Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/884376
Ioana Benga, Export Manager for Jidvei, introduced Treasure of Transylvania 2016 Gewürztraminer from Târnave, Romania. CLOSING The wide world of wine can seem intimidating, but three professionals proved it can be simplified through deductive reasoning by scoring the highest in the blind tasting competition. In accordance with our Game of Thrones theme, a tie between two of the Snows recognized Robin O'Connor, Educator for Pierre Loti Wine Bar, and Joshua Arola, Sommelier at Hy's Steak House in Honolulu, Hawaii, as our prize winners. The winning title on behalf on the Targaryens went to Carrie Stebbins, Senior Instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Denver. The Tasting Panel bequeathed a monetary prize for each to reward and encourage their skills and education. P icking up the glass containing our next blind white, I immediately recognized, "Wow. Now that's aromatic. I could smell it long before it got even close to my nose." Bath pointed back to the list of white grape varieties known for being highly perfumed, including Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, and Torrontés. We then talked about acidity and body in terms of these grapes, as they usually possess lower acidity and more weight—the exception being Torrontés, which is typically grown at a high elevation, allowing the grapes to maintain a higher acidity level. We then turned to specific "markers" for grapes. "Often these markers are highly personalized," explained Bath. I commented that I often pick up rose petals in red wines but not often in white—it is a marker for me and this specific variety. THE REVEAL: Treasure of Transylvania 2016 Gewürztraminer from Târnave, Romania The Târnave region of Romania lies in Transylvania, which is located in the north-central area of the country. The cold climate inspires a high majority of white wine production, although the Jidvei winery has planted a couple of red grape vineyards as well. "Our specific climate allows our grapes to maintain a higher acidity while still achieving full ripeness," described Ioana Benga, Export Manager for Jidvei. Jidvei is a family-owned enterprise with large production but precise viticultural and winemaking practices. Again, it was by process of elimination that we arrived to the right conclusion. Yes, the acidity was higher than expected from a Gewürztraminer, but the heightened aromatics and the fact that they are unique to the grape variety led us in the right direction. 1 12 / the tasting panel / october 2017