Gewürztraminer: the grape, the wine and what to eat with it

The short answer: Gewürztraminer is a pink-skinned white grape that makes one of the most perfumed white wines you can pour: lychee, rose petals and spice, with a rich, full body and soft acidity. Its home is Alsace in France, and it can be dry, off-dry or lusciously sweet, so read the label.

In the glass it is one of the easiest grapes to recognise blind. One sniff and you know. Here is everything you need to choose, serve and pair it.

The Gewürztraminer grape in one minute

• Name: *Gewürz* is German for spice. The Traminer part goes back to Tramin (Termeno in Italian), a wine village in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Where the pink, perfumed form first appeared is still debated.
• Family: an especially aromatic member of the Traminer family. In Alsace it was once simply called Traminer, and the Klevener de Heiligenstein, grown in a small area near Barr, is a cousin, today known as Savagnin rose.
• The berries: small, round and pink to light red. That is why the wine is a deep golden yellow, sometimes with a copper glint.
• Spelling: in Germany and Italy it is Gewürztraminer, with the umlaut. Alsace labels write Gewurztraminer, without it. Same grape.
• Say it: roughly "geh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner". Sommeliers often just say "Gewürz".

What Gewürztraminer wine tastes like

Vins d'Alsace, the region's wine council, calls it "an intense, exuberant and aromatic wine". Expect:

• Aromas: lychee above all, then rose petals, passion fruit, mango and pineapple, citrus peel, and sweet spice such as ginger. Riper or sweeter styles add honey and dried apricot.
• Body: full and oily. It feels rich even when it is dry.
• Acidity: low to medium. This is the grape's weak spot: in a warm year or a warm place it can taste heavy.
• Alcohol: often on the higher side for a white, because the grape needs full ripeness to show its perfume.
• Oak: rarely noticeable. Producers want the fruit and flowers, not vanilla, so they ferment in stainless steel or large old casks.

The tasting trick for exams: lychee, rose, low acid, high body. If a white smells like a flower shop and feels soft and round, think Gewürztraminer before Muscat (lighter, grapey) or Viognier (apricot and peach).

Is Gewürztraminer sweet or dry?

It can be either. The perfume smells sweet even when the wine is dry, which confuses many people. In Alsace you will find four broad styles:

Since the 2021 harvest, Alsace still white wines must show their sweetness on the label, with one of four words (sec, demi-sec, moelleux, doux) or a small sweetness scale. On older bottles, and on wines from elsewhere, ask or check the back label. Noble rot is explained in Botrytis cinerea, and the sweetness words in the wine sweetness chart.

Where Gewürztraminer grows

• Alsace, France: the reference. Gewurztraminer is one of the four grapes allowed for Alsace Grand Cru (with Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat) and one of the grapes used for Vendanges Tardives and SGN. Look for the tall, slim flûte d'Alsace bottle.
• Alto Adige (South Tyrol), Italy: the Traminer homeland. Mountain vineyards give a fresher, often drier, slightly lighter style.
• Germany and Austria: grown in small amounts, in Germany mainly in the Pfalz and Baden; in Austria often labelled Traminer.
• New World: cool spots suit it best: New Zealand, Oregon and Washington, and California's cooler corners such as Anderson Valley in Mendocino.

The rule of thumb: Gewürztraminer needs a long, sunny but not hot season. Too cool and the perfume never comes; too hot and the wine turns flabby.

Gewürztraminer wine pairing

This is where the grape shines. Its weight, perfume and touch of sweetness stand up to food that would flatten a lighter white.

• Spiced dishes: Thai curries with lemongrass and coconut, Indian dishes with coriander, cumin and garam masala, Moroccan tagines with cinnamon. An off-dry bottle cools the chilli.
• Sweet-and-sour: duck in orange sauce, sweet-and-sour fish, caramel pork. The wine's richness meets the sauce.
• Pungent washed-rind cheese: Munster from Alsace above all, also Maroilles, Pont-l'Évêque and Livarot. What grows together goes together.
• Foie gras and pâté: a classic with a VT or a sweeter style.
• Dessert (with a sweet bottle): apricot tart, crème caramel, fruit desserts. The wine must be at least as sweet as the dish.
• As an aperitif: a dry or off-dry glass, well chilled, with salty snacks.

What doesn't work: delicate white fish and oysters (the wine overpowers them) and big red-meat dishes. Gewürztraminer's opposite is Riesling: high acid, citrus, no lychee. Compare them in Riesling: the grape, the styles and the aromas. Not sure what to pour tonight? Ask SOMM DIGI AI for a pairing with your exact dish.

How to serve and keep it

• Temperature: well chilled but not icy. Too cold and the perfume disappears; too warm and the wine feels heavy.
• Glass: a universal glass, not a small white-wine glass, so the aromas can open. See the best wine glasses.
• When to drink: most bottles are best young, while the fruit is bright. Grand Cru, VT and SGN wines from good producers can age for many years.

Questions people ask