The last Gewurztraminer I made was in 1987. After that last vintage the winery I was working for decided to cancel the program and put all its resources behind its successful Chardonnay. (Remember these were the days when Chardonnay grapes were in short supply, when off dry Chardonnay was exploding and the TTB, we called them the BATF back then, suffered the chagrin of having to recall their approval of a Chenin Blanc wine branded under the name “Domain Chardonnay.”) Now twenty some years later, I have my own winery and my own resources and I’m going to make Gewurztraminer – and a very good one at that.

In 2007 I discovered an excellent vineyard and negotiated for the grapes in 2008. I wanted to make a full blown style, which necessitated extracting powerful flavors from the grape skins. This is a dangerous proposition for a white wine but my approach, pressing slowly while holding the grapes very cold, is effective and a technique I’ve refined over the years. The wine was fermented cold and minimally handled. I stopped the fermentation just before the wine went completely dry to lock in as much generous fruit as possible. The wine was bottled in the early spring.

This wine is easily measured as Gewurztraminer with an abundance of rose, spice and lavender aromas. The wine’s complexity will delight and entertain your guests. I’ve chosen to make the wine relatively dry so it can be enjoyed with a wide array of foods, including cuisine often recommended for lighter reds like grilled pork, roasted turkey or fresh salmon.  Personally I’ve had successful pairings with seafood pasta, barbecued pork chops and an Asian influenced sautéed chicken and vegetables over rice noodle agglomeration I make using lots of fresh ginger.

The Ludwig Gewurztraminer label is a rose color to reflect the reddish color of the grapes and the floral flavors in the wine.

Personally I often choose to drink Gewurztraminer and I enjoy making it. I’m really pleased with this wine and proud to let it stand as my first Gewurztraminer in over 20 years. It’s been too long.