Gewürztraminer is an aromatic grape variety that is used in the production of white wines. The name Gewürztraminer literally means “Spice Traminer”, or “Perfumed Traminer”. For me it is not easy drinking a Gewürztraminer, and I think that it has to do with the amount of floral aromas associated with this variety. But for those that truly enjoy the floral, fruit and spice in a wine, the 2009 Joseph Swan Gewürztraminer is a good offering. The aromas that hit the senses right off the bat are lemon and floral, followed by stone fruit. The flavors associated with this Gewürztraminer are of lemon, roses, honeysuckle, peaches, and white pepper. The color of this wine is a deep yellow color in the glass, and it is a bone-dry Gewürztraminer with good acidity, and is nicely balanced. While the Gewürztraminer varietal is not one of my favorites, I did enjoy this wine, and I paired it with spicy pumpkin soup, and the two complimented one another nicely.

Jon

The Sawtooth Winery is located in Idaho’s Snake River AVA, and the label on the bottle depicts the beauty of Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountain Range. Idaho’s unique geography, climate and soils makes for great grape growing, and the varietal character of the grapes stands out in the wines produced there. The Rhone varietals thrive in this environment, with hot summer days, and cool nights.
The 2009 Sawtooth Gewűrztraminer has aromas and flavors of orange blossom, floral, apples, mango, and just an ever slight hint of spice on the back of the palate. This is a mild, light-bodied Gewűrztraminer that I paired with an herb encrusted slow cooked pork, with a orange citrus & honey reduction.

Jon

Hogue Cellars is a family owned and operated winery in Eastern Washington’s Columbia Valley. The climate and soils of Columbia Valley are ideal for grape growing, and the wines produced there are fruit-forward by nature. Hogue Cellars is also a trend-setter within the wine world, when five years ago they switched all of their bottles to screw cap. At the time it raised many eyebrows within the world of wine, but today the practice is being accepted more readily.
In sampling the Hogue 2005 Gewürztraminer, the fruit is prevalent on the nose with aromas of peaches, apricots, followed by a hint of citrus. On the palate the stone fruit is present, with a touch of white pepper on the back of the palate. The Hogue 2005 Gewürztraminer is a medium-bodied wine, with a beautiful golden color, low acidity, and a medium finish. I paired this wine with Vietnamese Caramelized Tofu with Lime and Mint, and the two went together beautifully. For more information regarding this fabulous recipe, please click here

Jon

For me it is not easy drinking a Gewurztraminer, and I think that it has to do with the amount of floral aromas associated with this variety. But for those that truly enjoy the floral, fruit and spice in a wine, this is a good offering. In the glass this wine is sun-burst gold in color, with aromas of rose petal, pear, nectarine, and the always present spice. In the mouth this wine has an oily texture to it which is not bad, with flavors of floral, pear, nectarine, and finishing with a delightful spice. The Trimbach Gewurztraminer is a dry, medium-bodied wine that pairs well with sushi and spicy foods.

Jon