I’ve written before about how a former coworker of mine and I often tease each other about the other’s wine preferences.  At one point, I had clearly been inundating him with so much Spanish wine that he actually purchased a bottle on his own, which is how I was introduced to Herencia Altés Garnatxa Negra.  Part of why I tease him is because he’s a French vinophile, with a particular love for Alsatian wine.  As such, he will occasionally turn me onto one of “his” wines.  And, not only that, since he and his girlfriend have enough storage space to cellar wines, they buy them by the case and will sometimes give me the opportunity to buy a few bottles from that case at a significantly lower cost.  On Sunday, January 6^th, as I awaited the U.S. premiere of Season 3 of Downtown Abbey and planned what I would bring with me for my first day of jury duty, I opened up one of these bottles—the 2011 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewürztraminer.

2011 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewürztraminer

The 2011 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewürztraminer (winery, amazon) is from Alsace, France and was a very pale lemon-yellow.  On the nose, there were pineapples, nectarines, and lemons with a hint of roses, baked sugar, honey, and white pepper.  In the mouth, there were pineapples, peaches, and lemons with hints of honey and white pepper.  The wine had a touch of effervescence, a light-to-medium body, and bright acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely!  If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed.  At $25, this wine goes down easily…perhaps a little too easily.  I paired it with broiled crab cakes and applesauce, which was a nice combination, and then continued to enjoy through the rest of the evening.  Before I knew it, almost the entire bottle was gone!  And trust me, that was not my intention on a Sunday night, although I definitely enjoyed the splurge.

While the wine did a nice job cutting through the olive oil on the broiled crab cakes, it would also have been a nice pairing with a mildly spicy Indian curry, some Thai basil chicken, or a Chinese lo-mein.  It would also be the perfect addition to a spring picnic, so as the weather warms up and you’re wondering which bottle to stick in your the wine cooler, consider this Gewürz…you won’t be disappointed.  It’s food-friendly, but also easily enjoyable on its own; however, I recommend sharing it with someone else or you may find that you unintentionally finished the whole bottle by yourself!

Question of the Day:  Have you ever unintentionally finished a whole bottle of wine when you originally planned to only have a glass or two?  Do you remember which wine it was?

Price: $25
Purchased at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill
Overall: 4 Corks