Ziveli Winery - 2017 California Gewürztraminer -

Ever wonder how a person’s name affects their potential? Perhaps it’s in the name that Gewürztraminer is a bit less known in the world of wine. Gewürztraminer has carried its lesser known name for nearly 200 years. While all too often a Gewürztraminer is from Germany it you do locate one in the while wine or import section of your local wine shop. A good Gewürztraminer is good, if not great and can like so many wines be not the same from one wine maker to another. While aromatic sweet wines like Gewürztraminer are slightly out of fashion, there is opportunity to find some of the most outstanding values on the planet. I hope that highlighting Ziveli 2017 Gewürztraminer wine tastes and food pairing recommendations that will get you to thinking about this wine grape. Gewürztraminer is like the grown-up version of Moscato. While there are many similarities to Moscato it also has higher alcohol, more striking aromatics, and lower acidity. These characteristics make this grape and the wines produced a bit more difficult to slurp down, thus making it a little more ‘adult like’.

The first aroma you’ll come across in a glass of Gewürztraminer is its tell-tale lychee aroma. The lychee aroma is usually very discernible and it’s one of Gewürztraminer’s give away in a blind tasting.  If you’re drinking high quality Gewürztraminer you’ll find a great many complex aromatics including Ruby Red grapefruit, rose petal, ginger and a smoky aroma similar to burnt incense. Gewürztraminer is not always sweet. Nevertheless, because Gewürztraminer is such an aromatic grape like Muscat (Moscato), or Riesling it will have a sweet flavor simply due to the smell or nose. For flavor think; Lychee, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Peach, Apricot, Orange, and Cantaloupe. Aromas detect from your glass, Rose, Honey, Ginger, Incense, Allspice, Cinnamon and Smoke. You may also pick up on other spices, herb, floral. 

What to pair with your Ziveli 2017 California Gewürztraminer
Before we even go to the foods you may want to pair with your new find, remember to serve it good and cold, right out of the refrigerator or 43 ºF (6 ºC). I suggest you put it in the refrigerator the day before you wish to enjoy it. When pairing Gewürztraminer with food think about how the wine’s floral aromas and notes of ginger will bring out actual ginger and rose water used in a dish. Middle Eastern and Moroccan cuisine, both utilizing nuts and dried fruits with roasted meats, are great examples of the types of cuisine to enjoy with Gewürztraminer wine.

Food Pairings - Meats

Duck, Chicken, Pork, Bacon, Shrimp and Crab 

Spicy Dish Pairings -Spices and Herbs, highly spiced and aromatic herbs such as Cayenne Pepper, Ginger, Clove, Cinnamon, Allspice, Turmeric, Madras Curry, Sichuan Pepper, Shallots, Soy Sauce, Sesame, Almond, Rose Water, Lime Leaf, Bay Leaf, Coriander, Cumin. For Cheese Pairings try it with delicately flavored soft cow’s milk cheese and dried fruit. 
Vegetables & Vegetarian Dishes, perhaps toasted vegetables and veggies with natural sweetness including Coconut, Red Onion, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Tempeh, Squash and Carrot. One of the more challenging wine pairing foods is an artichoke, try pair up these two and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Ziveli Winery is the creation of the Nale Family in Fresno, CA. The family has grown grapes for decades and it was John & Roni Nale’s son Cole that suggested the family take up crushing grapes themselves.  Each time I have visited Ziveli Winery I have been able to chat with a couple of the Nale family members. You will likely meet John, Roni, Cole, or Caleb when you stop in their tasting room. Zieveli! is the usual toast when drinking alcohol in Serbo-Croatian, think cheers or salute. Learn more about Ziveli Winery HERE