Inniskillin International Series Gewürztraminer, 2008
Wine Rack, $9.99 (on sale from $14.95)
This was an exciting week for the under $10 wine community. Last month Starbucks launched a new “Trenta” cup size for their cold drinks. The cup is a whopping 31 ounces, roughly the size of five standard coffee cups. This week one enterprising wino realized you could fit an entire bottle of wine into one of these cups. This is going to change the way we think about summer wines, particularly Gewürztraminer.
Regular readers will be surprised that I am reviewing a Gewürztraminer in the coldest month of the year. A very sweet wine that comes from grapes that traditionally thrive in colder climates, it is off-dry and features floral undertones and a rich bouquet of lychee and passion fruit. Sweet white wines are normally reserved for the warmer summer months due to their fantastic pairing with grilled meat. The floral aromas of Gewürztraminer make this wine one of the few that pairs really well with Asian foods. The discounted price at the Wine Rack, however, made this bottle too tempting to pass up!
Buying discounted wines comes at a cost! A wine has a sweet spot, after it is bottled, when it is delicious. Left too long, however, the flavours of the wine begin to disintegrate. Bottled in 2008, the aroma of this wine began to blend together, with fewer distinct flavours than I would have hoped. Unless otherwise stated, a good rule is to try and drink white and red wine within 2 and 3 years respectively
Find Gewürztraminer in a liquor store is like spotting a unicorn. It doesn’t happen often! If you see a Gewürztraminer in a store, especially if it’s under $10, grab it up! You won’t regret it. Pour into a Trenta cup and pair with a steaming bowl of bibimbap after a night of Karaoke.
