We bottled Navarro's first Edelzwicker in 1979, and by 1995 it had become a staple in Navarro's wine portfolio. Navarro's Edelzwicker is a blend primarily of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and occasionally Muscat Blanc; we borrowed the name from Alsace where these four grape varieties are considered “noble” (edel = noble and zwicker = blend). Edelzwicker blends have been made in Alsace for over a century, and it's easy to see why these four “noble” grapes combine to form a wine that is superior to any of the ingredient wines. In fact, a century ago before varietal bottlings became fashionable, Edelzwickers were the most prized bottlings in Alsace. We began Navarro's blending tastings for the 2016 Edelzwicker by selecting Pinot Gris as the base wine. When made from fully ripe fruit, Pinot Gris wines tend to have low acidity with broad flavors and an “oily” texture that contributes to their full-bodied personality.

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