Alsatian wine Gewurztraminer. "Gewürztraminer" (wine): description, manufacturer, reviews

Gewürztraminer, due to its bright floral aroma with fruity undertones, has gained fame among sommeliers as a frank and even aggressive alcohol. The taste of this wine has many different notes, all of which are strongly pronounced, which makes the drink rich, but somewhat heavy. However, despite these controversial properties, the number of fans of this drink is constantly growing.

grape varieties

The grape variety of the Traminer family, from which the alcohol of the same name is made, was bred in the 10th century in Italy. Now it is grown in many countries, so several names have been assigned to the variety, such as Sauvignon and Drumin.

Traminer grapes have a pinkish or dark red color. They contain a lot of sugar, so the process of their ripening requires strict control. If they overripe, they will lose their acidity, and an undesirable shade of bitterness will appear in the wine. Unripe Traminer berries will make wine tasteless, dull.

Traminer pink refers to capricious varieties, because. demanding on the condition of the soil, moisture, but at the same time resistant to most diseases. One vine gives a small harvest. Attempts to increase the number of clusters lead to a deterioration in the taste of wine berries. Pink grapes belong to the technical varieties, i.e. grown mainly not for food, but for further processing.

Throughout Europe, the demand for Gewurztraminer alcohol is high, Alsace in France is considered the best place for growing grapes for this. Due to the climatic features of the region, the drink is rich and aromatic. In addition to Germany or France, vines can be found in Italy, Australia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Russia, Bulgaria, etc.

Production technology

The production process of white dry Gewurztraminer consists of several stages:

1. Berries sorting and pressing. At the same time, red varieties, which include Traminer pink, must be separated from the branches.
2. Draining juice. The liquid is cooled and allowed to settle, after which the solid particles of the vine and seeds settle to the bottom.
3. Fermentation. If earlier the technology assumed the natural fermentation of the grape mass, now it is accelerated by adding yeast, and natural ones. In order for the process to take place in the right way, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of + 20 ... + 24 ° С in the room where the containers with the wort are located. If the indicators are lower, then the fermentation process may not be completed.
4. Wort filtration and sediment removal. When using red grape varieties, the wine is clarified with activated charcoal. The substance is kept in liquid for 2 days, it absorbs all unnecessary components, and then precipitates.

Dry white wine in the production process does not involve the addition of sugar, since it is contained in sufficient quantities in the wine berries themselves. Sometimes winemakers increase the acidity by pouring wine vinegar into it, but only in small quantities, since its excess can spoil the taste of the future drink.

Using Traminer grapes, each winemaker makes some changes to the technological process, improving it. Fermentation time, proportions, type of yeast and other factors determine the taste of the drink, its strength and aroma. Therefore, alcohol made from the same grape variety, but in different countries, differs in its characteristics.

Wine classification

Alcohol from the Traminer variety has a rich palette of taste. Connoisseurs will be able to distinguish shades of mango, pineapple, rose, citrus fruits, spices (cloves and cinnamon), honey, etc. The structure of the wine is solid. Alcohol made from a late harvest has more astringency and expressiveness.

Wine from the Traminer pink grape variety has different properties depending on the country of origin.

Thus, the Italian white Gewürztraminer has a slightly pronounced aroma of meadow herbs, citrus is felt in the taste, and the color is much lighter than other wines of the same variety.

Gewürztraminer from Austria is overly sweet. The German counterpart has a lower sugar content, but at the same time contains sourness and an intricate aroma of flowers and fruits.

White wine produced from Traminer in America only vaguely resembles the French standard. This is due to the fact that the US lands are not the best place for growing pink grapes, so the country's winemakers are trying to improve the taste of the drink. Often this leads to the fact that alcohol loses its classic features.

The Spaniards cross pink grapes with muscat, which is also reflected in the taste of the Gewurztraminer drink.

