Gewürztraminer is a white wine grape, notably from Germany and the Alsace region of northeastern France. It’s usually done in an off-dry style that shows off its naturally higher sugar content, and fruity/floral aromas. Let me stress–this is not a “sweet wine” or dessert wine, but an off-dry wine that is a bit sweeter than what I would normally drink, and I usually go for dry reds. But I thought this would pair nicely with some Asian food I was preparing, and it didn’t disappoint.

Lots of honey, nectar, and roses right up front on the nose. Granny Smith apples, peach, and some citrus on the mid-palate.  Minerality on the finish with some of that lingering honey sweetness we started with.  Very fruit forward and crisp…this is not your average oaky Chardonnay!

Another very good to excellent wine that I received in a club shipment from one of my favorite wineries, Thumbprint Cellars in Healdsburg. Thumbprint is a small, independent boutique winery with an artsy lounge of a tasting room located right across from the Square. They purchase grapes from the best vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and Knights Valley regions of northern Sonoma County–with a lot of single-vineyard and block-designated bottlings.

Their trademark thumbprint-painted bottles also make nice art…I save mine up for BottleHood, a local recycled glass artists in San Diego who makes tumblers and ashtrays out of beer and wine bottles with cool painted or screened logos and artwork on them.