On these pages I'm beginning to build a listing of tasting notes gathered from the internet, other sources, and my own personal experiences. I hope as time goes on that I will be able to taste many of these vintages/labels, especially those already enjoyed by Ms. Sue Courtney (identified with a  22Aug2004 style date code in the notes) and compare taste buds. I also list other winery vintages I have yet to taste myself or have found other tasting notes for. Those identified with an * are in my cellar either awaiting uncorking, or have been and my taste impressions await  inclusion in description.

Important: If you know of a Gewürztraminer wine not listed, and /or have tasting notes for the wine, or have tasting notes for a wine already listed (whether it has notes already doesn't matter), please contact me with your information. Whether you're a winery, winemaker, or just love to drink wine, please feel free to add to these listings. 

    Submitting Gewürztraminer Wines for Review: Wines should be submitted to 

GWTRAMINER SAMPLER, W259 N9116 Hwy 164, Hartland, WI. 53029-9010, U.S.A.

    There is no charge or reimbursement for wines submitted, and though all submitted wines will be tasted, I can't guarantee that this will occur, or that a review will appear on this website. For each wine submitted, please send (2) bottles, unless limited by production, then (1) bottle will be satisfactory.

Mike Reilly

Afton Mountain Virginia Gewürztraminer

Alan McCorkindale Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2000 ($24.95) is one of the best South Island examples of this variety, endorsed by the gold medal and trophy it won at last year's Air New Zealand Wine Awards. Pale in color and with a classic 'rose petal' perfume it is intense in flavor with musk, Turkish delight, lychee, lemon leaf and the spice of white carnations. ***** Sue Courtney March 2001

*(2) Alexander Valley Vineyards, New Gewurz 2000, GRABRO $7.99/$5.99 120704

Amity Vineyards 2000 Oregon Dry Gewurztraminer, Willamette Valley

Babich Winemakers Reserve Gewurztraminer 2000,   Production Notes: The excellent 2000 vintage allowed our winemakers to harvest select parcels of fully ripened Gewürztraminer from our Gimblett Road vineyard in Hawke`s Bay. Cool fermentation in tank has retained the spicy bouquet typical of the variety. The deep flavoured palate is balanced by soft acidity and a dry finish. Recommended Cellaring: 2-3 years. Reviews: "A delicious floral stunner, superbly structured, hand picked grapes were whole bunch pressed. The grape`s ripeness is confirmed by a high 14% alcohol, at first sip sweet ripe fruit is obvious, its varietal character apparent in the palate`s slight pepperyness. Though an ideal seafood match, gorgeous on its own, it has potential to develop rewardingly." - Stanley Harris, QSM, FEDERATION OF WINE & FOOD SOCIETIES OF NEW ZEALAND(Inc) Newsletter Vol. XX111 No. 3. Recommended Food: The rich, varietal character of this wine is ideal as an aperitif or a match with subtly flavoured dishes. Try it with wedges of baked pumpkin on polenta, or partner it with chicken satay.

Babcock Winery Gewurztraminer 2002, Cuvee Sublime, 12% alc., $20

Black Ridge Gewürztraminer 2000 (Central Otago) Powerful pungent aromas with a lovely array of spice, musk and Turkish delight. Dry but ripe, with a soft zesty finish with plenty of orange blossoms. Quite delicious. Sue Courtney 18Sep2001.

Bridgeview Vineyards & Winery Gewürztraminer 2000

Calona Vineyards 2000 Artist Series Gewurztraminer, Okanagan Valley, Canada; Featured artist: Robb Dunfield; fragrant aromas of roses and orange blossoms, bright flavors of citrus soften on the palate with a hint of pineapple; semi-dry; 13% alc. 

Cantina Terlan Gewurztraminer "Lunare" 2000, An intensely flavorful, sumptuous, barrel fermented Gewurztraminer that goes well beyond what you think Gewurztraminer tastes like. Extraordinarily complex, dry, full-bodied with captivating aromas of flowers, cinnamon spice and nutmeg that mingle with nuances of lychees, vanilla and rose-petal with layers of heady fruit, spice and mineral flavors that linger on the long finish. Dry, but rich in body, this wine is smooth in texture and very distinctive. $34.99

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2000 Gewurztraminer

Crab Farm Late Harvest Hawkes Bay Gewürztraminer 2000 (picked at 27 Brix, with 10 grams residual sugar). Pungent lemon-like aromas and zesty, spicy yet delicate fruit with hints of Turkish delight and emerging rose petals. An unctuous style with soft zingy musky spice flavors lingering. Sue Courtney 16Sep2001.

Dry River Estate Gewürztraminer 2000 This smells like a Gewürztraminer should, with musk, lychee, rose petals and the merest hint of nuts. It is intensely sweet in the palate with overripe grapefruit flavors giving way to sugary lemon. The wine, with its luscious, viscous texture, grows on you as you sip it. It reminded me of the flavors of sweet luscious lemon Madeira cake, spices and nuts with lingering lychee and musk on the finish. ($29.00). Sue Courtney 18Mar2001.

Evesham Wood Gewurztraminer 2000, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Forrest Estate Gewurztraminer 2000,  seems destined to become one of Marlborough's stars. The runaway success of our first release in capturing the Trophy at the NZWS Royal Easter Show just the latest accolade among many for Marlborough Gewurztraminer. Out of favour amongst growers for its fickle nature - being paticularly sensitive to climatic conditions at flowering - it produced especially poorly (2.2 tonne/acre) this vintage. What crop there was did however ripen superbly (23.5 Brix) producing wonderfully perfumed flavours which I enjoyed sampling as the berries ripened. The wine is highly varietal with those lovely lychee/rose petal flavours, hint of exotic perfume and aroma of Turkish delight. The fruit concentration is evident on the palate with its fullness of body and persistence of flavour. It's a wonderfully structured wine with the natural fruit sweetness (7g/l) balanced by a crisp acidity.

