Virtual Tasting Featuring Gundlach Bundschu Winery with Special Guests Katie and Jeff Bundschu celebrating 163 years of family ownership in Sonoma

[Bond has just been surprised by the double agent, Grant.]
"Red wine with fish. Well, that should have told me something."
Bond in From Russia with Love (1963)

I’m always suspicious of people who don’t eat meat…and people that don’t drink wine.

Gundlach Bundsch is one of the oldest wineries in California but they are still under the radar for most wine lovers.  That’s why I’m happy to help them celebrate their 163rd year of family ownership with a virtual wine tasting featuring the newest generation of the family Katie and jeff Bundschu as my special guests on Wednesday, April 28th. 

We are hosting virtual tastings every Wednesday on Zoom and Instagram live which will be posted to Instagram TV.  So, if you can’t make it at 6pm to chat with Katie and Jeff Bundschu to help them celebrate 163 years of family ownership in Sonoma, Wednesday April 28th you can tune in any time after that by checking out the video posted to Wine Watch’s Instagram page.  The virtual tasting packs are up on our web page under the gift box selections and you can purchase them before the event and taste along with us or purchase them any time after the event until the wines are no longer available and taste the wines and watch the interview at your leisure.

For those that would like to attend in person and be part of the studio audience on the day of the event the price is $55 + tax and there are only 10 seats available to our studio audience the day of the tasting.  There will be a few small bites served but this is not a dinner.  For reservations to be part of the studio audience please call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Virtual Tasting Featuring Gundlach Bundschu Winery with Special Guests Katie and Jeff Bundschu celebrating 163 years of family ownership in Sonoma
Wednesday, April 28th
6:00pm

Virtual Tasting 4 Pack for Gundlach Bundschu Winery - Wine Watch
Price: $118.00

2019 Gundlach Bundschu Dry Gewurztraminer Estate Vineyard
Price: $19.50       Your Price: $17.16
The oldest family owned winery in the state of California 157th harvest with the 2014, they started a year after Buena Vista Winery, they have four different AVA's that come together on their property, Sonoma Valley , Sonoma Coast, Napa Valley and Carneros. A very dry style of Gewurtz, these vines were planted in 1976 and some in 2004. They take 20% of fruit and freezes it whole cluster, a unique technique for this varietal. A good amount fresh lychee nut fruit and peach with notes of white flowers with orange zest with a good amount of fruit here on tongue with a bone-dry finish some of that perfumed floral notes through the bone dry finish, a great example of a dry style of Gewurtz.  Finish 45+

2018 Gundlach Bundschu Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Price: $22.50       Your Price: $19.80
Fresh apple and lemon citrus fruit no malo here, only 10% new oak just a hint of that spice and white flowers, a very clean and fresh style.  A bright and fresh style of Chardonnay with a zesty finish and just a kiss of oak spice.  Finish 40+                Excellent

2018 Gundlach Bundschu Merlot Sonoma Valley
Price: $36.75       Your Price: $32.34
A beautiful bouquet of dark chocolate, rich plum and sweet tobacco spice here on the nose very forward and seductive.  Smooth and silky on the tongue with a good amount of rich ripe fruit here and all that spice and nuance from the nose through the finish, a lovely richness and freshness, very well balanced and nice freshness on the finish.  Finish 45+            Excellent

2016 Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley
Price: $55.25       Your Price: $48.62
A blend of 5% Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot in the blend here with a beautiful bouquet of dark plum and currant berry fruit with notes of tobacco spice bitter coco.  A big and chewy wine with a good amount of rich ripe fruit, plum and dark cherry with a good hand of chocolate, fresh earth and a lovely balance and a long finish.  Finish 45+                Excellent +

Wine Watch invites you to participate live on ZOOM at 6pm EST on the 28th of April, simply click the link below at 6pm and you will be admitted to the party.

Andrew Lampasone is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Virtual Wine Tasting with Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Time: Apr 28, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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Meeting ID: 999 9412 6909
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For those that would like to attend in person and be part of the studio audience on the day of the event the price is $55 + tax and there are only 10 seats available to our studio audience the day of the tasting.  There will be a few small bites served but this is not a dinner.  For reservations to be part of the studio audience please call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

A bit about Gundlach Bundsch and our Hosts:

“Perseverance, dedication to excellence & the spirit of creativity have allowed six generations of family to thrive despite earthquakes, Prohibition and disco. We still work on our farm, cultivating vines planted by my great-great-grandfather over 160 years ago. We are the Sonoma original.” –Jeff Bundschu

For Gundlach Bundschu’s wine, it all starts with the vineyards. The Bundschu’s have been farming this land since 1858, so they’re pretty intimate with every nook and cranny, hill and flatland. Since they farm sustainably, the 320-acre Rhinefarm Vineyard gives back what they give to it. And give it does, producing award-winning varietals that delight even the toughest critics. All this care delivers wines with balance, elegance and varietal expression.

