Sweet And Gorgeous: Lula Gewürztraminer

Lula Cellars, a small production winery located in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley, spent the summer pouring the inaugural release of its 2014 Sauvignon Blanc and the latest Rosato effort. The Rosato is delightful, while the Sauvignon Blanc has yet to grace this space - it will soon, though. They do have another wine perfect those summer days - or, as we are still saying in Los Angeles, these summer days.

2014 is the sixth vintage of Lula’s Dry Gewürztraminer. The wine is made from grapes grown in several Mendocino vineyards. Mendocino is gaining more recognition lately for its cool-climate Alsatian varieties. It's a $22 wine, and only 200 cases were produced.

The Lula Cellars Dry Gewürztraminer for 2014 has a gorgeous nose - honeysuckle with sweet peaches and pears. That floral aspect is dominant, by the way. On the palate, full frontal fruitity and a mild pepper component play together quite nicely. The acidity keeps the sweetness in check, which is a big job. This wine, despite "dry" on the label, is extremely sweet.

The spiciness is interesting and opens up additional pairing possibilities. This is a natch for Thai food or spicy tacos. The wine also pairs well with seafood and shellfish. The winery recommends Dungeness crab, halibut and lemon risotto with asparagus.

Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter