Handley Cellars Gewürztraminer, Anderson Valley 2002
Price $14
Rating 90
"The Handley Cellars 2002 Anderson Valley Gewürztraminer is a beautiful example of a fine, terroir-driven wine," boasts winemaker Deny Dudzik. "It possesses the finesse, elegance, and structure of Alsace-grown Gewürztraminer, but offers a profile that is uniquely Anderson Valley, with fragrant honeysuckle and candied fruit aromas mingling with exotic flavors of lychee and mandarin orange. Farming in this cool climate is a real challenge. Yields are often small; birds and insects seem to like Gewürztraminer more than any other grape in the vineyard. Every aspect of Gewürztraminer cultivation requires special care in order to make a wine that we can be proud of."

"Wine marketing trends tend to focus on familiar varietals that yield high prices. In response to these trends, Anderson Valley vineyard owners have replaced Gewürztraminer with Pinot Noir at an alarming rate during the past ten years, making it increasingly difficult for Handley to acquire quality Gewürztraminer," laments Dudzik. In response, winery owner/winemaker Milla Handley planted five acres of Gewürztraminer in her Anderson Valley Estate Vineyard.

Learn more at www.handleycellars.com.

Columbia Crest Gewürztraminer, Columbia Valley 2001
Price $9.49
Rating 89
Aromas of spicy Granny Smith apple, then delicate flavors of apple, lychee nut and subtle spice in this lovely, refreshing white wine.

"The extraordinary natural wine growing conditions in the Columbia Valley have inspired us to make our estate vineyards worthy of their appellation," says winemaker Doug Gore. "Our 2,500 acres of estate vineyards immediately surround the winery are the foundation. Columbia Crest wines are being achieved not just in the cellar, but in the fields."

"Our large estate and riverside location give us a variety of microclimates to work with. The variations in microclimate are determined by different soils deposited by the river, the angle and orientation of riverside slopes, and temperature variations influenced by the river’s proximity to the vines." adds Gore.

Serve Gewürztraminer with salty or spicy foods for success, such as curry, Thai, or even a holiday ham. For more details, visit www.columbiacrest.com.

Trimbach Gewürztraminer, Alsace 2000
Price $20
Rating 92
Alsace is the region from which this hard to pronounce, easy to drink, wine shows true glory. Note that its assertive, spicy nature shows very well in other parts of the world. Gewürz is German for spicy, thus the match with spicy foods.

Enjoy the floral complexities, the classic lychee nut hint, as well as the fragrance of rose petals within this complex white wine. Says family spokesperson Jean Trimbach, "This wine shows classic restraint without any loss of the grapes spicy nature. It is full flavored, balanced, and the exciting part is that of the aromatics."

This is the kind of wine that, when you taste it, you have two impulses. One, you want another sip. Two, you want to dab some behind your ears. For more details, visit www.maison-trimbach.fr.