Traminer pink grape. "Gewurztraminer" (wine): description, manufacturer, reviews What does Gewurztraminer white wine go with?

Have you ever wondered how a name or title affects the perception of a character or object? With the Gewürztraminer wine variety, the dissonant name played a cruel joke. Behind this difficult-to-pronounce word is actually hidden an exquisite and noble drink with a unique aroma, thanks to which this variety got its name. Indeed, translated from German gewürztraminer means “spicy Traminer” or “fragrant Traminer”, which in turn contains an indication of the parent variety. Despite the fact that sweet and semi-sweet wines have temporarily gone out of fashion and given way to dry and semi-dry varieties, Gewürztraminer is still worthy of attention as a rare drink with a memorable taste.

Why should you try Gewürztraminer?

Why should every self-respecting lover of good wine try this variety with a scary name? There are several good reasons:

Gewürztraminer is one of the noble grape varieties, of which there are no more than eighteen in the world.
A surprisingly low price for a wine of this quality - no more than $20 per bottle.
Pairs well with Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine.
This is a surprisingly rare grape variety - only 8,000 hectares worldwide, or 80 km², which is comparable to the area of a small city.

Gewürztraminer is like a grown-up version of Muscat: sharper aroma, higher alcohol content and less acidity. This drink cannot be drunk in one gulp, like sweet Muscat - its complex taste is usually enjoyed for a long time, and it is not suitable for everyone. If you are ready for a wine that is not at all delicate, but rather even aggressively fragrant, you should like Gewürztraminer.

Gewürztraminer is similar to the “adult” version of Muscat

Wines from Gewürztraminer

The first thing you will notice when you pick up a glass of Gewürztraminer wine is the characteristic aroma of lychee fruit. If you have never tried lychee before, either canned or fresh, then the most suitable description of this aroma for you is the rich, sweet smell of rose. This aroma is so intense that you can recognize Gewürztraminer in a glass even with your eyes closed. If you drink a high-quality drink, the initial scent of lychee will gradually unfold into a whole bouquet of aromas: red grapefruit, rose petals, ginger and smoky notes, similar to the smell of burning incense.

Does Gewürztraminer always taste sweet?

Not always. However, because Gewürztraminer has the same bright and rich aroma as sweet Muscat, Riesling and Torrontes, it most often has a consistent sweetish aftertaste. The amount of residual sugar in this variety is only 1-2 grams per liter, which allows it to be classified as dry wines. But due to the pronounced aroma, higher alcohol content and lower acidity, most Gewürtz produced seem sweeter than they really are.

Key Features

Fruity aromas (berries, fruits, citrus): lychee, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, apricot, orange, cantaloupe.

Other aromas (herbs, spices, minerals, floral and earthy notes): rose, honey, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, incense, smoke.

Acidity: moderately low

Serving temperature: chilled to 6 ºC

Similar varieties: Muscat, Riesling, Torrontes (Argentina), Loureiro (Portugal), Malvasia Bianca (Italy).

Historically important regions

Gewürztraminer is one of four Grand Cru varieties traditionally cultivated in Alsace. Alsatian Gewürztraminer of the highest quality is called Vendage Tardives (French for “late harvest”) - these are aged dessert wines whose flavor bouquet contains mineral, smoky and spicy notes.

Origin of the Gewürztraminer variety

The homeland of Gewürztraminer is the slopes of the Alps. This pink grape variety is similar to Pinot Grigio, which also grows well in cool climates. Initially, Gewürztraminer grew only in Germany, but after several centuries it moved to the Alps, including also the territory of Italy, France, Hungary, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia. According to another version, it arrived in Germany from Italy as a variety of the Traminer variety, and already acquired the prefix “Gewurz” on the spot.

What does it go with?

Exotic dishes. Gewürztraminer does not go best with traditional French cuisine. This wine variety is much more suitable for the cuisine of the Middle East or Morocco, where an unusual combination of nuts and dried fruits with meat dishes is found in Europe. And the floral and ginger notes in the aroma of the wine will highlight the taste of real ginger and rose water in the dishes.

	Exotic dishes. Gewürztraminer does not go best with traditional French cuisine. This wine variety is much more suitable for the cuisine of the Middle East or Morocco, where an unusual combination of nuts and dried fruits with meat dishes is found in Europe. And the floral and ginger notes in the aroma of the wine will highlight the taste of real ginger and rose water in the dishes.
	Meat: duck, chicken, pork, bacon, shrimp and crab meat.
	Herbs and spices - rich, pungent, aromatic: cayenne pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, turmeric, Madras curry, Szechuan pepper, shallots, soy sauce, sesame, almonds, rose water, lime leaves (a type of lime), bay leaf, coriander, cumin ).
	Cheese: soft cow's milk cheeses without a pungent odor in combination with dried fruits.
	Vegetables and vegetarian dishes: stewed and baked vegetables, which initially have a slightly sweet taste - bell peppers, red onions, eggplants, zucchini, carrots, and exotic ones - coconut and tempeh (fermented soybeans). Gewürztraminer also goes well with artichokes, for dishes with which it is usually difficult to find a suitable wine.

