Gewurztraminer Hard to Pronounce But Great Tasting
The gewurztraminer grape is one variety well suited to growth in cooler climates. It is a white wine grape with a pinkish red color. It does contain natural sugar, which means that these wines are dry white wines.
The scent of the wine can be that of trees or flowers, usually roses and passion fruit. This is one of the few wines that go well with Oriental cuisine. It is also well suited for use with Munster cheese, wild game and smoked salmon.
The main wine producing regions of Gewurztraminer wines are:
Australia
Canada the Okanagan region of British Columbia as well as the Niagara region and areas around Lake Erie and Prince Edward County in Ontario
France the Alsace region of this country is the best well known of the wine regions for growing the Gewurztraminer grape.
Germany
US primarily in California, Oregon and Washington states, but there are also wineries that produce this wine in Michigan and the New England states.
Israel
The Gewurztraminer is very different from other wine grapes such as Marsanne in that it does not grow well in chalky soils. The vines are also very susceptible to disease. Since the grape does bud early, it can be destroyed by frost.
The growing season is long because it takes the grape a long time to ripen and the climate during the summer does need to be dry and warm, but not hot. In hot climates, the grape will retain too much of its natural sugar to balance out the acidity.
The first part of the name of the wine and the grape, Gewurz, is from the German language and means “spicy”. The second part of the name, Traminer, is the name of a small town in Austria from which the grape came.
The wine is thick and rich and goes well with seasoned dishes, just like a Pinotage, especially Asian, Mexican and Indian cuisine. It should be served at about 50F (10C) and can be served alone without being used in combination with a meal. It ages well and can be kept for up to ten years.
There are many varieties of Gewurztraminer wines, which often makes your choice very difficult. The following wines of this nature are ones that expert wine tasters recommend:
Airlie Gewurztraminer 2002. This wine is very inexpensive and has flavours of pears and apples blended with cloves and spices. It has a crisp finish and will go well with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Andrew Rich Gewurztraminer Ice Wine 2004. If you are looking for a wine with a silky finish and a taste of honey, orange and apricot, this is the wine for you.
Canoe Ridge Gewurztraminer 2002. This is a spicy white wine that has the flavours of nutmeg, grapefruit and almonds. It goes well with all types of food.
This can be a delicious wine to serve with desserts. Although it is generally a dry wine, you can also have light and bubbly flavours. The dry versions of the wine have a high level of alcohol content, which makes them very potent.
In the production of the wine, a light touch is necessary because the riper the grapes are when they are picked, the more bitter they taste. Many of the wine producers do add sugar to the wine to help mask this strong taste.
Tags: gewurztraminer | marsanne | marsanne | pinotage | pinotage