With it’s distinctive floral and tropical fruit aromas reminiscient of lychee and it’s pink colored skin, Gewurztraminer is, both as a grape in the vineyard and wine in the glass, one of the most recognizable varieties. It’s name is derived from it’s parent Traminer and ‘Gerurz’ the Germany for spice, although this refers to its pungent and perfumed aromatic quality rather than anything inherently spicy. The grape’s pink skins add a depth of color and combine with its high alcohol (typircally around 14% due to its ability to accumulate sugar) to produce wine with lots of body and flavor. The grape is most common in the French and Germany regions of Alsace and Pfalz, but it also becoming more popular in cool climate New World sites in New Zealand and Washington State.
California is one of the most diverse wine producing regions of the world. Although it has a history spanning over 200 years, it has experienced most of its growth in the last fifty years. The regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma County have become as renowned as France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy. While Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay are by far the most popular fine wine varieties, producers in the Golden State have also experimented with an unparalleled array of diverse varieties, including Zinfandel, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo.
With a wide range of climate and soils reflected in its 13 AVAs (as of 2012), Sonoma County could almost be considered a whole wine country within itself. It is one of the largest wine regions and significantly overshadows Napa in terms of quantity produced. The main AVAs include: Alexander Valley and Dry Creek, known for good Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel; Knights Valley and Sonoma Mountain, for its Cabernet Sauvignon; and Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Mountain, for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
