Dinner Party Superstar: 2025 Gewürztraminer
The Wine That Fills a Room Before You Even Pour It
Our 2025 Gewürztraminer from the Finger Lakes is here. It's not subtle. And that's the point.
Some wines announce themselves. You uncork them and something happens in the room: a pause, a lean-in, a "what is that?" from across the table.
Some wines announce themselves. You uncork them and something happens in the room. A pause, a lean-in, a quiet "what is that?" from across the table. City Winery's 2025 Gewürztraminer from the Finger Lakes is that wine. Rose petal and star jasmine on the nose, followed by lychee and ripe stone fruit in the glass, and a long, honey-laced finish that doesn't rush out. At 12.5% alcohol and a touch of natural sweetness, it's delicate in the best way: the kind of wine that holds the table's attention without dominating the conversation.
We made only 150 cases. That number matters. This isn't a wine built for mass appeal. It's built for the right moment and the right person to share it with.
One more thing before we get into it: For today only, order two or more bottles and shipping is on us. Use code GT2025 at checkout.
Where It Comes From
The Finger Lakes don't look like wine country at first. The lakes are deep. Seneca Lake reaches 600 feet. The landscape is spare and northern. But that depth is the whole story. The water holds heat, moderates the winters, and creates the kind of cool-climate growing conditions that make German varietals sing. Riesling gets most of the credit. Gewürztraminer deserves more of it.
The rootstock for this vineyard traces back to Hermann Wiemer, one of the region's founding voices in serious viticulture. Plantings run to the shoreline. Ryan, our grower, times his picks with the kind of precision that separates a good Gewürz from a great one. Pick too early and you lose the aromatic intensity. Too late and the delicacy is gone. He gets it right.
"Ryan's precision picking timing for the Gewürztraminer helps set our wine apart as something very special."
How We Made It
The juice arrived at 21 Brix, ripe and aromatic. We fermented it slowly at 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit in stainless steel, which is the winemaking equivalent of turning the heat down low and letting things develop at their own pace. High temperatures kill aromatics. Low temperatures preserve them. Two weeks in, we stopped fermentation by aggressively chilling the wine, racking off the lees, and adding sulfites. The result: 12 grams per liter of residual sugar. Not sweet, exactly, but present. It softens the mouthfeel and amplifies the honey notes without ever tipping into dessert territory.
No oak. No manipulation. Just fruit, temperature, and timing.
What the Winemaker Says
"With our Gewurztraminer, we strive for elegance and subtle grace. The result is a supremely delicate wine that is beautiful and never boring."
-Travis Van Caster, Winemaker — Hudson Valley
What It Tastes Like
The nose opens with rose petal and star jasmine, pronounced but not perfume-counter. Lychee comes next, then tangerine zest. In the glass, it shifts toward apricot and white peach, with the lychee staying front and center through the mid-palate. The acid and sugar are in genuine conversation. Neither one wins, and that balance is what gives the wine its freshness. The finish is long and floral, with honey and lychee that linger for several minutes after the last sip. Serve it well-chilled and don't be surprised if the bottle disappears faster than you planned.
What to Eat With It
Gewürztraminer has a gift for spice. The natural sweetness softens heat; the aromatics match bold flavors without getting buried. These are the pairings worth planning around:
- Spice: Kung pao cauliflower, General Tso's chicken
- Seafood: Hamachi crudo, gambas al ajillo
- Cheese: Aged gouda, manchego — firm and salty
- Light plates: Patatas bravas, charcuterie, light tapas
It also holds up beautifully before a show. Order a glass at the bar before you take your seat. The aromatics are striking enough to start a conversation, and the finish is clean enough that it doesn't linger into the first song.
The Details
| Varietal | Gewürztraminer |
| Vintage | 2025 |
| AVA | Finger Lakes, NY |
| Alcohol | 12.5% |
| Residual Sugar | 12 g/L |
| Case Production | 150 cases |
| Price | $24 |