How to choose Gewürztraminer?

In fact, Gewürztraminer is a rather rare wine. For every plantation of this variety there are 30 plantations of Cabernet Sauvignon and 4 plantations of Riesling. Cheap Gewurztraminer from supermarkets is a low quality dessert wine. It is better to purchase it in a specialized store that sells good wines, or order it online.

Gewurztraminer in the world

As mentioned above, the total plantation area is just over 8,000 hectares worldwide. This number is distributed across countries as follows.

Alsace ~2800 hectares

Alsace is the world's largest producer of Gewürztraminer wine. The wines from there are excellent in quality and have a less sweet taste. When choosing an Alsace wine, look for the Grand Cru inscription on the bottle - a mark of the highest quality assigned to a specific vineyard. Pay attention to the inscription Haut-Rhin, “Haut Rhine” - this region has the most Alsatian wineries with a Grand Cru degree.

USA ~1300 hectares

Back in the 60s, before sweet wines fell out of favor, Gewurztraminer grapes were grown throughout California. These plantations still exist: to enjoy the more refined taste of Californian Gewürztraminer, it is recommended to choose wine from cooler regions (Sonoma, Monterey) or from wineries located as high above sea level as possible. An example of the combination of price and quality is Husch Vineyards, whose aged wines cost less than $20 per bottle.

The states of New York and Washington have great potential for growing Gewürztraminer grapes, as the cool climate contributes to greater acidity of the final product.

Other Regions

Italy - about 600 hectares. Gewürztraminer vineyards occupy about 10% of the Alto Adige wine region in Northern Italy.

Cono Sur Bicicleta Gewürztraminer 2017 white dry

Gewurztraminer Trimbach, 2015 white semi-dry

Dr. Schnaider Gewürztraminer Halbtrocken white semi-dry

Synonyms: Kleiner Traminer, Savagnin roses.
- an ancient Austrian technical grape variety, widely cultivated in Western Europe. According to morphological characteristics and biological properties, it belongs to the ecological and geographical group of Western European grape varieties.
The crown of a young shoot is almost white with thick felt pubescence. Along the edges of the cloves and along the midrib of the first two leaves there is a fairly well defined wine-red stripe. The leaves are light green with a characteristic reddish-pink tint and thick felt pubescence on the underside. One-year-old mature shoot is brown with reddish nodes. The leaf is medium-sized and small, round, dense, funnel-shaped, with slightly curved downward edges, moderately and slightly dissected, 3- and 5-lobed. The middle lobe is wide, obtuse-angled. The upper cuts are predominantly of medium depth, open, lyre-shaped, with almost parallel sides, the lower ones are shallow, open, of the same shape or barely outlined. The petiole notch is closed, with a narrow elliptical lumen, sometimes open, slit-like and vaulted. The terminal teeth and marginal teeth are triangular, with convex sides. The upper and lower surfaces of the leaf have weak cobwebby pubescence. The flower of the Traminer grape is pink and bisexual. Bunch: small or medium size (8-14 cm long, 7-10 cm wide), cylindrical-conical or conical, often winged, dense. The stem of the bunch is herbaceous, short - up to 4 cm long. The average weight of the bunch is 90 g, varying from 67 to 120 g over the years. The berry is medium-sized (14-16 mm long, 12-14 mm wide), round or slightly oval, light pink with bluish prune coating. The skin is quite thick and dense. The pulp is melting, tender, with a harmonious taste and subtle varietal aroma. The juice is colorless. The average weight of 100 berries is 120 g. There are 1-3 seeds per berry.
The leading characteristics of the Traminer pink grape variety: small, hard, coarsely wrinkled leaves with rounded (dome-shaped) teeth and thick cobwebby pubescence, small, very dense clusters; light pink, slightly oval berries.
The seedlings are spreading, with almost white shoot tips. The leaves are small, almost entire, with dome-shaped teeth, pubescent on the underside. Autumn leaf color is yellow.
Growing season. From bud break to ripeness of the berries, it takes 139 days to make table wines, and 155 days for dessert wines. In the first case, the harvest is usually harvested quite early, in the first or second decade of September, in the second - in early October.
Grape bushes are of medium vigor, but in production plantings they are often weak-growing. By the time of autumn frosts, the shoots ripen well (80-90%).
Productivity. Traminer pink is a variety with high, but sharply varying yields from year to year. Fruitful shoots on the bush are 50-60%, the number of bunches on a developed shoot is 0.7-0.9, on a fruitful shoot 1.2-1.5.
Sustainability. The grape variety Traminer pink is moderately affected and damaged. It is characterized by relative frost resistance, but is inferior to varieties such as,. On average, his total death rate reached 47.6%. Shoots developed from replacement buds may produce a partial harvest.
A significant drawback of the variety is the very slow restoration of bush vigor and yield after severe winter frosts. The buds of wintering grapes bloom much earlier and more quickly compared to many other grape varieties and are therefore more often exposed to late spring frosts. The grape variety is not tolerant to drought.
Features of agricultural technology. The Pink Traminer variety produces high yields on moist, fairly fertile soils, so it should be placed in irrigated areas. The best location for plantings is small southern and western slopes with soils such as light chernozems or light carbonate loams. When cultivating on irrigated and fertile soils, the distance between bushes in a row is increased to 1.5 m.
Plants are usually shaped like a standardless multi-armed fan with a moderate supply of perennial wood. If the vineyards are planted on rich soils and especially under irrigated conditions, they stick to more powerful formations with a large supply of perennial wood. Fruit shoots are left long, with at least 10 eyes. In Transcarpathia, the variety is successfully cultivated on high trunks.
Technological characteristics. The berries contain 81.2% juice and 18.8% skin, dense parts of pulp and seeds. The ridges make up 3.5% of the total mass of the bunch. The grape variety has a high sugar-accumulating ability. Sugar content 22 g/100 ml with acidity 6.7 g/l.
One of the most valuable wine grape varieties. The harvest is used mainly for the preparation of high-quality table and dessert wines, champagne wine materials and juices.
Famous vintage wines are prepared in Transcarpathia. Promeniste is a high-quality table wine, with a sparkling, golden-pink color, with a pleasant varietal bouquet, full and soft in taste. Troyanda Zakarpattya is an excellent white dessert wine, with an amber color and a slight pink tint, buttery in taste, with prominent delicate tones of tea rose.

