Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer is a white wine grape that was born in Germany. While Gewurz is a perfectly noble grape, its name sure makes it hard for the grape to prosper. Born in the foothills of the Alps, the pink grape has circumscribed the mountain range including Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Italy, and France over the years.

It’s often compared to another sweet white wine, Moscato, but for grown-ups. That’s because lower acidity and higher alcohol make it a notch harder to slurp down, thus making it more “adult.”

The first and likely the most prominent aroma you’ll come across is lychee. If you’ve never tried the fruit and don’t think you can recognize the smell, you can think of it as “sweet rose” instead. The lychee aroma is actually so intense that it’s often a giveaway in blind tastings.

If you’ve bought a high-quality bottle of Gewurztraminer, you are also likely to find complex aromatics of red grapefruit, ginger, rose petal, and a smoky scent.

Is Gewurztraminer Always Sweet?

That’s a good question and a common misconception about the wine. While Gewurz is, in fact, sweet, it often has to do with its aroma and acidity, not sugar added. Generally, the white wine would have a gram or two of residual sugar. However, when you combine it with aromatics, lower acidity, and higher alcohol content, you may find Gewurztraminer sweeter than it actually is.

Gewurztraminer is a picky grape which is quite fussy about climate and soil. It passionately hates chalky soils and extreme climates. The grape is also known to ripen erratically and late. In hot climates, this means getting blowsy and not developing enough acidity to balance the sugar. If picked early, on the other hand, the grape will retain acidity, but at a cost of not developing its excellent aromas.

If you’d like to try a bottle of this aromatic wine, buy Gewurztraminer in our store in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, or online!