The Sweetheart of the Cellar

My introduction to Gewurztraminer occurred on a trip to San Francisco back in the late 80's.  I was going to a conference and my good friend Patti-Jo asked if I wanted company.  Hell yeah!!  While I had survived this meeting a couple of times before, the thought of having some relief from a week with 10,000 dietitians was awesome!

The time we had for sightseeing was limited to a couple of days before and after the conference and a few hours during the week.  We made a list of the must-see's and crammed as much as we could into the time we had.  There was Lombard Street, Fisherman's Warf, Muir Woods, the bobcat, the naked guy in Golden Gate Park, and of course, a day trip to wine country.  We visited Sebastiani Vineyards and Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma before heading up into Napa.  I think the only stops we made there were   Mondavi, just to smell the roses (quite literally), and a convenience store in Healdsburg before  heading back to the city and the dreaded dietitians.  Despite the few stops, we each brought home a case - a story my dad still loves to tell!

Twenty-five years later, I still vividly remember two of the wines we tasted.  Both from Sebastiani, the first was a Cherryblock Cabernet Sauvignon, now their flagship wine, the one that they feel best expresses their terrior; the second was a Gewurztraminer they called "Kellerschatz".  From German, it translates to "cellar treasure" but they referred to it as the "sweetheart of the cellar".  

Which brings me to this:  I have a love-hate relationship with Gewurztraminer.  It's floral and it's spicy and if those two components are not in the right proportion for me, I can't handle it but, when it's right, it's like Bloomer Creek 2008 Tanzen Dame Second Harvest Vintner's Select Gewurztraminer.

It is a straw yellow color, with honey notes and the perfect balance of fruit and spice.  Beautifully soft on the palate, this wine is delicate and lovely and everything a Gewurz should be - to me, anyway.