Last night I had the good fortune to participate in a tasting of 4 Finger Lakes Gewurztraminers that was being hosted by The New York Cork Report and Finger Lakes Wine Country. Â Held at The Wine Cellar, where fellow blogger and tweeter John Witherspoon (@vcuspoon – you should follow him) hosted myself, my wife, and others for a tasting where we swirled, sipped, and posted our comments online to share with others doing the same. Â It was a lot of fun. Â But you’re probably wondering A) what we drank, and B) what I thought of it. Â Alright…here we go.
Our first wine was a 2007 Lakewood Vineyards Gewurztraminer. Â A good value at $17, it sports .9% residual sugar. Â Golden in color with floral, rose aromas (rose water was the overall consensus I think), it was light with just a hint of honey sweetness and apricot.
Next up was a 2008 Keuka Springs Vineyards Gewurztraminer. Â Also $17 with 1.2% residual sugar, though it honestly didn’t taste any sweeter than the Lakewood. Â Much lighter colored in the glass than the Lakewood (or any of them to be honest), it also had the honey and rose aromas with some light citrus on the palate. Â Very refreshing and a good deck wine.
Third on our list was a 2008 Sheldrake Point Vineyards Gewurztraminer. Â At $15 this one sported .5% residual sugar and was closer to the Lakewood in color. Â Sporting a more subtle nose than I expected, though still with the rose and honey, I found a combination of peach and pear on the palate.
Finally we tried a 2007 Red Newt Cellars Sawmill Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer. Â At $36 it was far and away the most expensive of the wines, and at .4% residual sugar it sported the least sweetness. Â I got more floral notes on the nose the second time I looked for the aromas, and I got a nutty, almost oaked flavor at the finish. Â This was by far the most versatile of the wines, and could easily go with a range of grilled foods or light cheeses.
Overall I had a great time, and each of the wines we tasted was great. Â This is the second Finger Lakes tasting I’ve done, and it’s making me want to drive up to New York and visit some of these vineyards. Â Thanks again to John for hosting us and thanks to Finger Lakes Wine Country and The New York Cork Report for hosting the event.
