Wine of the Week – Are You Hot? Have A Wine To Cool Down
The teeth of summer have been out recently. You know the days; walking on the streets and stopping at stores which have the best air-conditioning rather than the quality of the produce inside, you stay outside for as long as possible before going attempting to sleep. For me, however the positives far outweigh the negatives. The long busy evenings, eating outside and a carnival atmosphere at every turn when the sun finally goes down. These days (and nights) are the ones you remember fondly.
A lot of people turn to other beverages on such days. There is nothing wrong with a cold beer, or a refreshing cocktail on these days. The rose also gets a good workout when the temperature breaches the 30°C mark. I have written before about the joys of sparkling wine on warm days. However, I wanted to provide you with another option on a hot evening after my recent visit to Alsace.
I was not going to give you a wine from Alsace again this week, however the weather has demanded it. This week’s wine of the week is the F.E Hugel and Fils 2006 Gewürztraminer. The Hugel winery produces very traditional wines of the region. This makes Hugel wines very dry and quite complex. They have many old vines which produce white wines that can be kept for a long period of time. This creates even greater depth and character in your glass if you are patient enough to keep hold of them.
The Gewürztraminer variety is always a surprise to me. The fragrant smell of flowers and sweet fruit is quite intoxicating. It is as if you are about to indulge in a thick desert wine. That experiences remains as you first taste the wine, however it soon turns dry and crisp. It is a great experience for me every time I try the wine. This wine is quite good value at around €15. It is worth getting an older wine for a little more than a younger vintage if you want to dive in while the warm weather is still around.
For food to match with this wine you have a few options. The fragrance gives you the option of the food of Southeast Asia. The dry finish gives you the option of pork, chicken or duck. I have had a great experience with all of these food options. The best meal I have found with a good Gewürztraminer is a summer salad. Make sure you have plenty of lemon in the dressing, and a few croutons. Then the choice of ingredients is up to you.
If you are feeling the heat this weekend and want to enjoy a nice wine with a light meal, then this maybe the wine for you. Give it a try and I am sure you sultry evening meal will be that little bit more interesting.
