Tuesday, May 29, 2012

What is Geisenheim 318-57?

It's not a work of automotive engineering.

It's not a radioactive isotope.

It's not a breed of cow.

I'm always impressed by the resourcefulness of Midwestern winemakers as they work with lesser-known grapes.

A friend gave me a bottle of a semi-dry white wine, known as Community, from Lau-Nae Winery in Red Bud, Ill., about 30 miles southeast of St. Louis.

Community is a blend of Seyval Blanc, Riesling and Geisenheim. It has floral and citrus notes, which, in my experience, is a rare combination. I can imagine how Seyval would add juicy personality to a Riesling, but I suspect Geisenheim may have something to do with the floral aspect.

According to Red Dog Vineyards And Grapevine Nursery of Ankeny, Iowa, Geisenheim "makes a Riesling-style wine." But that's really no help.

The Super Gigantic Y2K Winegrape Glossary, by Anthony J. Hawkins, says it was created in Germany in 1957 by crossing Riesling and Chancellor, and it grows well in Nova Scotia. The Y2K reference really dates this site (last version updated (October 2007), but these statements probably still hold. Hawkins says nothing about what kind of wine Geisenheim makes. 


At Winelabels.org, a section of the site devoted to unusual grape varieties says Geisenheim 318-57 makes a wine that's "flowery with light spiciness and a medium long aftertaste." So, I could be right about the source of the floral notes.

A blend often dissolves all the distinctive characteristics of the blended elements into a new result that's richer and smoother but not necessarily better. Cheers to Lau Nae for finding a way to preserve differences within its Community.

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