Gewürztraminer
My wine making buddies and I have made some very
good Gewürztraminer over the years. Since we like Asian
food, it seemed to be a good thing to make. But, I have a confession. One of
the reasons (but not the only reason) that I like Gewürztraminer is that
whenever I say the word I think of Steve Carrell and Dana Carvey portraying Germans Who Say Nice Things from
Saturday Night Live. (https://youtu.be/M6mndRtsS88)
Also, I like the information that Wikipedia provides:
“Gewürztraminer [ɡəˈvʏɐtstʁaˈmiːnɐ] is
an aromatic wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. It is
sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz, and in French it is written
Gewurztraminer (without the umlaut)”.
Let me make this clear; [ɡəˈvʏɐtstʁaˈmiːnɐ] is not
helpful. Secondly, somebody tell me why the French have to be like that? There is no reason not to use the umlaut. The
umlaut is a fantastic diacritical mark. You’ve never seen a better mark than
this. Important people, VERY important
people have told me that those are the best two dots in any alphabet. Use it!
What is Gewürztraminer?
First,
let’s discuss how to pronounce the name of this grape.
Guh-voortz-truh-meener
Gewürztraminer,
aside from being fun to say, is perhaps the most complicated of the wine
grapes. This grape has quite a history, beginning as a green grape which then
morphed into pinkish-red due to a genetic mutation that took place over
centuries. It's made even more complicated by its misnaming of vines throughout
Europe for much of the last century. Adding yet another layer
of complexity, Gewürztraminer is very particular
about its soil and it needs to be picked at just the right moment to achieve
the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.
It's
a sweet, pinkish-red grape used in white wines, and runs the gamut from dry to
super sweet. It’s best when enjoyed sooner after bottling than later, has a
very high natural sugar, with flavors such as honey, apricot, pear and rose, as
well as a hint of lychee, passion fruit, and some floral notes.
Gewürztraminer
is grown all over Europe, as well as in Australia, Canada and the US, though
it's widely considered that the best Gewürztraminer comes from the Alsace
region of France. But, that’s subjective. There’s great Gewürtz all over the
place.
It’s
the second most planted grape in France, growing best in the south of the
Alsace region, but can also be found in Germany and Italy. In Germany, it tends
to be drier, and in Italy it’s aged in Austrian oak. Variations in climate and
wine-making lend to variations in wine by even closely neighboring countries.
In
North America, Gewürztraminer is most commonly found in the Finger Lakes AVA of
New York, Monterey, Mendocino, and Sonoma regions of California, as well as the
Columbia Valley of Oregon and Washington.
How to Pair
The
sweetness of Gewürztraminer helps to offset the spice in Asian or Indian food,
as sweet wines often do, and it also pairs well with fleshy or fatty meats,
such as wild game and sausage.
Gewürztraminer also balances the smoky flavors
of Muenster cheese and smoked salmon. Last, the super-sweet (look for “late
harvest” on the label) varieties make excellent dessert wines.
Typical Aromas of a
Gewürztraminer Based Wine:
Fruity: Pear, Lychee, Peach, Apricot, Guava,
Pineapple, Passion Fruit, Mango, Grapefruit, Sultana (Golden Raisin)
Floral: Roses, Rose Petal, Gardenia, Carnation,
Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Honey, Perfume
Spicy: Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, White Pepper,
Allspice, Clove
Strange
but True: Coconut, Pond’s Cold Cream,
Cheap Rose Perfume, Nivea Cream, ” “Old Lady Perfume”, Church
Incense, Petroleum, Turpentine, Diesel, Gasoline.
Check the blog often for more tips, news and wine stuff!
No comments:
Post a Comment