Spicy and lively, gewurztraminer (pronounced geh-VERTS-trah-meen-er) is not one of the world`s most sought-after grape varieties.
For one thing, unlike many a successful grape, gewurztraminer is bold and assertive, soft, even fat on the tongue. It is not delicate like a riesling, buttery like a chardonnay, light like a pinot grigio, nor bubbly like champagne.
And the need for a pronounciation guide next to the word
”gewurztraminer” is a clue that this wine has a marketing problem.
Few brave souls in restaurants would risk their self-esteem to order a wine with such a formidable name. In wine shops, people in search of dry white wines shun it because they are under the false impression, due to its Germanic-sounding name, that it will be a sweet or semi-dry wine.
However out of fashion the grape is, it still has adherents around the world and is produced in California, Washington, Oregon, New York, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and even in Spain, Hungary, the Soviet Union, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Switzerland.
The greatest concentration of gewurztraminer, about 6,300 acres, is in Alsace, where it is considered one of the four noble grape varieties worthy of grand cru status. Although the name is German, Germany has only about 2,500 acres of the grape, about as much as Austria, and planted only in less desirable sites.
The earliest known record of this grape, made around 1000 A.D., is from its namesake town, Tramino, in the Alto Adige Italian Alps. Its origin is perhaps Greek and the only other grapes to which it is related are the savagnin blanc of the Jura, an obscure grape variety found only in the French Alps, and perhaps the viognier of the Rhone Valley.
The grape is not even a white grape at all, but rose colored, and when ripe has a definite pink or deep yellow cast. If the fermentation takes place on skins, which it accidentally did at the defunct Lawrence Winery in California, the resulting wine can even turn out to be a deeply colored rose, a vinicultural embarassment.
A great dry gewurztraminer will have a medium-to-deep golden color. Its nose will have some seductive and musky perfume of litchi nut, tangerine, pineapple and mango. On the palate, it will be round, soft yet dry, hinting of grapefruit. All this opulence frequently is counterpoised with a hint of orange-peel bitterness in the finish that is the hallmark of gewurztraminer alone. It should be drunk young, with few exceptions.
Naturally tending to be high in alcohol and low in acidity, gewurztraminer does best in climates that have a long, cool ripening season. In hotter climates the wine becomes perfumy, syrupy and blowsy, even when fermented into a dry or semi-dry style, called ”early harvest” by some California wineries. Jancis Robinson, English wine authority, reports that tasters on both sides of the Atlantic have found that the nose resembles cold cream.
That well may be. Yet the versatility of this grape with food, when handled properly by both the grape-grower and the vintner, is extraordinary. It is most commonly recommended with Szechwan and other spicy Asian cuisines, such as Thai. In general, the more fiery the dish, the richer and sweeter the wine can be. Gewurztraminer can accompany pork, grilled chicken, roast turkey, crab and lobster, halibut, sole and pike. Because of its relatively low acidity, it goes well with rich fish sauces and even with salty dishes, but does not tolerate lemon or other acids well.
The tasting revealed that Alsace is definitely master of this variety, yet some California and Washington practitioners have done admirably. The year 1990 seems to be a good for American West Coast gewurztraminers, but 1989 is outstanding for Alsace. Watch for them as they arrive.
Tasting notes
Thirty-one wines recently were tasted:
Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins Reserve Cuvee Theo 1989, Alsace-Dark gold color, rich and round on palate, with definite late-harvest sweetness on finish. Oily, litchi nut and grapefruit nose, with mango and orange-peel finish. Outstanding, nearly dessert-wine style for being enjoyed on its own or with soft tropical fruits. $32. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/94 points)
Trimbach Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre 1985, Alsace-Medium dry with great depth of flavor. Outstanding grapefruit and litchi flavors balanced with only a hint of bitter orange in finish to restrain the tropical fruitiness of the wine. From an important and usually excellent producer. This was one of the best values in the tasting. (Chef Jean Joho of the Everest Room creates a remarkable lobster dish with this wine.) $15.99 ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/92 points)
Josmeyer Les Archenets 1988, Alsace-Light bodied and very dry style with floral, litchi, grapefruit scents, lightly lemony and grapefruity mid-palate with a moderately bitter, refreshing finish. Great with chicken, seafood, fresh cheeses. Exemplary delicacy without sacrificing flavor. $21. ((STAR)
(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/91 points)
Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins Reserve Cuvee Theo 1988, Alsace-Demonstrates the difference between the two vintages of 1988 and 1989. The 1988 is drier and leaner than the 1989, hence it is more appropriate with food. This 1988 still retains the outstanding tropical fruit character but with more delicacy and dryness. $25. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/90 points)
Field Stone 1990, Alexander Valley, Calif.-Fruit-gum nose but a good, very dry grapefruity palate with a slight bitter orange-peel finish. A finely made gewurztraminer with clean flavor and good structure. $9.50 ((STAR)(STAR) (STAR)/89 points)
