Parallus White Wine Blend

Grape Varietal: White wine blend

Vintage: 2014

Country: United States

Region: California

Price and Place of Purchase: part of Tasting Room case received

Appearance: just the palest yellow; nearly clear

Bouquet: strong hint of the (steel?) barrels and the fruitiness

Cathy's Overall Thoughts:This was okay for a white wine. It didn't seem to taste like much, which meant it was very drinkable (perhaps too drinkable...). But I liked it and it gave a clear finish, with perhaps a bit of sharpness on the aftertaste. The sharpness kind of reminded me of chardonnay, but not in the negative way.

Overall, I give this a 7/10 on my scale.

We paired with: sausage, boursin cheese, and crackers

We recommend this with: a pleasant evening and relaxing...not much to do.

Cheers!

Fetzer Gewürztraminer 2009

Wine Facts for Fetzer Gewürztraminer
Grape Varietal:  Gewürztraminer
Vintage: 2009
Country: USA
Region: California, specifically Hopland in Mendocino County
Producer: Fetzer, The Earth Friendly Winery
Price: $7.99
Place of Purchase: Martin's Food Market, Harrisonburg, VA

Additional facts:
I first encountered Gewürztraminers when I was living in Columbia, MD. My wonderful friends Dave & Denise Harris took me to a fabulous Chinese restaurant and Denise ordered Gewürz (as it's affectionately known). It's a great pairing for spicy foods, Asian foods, and fish because it calms the palate and brings out the more subtle flavors within those rich foods. Although I'm not a huge fan of whites, this is one of my favorite white varietals!
Gewürztraminer literally means "Spice Traminer" or "Perfumed Traminer." Although Traminer varietal grapes (an ancient varietal) were similar to Sauvignon Blanc grapes, they were actually cross-bred with Muscat grapes, which is why Gewürztraminers have a floral, fruity muscat with the clean dry crispness of Sauv Blanc. Don't you love genetics? Although Gewürztraminers are originally German wines, they are now produced world-wide. This Fetzer is one of the least expensive, but really has a great taste.

Characteristics of Fetzer Gewürztraminer
Appearance: light goldenrod; some small bubbles
Bouquet: slight sweet and floral with crisp overtones

Adam's Overall Thoughts:
The wine coats the tongue with a hint of honey as a bit of spice hits the back of the throat. The fish we had with it was a tad lemony, which wasn't the best pairing for the wine. Overall, though, it worked well with the flounder, with the wine's crispness adding a nice addition to the palate.

Cathy's Overall Thoughts:
When this wine enters the mouth, I feel a sense of lightness and freshness. It doesn't overwhelm the palate, but it does have twinges of both sweet and savory that I find pleasing. Now, some wine memories do stick with me and may make me overhype the wine, but I really do enjoy Gewürzs. They dance on the tongue without the sappy sweetness and the dry harshness of their grape varietal ancestors. This Fetzer has been a favorite because it's cheap, it gets the true taste of the Gewürz out there, and it just brings a smile to my face. Try it with some Asian food and do a happy dance!  :)
On my scale, it's a 8.94 (pretty high for a white!).

We paired with: baked flounder and vegetables (mushrooms, red peppers, and squash)
We recommend this with: fish or asian food

Cheers!