From: Penedes, Spain
Varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer
Taste: Pale with greenish brilliant highlights. Great aromatic intensity reminiscent of a walk in the springtime. It evokes the cool, fresh air, a bunch of white flowers, jasmine, orange blossom, and rose. Aromas of anise and chamomile tea. Newly cut grass. Table grape, pineapple, peach, and a citric breeze. Pleasant on entry, light bodied and silky on the palate. Fantastic acidity that gives a great freshness to the wine. Gessamí obtains the balance of its fruity and floral character is such that it shifts between delicate softness of unctuous structure and a cheerful and refreshing spirit. - Winemaker notes.
Pairing: This refreshing white would pair well with seafood, particularly shellfish such as shrimp (keep going for today’s pairing recipe!) or scallops, as well as light salads, grilled vegetables, and soft cheeses like goat cheese or brie.
In addition, this wine would be a great match for Mediterranean cuisine, especially dishes from Spain such as paella or grilled octopus. It would also complement spicy Thai or Indian curries, as well as sushi and sashimi.
For vegetarian options, the 2021 Gessami would be a great choice to pair with vegetable stir-fries, tofu dishes, and light pasta dishes with herbs and vegetables. It would also work well with vegetarian sushi rolls, hummus and pita, or roasted vegetable sandwiches.
Ginger-Garlic Shrimp With Coconut Milk
By Yasmin Fahr
About, by Eric Solomon, Importer. Gramona’s history is long and storied with the property being a quality reference point in the Penedès for decades. As far back as 1816, a member of the family has been making wine in the vicinity of San Sadurní d’Anoia. Gramona’s name began to be put on bottles of “Cava Champagne” in 1921. Today the house is one of the few remaining family-owned estates in the region, most having been swallowed up by large corporations in the last half-century. Jaume Gramona is in charge of viticulture and winemaking overseeing two cellars, the ancient family cave where their finest Cavas age under cork and a new cellar outside of the village. Grapes are sourced from up to 303 hectares of vineyards that are farmed organically and biodynamically – 72 hectares of which the Gramona family owns.
Long considered a pioneer for their work in the cellar and releasing sparkling wines only after extended aging, Gramona now farms their estate organically and biodynamically with certifications from the Consell Català de la Producció Agraria y Ecològica and DEMETER. They are also taking steps to promote sustainability in their production by reducing their carbon footprint – using geothermic energy and recycling all the water used at the estate. With the grapes they source from neighbors, they have formed Alianzas por la Terra, an organization that is actively promoting a change to certified organic viticulture combined with biodynamic principals to bring life back to the soils in the region and encourage biodiversity in the zone. In 2017 Gramona received Paraje status for their vineyards clustered around Font de Jui, a spring located in the heart of their Domaine. After years of frustration and struggle to improve the reputation of Cava, they withdrew from the DO in 2019 becoming founding members of Corpinnat.
What strikes many as an usual blend is fairly common in Penedes – aromatic whites made from a blend of “northern” and indigenous varieties. In the case of Gessami, it is a blend of the native Muscat (both Frontignan and d’Alexandrie are grown by Gramona), and the non-native but heat tolerant Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. Well over half of the blend is Sauvignon Blanc, which provides both the body and acidity and depending on the vintage, either one or both varieties of Muscat are used in addition to a small proportion of Gewürztraminer to boost the aromatics. Such a floral and alluring wine is fittingly named Gessami, which in English means Jasmine.
