Whitecliff Vineyards 2009 Traminette

Traminette is becoming one of my favorite summer whites.  There are four wineries in the Hudson Valley that I know of that grow and produce this wine.  Whitecliff, Palaia, Benmarl and Applewood.  I do have a Traminette from Applewood chilling for a review later.

For now let me give you a little background on Traminette.  Traminette is a hybrid grape that is the the Gewurztraminer family.  It is a result from the cross of Joannes Seyve 23.416 and Gewurztraminer.  The cross was made in 1965 by H.C. Barrett of the University of Illinois.  In 1968 seeds from the cross was sent to Cornell's grape breeding program where they were planted.  In 1971 the vines produced their first grapes.

Onto the wine...Whitcliff's 2009 Traminette.  This Traminette had a slightly lychee nose with hints of pink grapefruit.  The wine is slightly acidic. Flavors of honeydew melon and passion fruit make this wine very refreshing.

Whitecliff's wines are available locally in many wine shops and the Traminette sells for $15.95 in the tasting room.