Gettin' schooled by Hubert Trimbach at Grand Cru Geisberg.

Geisberg and Osterberg are the two Grand Cru vineyard sites that give us Maison Trimabach's excellent top-class Riesling, Cuvée Frédéric Emile. Trimbach famously shunned the Alsace Grand Cru system until recently, preferring instead to promote their own brand names over the controversial Grand Crus of the 1983, 1992, and 2007 classifications. That being said, Trimbach produces two of the best Rieslings in Alsace: Frédéric Emile, the rare Clos Sainte Hune, in addition to a benchmark Gewurztraminer named Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre, all from top Grand Cru sites.

Hubert moves on, leaving Jesse to ponder the wisdom.

Hubert Trimbach is not shy to share his opinions on the state of Alsatian wine and I admire that very much about him. "Dryness, purity, and balance" are the mantras here and I agree with Hubert that the trend towards sweetness is the wrong direction for Alsatian wines. After our short lesson at Geisberg we adjourned to restaurant Les Catalpas in Ribeauvillé near the Eaux Carola plant. Hubert definitely knew what he was doing as Les Catalpas is exemplary regional cooking, where he masterfully paired his wines with cuisine Alsacienne Traditionnelle.

Oenologist Marie-Hélène Cristofaro guides us through the complex offerings of Domaine Marcel Deiss.

In dramatic contrast to the wines of Trimbach, we ended our day tasting at Domaine Marcel Deiss in Bergheim. Marie-Hélène Cristofaro helped us to better understand Jean-Michel's philosophy of biodynamics, field blending and co-fermentation. She then guided us through through a tasting of the 2006s. Deiss is well known for his belief in field blends, normally of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer of varying proportions, insisting that terroir can be more clearly expressed through a cépage rather than a single grape varietal. Jean-Michel Deiss is a passionate vigneron and became highly excitable (and slightly irritated) when I suggested that terroir is certainly expressive in the Mosel and Côte d'Or where mono-varietal wines are the norm. Nonetheless, we quickly patched things up and tasted some of the still-fermenting 2008s while touring the cellars.

Stagière Mélanie Tessaron explains the anatomy of the grape by Jean-Michel Deiss.

Harvest might be one of the most interesting times of year to visits producers. Of course you risk a shortened visit, or being declined altogether, but you're able to catch some of the action as well as meet people you might not otherwise. Such was the case with Deiss' harvest Stagière Mélanie Tesseron who is involved in the marketing and public relations side of her family's fifth-growth Château Pontet-Canet in Pauillac and Cognac Tessaron. Mélanie passionately expounded on the Deiss idea.

Jean-Michel Deiss stands still for approximately 2.8 seconds.