Gewurztraminer
This month we feature Gewurztraminer. You can check out this excellent wine with the Vintners Reserve Gewurztraminer being on sale in October.
Sounds German huh! Well actually it is Italian in origin. It is thought to have originated in Tramin or Temeno, Italy in the northern Aldo Adige region, near the Italian Alps.
Always hard to pronounce, but here try this guh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner. The German word gewurtz means “spiced” as these wines are known for their crisp, spicy attributes.
Gewurztraminer grapes have a long growing period with high accumulation of sugars resulting in wines of higher alcohol compared to other fruity whites like Riesling. It is not recommended to be oaked or aged in oak.
Food pairings:
Goes well with:
aromatic spicy dishes, curry, ginger, Thai food
strong cheeses, especially soft or string such as Caemembert, Muenster and Roquefort
rich dishes, fatty birds
quiche, frittata, one of the few wines that goes well with egg dishes
Spicy food, seafood, cheese
Asian food – esp. spicy (Hunan, Szechuan)
Curries
Ginger
Ham
Turkey, think Thanksgiving
Roasted pork
Sausage
Fruity, floral and spicy tastes. Its texture in the mouth is round, rich and smooth. Often the tastes are described as crisp, with flavour characteristics of litchis, roses, flowers in general. Gewurztraminer wines are deeper in colour when compared to other white wines.
If you see a wine described as a Traminer Reisling it is a blend of Gewurztraminer Riesling, which is definitely a mouthful. If this blend tempts you Selection has an excellent Australian Traminer Riesling.