Gewürztraminer is a rose-colored wine grape variety known for its beautiful bouquet of aromas. The most well-known examples of Gewürztraminer come from Alsace in the foothills of the Vosges mountains in northeast France along the German border and are used to make white wines with a heavy, luscious mouthfeel and huge aromas.
What are the best Gewürztraminer wines?
Difficult to make well, the best examples are off-dry with a perfume of fresh-cut rose petals, lychee, apricot, black pepper, citrus peels, and tea. The wine must, however, have enough acidity and structure to support the bold nose. Unlike Chardonnay that can grow anywhere, Gewürztraminer shares with Riesling a need for cool-climate vineyards that are full of sunshine and almost no rainfall. This means that outside of Alsace, Gewürztraminer can be found in cool climate wine regions like the hills of Sonoma and Napa Valley California, the Finger Lakes region of New York, Germany, Italy (especially in Alto Adige in Northern Italy), and Austria. The vines need to be restricted for the best results. Gewürztraminer is usually meant to be enjoyed young.
What are the tasting notes of Gewürztraminer wine?
The most notable Gewürztraminer characteristic is the heady aroma. There are very few wines that can even come close to matching varietal Gewürztraminer wine for the sheer pungency in a glass. With food pairings, it is particularly nice with Asian flavors and spices, especially Thai. Some domaines have taken to making late harvest, dessert wine Gewürztraminer, where the aromas are even more concentrated than dry Gewürztraminer.
Want to learn more about Gewürztraminer?
Want to learn more about Gewürztraminer? Check out Firstleaf’s Ultimate Guide to Gewürztraminer.