Gewürztraminer(Gewürz – spicy, German) – Traminera rosea. With low yields, Gewürztraminer accumulates sugar well and produces an even more pronounced bouquet than pink Traminer. The requirements for the microclimate of the vineyard are very high. The tendency to shed the ovary during flowering is strong. The importance of this grape variety lies in the high quality of its wines, which are characterized by a delicate bouquet reminiscent of the scent of roses, and the cultivation of Gewürztraminer is profitable (in the West), despite its low productivity and strong tendency to shatter. Of all the Muscat varieties, Gewürztraminer provides perhaps the best bouquet. Produces wines with bright aromas of roses, Chinese lychee and rich color.

Discussion of grape variety

Not as often pronounced in liquor stores as Chardonnay, Riesling or Muscat, and not just because of its difficult pronunciation. Wines from Gewürztraminer stand apart from other varieties of white wines due to their distinctive taste and spectacular aroma.

Appearing a thousand years ago in the Italian region of Alto Adige in the village of Tramin, Gewürztraminer borrowed the name from its homeland, adding to it the well-deserved savory prefix “Gewurz” (“spicy”, German).

The Roman legionaries who set foot on these lands fell in love with the local grape variety so much that they took it to the capital. In Rome, it came to court and became the favorite wine of Caesar himself.

It was the Romans who “promoted” Gewürztraminer, planting it in the conquered territories. In a similar scenario, Gewürztraminer appeared in Alsace, where he found his second home.

Initially, Traminer bunches were pale green in color. This variety did not boast the generosity of aroma or the brightness of the bouquet, but by the end of the 19th century it was reborn into the grape we know today: golden-pink berries with thick skins that produce fragrant wines.

It was not until 1973 in Alsace that Gewürztraminer received official status under the name by which we know it today.

“This is not wine, this is perfume!”

Gewürztraminer is so aromatic that twenty years ago, at a blind tasting in France, one of the judges, tasting wine from this variety, thought that perfume had been poured into his glass by mistake.

In the bouquet of Gewürztraminer, rose and lilac are mixed with coconut and cinnamon, pampering with shades of bergamot and anise, pleasing with the sweetness of apricot and pear, seducing with cloves and marzipan. Sometimes familiar notes burst into the palette of Gewürztraminer aromas, subtly reminiscent of the smell of Nivea cream, and at times it smells of peach jam and blooming acacia, dried fruits and rowan berries.

