I decided after this picture that you would rather see more details and not just see my son in a picture with shallow dept of field and fuzziness in the background, what they call “bokeh.” Instead you would rather have more details. So at this point I changed the settings on my camera.
Here is Brett getting glasses ready to take a taste of 2009 Roussanne from our vineyard. I just read that Roussanne is “a difficult variety to grow, with vulnerability to mildew, poor resistance to drought and wind, late and/or uneven ripening, and irregular yields.” But it seems to do well for us in Texas.
It is just really fun seeing the part that you do become a part of a finished product. I feel that way about a jar of peanut butter, too, when it is made from our organic peanuts.
Then it is even more exciting when you just love the final products so much that you want to buy it by the case.
Look there are barrels and barrels of our ’09 Cab Franc aging there in barrels. The messy one on the bottom with the purple stain is because we tasted some. But don’t tell anyone that we made the mess, OK.
So, it really looks like 2009 has the makings of being a banner year for Texas wine. The Viognier, Roussanne, and even Becker’s Clementine which is made from late harvest Viognier will have a good 2009 vintage. It will be a while longer before the reds will be bottled.
Blessings, Betty
