Joseph Swan Saralee's Gewurztraminer 2010
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A beautiful Gewürztraminer showing classic spice, honeysuckle and tropical fruit flavors, brightened with crisp acidity. Great to drink now with spicy fusion fare. Only 151 cases were produced, but it’s worth a search.
The winery was named by Joe Swan when he founded it forty eight years ago. Joe came to winemaking from an unlikely background. In 1967 he purchased a small farm on Laguna Road near the town of Forestville in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. The property consisted of 13 acres of old Zinfandel vines, fruit trees and pasture along with several structures including an old barn and a nearly 100 year old house.
Although nearly 50 years old, Joseph Swan Vineyards is still young at heart. The passion and curiosity that Joe Swan brought to his craft are still evident in the winery today. Located in the heart of the famed Russian River Valley, now often proclaimed ground zero for great pinot noir, we embrace the artisanal spirit that defines this amazing growing region. The wineries roots were in old vine zinfandel and estate chardonnay and pinot noir. Today, we continue to embrace those wines but also, in recognition of the amazing quality and personality grapes grown by talented and dedicated winegrowers can achieve in this wonderful region, we have added a number of other wines to our portfolio. Each of our wines is a unique expression of its terroir and the vintage. While all carry the hallmark winery signature of balance and personality, they span a broad range of aromas, flavors and textures. As our winemaker often says, “the journey is often more exciting than the destination”. Come and join the journey with us!
Gewürztraminer, an expressive and aromatically distinctive white grape variety, is considered a noble variety in the Alsace region of France, and produces wonderful wines in the mountainous Alto Adige region of NE Italy. Generally this grape grows well in cooler regions and its natural intensity makes it a great ally for flavorful cuisine such as Indian, Middle Eastern or Moroccan. Somm Secret—Because of a charming perfume and tendency towards slight sweetness, Gewürztraminer makes for an excellent gateway wine for those who love sweet wines but want to venture into the realm of drier whites.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.