Medium gold color; orange blossom, honeysuckle, lychee, peach, pear, apricot on the nose; honey, peach, orange, apricot, pear, pineapple on the palate.
Off-dry, nudging to medium sweet; bright, balancing acidity (3.16 pH). Zesty. Medium-plus body; soft mouthfeel. Gewürztraminer is famous for its aromatics and how its acidity and slight sweetness works so well with spicy foods. Fetzer first bottled the varietal more than 40 years ago and is known as “America’s favorite gewürztraminer.” Consistent quality. 12% ABV
Fetzer started in Mendocino more than 50 years ago. The Fetzer family sold it to Brown-Forman (Jack Daniels whiskey) in 1992. Chile’s Concha y Toro purchased the winery in 2011. Fetzer is Mendocino County’s largest winery. Some other Fetzer brands include Bonterra, Little Black Dress, Jekel, Five Rivers, Bel Arbor, Coldwater Creek and Sanctuary. It is one of the 10 largest wine brands by volume in the United States.
Fetzer is a Certified B Corporation. B Corp Certification designates a business meets high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. The wines also are produced using biodynamic principals.
Margaret Leonardi is the winemaker. She is a fourth-generation farmer, born and raised on an organic dairy farm in Northern California. She notes: “Much like the principles of sustainability, I take a forward-thinking approach to every winemaking decision. I thrive on planning and predictive environments. Understanding how I want the wines to taste allows me to stay focused on the outcome when I plan vineyard visits, anticipate ripeness levels and decide when it’s time to harvest the grapes.”
Fetzer Monterey Shaley Loam Gewürztraminer 2019 is excellent, affordable version of off-dry, almost medium sweet gewürtz. Rich and complex. Large production, excellent distribution, astonishingly good price for a wine of this quality. If you have been intimidated by the name, move past that and gives this a try, especially with spicy and/or savory food. Work nicely as a solo sipper, too. Pair with roasted chicken; Thai dishes; spicy curries and spicy foods in general; pork; rich fish; savory snacks. Cheese—mild and soft cheeses, especially cow’s milk cheeses; gouda, munster, gruyère, roquefort, capocollo, stilton, swiss. $9-11