Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer
Grape (Vitis)
Gewürztraminer in Viala & Vermorel
Color of berry skin	Roset
Species	Vitis vinifera
Also called	Gewurztraminer, Gewürz, Gertie, Gentil Rose Aromatique, Traminer Musque (more)
Origin	Alsace, France
Notable regions	Alsace, Germany, Northeast Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Southern Australia
Notable wines	From Alsace, especially the Vendange Tardives

Gewürztraminer (pronounced [ɡəˈvʏɐtstʁaˈmiːnɐ]) is an aromatic wine grape variety, used in white wines, and performs best in cooler climates. In English, it is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz (this is never the case in German, because "Gewürz" means "herb" or "spice"), and in French it is written Gewurztraminer (without the umlaut). Gewürztraminer is a variety with a pink to red skin colour, which makes it a "white wine grape" as opposed to the blue to black-skinned varieties commonly referred to as "red wine grapes". The variety has high natural sugar and the wines are white and usually off-dry, with a flamboyant bouquet of lychees. Indeed, Gewürztraminer and lychees share the same aroma compounds. Dry Gewürztraminers may also have aromas of roses, passion fruit and floral notes. It is not uncommon to notice some spritz (fine bubbles on the inside of the glass).

Gewürztraminer's sweetness may offset the spice in Asian cuisine. It goes well with Maroilles, Livarot, or Munster cheese, and fleshy, fatty (oily) wild game.

The German name Gewürztraminer literally means "Spice Traminer" or "Perfumed Traminer", and originally comes from the Alsace region in France. This grape variety is a mutation of the Savagnin blanc, also named Traminer in South Tyrol (northern Italy).