Ruru is the Central Otago brand of Roland and Lucienne van der Wal who own the 20 ha ‘Immigrant’s’ vineyard on Airport Road in Alexandra. The vineyard is planted to 15.5 ha of Pinot Noir, 4 ha of Pinot Gris and 0.5 ha of Gewurztraminer. Lucienne admits that despite the quality of the Gewurztraminer wines, it is a difficult one to work with in the marketplace. Part of it is due to the inconsistent performance in the vineyard, but also the modest consumer demand. Most producers cite the pronunciation of the name as a significant factor, which the van der Wals acknowledge. However, they believe is persisting with Gewurztraminer for its difference it adds to the Ruru range, as well as its quality. Some of the Gewurztraminer fruit is contracted out. The van der Wals have Antony Worch of Alexandra Vintners as their primary winemaker, but for the Gewurztraminer they have Peter Bartle of VinPro as their maker. Here, I review the new 2017 Ruru Gewurztraminer. www.immigrantsvineyard.co.nz
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