Hugel 350th Anniversary 1989, Alsace-The nearly perfect conditions for gewurztraminer in this vintage shine through this regular bottling of Hugel`s. Medium yellow color with litchi and pineapple on the nose, dry round and soft. Well made, medium-intense wine for savory foods, especially good with shellfish and spicy cuisine. $18. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/89 points)
Clos du Bois Early Harvest 1989, Alexander Valley, Calif.-Gold color and ripe apricot nose reveal a semi-dry to moderately sweet palate of apricot, pear, honey overtones, yet with enough acidity in finish to liven it up. This would be a fine wine with spicy Thai or hot Szechwan dishes. A real value. $9. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/88 points)
Chateau Ste. Michelle 1989, Columbia Valley, Wash.-Flowery nose. Dry, lemony grapefruit flavors in a balanced, medium intense Alsatian-style gewurztraminer. Outstanding for food, but perhaps not as impressive on its own. $6 ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/87 points)
Domaine Ostertag Vignoble d`Epfig 1989, Alsace-Dry and round, not sweet but rich and intense. Slightly bitter orange finish makes it refreshing. Ostertag is an inspirational young winemaker to watch. $15 ((STAR)(STAR)
(STAR)/88 points)
Marcel Deiss Bergheim Grand Cru 1988, Alsace-Deep color, apple and honey nose with litchi and ripe pineapple on palate. Exotic flavors and long ripe but dry finish. Beautifully intense. $21. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/86 points)
Navarro Dry Estate Bottled 1989, Anderson Valley, Calif.-Lavender blossom nose with sweet impression, leading to a slightly sweet yet crisp palate with lemony and grapefruit flavors. $14. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/86 points)
Suncrest ”Certified Organically Grown” 1990, Washington-This organic wine label of Worden`s Washington Winery scored well with an anise- and clove- scented nose. Dry but with a very sweet initial impression on the palate. Delicate and balanced though overly fizzy at first. This is also a nearly non- sulfited wine, too. $8.50 ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/86 points)
Buena Vista 1990, Carneros, Calif.-Green leafy nose, medium intense grapefruit and pineapple flavors. Sweet but crisp with a little bit of residual sugar lingering on the lips. $7.90 ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/ 85 points)
Marcel Deiss St. Hippolyte 1988, Alsace-Flowery, grapefruit nose with dry and light-bodied palate that hints at grapefruit, butter and woodruff. Overtly bitter orange finish. $23. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/85 points)
Handley 1990, Anderson Valley, California-Floral, lavender nose but crisp for a gewurztraminer on the palate. Balanced wine with straightforward apricot and grapefruit flavors finishing dry. Could be enjoyed on its own on a hot day. (3 stars/85 points) $7.75
Domaine Willm Clos Gaensbroennel Grand Cru 1988, Alsace-Intense nose of litchi nut and honey, with sweet upfront peach and apricot flavor. The midpalate lacks flavor, is almost watery. A bit dull and sweet for the low intensity of fruit. $24. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/84 points)
Trimbach 1988, Alsace-Dry grapefruit nose, medium weight, not oily or rich, fresh round medium intense fruit flavors on palate with lemony, black pepper and nutty flavors. $9. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/84 points)
Zind-Humbrecht Herrenweg Turckheim Grand Cru 1988, Alsace-Soft and watery mid-palate with litchi nose. Bitter grapefruit finish with medium intense flavors. $20. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/84 points)
Tabor Hill 1989, Michigan-The winery does not designate the origin of the grapes for this bottling. Pine sap nose, spritzy and light color. Apricot and peach sweet on palate. Unusual but interesting interpretation of varietal. $10. ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/82 points)
Zind-Humbrecht Reserve 1988, Alsace-Spritzy, watery and dry but lively wine with honey and bitter orange flavor. $15 ((STAR)(STAR)(STAR)/80 points)
De Loach Early Harvest 1990, Russian River Valley, Calif.-Pale and fizzy peaches and honey. Fruity and bubbly, yet with refreshing acidity. $8.25
((STAR)(STAR)/79 points)
Santa Ynez Winery 1989, Santa Ynez, Calif.-Floral pineapple and resin nose, very sweet impression on palate of peach but with oxidized ripe apple character in finish. $9.50 ((STAR)(STAR)/79 points)
Chateau St. Jean 1989, Sonoma County-Sweet cosmetic nose, very light, simple tropical-fruit flavors on palate. $7.99 ((STAR)(STAR)/78 points)
Amity 1988, Oregon-Lean, dry and bitter. Too watered-down, though lively grapefruit on mid-palate. $10. ((STAR)(STAR)/77 points)
Bethel Heights 1989, Willamette Valley, Ore.-Fizzy and slightly sweet with some oxidation. $9. ((STAR)(STAR)/75 points)
Kuentz-Bas Reserve Personelle 1987, Alsace-Light, slightly hot and spritzy, with little fruit to define it. $17 ((STAR)(STAR)/75 points)
Gundlach-Bundschu Rhinefarm Vineyards 1988, Sonoma, Calif.-Sulfury and reduced nose; the crisp lemony palate indicates acid adjustment. $6.99 ((STAR) (STAR)/74 points)
Marc Kreydenweiss Kritt 1988, Alsace-Oxidized but still holding on to dry gewurztraminer character. $17. ((STAR)(STAR)/73 points)
Lenz 1988, North Fork, Long Island, New York-Very dry and acidic, lemon juice tart. An acid adjusted wine with little varietal character. $10. ((STAR) (STAR)/71 points)
Dopff and Irion Cuvee Renee Dopff 1988, Alsace-Oxidized $13.50 ((STAR)/69 points)
Mark West 1988, Russian River Valley, Calif.-Sauerkraut and garlic on nose; thin, dry and resiny on palate. $8. ((STAR)/65 points)
Star/point system
(STAR) 60-69 points (poor)
(STAR)(STAR) 70-79 points (average)
(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) 80-89 points (good)
(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) 90-100 points
(outstanding)
(outstanding value)
