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No one makes Long Island gewurztraminer than Eric Fry, long-time winemaker at Lenz Winery in Peconic. Sure, he also makes some of the best Old World-styled reds in the region. Some of the best sparkling wine too. But he has a passion for the grape and it shines through, year in and year out. 

And, at $22, the ‘regular’ bottling is a great value in balanced, racy gewurz. 

Last week I got to taste a second gewurztraminer in the Lenz lineup — Lenz Winery 2010 Old Vines Gewurztraminer ($30). It’s a stunner of a wine with both power and elegance. It’s intensely varietally correct without being over the top. People don’t often talk about gewurztraminer as a wine that will age well, but at six years old, this wine seems like it’s still improving. 

The ripeness of the 2010 vintage is on full display. The nose bursts with pineapple, ginger, dried apricot, rose petals, spice and just a little lychee. Rich and mouth-filling, the palate is concentrated, but balanced by acidity. Flavors range from apricot to pineapple to mango and other tropical fruits with a bit of a citrusy edge. 

Make no mistake, this is a gewruztraminer lover’s gewurztraminer — and it’s no surprise that Eric Fry made it. 

This wine is available at the winery’s Peconic tasting room for $30. 

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