Wine of the week: Mill Creek, 2008 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer, in its best incarnation, is a crisp, spicy surprise.

Our wine of the week winner is the Mill Creek, 2008 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Gewurztraminer at $19 and winemaker Jeremy Kreck said when it comes to gew?rztraminer ?it?s the spices that add the complexity and interest.?

Is gew?rztraminer a misunderstood, sometimes maligned wine? You bet, according to Kreck.

?For the most part people expect gewurz to be a sticky-sweet dessert wine,? he said. ?I think it?s misunderstood in that consumers don?t see it as excellent with food.?

Thanksgiving can pose a pairing challenge. What, for heaven?s sake, can marry well with such a colossal range of flavors - from cranberry stuffing to salad with candied fruit to pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream?

Kreck said the answer is ? without a doubt ? gew?rztraminer. ?It?s a wine that is versatile, very flavorful and yet not dense or overly tannic.?

For the uninitiated, gew?rztraminer is a flamboyant dry white wine with notes of grapefruit, honeysuckle, smoke and spice. Some of the best hail from Alsace, France and Germany, but there are also plenty of fetching ones made in California.

When producing his gew?rztraminer, Kreck pays close attention to the vineyard, with impeccable timing during harvest a crucial element.

?The most challenging part of gewurz is picking at the optimal time,? he said. ?There is usually a very small window to get the flavors and sugar while maintaining an ideal acidity. Since it?s early to ripen, in late August or early September, hot days can make the sugar really skyrocket.?

While gew?rztraminer is a popular Thanksgiving pick, will it ever be a mainstream white?

?I?ve seen a trend toward people venturing away from Chardonnay and experimenting with the other whites,? said Kreck. ?But whether gewurz becomes the next ?it? wine remains to be seen.?

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com.