United States of Wine

Maryland

Penn Oaks Winery- Gewürztraminer – American White Table Wine

Purchased: Penn Oaks Winery, Cooksville, MD

Price: $20.00

Living in Maryland, it was easy for me to drive to a nearby winery to taste the wine straight from the source. After a hike in the nearby Patapsco Valley State Park, I went straight to Cooksville, where I came upon family-owned Penn Oaks Winery along State Highway 97.

We did a quick tasting of their white wines, but settled on a bottle of their Gewürtztraminer, a popular German wine from Alsace region, for this review, as we sat back at Penn Oaks’ patio.

What we liked about this Gewürtztraminer was how light it was, refreshing on a beautiful day. There was a slight sweetness to it that wasn’t overpowering and still very appealing for those who don’t like sweet wines. That slight sweetness in a Gewürtztraminer is why they’re delicious with spicy foods.

I was very impressed with how it felt clean off the tongue, and didn’t coat your mouth with a sugary feeling. It had hints of citrus, like a mellow grapefruit.

We didn’t finish our bottle of Gewürtztraminer at the winery, re-corked it and took it home with us to finish with dinner the next day. The following day is when we noticed major differences in the wine.

After 24 hours in the fridge, the wine had lost its subtle sweetness. The first new sips were far more sour than they had been the day before. As we left the bottle open to give it air for a few minutes, the flavor changed again to a less sour and more defined taste, almost like French white wine. It started to remind me of a white Bordeaux wine, no longer sweet, no longer sour.

I would drink this wine again, but I’m also aware there are many German Gewürtztraminers available at a lower cost. But if you’re looking for a locally-made wine in Maryland, I would recommend this wine from Penn Oaks, as long as you’re willing to drink it entirely on the same day.

Score: 8.5/10