£14.50, The Wine Society
This is another wine, like last week's, that would be a good choice for a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, but that's not why I've chosen it. I'm recommending it simply because it's too good to miss, whether you have Chinese food on the menu, other Southeast Asian cuisines, a rich paté, a caramelised onion tart or you just want an interesting aperitif.
No need to take my word alone: I showed it at a tutored tasting just before Christmas and it swept the board. It was the most popular of the eight wines – two other whites, a red and a sparkling rosé from Alsace and three Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, including one at £300 a bottle. It also got the vote for best-value wine of the evening (but was not the cheapest).
What's special about it? Like many an Alsace Gewurztraminer it's by no means bone dry, but the sweetness is delicately balanced against everything Gewurz should have in the way of aroma and flavour – lychee, rose petal, Turkish Delight and stem ginger. It also has a lightness of touch and the citrus freshness that so often prove elusive in Gewurztraminer. The freshness and elegance owe much to Wahlenbourg's limestone soils, but without the deft hand of Michel Ginglinger, a thirteenth generation winemaker, they would come to nothing. Heartwarming to see 410 years of winemaking experience being put to such good use. 12.5%
Domaine Paul Ginglinger Alsace Gewurztraminer Wahlenbourg, France
£14.50, The Wine Society
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