Still in the dark ages, thinking that terroir is a crock? Sorry pal, it's your opinion that's a crock.

A couple years ago in Alsace I drank a superb Riesling, the 2002 Schoenenburg from Mittnacht-Klack. The restaurant gave me the label, and I strode manfully to the winery the very next day, certain the wine would be long gone, and ready to beg.

They had it. I bought it. A lot of it. They also had other wines, including a 2002 Gewurztraminer from the same vineyard. This was a rarity. Schoenenburg is a steep south-facing vineyard, predestined for Riesling. Few if any would grow anything else there. Gewurz and its ilk would normally be planted in the "other" Grand Cru, the rich-soiled Sporen.

The bottle the estate had in its tasting room was open too long. They offered to open a fresh one, but I bought it anyway. I was curious.

We've drunk a few of those Rieslings over the past year or so. Tonight my wife pressed an anonymous glass into my hands. "Here's what we're drinking tonight, honey!" she said (or would have, if she called me "honey"). I sniffed the glass.

"Weird," I said. "It's obviously Schoenenburg, but what else is it??"

Dude, every single time - let me emphasize that: every SINGLE time - a great vineyard has more than one grape variety planted in it, the personality of the vineyard will lay the very smackdown on the grape. Sure, you notice the grape. But it's a MINOR element engulfed by the site-flavors.

I'm not getting any damn sleep tonight, thinking about Riesling in Clos de Mesnil.......