Crane Lake Gewurztraminer 750ml

Winery: Crane Lake

Varietal: Gewurztraminer

The pinkish grapes of the Gewurztraminer vine are renowned for their exceptionally aromatic nature, and their delicious level of sweetness which marks them out as unique. Their precise origin is often debated, although many experts now agree that the earliest Gewurztraminer vines were cultivated in the German speaking parts of Italy. Given the correct conditions – notably a cool climate and a chalk-free terroir – the Gewurztraminer vines will produce their flavorful fruit in abundance, and can be used to produce a sweet, floral wine packed full of unique and interesting flavors and a wonderfully strong and perfumed bouquet. Most commonly, Gewurztraminer is known for carrying quite flamboyant flavors of rose petals and lychees, with a small amount of natural spritz present in the glass, something which is adored by wine drinkers both in central Europe and around the world.

Region: California

California has long been the New World's most important and prodigious wine producing regions, with a history which stretches back to the 18th century and the Spanish pioneers who settled here. Today, California produces vast quantities of wine, and if it were a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine on earth. Despite experiencing many problems in the mid 20th century, including a very serious blight which almost crippled the state's wine industry, the ideal terroir and excellent climate ensured that Californian wines soon became the envy of the New World once again. California produces a vast range of wines, and utilizes a long list of fine grape varietals, with many wineries and their produce more closely resembling those of France and other Old World countries in regards to character, practices and flavors

Country: United States

Whilst there are several strains of native grape varietals in the United States, it was the introduction of the European species which prompted the country to begin producing wines on a large scale. Over the past few centuries, experimentation and cross-breeding has produced great successes in regards to the quality and suitability of the fruit grown in states such as California, Oregon, Washington and New York, and the past few decades have seen New World wines from the United States reach much higher standards. Arguably the finest United States wines have always come out of California, where the climate and terrroir is most suitable for fine wine production. The masterful blending of classic grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, amongst others including Syrah and Chardonnay, have had world beating results in recent years, prompting many to suggest that there has never been a better time for buying and drinking United States wines.