Description

This highly expressive white wine is renowned for its explosive aromatics that rocket out of the glass. Fruit-dominant notes of lychees, marmalade, passion fruit, roses, and grapefruit pith are so entrancing that Gewürztraminer is commonly mistaken to be sweet. In reality, this wine is usually off-dry and some of the best examples are distinctly dry. This pink- to red-skinned grape is not itself a unique variety, but rather an extraordinarily fragrant clone of Savagnin (also called Traminer) known as Savagnin Rosé or Gewürztraminer. The Traminer variety was named after the village of Tramin that resides in a German-speaking province in northern Italy. “Gewürz” is German for spice or seasoning, and serves as an appropriate prefix to a grape that is nothing if not potently aromatic.

Gewürztraminer has a relatively small foothold in the grape growing regions of California. With less than 2,000 acres of vines, it really comes down to a passionate handful of winemakers that keep Gewürz alive in the Golden State. It is mostly relegated to the cooler climates in the northern regions of Monterey, Sonoma, and Anderson Valley. The wine tends to follow the Alsace model, made to be either dry or off-dry, with some of the best examples being a decidedly dry wine with less than 1% residual sugar.

Our California Gewürztraminer has a floral character with pronounced notes of apricot and pineapple. An off-dry white wine with no oak presence, light-medium body, and an alcohol content of 12% by volume.

The Original Series Gewürztraminer is a fantastic daytime wine that can match any playful activity under the sun with its own sprightly energy. With a relatively restrained alcohol level, this wine is perfect to start off with in the afternoon and keep you perky into the evening. Excellent alongside a midday snack of dried fruit and soft cow’s milk cheeses.

Gewurztraminer, California