The aromatic Gewürztraminer, however, cannot be called either subtle or delicate. Rather, he is aggressive and persistent. Its charm captivates from the first sip or repels you forever.

Speaking about the extraordinary aroma of this variety, you can try to consider this property from a chemical point of view. Gewürztraminer has a high concentration and a unique composition of special substances - terpenes. These special hydrocarbons, which make up the basic component of essential oils, accumulate in the skins of grapes in order to later give them to wine. Compared to Riesling, Gewurztraminer has 13 times more terpenes!

Free terpenes - cin-rose oxide, geraniol and linalool - are responsible for the aroma of Gewurztraminer. This composition is similar in chemical formula to the structure of lychee terpenes. The characteristic low acidity and high sugar content of Gewürztraminer contribute to the full release of terpenes.

Gewürztraminer is very capricious and requires careful care in ideal conditions. The vine begins to bloom in early spring, when there is a high probability of destructive frosts. Gewürztraminer has low disease resistance and a short life cycle. The whimsical variety feels good only in a mild climate: too cold an environment interferes with the ripening and preservation of all fragrant qualities, and too hot conditions kill acidity, increasing unwanted bitterness.

The quality of the final product depends on how and where the grapes were grown - this wine can become too simple and uninteresting, or it can turn out to be refined and complex. If the grapes are a little overripe, they will look like second-rate Muscat. If you harvest an unripe harvest, the wine will seem like a third-rate Riesling. In order not to upset the aromatic balance, winemakers almost never use oak barrels for aging.

The bouquet of dry Gewurztraminers reveals characteristic notes of flowers and fruits, honey and praline. In the aftertaste, spicy and peppery shades are added. Dry Gewürztraminers of the highest category are aged for 3-5 years, and late-harvest wines are aged for 5-7 years.

Gewürztraminers, which do not pretend to be elitist, are good at a young age, but after three years they begin to slowly lose their aroma.

Only a suitable terroir, a favorable climate and the love of the winemaker can serve as insurance against bad Gewürztraminer wine.

Alsatian standard

The best examples of Gewürztraminer are of Alsatian origin. In France, this variety is also called Traminer Mousquet or Aromatic. The vineyards of Alsace have the best terroir for this vine: fertile clay soils are rich in limestone and minerals, the Vosges Mountains protect the plantations from freezing winds, and with mild winters, summers are sunny, not too rainy and not too hot. The most aromatic varietal wines in the world are made here from Gewürztraminer, with floral and spice tones, decorated with the nuances of exotic fruits: pineapple, melon, lychee, quince. The best examples of these wines have a full-bodied structure and an oily texture with a high alcohol level.

A wide range of Alsatian products from Gewürztraminer includes wines from dry to sweet dessert wines, from inexpensive folk wines to privileged precious ones. Alsace wines are mostly dry. If the autumn is warm and long, noble mold appears on the ripe grapes, concentrating the sweetness. The classification of Alsace wines by sweetness involves the following division:

Vendanges Tardives VT (Vandage Tardives - late harvest) wines are made from late harvest grapes;
Selection de Grains Nobles SGN (Selection de Grains Noble - selected noble berries) wines are made from berries affected by noble mold;
rare Quintessence de Grains Nobles QGN wines are superior to SGN in key parameters.

SGN wines are considered the sweetest, being the equivalent of German Auslese, although they rarely have the same level of acidity as German examples. Behind every bottle of wine is its producer. Alsatian winemakers are united by pride in their land and the desire to remain the best, without giving their competitors an ounce of well-deserved glory.

Let's take a look at the wineries of Alsace, where wonderful Gewürztraminer wine is born.

The vineyard is called the pearl of Alsace Clos du Chateau Isenbourg, located in terraces on a steep hillside on fertile soils of pink sandstone. Long ago, the monks here grew the best grapes in the region, and now this small-scale farm produces elite wines in limited volumes of the Grand Cru category.

Leon Beyer- a world celebrity, founder of the House of Alsace Wines (Maison de Vin d'Alsace). Today the company is run by a representative of the 13th generation of the family. The excellent quality of Leon Beyer's wines is noted in the Sotheby's World Wine Encyclopedia.

Excellent wines from Gewürztraminer are released René Muret, one of the oldest manufacturers in Alsace, dating back to 1648.

Many people are familiar with the name Hugel, which has become synonymous with Alsatian winemaking. White wines from Hugel is a brand that guarantees noble taste and unlimited aging potential.

One of the first local wine cooperatives is called Wolfberger. It unites 800 families of Alsatian winemakers. Taking from each other innovative experiences and supporting ancient traditions, Wolfberger cultivates almost 150 thousand vineyards in 18 Grand Cru appellations.