Dry white wine from Traminer grapes is classified according to the degree of sweetness:

• VT - alcohol, which is made from the last harvest;
• SGN is a product made from selected wine berries that contain the maximum amount of sugar;
• QGN is an elite wine that surpasses the two previous types in its qualities.

French-made alcohol has the highest value. Other types are more accessible.

What goes well with Gewurztraminer Riesling and how to serve?

Wine Riesling Gewurztraminer should be cooled to a temperature of + 12 ... + 16 ° C before serving. More acidic varieties can be served at +8°C. Riesling is poured into glasses that have an elongated shape, as they allow you to concentrate the taste and aroma of alcohol in the upper part. Fill them up 1/3.

It is better to drink Gewurztraminer alcohol without snacks, because in this case it will be possible to fully enjoy the bouquet of its taste and aroma.

But if gastronomic accompaniment is caused by necessity, then you should pay attention to where the wine was produced. So, for example, onion pie, cheeses, fruits are suitable for Alsatian dry. Sweeter varieties are served with meat or poultry with citrus fruits.

Smoked meats, pâtés, seafood, sushi, dry fruit rice, desserts and sweet pastries will be a good addition to Gewürztraminer.

Wine from the Traminer pink variety gives a wide scope for the culinary imagination, with the skill of which it becomes possible to emphasize the taste of both the drink and the edible accompaniment offered to it. In the conditions of Russian reality, Gewurztraminer alcohol is offered to be drunk with herring salad under a fur coat. The Chinese serve this type of alcohol with seafood, while in Mexico, spicy national dishes become partners with dry white.

Each grower appreciates the presence of a vine on his plot. It differs from the rest by a high content of juice and a sufficient accumulation of sugar, which makes the raw material optimally suitable for making wine. One of the oldest grape varieties that appeared in Europe is pink traminer. Proving its excellent wine qualities, it quickly spread and became the basis for many modern hybrid varieties.

Origin story

There are still disputes about the origin of this species, as it is considered one of the oldest and serves as the basis for the production of many subsequent combinations. According to one version, the species is named after the Italian region of Tramin, where it was first documented around the 15th century. Genetic studies of the vine have shown that the traminer is close to wild grapes that have grown in Europe since ancient times. During the time of the Roman Empire, when industrial winemaking was actively developing, it probably crossed with one of the Roman vines, giving such a wonderful result. Since then, this form has been one of the most ancient and widespread in Europe and has been grown everywhere. Under various names, the vines of this plant are present in vineyards throughout central Europe. In Germany, it is called Gewurtstraminer, which means "spicy", or Kleiner, that is, "small". In France, one of his names sounds like savignon rose, and in Italy, tramin.

External characteristics

The traminer bush has a classic look - small, rough and leathery leaves, hiding many small, but very dense berry clusters with a scattering of pink berries. The leaf is coarsely dissected with rounded teeth and dense pubescence in the form of cobwebs on both sides. The ripe shoot is bright brown with red vine nodes.

The berries of this grape are small, 14x12mm in size and weighing no more than 1.5 grams. The shape of the fruits is regular, round or slightly oval, their light pink color is hidden by a mile pruine bloom. The surface is dense and difficult to bite through, but inside there is a very tender and juicy pulp with a harmonious taste. Usually there are at least 2 seeds in a berry. They gather on a bush in very dense winged clusters of a conical shape, each weighing no more than 100 grams.

Landing features

Pink traminer belongs to the varieties of late ripening, the growing season is at least 140 days, that is, the first crop is harvested no earlier than the end of September. This grape requires mandatory shelter for the winter and careful care, as it does not have high winter hardiness. At temperatures below -23°C, most fruit-bearing shoots die and the plant then does not recover well. The resistance of this variety to diseases is low, it is easily affected by mildew and especially by the bunch leaf roller.

The maturation of young plantings is good, by 80-90%, on a bush there are usually about 60% of fruit-bearing shoots and 1.2 clusters for each developed shoot. The growth force of this plant is average in amateur plots and closer to weak in production plantations.