The estate vineyards are located 35 miles north of San Francisco on the southwesterly slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain Range. It’s located at the southernmost point in Sonoma Valley, flanked by the Carneros district to the south, Napa Valley to the east and nestled within the larger Sonoma Coast American Viticultural Area. Rhinefarm has a unique combination of steep hillsides and cool valley floor sites, allowing them to grow a broad variety of wines at a very high-quality level.

Jeff Bundschu President
Jeff Bundschu is no stranger to the lure of the vine—as a sixth-generation California vintner, wine has been in his family since 1858. Jeff was raised on the family estate in Sonoma and began working on the vineyards at 12 years old. Jeff attended college in Los Angeles, where he earned a degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California. An intrepid explorer, he traveled extensively following graduation.

In 1993, he returned to Sonoma Valley, surrendering to the powerful pull of the (fun) six-generation family business. Already knowing his way around the winery from his childhood, he took on learning sales and marketing by representing Bundschu Company and their oldest brand, Gundlach Bundschu, throughout the country. This experience convinced him that the wine industry needed to expand its outreach and approachability to a larger portion of the population, leading him to co-found The Wine Brats, an organization focused on educating a new generation of wine consumers.

In a circumstance unique to traditional family businesses, Jeff was appointed President of Gundlach Bundschu Winery in 2001, at the age of 33. His father, Jim, had similarly taken the reins at a young age, convincing his father to redefine the estate vision to meet the opportunities and challenges of the day. And so Jim handed control to Jeff, who set out to achieve a vision of Gundlach Bundschu – to be the best estate winery in Sonoma County.

Equally important to Jeff is the preservation of the open-minded and spirited culture with which the winery has long been associated—which he today brings to the parent company, Bundschu Company, its brands and experiences.

“Our life here at Bundschu Company, with its wine and good people, has always been about laughter, hard work, enjoying the inspiration that comes from being in such a beautiful place, and sharing what we have with our friends and neighbors.”

Jeff makes his home in Sonoma with his wife Elizabeth and their two children.

Katie Bundschu, Vice President, Marketing and Sales
As a sixth generation vintner, Katie Bundschu always knew she would be involved in wine. It just took some time for her to determine when. As a youngster she was involved in various aspects of the business, including pruning and tying vines, harvesting grapes and working in both the tasting room and marketing department.

Katie attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, and decided after college to work in higher education. She spent years in fundraising and donor relations for the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Colorado, Boulder before being drawn back to Sonoma. In April of 2012, Katie returned on a full-time basis to her family business, first as the winery’s Marketing Manager where she coordinated all marketing efforts for the multiple channels at the winery, and more recently in the role of Vice President, Marketing & Sales for Bundschu Company.

“I am constantly inspired by the dedication and resolve of my family throughout the generations. I take pride in my family history and want to be sure to share it with anyone who can appreciate not only an amazing bottle of wine, but the story that accompanies it.”

Katie strives to continue the legacy and history of her family by creating distinctive, iconic wines that define the highest standards in Sonoma, all while having fun and enjoying the process along the way.

Other Wines from Gundlach Bundcsch:

2018 Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee Sonoma County
Price: $18.75       Your Price: $16.50

A Bordeaux-inspired blend for everyday enjoyment that's soft, yet robust and smooth but never sweet. Dangerously easy drinking, this Merlot and Cabernet-based red wine offers balance, structure and approachability.

2015 Gundlach Bundschu Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma
Price: $121.50    Your Price: $106.92

Embracing the concentration of the 2015 vintage from whence it comes, this Cabernet Sauvignon is dense, powerful, and compact. The long growing season engendered by our cool climate Sonoma vineyard means this Cab did not have to sacrifice acidity and freshness, however. Classic aromas of blackberries and black raspberry liquor are layered with sweet barrel oak and menthol. Mouth-filling, but more medium than full bodied, savory flavors of cacao nibs, dark fruits, and dried herbs are carried on the lush texture through an enduring finish.

Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Petit Verdot 3% Malbec 2% Merlot 1% Cabernet