Family businesses form the backbone of Alsatian winemaking. This is what farming is Albert Boxler, promoting naturalness. Family companies include Domain Sind-Umbrecht, whose style was an unconventional approach and foresight in the methods of cultivating vines. A family company with a three-hundred-year history adheres to high standards of traditional winemaking. Domain Ernest Burn.

Among the “new stars of Alsace” (according to Robert Parker) the company shines brightly Domain Shoffit, producing wines of the highest level.

Soft, oily wines with a rounded taste and sufficient acidity are produced by Domain Bott Gale. Guilt Domain Mark Tampa They are distinguished by their unique individuality, aristocratic elegance and richness of taste. The wines of Domaine Marcel Deiss have amazingly complex aromas.

Young companies successfully compete with older farms. One of these wineries Domain Ostertag in just a few years it has become a global importer of the region's best wines.

A constant supplier to royal houses and the best restaurants in the world - Alsatian Domain Weinbach. Its name comes from a stream on the farm’s territory and is translated as “wine stream,” but in terms of the scale of production, Weinbach can be compared to a deep ocean.

Charles Schleret is a classic example of a successful Alsatian company. 30% of the estate’s vineyards are occupied by Riesling and Gewürztraminer, the age of the vines reaches 40 years, the average annual income is fifty bottles.

Italian brother Traminer Rose

In its historical homeland, Gewürztraminer is called Traminer Rose.

The Italian version is inferior to the Alsatian in terms of strength of character and brightness of the bouquet. It is lighter in color, more acidic in taste and less expressive in aroma. Compared to Gewürztraminer's heyday, only half of its vineyards remain today.

Among those who remained faithful to Gewürztraminer, one must first name the winery Hofstatter. The highest quality wines from this variety are produced here. A characteristic feature of the farm is that the vineyards are located in different climatic regions, and the optimal habitat can be selected for each variety.

For more successful wine production, small winemakers unite into cooperatives. The Colterenzio cooperative, which includes about three hundred winemakers, boasts an excellent reputation. Here is one of the oldest vineyards in Europe, which was planted by the ancient Romans.

The cooperative is proud of its hundred-year history Cantina Terlano, uniting about a hundred Italian wine producers.

Wine cooperative Tramin with a self-explanatory name, it coordinates the activities of 280 winemakers in South Tyrol. The cooperative produces 3 lines of wines: classic, selected and sparkling. The ratings of Tramina wines always occupy the first lines of the most prestigious Italian guides, and the number of its awards is difficult to count.

Another large wine house in South Tyrol is San Michele Appiano. The quality of the wines of this company is the merit of the famous oenologist Hans Terzer, who considers it his duty to bring each wine to perfection.

Italian wineries may have extensive plantations, or they may cultivate small vineyards, but what they have in common is the desire for excellent quality wines. Along with large international-level farms, small farms such as Erste and Neu Kellerey. Although the winery cannot boast of a wide range of wines, each of its wines has DOC status. Each company makes its own contribution to the development of Italian winemaking.

Wine companies such as Tiefenbrunner, win by betting on innovative technologies and modernization of production.

In addition to cooperatives and family wineries, real abbeys produce wine in Italy. Abbazia Di Novacella at the monastery of the 12th century, it honors traditional technologies, keeping ancient secrets. Under the slogan “we make righteous wine,” the Novacella winery has long emerged from the walls of the monastery to gain recognition from the world community.

Enterprising ladies are not far behind Italian male winemakers. Elena Walch, who has earned the official title of “Donna del Vino,” and Elisabetta Angelina, head of the Caparzo wine estate, can without a doubt be called the goddesses of Italian winemaking. Their wonderful wines, including the capricious Gewürztraminer, are applauded by men from all continents.

...and other relatives

IN Germany Gewürztraminer is abbreviated to "Gewurz". It also has several local names: Rother Traminer or Rotfranke. It is sweeter than the Alsatian varieties, and its aromatic palette is rich in floral, fruity and animal tones. German Gewürtz is more acidic than French, but compared to Italian it is brighter. It can be said that the German Gewürztraminer represents a middle option between its relatives from Italy and France.

The German region of Palatinate, which specializes in growing Rotfranke, produces wines as spicy as those in Alsace and as acidic as those in Italy. Gewürtz's solid and full-bodied French brothers are either very dry or quite sweet, while Rothfranke produces wines with a natural balance of sugar and acidity and lower alcohol levels.

IN Austria Gewürztraminer is known by the names: red Roter Traminer and yellow Gelber Traminer. It produces the sweetest wines of exceptional concentration.