A feature of planting this variety is its exactingness to moist soil. It does not tolerate drought well and produces an optimal yield in a well-moistened and irrigated area. This form is one of the most valuable and is used for the production of elite raw materials for top quality wines.

"Spicy grapes from Tramin" - this is how the name of the white grape variety Gewürztraminer is translated from German. Grapes originally from the Italian city of Tramina found their calling in Germany and France (Alsace).

This variety is very capricious, requires a certain microclimate and constant supervision, does not tolerate drought and depleted soils, prefers coolness, therefore it is cultivated in the USA, Canada, Italy, Australia, Germany and Austria. Gewurztraminer is a symbol of the fine white wines of Alsace. In addition, it was widely used in Germany and Austria.

Gewürztraminer wines are powerful, bright, semi-dry straw-yellow wines with a strong aroma and full-bodied taste. Particularly good wine Gewürztraminer come from Alsace and Germany. In these regions, the grape variety is revealed in the best way and gives the most interesting wine.

Shades of taste

The taste of wine is specific, intense and spicy. This is the only wine that pairs well with spicy cuisine such as Indian or Thai. Alsatian wines tend to be sweeter, while German and Austrian wines tend to be drier.

The main advantage of Gewurztraminer wines is, of course, their amazing aroma, in which notes of lychee, rose, ginger and exotic fruits are pronounced. If you have ever tasted lychee (Chinese plum) fruit, you will immediately recognize Gewürztraminer wine.

Gastronomic combinations

Gewürztraminer is a wine with a strong, dominant character. Choosing a dish for this wine is not an easy task. Gewürztraminer can be served before a meal, to stimulate the appetite, or immediately after a meal, with pâtés and cheeses.

Gewurztraminer wines are served as an aperitif or immediately after a meal. Gewürztraminer is a wine with a complex character, and therefore requires special attention when choosing a gastronomic companion. If you choose the "wrong" dish, you can negate the whole impression of this amazing wine.

Gewurztraminer wine makes a good enogastronomic pair with dishes of Indian, Thai and especially Chinese cuisine, it is combined with blue cheeses, it makes an ideal pair with Muenster cheese. Served chilled to 8-10°C.

Gewurztraminer - WineStyle price

Wines from Gewurztraminer grapes in WineStyle stores can be bought at a price of 529 rubles. for a standard 0.75 liter bottle. We offer affordable prices for popular French Gewurztraminer wines.

A huge variety of alcohol is produced all over the world, from strong to not very strong, and each person is able to choose a drink to his taste. You can try some cheap whiskey or beer and forget its taste after a couple of hours, but Gewurztraminer wine is impossible to forget, even if you tried it only once. Its pleasant aroma and unique taste will forever remain in your memory and will make you return to this delicious drink again and again.

This type of alcoholic beverage obtained by partial or complete alcoholic fermentation in grape juice. This technique was invented 9 thousand years ago. In many cultures and peoples, there were even Gods of winemaking, which indicates how highly this drink was valued in everyday life. These gods were: Deonis among the Greeks, Osiris among the Egyptians and Bacchus among the Romans, their names are not forgotten to this day and often decorate some sign in a bar or cabaret.

The exact location where this drink first originated is still not known. According to some sources, it could be Palestine (Israel), Georgia or Mesopotamia. The Egyptians were also active in the production of wine and spread it throughout the Mediterranean. The Romans brought a drink with them to the conquered lands, and the Europeans were able to transport wine across the ocean to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Wines of Alsace "Gewürztraminer"

Sweet wines that amaze with their rich aroma, as well as a taste that cannot be compared with anything else, are made in France. Gewurztraminer is not a simple wine, this is a real masterpiece of winemakers from Alsace. The taste of the drink is unforgettable: full-bodied, with delicate and spicy notes of fruit.

Gewürztraminer Alsace is a wine that requires only superlative adjectives to describe it. The drink has a very diverse and very strong individual aroma, in the notes of which you can “hear”:

Also, you can feel some exotic fruits, such as: mango, lychee, pineapple, passion fruit. There are also notes of spices: mint, cloves, ginger.