Henry Estate Umpqua Valley Dry Gewürztraminer 2000 ($9.30) and found it a spot-on match between the flavors of curry, the ginger in the chutney and the crisp honey citrus of the wine. Source

Huia Gewürztraminer 2000 Powerfully scented orange blossom with white pepper and ginger spice. quite luscious. Nice balance. Lingering finish. Powerful finish. $21.95 18/20 Sue Courtney 23 May 2001

Kemblefield Gewürztraminer 2000 A bit subdued on the nose but in the palate delicately gentle spice with orange zest, gentle musk, subtle oiliness, talc mineral and a sweetish, spicy (ginger) finish. It is a very pretty wine with a long finish. Perhaps silver medal quality. FG 14Oct2000 and **** Sue Courtney March 2001.

Kenwood Sonoma Gewurztraminer 2000, $8.99

Longview Estate Northland Gewürztraminer 2000 grown from the variety's only vines in the north, is a well-balanced, spicy, medium style with sweet citrus and apple fruit and plenty of varietal musk-like character. $15. Sue Courtney 14Oct2001.

Margrain Gewürztraminer 2000 Fruit is sourced from the leased Haythornwaite vineyard. This wine is so totally closed up at the moment and there is virtually nothing on the nose. Slight at first in the palate but like all good gewurz's, this enriches. Good fruit and subtle gewurz flavors on the finish. I recommend that this wine is given 6 months to let the flavors unfold and blossom in the bottle. 16.5/20 with reassessment warranted. Sue Courtney Nov 2000

    Winery Notes: This is our first Gewurz and the first time Strat has handled the variety,- cause for great excitement! After a poor flower set (the norm for Gewurz in Martinborough and the reason most people have pulled it out) we thought the crop was lost. By veraison however a few berries were evident per bunch and in late April we harvested less than 1 ton per acre of rose coloured jewels from the HT3 vineyard (which we lease). The wine exhibits a stunningly scented nose of lychees, guava and rock melons together with spicy gooseberry notes. The palate follows with loads of fruit nectar and a luscious viscosity to die for. Gewurz is a naturally low acid variety (especially when very ripe) but despite the softness this imparts, the wine finishes clean and bold with a firm peppery phenolic tail. Just one word. Beautiful. Harvest Date: 18 April 2000; Cellaring: 1-4 years +; 14% alc.

Millton Gisborne 'Growers Series' Gerwurztraminer 2000 Non-organic. Citrussy nose, rich full-on spicy fruit, musk, rose retal, quite shy, lots of spice. Delicate at first but becomes quite powerful and lingers well. Reasonable amount of acidity and ginger zest on the finish. Sue Courtney 11Sep2002.

Peregrine Gewürztraminer 2000 - Grapes: 100% Gewurztraminer, Brix: 25, Alcohol Level:13%, Residual Sugar:6 Winemaker: Rudi Bauer: Described as "the best yet", this wine exhibits a sweet floral nose and a full, rich, honeyed mineral palate, finishing warm and spicy. A wine with great cellaring potential.

Saints Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2000 - Colour: Rich and golden. Aromas: Distinctive rose petal, lychee and spice aromas of ripe Gewürztraminer fruit. Although excellent drinking now, this wine will continue to develop with careful cellaring over the next five years. 13% alc.

Siefried Estate Winemakers Collection Nelson Gewürztraminer 2000 Delicate at first then an explosion of musky spicy flavors in the palate with balanced sweet ripe fruit, zingy spice, citrus and great length with lingering lemon, honey and a hint of peach. 18.5/20 Sue Courtney 28Aug2001

Spy Valley Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2000 This lemon-colored wine boldly states its variety with rich scents of lychees, rose petals, musk and spice. 7 out of 7 if I was scoring, for I reckon a gewurz has to smell like a gewurz and intensely so, like this one. In the mouth the bold statement of variety continues. Rich and luscious with deeply concentrated musky spice and a 'pink smoker lolly' intensity. Stonefruits emerge - ripe peaches, then orange blossom and sherbet lingering on the finish - the aftertaste lasts for ages. It's a low acid wine with a little residual sugar and will go well with spicy food. For an incredible taste sensation, try this wine with crostini topped with watercress cream and then a slice of kina (sea urchin). $17.50. WOTW Sue Courtney 3Dec2000.

Stonecroft Gewürztraminer 2000 this is what I had been waiting for and it didn't let me down. Subtle nuances of rose petal and spice. Very delicate flavors at first intensifying to lychee, spice, musk, rose-petal. Dry but so balanced and harmonious with incredible length and delicious vibrant spicy flavors lingering and tantalizing in the mouth. Citrus lemony notes and sweet nectarine stone fruit on the finish. With just 4-5 grams residual sugar this is the driest Stonecroft Gewürztraminer ever and nearest in style to the delicious 1998. Yum absolutely yum. $25.00. Sue Courtney 26Feb2001.

    Winery Note: A finely balanced, subdued wine at this stage, but with considerable mid palate weight. The wine is close to dry with fruit weight contributing most of the palate structure. Exhibiting considerable aging potential in the classic dry gewürztraminer style, this wine would be best cellared for at least a year. Fine floral aromatics at this stage, with big mid palate and fine lingering spice finish. Partial barrel ferment has added a further dimension of subtle complexity.