IN Romania Gewürztraminer is hidden under the name Rusa, in Switzerland he is called Heida, and in Czech Republic everyone got used to his name Drumin. Slovak Gewürztraminer is Ptink Cherveny, Bulgarian- Mala Dinka, huh Hungarian- Ranfolitsa.

Gewürztraminer came to New World under the guise of light sweet versions intended for consumption at a young age. He has settled in remarkably well in Australia and New Zealand, in the USA and South Africa, in Chile and Argentina. Winemakers look to the French Gewürztraminer as a standard, adding to it the original nuances of the local terroir.

Gastronomic combinations

They say that Gewürztraminer seems to be specially created for the sipping wines drinking style, when the wine is sipped in tiny sips. It is good as an aperitif and can serve as an invitation to the main meal, creating a fresh flavor palette.

When choosing a gastronomic pairing for this wine, you must be very careful not to kill either the taste of the dish or the taste of the wine.

If we take the Alsatian version, then dry Gewürztraminer is usually served with onion pie, seafood and pates, and sweet - with Munster-type cheeses.

If you try to combine this spicy wine with the national cuisine of other countries, you should pay attention to Chinese and Mexican dishes, the strong taste of which will not be lost against the background of the powerful Gewürztraminer.

Fruit nuances in the bouquet of Gewürztraminer will be favorably received by meat or poultry with pineapples or oranges, pilaf with dried fruits, and sweet and sour sauces. The contrast of acidity and sweetness also makes good combinations. For example, Gewürztraminer will go well with the Russian appetizer “herring under a fur coat,” in which the sweetness of carrots and beets will become more interesting against the backdrop of salty herring.

Gewürztraminer can play with thick bisque soups made from shellfish and crustaceans or with game in lingonberry sauce.

The combination of Gewürztraminer with fruit salads, ginger confitures and gingerbread is harmonious. Desserts with cinnamon will also be appropriate when creating a pleasant duet.

In restaurants that are no strangers to fusion, Gewürztraminer acts as a diplomat, reconciling hostile parties. Previously antagonistic products, under the influence of this wine, suddenly begin to become friends, showing peacefulness.

Gewürztraminer can become an unsolvable puzzle for a cook, or it can turn into divine nectar, against the background of which all dishes will become richer and more attractive.

Wine

Wine refers to alcoholic beverages; it is obtained from grape juice through complete or partial alcoholic fermentation. This technique was known as far back as 7 thousand years BC. The presence of Osiris among the Egyptians, Dionysus among the Greeks, and Bacchus among the Romans shows the important place the drink occupied in everyday life.

It is not known exactly where it first appeared; presumably it was Mesopotamia, Palestine (Israel) or Georgia. The Egyptians were actively involved in winemaking and spread the drink throughout the Mediterranean, the Romans further, to all the conquered lands. Europeans brought it to the American continent, to South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.

Description

Magnificent sweet wines, striking in their rich aroma and incomparable taste, are produced in France. “Gewürztraminer” is a wine (photo in the text) that represents the masterpiece of Alsatian winemakers. This drink has an unforgettable taste, full-bodied, with spicy and delicate notes of fruit.

Gewürztraminer is a wine whose description requires the use of adjectives only in the superlative form. It has an incredibly strong individual and very diverse aroma, you can “hear”:

peony;
rose;
apricot;
zest;
violet;
black currant leaf;
dried apricots;
saffron;
orange jam;
peach;
caramel.

You can also taste exotic fruits: passion fruit, mango, pineapple, lychee. Spices are also present: cloves, ginger, mint.

The drink has a rich yellow color with light golden highlights; it is provided by the reddish skin of the berries. A round, full-bodied taste with a firm structure combines with elegant freshness. It is not customary to age Gewürztraminer in barrels; it is drunk young and reaches its peak in the third year.

Story

Wines made from Gewürztraminer grapes stand out among other similar drinks with their distinctive taste and spectacular aroma. It is the most recognizable among all Alsatian wines. Once you try it, you won’t confuse it with any other.

Several hundred years ago, the Italian region of Alto Adige was famous for its Traminer grape variety. Roman legionaries liked the local variety and brought it to Rome. Caesar himself approved the drink made from these grapes.

The Romans were accustomed to drinking wine every day; on the conquered lands they cultivated grapes, including Traminer. This is how he appeared on French territory in Alsace. Over time, for its amazing taste and persistent aroma, it received the prefix “Gewurz” - spicy (German). Not only the name has changed, but also the shade of the berries. The pale green skin has changed color to golden yellow or pinkish brown. It is this variety that produces magnificent white aromatic wine.

