Archive for the ‘gewurztraminer’ Category
Varietal: 100% Gewurztraminer
Region: Rogue Valley – Oregon – USA
Cost: $14.50
Winemaker’s Notes: Citrus blossom, orange peel, wildflower honey, and a hint of nutmeg are aromatically enticing. Beautifully balanced flavors of pineapple, guava, nectarine, and a trace of ginger spice are rich yet restrained, opulent, but not over the top.
My Review: I don’t think it’s any surprise by this point when I say I’m always cautious when picking a Gewurztraminer. As an Army brat I spent a good bit of time in Germany where I was exposed to bottles of it that I’m pretty sure could have been used as syrup on pancakes and waffles. That being said, it is a historically good pairing with Thanksgiving dinner, so I had grabbed a bottle from my local wine shop and took it with me last month for the feast. The bottle, however, didn’t get opened, so I brought it back home with me and opened it this past weekend with my wife.
There are a lot of different wine sites out there giving suggestions on what you should be pouring during your Thanksgiving festivities. Since, however, it’s been fairly well established what varietals go well with the traditional Thanksgiving feast, I thought I would change it up and let you know what I’m pouring at dinner, or rather, what I’m taking up to my parents house to pour for the army-sized feast my mother will be cooking.
2009 Coastal Vines Pinot Noir – Sonoma, CA – $10
Varietal: 22.7% Malvasia Bianca; 15.9% Gruner Veltliner; 15.7% Sauvignon Blanc; 9.2% Gewurztraminer; 7.9% Riesling; 7.3% Chenin Blanc; 6.1% Muscat Canelli; 5.2% Viognier; 4.5% Verdelho; 4.4% Albarino; 1.1% Pinot Gris
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Big House wines are a rebellious mix of non-traditional grape varieties destined to give the imbiber a new experience. To wit this year’s prisoner is a captivating blend of aromatic whites that span the distance of the Alps themselves. With a nose that carries the vibrancy of spring and white flowers and lychee fruit that surround the senses. The palate opens up to tropical fruits, dried apricot, and white peaches. This wine finishes strong with a cleansing citrus zest that lingers. Pairs with fresh fish, Asian cuisine, or even Sunday morning fruit salads.
My Review: I’m a big proponent of tables wines, and I feel as though that’s a niche that Big House wines has embraced and possibly even tried to make their own. Looking at the list of wines that are put into the bottle it’s almost disappointing to not see one labeled “kitchen sink”. There are times when a wine can try and do too much and end up falling flat, and while I’m not going to go so far as to proclaim the 2010 Big House White an amazing wine, for a $10 table wine, you can do a lot worse.
Varietal: 82% Pinot Grigio; 8% Pinot Blanc; 5% Sauvignon Blanc; 5% Gewurztraminer
Region: California – USA
Cost: $11 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Note: An enticing aroma of fresh ripe pears with appealing peach, vanilla, and spice scents adding complexity. A pretty wine with a round, creamy palate and crisp entry, it has the typical tonic water, pear, and floral grassy notes that culminate into a lush, silk-textured finish inviting pairings with food. Enjoy with crab cakes, California sushi rolls, grilled chicken breasts, pasta primavera, or Caesar salad.
My Review: Some time ago I drank far more Pinto Grigio than I do now. Part of that had to do with my tastes leaning towards lighter wines than the more full-bodied ones I enjoy now, especially when it came to white wine. Because of that, it’s been some time since I’ve actively gone out and really decided to pick up a bottle of Pinot Grigio – not because I have anything really against it, but more because I tend to gravitate to other white wines first instead. When I received the sample of 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Grigio I was actually kinda excited as it gave me a chance to try a Pinot Grigio that I probably never would have bought on my own.
Varietal: Gewurztraminer
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: 17
Light in the glass with orange peel on the nose. Effervescent with a mineral finish that pairs well with chicken, sausage, cheese, smoked salmon, and fruit.
Recommendations: I’ll be the first to admit that I was hesitant when my wife and I were doing a tasting at Afton Mountain Vineyards some months ago and saw Gewurztraminer on the list. However, our pourer assured us that we would enjoy it and we decided to trust him. I’m really glad we did. When most people think of Gewurztraminer they think of a sweet, almost syrupy white wine that is better suited for dessert than anything else, and they would be partially correct in that assumption. However, as I’ve learned recently both from Afton Mountains and from a tasting of Gewurztraminer from the Finger Lakes, that’s not all there is to it.
Light in the glass, the Afton Mountains Gewurztraminer offered up slight citrus on the nose while having a great efferevescent and mineral flavor with just a hint of apple. A dry wine that will remind more people of a Champagne than anything else, this is a great deck wine as the heat continues to increase, and my only regret in opening this bottle was that we only have the one. Read the rest of this entry »
Last night I had the good fortune to participate in a tasting of 4 Finger Lakes Gewurztraminers that was being hosted by The New York Cork Report and Finger Lakes Wine Country. Held at The Wine Cellar, where fellow blogger and tweeter John Witherspoon (@vcuspoon – you should follow him) hosted myself, my wife, and others for a tasting where we swirled, sipped, and posted our comments online to share with others doing the same. It was a lot of fun. But you’re probably wondering A) what we drank, and B) what I thought of it. Alright…here we go.
Our first wine was a 2007 Lakewood Vineyards Gewurztraminer. A good value at $17, it sports .9% residual sugar. Golden in color with floral, rose aromas (rose water was the overall consensus I think), it was light with just a hint of honey sweetness and apricot.
Next up was a 2008 Keuka Springs Vineyards Gewurztraminer. Also $17 with 1.2% residual sugar, though it honestly didn’t taste any sweeter than the Lakewood. Much lighter colored in the glass than the Lakewood (or any of them to be honest), it also had the honey and rose aromas with some light citrus on the palate. Very refreshing and a good deck wine.
Third on our list was a 2008 Sheldrake Point Vineyards Gewurztraminer. At $15 this one sported .5% residual sugar and was closer to the Lakewood in color. Sporting a more subtle nose than I expected, though still with the rose and honey, I found a combination of peach and pear on the palate.
Finally we tried a 2007 Red Newt Cellars Sawmill Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer. At $36 it was far and away the most expensive of the wines, and at .4% residual sugar it sported the least sweetness. I got more floral notes on the nose the second time I looked for the aromas, and I got a nutty, almost oaked flavor at the finish. This was by far the most versatile of the wines, and could easily go with a range of grilled foods or light cheeses.
Overall I had a great time, and each of the wines we tasted was great. This is the second Finger Lakes tasting I’ve done, and it’s making me want to drive up to New York and visit some of these vineyards. Thanks again to John for hosting us and thanks to Finger Lakes Wine Country and The New York Cork Report for hosting the event.
