Germany has a long history of warfare with France and the United States. After the Franco-Prussian War, Germany gained control of the Alsace region of France, where many high-quality Gewürztraminer grapes originate. Gewürztraminer is an aromatic grape variety that was historically spelled with an umlaut when grown in Alsace. In the 1970s and 1980s, California winemakers struggled to produce good Gewürztraminer due to planting it in suboptimal climates and soils, often leaving residual sugar to mask poor quality, but the grape is now faring better in cooler regions like Anderson Valley.