WINEHAVEN Gewurztraminer

WINEHAVEN
2008 Gewurztraminer
11% alcohol

Back label:

"WINEHAVEN'S legacy began three generations ago, when the Peterson family first produced homey and fruit in the St. Croix River Valley.  Each generation passed the secrets of the earth on to the next, always striving for higher quality.  In keeping with that tradition, the Petersons founded WINEHAVEN with a commitment to producing the highest quality wines.  Every bottle is a special chapter in their history and a celebration of nature's gifts.

Floral aromas with pear and pineapple tones and a pleasant mix of citrus and spice at the finish."


Beautiful straw color for this wine as you can see yourself.  There is a spicy pear aroma.  This wine is sweeter than many Gewurztraminers I have had and is very fruity on the palate--pear is very definite.  I can tell its only 11% alcohol and it's not as spicy as I had hoped. It is heavier than I was first expecting, but after looking at the color of the wine it seems to appear to be a heavier weighted white.  The back label states it has floral aromas (which I smell and wish I knew more about what different flowers smell like) the palate does not pick up much floral.  The Gewurztraminer does carry acidity and citrus notes to it, especially in the ending tastes.


In my personal opinion the wine is very heavy in pear and citrus flavors, but leaves very little else to pull from.  As far as Gewurztraminers go, WINEHAVEN has made a very sweet one that still carry slight spiciness in the aromas and a touch at the end of the sip.  The drinker can definitely tell the family's history is in fruit and honey.  I would definitely serve this wine to people from Minnesota, since it has more meaning that way.  This wine is not my favorite, but I would never discourage someone from purchasing.

Irreverente: a 2005 Red Wine from the Beiras Region of Portugal

Irreverente
2005 Vinho Regional Beiras
Portugal
13% Alcohol

The Back label: (in Portuguese and English)

"We decided to produce an alternative wine
-alternative in terms of content and presentations.
To be irreverent is to open new horizons, to trace new paths....A fresh outlook to the future!
This wine is the result of a careful selection and vinification of various Touriga grape varieties-Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Roriz, and Jaen.
It has a ruby colour with shades of burgundy, the aroma is of ripe plums, black cherries and blackberries mixed with a touch of cocoa and spices.  To the palate it is round and complex giving it personality and distinction.
This wine should be served at 18C with game dishes."

The back label is very accurate in the description of the wine.  The initial things my nose picks up the spicy, dusty, and slight woody characteristics of the wine, but much to my pleasant surprise the astringency of the wine is less that I was expecting.  The fruity notes of the wine come out first--blackberry, cherry, followed by a touch of chocolate and spice (wish I could pinpoint which one--I'm still learning!)  I am really in love with this wine!  The weight is medium to light, the body is quite full.  It reminds me of a touch dry pinot noir, but less cherry and a touch of spice.  There is a touch of wood or earth in the wine as well, but it is in no way overwhelming.

I really, really enjoy this wine especially for the value of only $10-15!  It seems like anyone could enjoy this wine, but even those who are wine drinkers can appreciate it.  Well done, Portugal.

New Job

It's official.  I will now be working at a local vineyard conducting wine tastings and working the sales floor!  My training will definitely help out my ability to taste more effectively, which also means I can throw out tips and tricks for everyone else.  This part time job includes a bit of marketing so look for invitations to join facebook groups and follow the vineyard on twitter.

New Book

After spending an hour looking through various wine books at Borders the other day I cam across a great one.  Oldman's Brave New World of Wine: Please, Value, and Adventure Beyond Wine's Usual Suspects, by Mark Oldman gives readers multiple new wines to try beyond Kendall Jackson Chardonnay within all price ranges. 

The book will begin by explaining the region from which the wine is from and then go on to give examples of food pairings and actual people's opinions of the wine.  Each wine has a page dedicated to the following: grid measuring adventure vs price, audacious alternate, "enthusiasts also like," weight, price range, how to pronounce the name & terms/vineyards related to it, a handful of great vineyards that produce it, ideas on how to enjoy it, and more.  Oldman wrote the book on the fact that many great wines are just unknown to the general public and only known to critics and wine professionals.  More often than not, these wines are fantastic and a better value by the bottle than more known varieties.  I hope to use suggestions from this book to taste and analyze so that the wines I try are beyond the basics or ones you may have tasted already.

Not that I am trying to endorse his book or credibility, but should you like to see more about his book or creditibility I have included a link to his website.

Saint Croix Vineyard Raspberry Infusion

The back label:
"This award winning wine is a decant dessert experience which captures the essence of fresh raspberries.  It is the perfect complement for many desserts, especially chocolate or cheesecake."  It is 75% raspberry wine with grape neutral spirits & 25% red wine.

A beautiful dark pink/purple rich in raspberry both flavor and aroma.  This dessert wine does not taste like it contains 17.5% alcohol by volume.  I drank it chillled which made it seem very sweet, but as it warmed up to room temperature the dryness increased slightly and raspberry was less intense.  Just as sugguested, I paired the raspberry wine with chocolate, a chocolate brownie.  Wow, that was sooooo delicious!  Reminded me of a raspberry truffle.  If you were looking for an introductory dessert wine, this would be a great one.

I purchased this wine from the Saint Croix Vineyard in Stillwater, MN while on a field trip a year ago in my Wines and Vines course at the U of MN.  The 350 ml bottle went for about $17 if I remember correctly, which would also make it a very affordable dessert wine for any occasion.

Unfortunately the dessert wine is much too sweet for my taste, unless I eat chocolate with it.  I do understand it is supposed to be very sweet and it is a raspberry wine, but I would much rather drink a port, tawny port, or even a muscat if my budget allowed.

Wine Blog

In my aspirations to work in the wine industry I have started a blog on wine.  My plans are to write about how/why I decided to purchase the bottle, photograph it, write about what I smell and taste, and write a final review.  By no means am I a sommelier, but I am attempting to advance my knowledge and take readers along for the ride.  I encourage you thoughts on any of the wines if you have also tried them or seen them.  Cin cin! Salud! Zum Wohl! A votre sante!