Paradigm Shift - Hybrids win at California Wine Competition

This one is for Paul.

At the 2008 Long Beach Grand Cru, two non California wines tied for top white wine place. And they were both hybrids.....

"peachy Wollersheim Winery 2007 American Prairie Fumé Seyval Blanc ($8) and the aromatic, floral and lusciously fruity Goose Watch Winery Finger Lakes Diamond ($9)."

"One of the judges, Jim Trezise, took the floor immediately after the voting to say the results of the white-wine sweepstakes represent no less than a "paradigm shift" in the stature of wines from hybrid grapes.

He applauded the judges, most of them Californians, for their "open minds" and "open palates" in evaluating wines from grapes and regions that in many instances are only marginally familiar to them."

There you go Paul, not only your hybrids doing well, but your favourite paradigm word

"And don't discount the influence of the frequent sweetness of hybrids, which at the end of two days of judging some 1,900 wines in the Long Beach Petroleum Club was refreshing. The seyval blanc has 1 percent residual sugar, the diamond 5.8.

But it wasn't sweetness alone that accounted for the hybrids' strong showing in the sweepstakes round. They are wines of clarity, balance and distinction. Judges had no idea of their price, and the fact that they cost less than $10 each is another sign that exciting things are happening beyond the vineyards of California."

Full story by Mike Dunne in the Sacramento Bee --online at http://www.sacbee.com/156/story/1101503.html

I've yet to have a good Seyval Blanc, but I feel like it should have greater potential than I've seen so far. Being from the Midwest I've had a lot of experience with hybrids, and have come to like a few of them quite a bit. And a few of them have tremendous potential. Foremost among those, and one of my favorite grapes no allowances necesary is Chambourcin. I've had a few Chambourcins that would give Cru Beaujolais a run for its money (and I'm a big fan of the later as well). But Chambourcin turns out being 60% vinifera by genetics (sort of the Elrond of hybrids, to borrow from the theme of the ongoing thread I started in the 'Basement'). St. Vincent is interesting, and probably has some good potential as well. I have on occasion had dry Traminettes that have outclassed many of the Gewurztraminers I've had. Oh, and we must not forget Vidal Blanc, which is already turning out world-class late harvest wines (would you believe a natural Vidal Blanc ice wine is being produced right here in Bloomington? It's quite good too, although not very reasonably priced). On that note, Vignoles does some nice things too.

Of course, the greatest potential of all non-vinifera is Norton, but that's not a hybrid (although, I read somewhere that there is some suggestion it may have a dollup of vinifera genetics).

Pointless hybrids: Chardonnel - just not very interesting, and has little potential, I think. And then there's Foch - why, oh why does that even exist? Although here and there I've had one pleasant enough that perhaps its shouldn't be condemned quite yet. I don't get this thing with making port from it - Chamborcin would be much better for that.

[David M. Bueker]

And then there's Foch - why, oh why does that even exist? Although here and there I've had one pleasant enough that perhaps its shouldn't be condemned quite yet.

Oh gosh...please hide from Paul B. !!

[James Roscoe]

And then there's Foch - why, oh why does that even exist? Although here and there I've had one pleasant enough that perhaps its shouldn't be condemned quite yet.

Oh gosh...please hide from Paul B. !!

Where is Paul? He must be on a summer sojourn.

Should I be preparing for a beat-down?

Honestly, I don't dislike Foch quite as vehemently as my post might suggest - but often it seems to me, at least in the Midwest, that the approach is 'it grows here so let's make wine out of it,' but the results are never inspiring enough to convince me that the effort could not be better spent on making, e.g., a really good Chabourcin (the two grapes seem to appear at wineries together, for some reason).

[James Roscoe]

Should I be preparing for a beat-down?

Honestly, I don't dislike Foch quite as vehemently as my post might suggest - but often it seems to me, at least in the Midwest, that the approach is 'it grows here so let's make wine out of it,' but the results are never inspiring enough to convince me that the effort could not be better spent on making, e.g., a really good Chabourcin (the two grapes seem to appear at wineries together, for some reason).

Paul B. is the "white knight" of all things hybrid. He is also a complete gentleman. You should be prepared for a lesson, that is all. It is kind of like asking David B. about the 2005 Riesling harvest in the Mosel.