Tasting-Ventana Gewurztraminer

Ventana GEWÜRZTRAMINER
--Gewürztraminer
--Arroyo Seco 
--Monterey, California 
--2010
--$13

This is my family's favorite vineyard (or was apparently my dad has not been impressed with the past couple of vintages). My parents met in Monterey so I think that helps as well, also that Ventana is just known for great wine. My parents are wine club members and so occasionally they get a bunch of bottles of something. Since we learned about this grape in class I was intrigued to try it. Best part about being home: my parents have fantastic taste in wine. 

TASTING NOTES: Ventana models its Gewürztraminer in the off-dry Alsatian Style. With flavor characteristics of litchis, orange blossoms, cinnamon and nutmeg spices, it exudes a lively bouquet. The wine is medium bodied with a lingering crisp spicy finish. The off-dry style matches beautifully with food. Try Gewürztraminer with mild creamy cheeses, spicy Asian cuisine, pork dishes and poultry, especially turkey

My notes: BAM hello flowers and fruit, was the first thing I smelled. I did not even have to put my nose in the glass to get that wiff. As I attempted to move past that smell, I noticed some apricot (maybe it was more orange looking at what I should have noticed), definitely some Oak, but no Oak monster. There were touches of Rose which intrigued me. Overall it had a very gorgeous golden color to it, that since I have never had this grape, should not suprise me that I had never seen. The taste was hard to find because at first all I noticed was a buzz and a tingle, almost carbonation feel. You could only notice the alochol (which is only 13.7 not that high). Then the spice came in though I would describe it more as a bite. It had a slight champagne taste to it, maybe it was the fact that it almost seemed carbonated or what but it reminded me a lot of champagne. There were touches of apricot and overall light ffeeling. The final pallete was almost like a classic white grape juice taste on the tongue, just not sweet.

It reminded me slightly a dry muscat, which we usually get an Orange Muscat  from Ventana. The flowery smell and taste reminded me of a Rose. So I would put it between a desert wine and a rose for overall feeling and taste of the wine.