~$14US 100% Gewurztraminer, Nelson New Zealand

Nelson NZ is supposedly producing some interesting southern hemisphere Gewurztraminer and Riesling. Saw this on sale and took the plunge with some chinese food. Spicy and tropical fruits, with fine complexity. Balanced fresh acidity and a just touch of fruit ripeness. Bitey. Strange moth-wing/Raid note in the finish - not bad, just an added dimension. Definitely more mineral flavors than I expected, which is nice in offsetting the fruit. Paired beautifully with a citrusy sauce. An easy drinker that just smashed the Albrecht Gewurztraminer we tried a few weeks ago (which was cloying and off-balance). It was one of those wines that was gone before we knew it…A solid weeknight white and a fresh and well-crafted expression of the grape.

~ $20US 100% Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France

Color: Light Straw
Nose: Very aromatic, peach, pear, chamomile, river stones, cinnamon
Palate: Soft, round, and juicy. Delivers on what the nose promises, with the addition of lychee and peach syrup. Sweetness and a clean acidity co-mingle towards the finish, along with a march of pumpkin pie spice and stark chalkiness.
Finish: Tapered dryness, with mild with spice-box notes.

A complex nose leading to an easy-drinking, food-friendly-wine. Dry in style - no cloying sugars, just the natural sweetness of the fruit. The stony minerality is upfront and even a little aggressive to my tastes, but fades a bit with time in the glass. An excellent guest to bring to the local Chinese or Thai BYO restaurant. Or takeout…