Cinema Gewürztraminer

Last night the Professor and I decided to check out the new Alfonso Cuarón film, Children of Men. Since this was a mid-week date so we thought it would be nice to enjoy some nice food and drink while watching the movie. As much as I love freshly popped popcorn and a big soda every now and then while at the cinema, those options just didn't seem quite right last night. We wanted something a little more interesting.

But what?

Then inspiration struck. Why not watch the movie while enjoying a bottle of wine? And why not pair it with some aged cheese and bread? And while we're at it, why not throw in a salad as well? That was the plan the Professor and I concocted before meeting up at the theatre. I told her that morning that I would be bringing a bottle of wine with me to the movie and her job was to provide snacks to go along with it.

The aged cheddar, french bread and asparagus sald turned out to be the perfect match for the gewürztraminer I snuck into the theatre. I opened the bottle the night before and resealed it with a vacuvin so I didn't have to worry about bringing a wine opener. As soon as we were seated I pulled the wine out of my bag and poured us each a glass (paper cups, really), and the immediate area around us filled up with the wonderful aroma of the guwurtz. I briefly worried that someone might pick up the scent and rat us out but then realized that there was probably nothing to worry about as the theatre was mostly empty. All I had to do then was relax, sip some wine, eat some bread and cheese and enjoy the film, which I did.


The Professor's Tasting Notes

Ransom 2003 Gewürztraminer
Mary's Peak & Earl's Vinyards
Willamette Valley, OR


A very dry gewürz from Oregon, it is reminiscent of its Alsatian cousins in that its flavors are rich but understated. Compared to its Finger Lake region (NY) siblings that tend to be brighter, sweeter, and bursting with lychee flavor, this wine tastes more mature and silky. The wine has a beautiful golden hue and is well-balanced. Although it definitely had a rich fruit flavor, I am still having trouble pinpointing the dominant fruit of this wine.

Both Dantae and I didn't really take to it at first, perhaps because we were expecting more of a NY gewürz flavor. However, it really grew on us, especially when we paired it with food (in this case, two kinds of aged cheddar, crusty bread, asparagus-lemon-capers salad, and slices of bosc pear). With an alcohol content of 14.4%, it is easy to feel the effect of it. If you like Alsatian Gewürz, my guess is that you would like this wine.