Michel Leon Gewurztraminer 2008

Price: $11.99 at Trader Joe's
Recommended by: We're fans of Gewurztraminers
Comments: We've been drinking more Chardonnay lately. Why, since other white varietals are so good? Particularly Gewurztraminer, and this one reminded us why we're such big fans. Michel Leon is fairly dry, but with some really nice fruit. It has some floral notes and a bit of spice. It was a perfect complement to the Indian food we had for dinner, and we look forward to having this wine again. Chardonnay, as we noted some years ago, kinda sucks (OK, OK ... with the exception of a few).
Rating: 7.5/10

Mahi Twin Valleys Gewurztraminer 2006

Price: $22.49 @ Blanchards
Recommended by: Our love of the Gewurztraminer grape
Comments: This is the first Gewurztraminer we have tried from New Zealand. We love the Sauvignon Blancs from the Marlborough region and were eager to give this wine a chance. Like the other wines we have tried from this region, Mahi is bold. Not much subtle here. However, it wasn't so much citrusy as it was flowery. It had a really strong rose flavor. I almost didn't believe Rob when he took his first sip and said, "rose petal." I thought he pulled that out his rear end. But it is indeed very rosy. If you're not into flowery wines, we would skip this one. You can taste the spicy side of this wine when pairing it with spicy food (it went well with the ethnic spices we rubbed on the swordfish). Otherwise, it's mainly rosy with a bit of citrus. We probably won't buy this one again, especially given the price. We'll take our Chateau Ste Michelle over this any day.
Rating: 6.5/10

Chateau Bianca Gewurztraminer 2006

Price: $13.99 @ liquor store in Porter Square
Recommended by: just a domestic Gewurz we have not tried
Comments: We were not impressed by this. It doesn't even really taste like a Gewurz. There is no real exotic spice flavor that you would expect; instead it's a bouquet of flowers. A strong bouquet. There are also subtle flavors of pineapple, lime, and honey, but it's mostly a bouquet. Not terrible, but not our favorite, and we won't likely be picking this one up again soon.
Rating: 5.5/10

Bloom Gewurztraminer 2006

Price: $7.99 (regularly $9.99) @ Whole Foods (Columbus, OH)
Recommended by: the great price
Comments: OK, we have to brag. This photo was taken from our new iPhone. Why did we have to take it on our iPhone? For some reason, no one has provided a label of this wine, not even the official Bloom website! And that's a crime, because this is an excellent wine! Fantastic, when considering the price. This wine from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region of Germany provides flavors of pineapple, lemon, and a hint of pear. It finishes with some spice that came to the fore when paired (perfectly) with Moroccan swordfish. This inexpensive wine can compete with some of the best Gewurz's that we've enjoyed (and Whole Foods named it a Top 10 wine for holiday entertaining). We would definitely buy this again.
Rating: 7.5/10

Snoqualmie Nearly Naked Gewurztraminer 2006

Price: $9.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: We wanted to compare this with Chateau Ste. Michelle's Gewurz.
Comments: We have to brag. We made an EXCELLENT meal tonight. We cooked some Moroccan-spiced swordfish (with yogurt-mint sauce), couscous, and Brussels sprouts. And this wine was a perfect complement to the meal. It's an almost-organic Gewurz (organic grapes but a non-organic process), with a nice orange/grapefruit and spicy taste. The finish is long, a bit steely, and very smooth. We liked it better with the food, but it is also enjoyable on its own. Rob noted that this wine might be slightly "creamier" than and not as spicy as the Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurz, but it is just about as good (CSM now owns Snoqualmie Vineyard). We can understand how Wine Enthusiast gave it a respectable 88 and "Best Buy" designation. We will be buying this wine again soon! Did we tell you about the amazing meal? :)
Rating: 7.75/10

Jewell Towne Traminette NV

Price: $15.00
Recommended by: curiosity and our appreciation for Gewurztraminers
Comments: Who woulda thunk it? We wouldn't. I mean we did, but that's not the point. A good Gewurztraminer from a New Hampshire winery? Unlikely. And yet, we enjoyed this bottle very much, particularly with the seafood stew we had for dinner. While visiting three wineries in New Hampshire (Jewell Towne, Flag Hill, and Zorvino) we decided to pick up this bottle since it was made with one of our favorite grapes. Happily, this wine demonstrates juicy flavors of lemon, lime, and green apple along with a bit of spice. The finish isn't as smooth as it might be, but we were impressed by this wine and would certainly get it again. Viva New Hampshire -- Live Free or ... Drink Wine! (By the way, if you are in the New England area and want to try some good wine, check out Jewell Towne in South Hampton, NH. The folks there are very friendly, and they had the best wines by far of the three wineries. However, Flag Hill in Lee, NH, has a yummy Maple Syrup Liqueur, and their vodka made from apples is worth a try. Also, check out the Boston Globe's article on New England wineries.)
Rating: 6.5/10

