The Gewürztraminer is a very aromatic white grape that has a strong family tie with the Traminer grape but is not quite the same. Legend has it that both grapes are coming from the same village, Traminer in Tirol. The wine region in the northern part of Italy called the Alto Adige, where the speak both Italian and German, hence the German sounding name. Did you know that the word ‘gewürz’ in German means seasoning or herbaceous, which already reveals a bit of the character of the grape and the wine that comes from it.
The grape has been travelling all over Europe, settling in regions like Baden and Rheinhessen in Germany, and in the Alsace region in France.
Apart from these regions, we find Gewürztraminer more internationally as well in countries like Canada, Australia, US, Argentina, and Eastern Europe.
Gewürztraminer is an early ripening white grape that will develop a pink skin, when fully ripened.
Aromas
The aromas of a good Gewürztraminer can be endless, starting with the herbaceous notes of green garden herbs, followed by citrus such as lime and white grapefruit. Tropical fruit characters express itself with white peaches and lychee and the white flowers will be very distinctive in a Gewürztraminer. Think of acacia, jasmine, rose water and honeysuckle. There will be a subtle display of minerality as well such as flint, finishing off with a touch of ginger.
This is an expressive grape variety that lends very well for making a sweet wine. However, in my opinion the dry variants are much more interesting, due to the soft acidity and the food matching possibilities.
Wine type
Expressive white wine
Colour
Light to medium straw
Food matching
Due to its tropical fruit aromas, along with the white flowers, notes of ginger and low acidity the dry styles, and even the semi-sweet ones, the wine will match perfectly with spicy Asian or Indian cuisine. The aromas of the wine will temper down the spiciness of the food.