How to serve

Served chilled, usually up to 8 0 C. “Gewürztraminer” is a wine, the serving temperature of which can vary depending on its acidity. A very acidic drink is cooled to 12 0 C; with low acidity, the temperature is reduced only to 8 0 C. After pouring the wine into glasses, it is recommended not to leave it on the table, but to put it back in the refrigerator to prevent the drink from heating up.

The glass for serving is called “Sauvignon Blanc”, its unofficial name is “Seeing off the old New Year”. It has an elongated tulip shape. Aromatic wines are drunk only from such glasses; they most fully concentrate the bouquet of the drink in its upper part. According to the rules of etiquette, the container is filled 1/3. This is exactly the “lake of wine” - its widest part, which makes 100 grams of drink.

What goes with it?

“Gewürztraminer” is a wine (consumer reviews are unanimous on this) that is perfect as an aperitif. It requires careful selection of a pairing, finding a middle ground, maintaining peace and understanding between the tastes of the drink and the dish.

Cooks of national cuisines offer interesting combinations:

Russian herring under a fur coat will acquire brighter notes, and the combination of salted fish and sweet vegetables will surprise you with new shades;
seafood from Chinese cuisine goes perfectly with wine, this pairing emphasizes and mutually enhances the taste;
spicy Mexican cuisine will find a worthy partner; against its background, the drink will not get lost, but will rise to the challenge, adding its powerful aroma to the strong taste.

Gewürztraminer is a wine that goes well with fruits, gingerbread, cinnamon desserts, and ginger confiture. It can be served with meat or poultry with oranges and pineapple. Game with lingonberry sauce and pilaf with dried fruits will go well together. Exotic dishes, old cheeses, foie gras, desserts - the divine fruity shade of the wine will suit any proposed option. Gewürztraminer’s ability to highlight the taste of a dish and make it more attractive is amazing.

Country of origin

Only one country is recognized throughout the world where the real, “correct” Gewürztraminer is produced - France. Here you can find dry and sweet dessert wines. There are inexpensive “folk” and privileged precious varieties. Some features of wine in other countries:

The standard remains white wine “Gewürztraminer” (France). Winemakers around the world focus on it when producing an exquisite and amazing drink. The conditions and nuances of winemaking allow us to introduce into it a touch of peculiarities for each specific area.

Wine "Gewürztraminer" (France, Alsace) is classified according to the degree of sweetness:

Vendanges Tardives (VT) or late harvest is made from late harvest grapes.
Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN) - made only from the ripest selected noble berries, they are considered to be the sweetest.
Quintessence de Grains Nobles - QGN, rare wines, are superior in basic parameters to the exquisite SGN varieties.

Grape variety

“Gewürztraminer” is a grape variety (literal translation - “spicy grapes “tramina”), which is a clone of “traminer rosea”. The grape received its official name not so long ago, in 1973. A capricious variety, it has high requirements for soils and microclimate .

Does not tolerate deprived soil and drought. Fertile soils rich in minerals and limestone are optimal for growing. French Alsace is famous for its soils with a uniquely high limestone content. In this province, 20% of the total vineyard area is occupied by the Gewürztraminer variety.

Cool weather is considered the most favorable. In hot climates, berries gain sugar too quickly, lose their acidity, and an undesirable hint of bitterness appears in the wine. Excess rain leads to loss of aroma. Early flowering in case of unexpected frosts leads to shedding of flowers. The variety is not distinguished by an abundant harvest, but with proper care it pleases with quality.

Cultivated mainly in France, Germany, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and northern Italy. There are vineyards with this variety in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and South Africa. In the post-Soviet space, this variety can be found in Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Wine classification

All existing wines are classified according to the following main characteristics:

color;
type of raw material;
carbon dioxide content;
aging period;
sugar and alcohol content.

"Gewürztraminer" is a wine that can be classified as:

white;
grape varietal;
average;
young (up to 3 years);
dry.

Production technology

Wine production has not changed for many thousands of years. Of course, technology is improving, but the essence remains the same:

Single-celled organisms (yeast) convert the sugar contained in grape juice into alcohol.
The fermentation period determines the richness of taste and depth of color of the drink. Red wines ferment for a little less than a week; for white varieties, this process can take several weeks.

Aging and storage are important; the period depends on the type of drink.

Experts have figured out how to speed up or slow down fermentation processes, determined which tree is most suitable for long-term storage of the drink, and learned to cross different varieties of grapes. Despite all modern inventions, wine production technology remains the same. Gewürztraminer is also made.

