Rudy von Strasser loves Diamond Mountain. Years ago, Rudy took on the task of getting the Diamond Mountain District AVA status, largely because he believes so strongly in the region’s ability to grow some of the finest red Bordeaux-style grapes in the world. Since then, the area’s growers have planted their vineyards almost entirely to red grapes. But despite the fact that the only remaining Chardonnay vineyard has been torn out, von Strasser now feels compelled to make a white wine.

Because he lost his Chardonnay source -- the Rainin Vineyard -- from which von Strasser made a vineyard-designated wine (as is the case with almost all of the Von Strasser Winery’s more than 5,000 case production), Rudy has begun to grow some of his own white grapes.

For this purpose, von Strasser chose Grüner Veltliner, the ubiquitous Austrian variety. At first glance, it seems like a variety that doesn’t stand a chance in the warmer climate of the DMD especially when you consider the depleted soils of the region which make it incontrovertibly better suited to red grapes.

Another daunting obstacle is that most Americans, save for wine geeks and restaurant wine buyers looking for the next best thing, don’t even know how to pronounce the variety (pronounced: GREW ner felt LEENER). Nor do they have a clue as to what a Grüner Veltliner should taste like.

Nonetheless, von Strasser soldiers on. Rudy von Stasser is himself a unique blend of Austrian (father) and Hungarian (mother) parentage. Perhaps that’s what gives him such single-minded determination? Because von Stasser is absolutely determined to find out if the strange-to-America grape can do well on his vineyard or anywhere else in the state.

At the moment, von Strasser has one-third of an acre devoted to Grüner in his 15-acre Cabernet , Cab Franc and Zinfandel vineyard. According to records and sources involved with the California grape growing community, it just may be the only Grüner in the Golden State. There is some acreage in Virginia, Oregon’s Umpqua Valley and the Midwest, but there are no other plantings in California as far as anyone knows.