Lately, our calendars have filled with events, parties, dinners, and a variety of other frenzied activity. With all of that happening, who has time to think about wine pairings for dinner? Fortunately for you, I’ve done just that. The November wines accentuate your holiday meals nicely.  From Germany, a delicious Gewürztraminer, and from Tuscany, a  beautiful red blend from the renowned Ornellaia family. Both will be a pleasure to your senses  and will satisfy even your most discerning guests.

 2007 Pfeffingen Estate Gewurztraminer Spatlese, Pfalz Germany

The Pfeffingen wine estate is nestled in the midst of beautifully contoured vineyards. This family-run estate is managed with one goal in mind: deliver the highest possible wine quality every year.

The entire estate, with its abundance of flowers, artifacts (left over from Roman times), and friendly people, make it seem that it could never have been any other way. Yet it took half a century of development and hard work for the old multi-crop farm to become the modern, quality-orientated Pfeffingen wine estate. This has been the life’s work of Karl and Helene Fuhrmann. Today Doris Eymael and her son Jan run the Weingut Pfeffingen with continuity and innovation.

They make Pfeffingen wines truly unmistakable. Aromatic clarity, maturity, clean juicy fruit and a strong but elegant body are notable characteristics of these wines.  Numerous national awards and recognition from the international wine press demonstrate that the estate’s policy of consistent quality has a positive effect on aroma and flavor.  A Member of the VDP since 1985, the estate received 20 State Honor Prizes and therefore is one of the most highly rated estates in all of Germany.

Nose: Classic Gewurztraminer notes of honeysuckle and rose along with ginger, dried and fresh apricot, tangerines, and kumquats, with just a touch of Indian spice.

Palate: Slightly sweet yet combined with the touch of spice (heat and cinnamon) creates a wonderful balance. Apricot and tangerine with a crisp lemon and candied orange peel on the finish without being overly acidic makes it a very food friendly wine. The slightly viscous texture leaves a pleasant and lasting finish.

2007 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Le Volte Tuscany Italy

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia was founded in 1981, in a gorgeous, unspoiled part of Tuscany. From the outset, the mission was to produce outstanding wines. Since then, passion and dedication, coupled with a unique terroir and an extraordinary microclimate, have brought the Tenuta dell’Ornellaia’s prestigious labels great success and recognition as one of the most important wineries in the world.

An extremely pleasant wine, Le Volte is a cuvée that brings together the best terroirs of Tuscany, combining the Mediterranean expression of Sangiovese, which confers opulence and generosity, with the structure and complexity of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the softness of Merlot.

A blend of 51% Sangiovese, 34% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The different varietals were fermented separately in small steel tanks to maintain their varietal characteristics. The wine was then aged for 10 months in barriques ranging from 2-4 years in age. The time spent in small oak barrels improved the wine’s structure by softening the brashness of the tannins. 

Nose:  Dark ripe and dry cherry, rich plum, blueberry, chocolate, and cooking spices of cinnamon and cayenne with earthy notes of mossy wet leaves and forest floor—typical of Italian reds.  Lighter on the palate then the nose would lead to believe.

Palate: Spicy red and black pepper, vanilla, and  dried herbs, clove, star of anise , and lavender with notes of tobacco leaf, cedar and fruits of pomegranate juice,  blackberry, raspberry and currant, and fig with high acids ripe tannins and a strong oak presence all leading to a long and lovely finish.

 90 point s Wine Advocate