Curious facts

There are several interesting facts related to winemaking:

wine is produced on all continents of the Earth, except Antarctica;
the first scientific center dedicated to the study of the drink appeared in France;
the taste and smell of the product depend not only on the raw materials, but also on the timing of the harvest, weather conditions in each specific case, fermentation temperature, aging time, and the type of wood from which the barrels are made;

store bottles of wine with their corks facing down or on their sides so that the cork is moist and does not let air in;
professional winemakers bottle wine into certain types of bottles corresponding to the type of drink;
the taste depends on the serving temperature: light wines require more cooling of 7-10 degrees, for red wines 18-20 0 are acceptable;
It was in Alsace that the concept of “wine road” was first introduced in 1955, combining tourism, hotels, and good food.

Wines made from some grape varieties smell stronger in the glass than others, usually called aromatic varieties. Wine snobs do not like aromatic varieties, considering their bouquet too obvious and not subtle enough. It seems to me that there is nothing wrong if the wine smells brightly of roses.

All the roses of the world

One day, together with a friend who was deeply immersed in the world of small-run perfumes, we tried to find out whether wine aromas were similar to perfume aromas. Regarding varieties such as Gewürtz, a friend stated: “absolutely not.” “Wine shouldn’t smell like roses,” he said. And this reaction explains a lot: that’s why Gewürtz has gained the status of a wine for beginners. These floral tones cannot but enchant, but do we always like it when they are unambiguously imposed on us - and this is exactly what, according to the majority, happens with the Gewürtz. I'll try to convince you that everything is more interesting than it seems.

Geography

Gewürtz is an old school European thing. Yes, it is also made in other, no less wonderful wine spots on the planet - in South Africa, a little in Chile, in Australia and Tasmania, in Washington state. In New Zealand, the variety found its second home long before New Zealand winemakers switched en masse to Sauvignon Blanc. Moreover, at the very beginning of the era of New Zealand winemaking, that is, in the 70s, it was the main white variety here. At first, for some reason, local oenologists decided that it was best for them to focus on Germany and varieties of German origin, which they later regretted. But the first and main association that usually arises when mentioning Gewürztraminer is Alsace. In general, approximately the same “sugar” classification system works here, which I wrote about in the material on.

Alsace is a place of power for the Gewürtz, only here his appearance appears to the world in all its direct and obvious brightness. This is largely due to the special attitude towards varieties: it is not customary here to mix them with others in one wine, and a separate vineyard will almost always be planted with grapes of only one variety. The best wines are made from grand cru, quite ancient ones, such as Brand, Kessler, Sporen, Schoenenbourg. And then this whole story smoothly flows into the upper reaches of the Rhine and becomes completely German. The main difference between Alsatian Gewurtz and Gewurtz from the Palatinate is that dry wines from Alsace are much more common.

Traminer and Gewürztraminer

A separate conversation is Gewürtz in Italy: Trentino, Alto Adige, that is, the very north. Here it is important not to forget that these lands, that is, Südtirol, which are now considered Italian, were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire a hundred years ago (hence, by the way, Gewürtz in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Trieste and Croatia). That is, in fact, all this is part of approximately the same small local conspiracy. It is Südtirol that claims more officially than others to be the homeland of the variety, since the village of Tramin is located here.

However, not everything is so simple: the Traminer variety grown here is not genetically the same as Gewürztraminer, that is, “aromatic Traminer”. These are different varieties. But that's not all. In Austria, for example, unlike Italy, traminer is just that - gewürztraminer. So patriotic Alsatians do not pay attention to the Italians and consider Gewürztraminer to be their autochthon, that is, the original variety born here, especially since it has been grown here since the deep Middle Ages; the first mention of something similar to Gewürtz dates back to the year 1000.

With food

Usually, among the main disadvantages of Gewürtz wine is insufficiently high acidity. Indeed, compared to Riesling, it is not that great, but it is clearly sufficient to withstand heavy cheeses such as Munster, smoked fish, as well as the large family of Alsatian choucroutes.

In addition to the mentioned roses, as well as lychees and peaches, in its bouquet you can also find aromas of grapefruit and lemon zest, lemongrass, bergamot, honey, meadow herbs, and confectionery spices. Sweet gewürtz and strudel are a classic Alsatian combination.

Due to its spicy character, dry young gewürtz goes well with Far Eastern cuisine, both Chinese and Japanese. It comes to the point that some Alsace winemakers make young wines with Gewürtz specifically to accompany sushi and sashimi.

Sweetness and aroma

What distinguishes sweet gewürtz (vendanges tardives, selection de grains nobles, etc.) from unsweetened gewürtz, except for the actual sugar level? In the bouquet of a “simpler”, dry Gewürtz we will most likely find more of the base aromas of the variety, that is, roses, lychees, as well as “green” aromas of zest and herbs. A sweeter bouquet will have more tones of honey, dried fruits, and in general it will be more complex - of course, when it ripens.

ILLUSTRATION: Nastya Grigorieva