Fetzer, “The earth friendly winery” in California uses 100% green energy in it’s operations, and produces tasty gems like this 2009 Gewürztraminer. Pronounced “Guh-vertz-tra-mean-er”, this grape is known for it’s wonderful cinnamon, spice and baked fruit aromas and flavors that get even more concentrated and delicious with aging.

Fetzer’s juice is fermented in stainless steel without any oak aging, and has a zesty bite that tingles your tongue enough that you could almost mistake it for effervescence; however it’s just the acidity. Color is a full golden yellow and has much more color than most other whites we’ve tasted recently.

Although I typically taste wines at room temp, this one was much better chilled. Upon the first sip you immediately get clover honey flavors, and the wine is viscous so it’s almost like there is a spoonful of honey in the glass. Overall, Fetzer did a nice job and even more impressive is the fact that they did it with a green operation without sacrificing quality.

From the winemaker, “It’s often called gavurtz because it’s hard to say, and even harder to spell. This wine, though, is a secret weapon, great for taming spicy foods or sipping on its own. Enjoy the honeyed apricot and peach flavors in the glass, and breathe deeply to capture the aromas of rose petals and honeysuckle. Lots of people love this wine, even if they’ll never spell it. Just ask for gavurtz. We’ll know what you mean.”

The bottle retails for $10 and I rated it 88 points. For more information on Fetzer Winery, visit them here. Want to taste some great local Gewürztraminer? Chamard Vineyards in Clinton has a tasty 2010 in their tasting room right now.