Never underestimate a grape's turf.
Our wine-of-the-week winner is the Forefathers, 2010 Wax Eye Vineyard, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, a single-vineyard wine from New Zealand's Omaka Valley in the heart of the Brancott region.
"The Brancott has glacial soils and so a little more vigor than Rapara and the river soils there," said Nick Goldschmidt, the co-owner and winemaker of Healdsburg's Goldschmidt Vineyards. "We get more grapefruit aroma and flavor which is a little riper than the valley-floor style."
Goldschmidt said his New Zealand-styled Forefathers sauvignon blanc is popular in America because the flavors and aromas of grapefruit sell better than asparagus, a taste found in some sauvignon blancs.
As for producing this popular style, Goldschmidt said the most challenging part is deciding when to pick because of inclement weather.
Goldschmidt decided to become a winemaker, in a nutshell, to have his say.
"I was sick of the winemaker telling me what to do in the vineyard so I went back to school to get a fourth degree," Goldschmidt said. "My dad wasn't very enthusiastic, I have to say."
Goldschmidt and his wife, Yolyn, founded Goldschmidt Vineyards in 1998. Aside from sauvignon blanc, the Forefathers brand includes a shiraz from the McLaren Vale region and a cabernet sauvignon from Alexander Valley. All of these wines are 100 percent from one vineyard, one vintage and one variety.
Goldschmidt was the chief winemaker for Allied Domecq, a wine and spirits company headquartered in England, from 2003 to 2006, responsible for nearly 20 brands. Today he's still a winemaking consultant and works in seven countries.
He said he likes making wine in California because here there's an indomitable "you can do this" spirit.
Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at 521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com.
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