Hunt wrote:
> In article >,
> says...
>> Ed Rasimus wrote:
>>
>>> As for Cline, I picked up an Old Vine Zin a few weeks ago--think it
>>> was '02--and found it decidedly herbal rather than fruit forward.
>>> Somehow dill in wines is a taste I haven't acquired yet.
>>>
>> At Cline, they claim that the wine is flavored by the eucalyptus trees
>> that surround the vineyard. Perhaps that is what you taste.
>
> Jon,
>
> Interesting observation. I have found this element (hard to really tell from
> "mint") in several wines. Most of these vineyards have eucalyptus trees on the
> border.
California has a lot of imported eucalyptus trees. They were brought in
around 1850 or so, and many farmers used them as windbreaks. They are
everywhere in the state, particularly in rural areas, and are very
strong in odor.
At Cline, the trees have been there for over a hundred years, and the
leaves have been falling and all that sort of thing. So that's how that
flavor gets infused.
If there are other California wineries that have this sort of flavor to
their wine, I wouldn't be surprised if their vineyards are also near or
surrounded by these trees.