(another post that seems to have floated out into nowheresville, some points
have already been covered)

It doesn't really bother me if people don't use accents, I didn't myself for
years. But someone (I believe Herr Pronay) posted a while back on Allchars, a
freeware program available at http://allchars.zwolnet.com/
It really is a great program, that makes putting in accents easy and intuitive.
You just hit control, then a logical two-letter combination ("d" & "g" to make
the degree sign- 45°; "e" and " ' " to make an acute e - é , and so on). I find
it easier than remembering Windows character map codes. Of course, if you have
a special keyboard, even easier. Now that it's not a pain, I try to use (I
still slip, especially if I don't have a bottle handy).

As to Gewürztraminer, I checked the Trimach SdR and then the other Alsace
bottles I have (Burn, Zind-Humbrecht, and Frick) -none use the umlaut. I did
notice the '98 ZH Herrenweg de Turckheim had 15% ABV! The Trimbach '98 SdR is
14%.

Like the original poster, I do lament the thrust towards ever-riper,
higher-alcohol wines. But in general I don't think there's been a huge shift in
Alsace that way (though ZH certainly picks late). I think that Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
still has the traditional paradigm, but there's always been vintage variations.
What can you do in vintages like 2001? You either increase alcohol a little or
sweetness.
Dale

Dale Williams
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