I started my gewürztraminer drinking for the summer that will provide a contrast to the pinot gris/grigios. The first one is a 2011 from Alexander Valley Vineyards in Mendocino County. It ran me about $10.
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First, a little introduction to gewürztraminer from Wikipedia: "Gewürztraminer is a variety with a pink to red skin colour, which makes it a "white wine grape" as opposed to the blue to black-skinned varieties commonly referred to as "red wine grapes". The variety has high natural sugar and the wines are white and usually off-dry, with a flamboyantbouquet of lychees. Indeed, Gewürztraminer and lychees share the same aroma compounds. Dry Gewürztraminers may also have aromas of roses, passion fruit and floral notes." I'll be telling more about it as the summer goes on.
So on to this first one. It was ok, kind of on the meh end of the spectrum. The label says it has notes of grapefruit and pear and some minerality. Their recommendation is to pair it with spicy food, which of course is what it's famous for in the Old Country, with Alsatian cuisine.
Since this is my first one of the season, I don't have anything to compare it to. Not a bad wine, just not the one for me.