J.W. Morris Gewurztraminer 2005

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe's
Recommended by: duh, the price!
Comments: Four words. Bang For Your Buck! We're big Gewurz fans, and this is the least expensive one we have found. When we saw it at Trader Joe's we had to give it a shot. And, lo and behold, it's good! Not great, mark you, but what do you expect for the price? We find flavors of apricot and lime dominating the palate with a bit of spice that really came to the fore when we paired this wine with Indian food. It might be a bit too sweet for a Gewurz and tasted more like a Riesling (more spice, please!). We found this wine comparable to Covey Run and better than some of the $10+ Gewurz and Rieslings we've had. So when you're in the mood for a nice white and want to take a step up from 2-Buck-Chuck (without shelling out much more money), this is the wine to reach for.
Rating: 6.5/10

Enate Gewurztraminer Somontano 2003

Price: $13.99 or $14.99 @ Wine and Cheese Cask (?)
Recommended by: We love Gewurz and never had one from Spain
Comments: Tonight we had . . . wait for it . . . SUSHI! Gewurztraminer is among our favorite wines to have with sushi (perhaps only Sauvignon Blanc is better), and this one did not disappoint. It's a dry wine, with a flowery taste (and maybe a hint of honey) and spicy finish. For the price, however, it would be worth buying an Alsacian Gewurz, and still the best value is Chateau Ste. Michelle. This one was definitely worth trying, though!
Rating: 6.75/10

P.S. Go Buckeyes! Beat the Gators!

Foris Gewurztraminer 2003

Price: $14.99 @ Luke's Liquors

Recommended by: We wanted to try an Oregon Gewurz

Comments: We had this wine with Indian cuisine, and it was a perfect match. The spiciness of the food really brought out the spice in the Gewurz. The Foris is a bit flowery with a hint of citrus, which together hide the dryness of this wine behind sweet flavors. It's not as spicy as the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but it is definitely worth trying. If you are new to Gewurz, try the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but if you want to try a new American one, we recommend this!

Rating: 6.75/10

Craftsman Neszmely Gewurztraminer 2005

Price: $8.99 @ Wine Galley
Recommended by: never had a Hungarian wine before
Comments: This wine is a nice, dry Gewurztraminer. It has subtle floral aromas and honey flavors with a hint of citrus (maybe pineapple?) and a soft acidity. This is a wine to have with food, namely spicy dishes. We enjoyed it with our spicy Indian food, and it was a great pairing. I don't know if we will be in a hurry to get this wine again, however, since we enjoy some other comparably priced Gewurzes more (especially Chateau Ste. Michelle).
Rating: 6.5/10

Hogue Gewurztraminer 2004

Price: $8.00
Tasting notes: Not as sweet as, and maybe a bit more acidic than, the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but certainly as joyable. The spice was slightly more pronounced (and we drank it with the exact same meal as the CSM). We will certainly be enjoying more bottles of this in the future.
Rating: 6.5/10

Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurztraminer 2004

Price: $8.99
Tasting notes: This is a very happy Gewurz. And considering the price you cannot go wrong with it. We drank it with a seafood stew, and it was a great pairing. The stew really brought out the spiciness of the wine. It has the classic grapefruit flavor of Gewurz in abundance, and we look forward to drinking it again soon. (Can you tell we're fans of Gewurz?)
Rating: 7.75/10

Amity Vineyards Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2002

Price: $14.99
Tasting notes: Like all late harvests, this Oregon wine was very sweet, but maybe a bit too sweet. It finishes with a nice, classic Gewurz taste, and you can taste the sweet and classic flavors at the same time in the middle. A nice dessert wine.
Rating: 6.5/10

Covey Run Gewurztraminer 2004

Price: $7.99
Recommended by: Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Best Buys of 2005
Tasting notes: A nice wine, but not as edgy as some Gewurz’s. It lacked some of the spicyness and complexity of comparably priced ones. We prefer Columbia Winery or Chateau Ste. Michelle as far as domestic Gewurz's go.
Rating: 5.5/10

Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer 2004

Price: $15.00
Tasting notes: This was the first Alsacian Gewurz that we've tried. It is well-balanced – not too sweet with some spice – but we don’t know whether it’s worth the extra $$. We would probably grab a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle or Columbia Winery Gewurz before we would buy this again.
Rating: 6/10

Columbia Winery Gewurztraminer 2003

Price: $9.99
Recommended by: Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Best Buys
Tasting notes: This was a very enjoyable Gewurz. It's a really good balance between sweet and spicy, with hints of grapefruit. It was great with sushi, and we would definitely purchase this again.
Rating: 6.5/10