"Gewurztraminer" has a rich yellow color with light golden highlights., which provides the red skin of the berries. Full-bodied, rounded palate with a firm structure delightfully combined with amazing freshness. Gewürztraminer reaches its maturity in its third year, so it is never aged in barrels and is drunk young.

History

Wines from the Gewürztraminer grape variety have always stood out from the total number of drinks with their spectacular aroma and original taste. Among all the wines of Alsace, this is the most recognizable. Having tried it only once, you will never confuse Gewürztraminer with anything else.

The Alto Adige region of Italy has long been famous for one grape variety called Traminer Rose. Even in the days of the Roman Empire, the legionnaires liked the Gewurztraminera grape variety so much that they brought it to the capital. A drink made from "Traminer" was to the taste of Julius Caesar himself.

The Romans drank wine daily, therefore, on the occupied lands, they grew this variety of pink grapes. The empire expanded and the Gewurztraminer grape variety ended up in Alsace, on the territory of France, and received the prefix Gewürz to its name - spicy (from German) for its persistent aroma and amazing taste. In addition to the name of the variety, the color of the berry has also changed. The pale green skin has changed color to pinkish brown or golden yellow. It is from "Traminer" that a magnificent white wine with an amazing aroma is made.

How to serve

Wines from Alsace should be served chilled (4 to 8 degrees Celsius). White "Gewürztraminer" one of those wines whose temperature can vary due to acidity. Too sour drink is served chilled to 12 degrees, wine with low acidity is cooled to 8. After the drink has been poured into glasses, it is recommended to put the bottle back in the refrigerator to prevent it from heating up.

The glass in which it is customary to serve a drink from Alsace is called "Sauvignon Blanc", better known by its unofficial name "Seeing off the old New Year." The glass has an elongated shape similar to a tulip. It is customary to drink aromatic wines only from Sauvignon Blanc, as it perfectly concentrates the entire bouquet of the drink in the upper part of the glass. Based on the rules of etiquette, only a third of the container is filled (about 100 grams of drink), resulting in the same "Lake of Wine" - the widest part of the glass.

What goes well with Gewurztraminer Riesling

Wine made from Riesling grapes is perfect as an aperitif. Picking up a couple of wines should be done with great care in order to maintain harmony and understanding between the tastes of the dish and the drink, finding a golden mean in this matter.

Cooks from national cuisines offer the following interesting combinations:

White "Traminer" goes well with desserts, fruits, gingerbread and ginger confiture. Great for serving meat with pineapple or chicken with oranges. It can be served with pilaf with dried fruits or game with lingonberry sauce. Delicious fruity wine taste goes well with exotic dishes, old cheeses, desserts and foie gras. "Gewürztraminer" has an amazing ability to emphasize the taste of the dish and make it even more attractive.

The country of manufacture

France is called around the world as the only producing country of the real Gewürztraminer. Here you will find sweet and dry dessert wines. There are both privileged varieties worth several thousand euros and inexpensive "folk" wines. In other countries, the drink has some features:

• The Italian "brother" is sourer and lighter than the original. It does not have an expressive aroma and is inferior in the brightness of the bouquet.
• German wine has a brighter taste than Italian and is much sweeter than Alsatian. It has a delicate floral-fruity taste with rich animal tones.
• Unfortunately, in America there are no ideal conditions for the production of a drink of this brand. Plus, local winemakers like to experiment with different grape varieties, which does not add to the Gewurztraminer similarity to the original.
• Spain is quite hot for a vine, so the berries quickly lose their rich flavor as they ripen. The Catalans found a solution to this problem and “crossed” this type of wine with Muscat. However, he is still very far from the real Gewürztraminer.

The benchmark for Gewurztraminer is French white wine. Winemakers from all over the world are guided by it, producing one of the most exquisite drinks. The peculiarities of the climate and all the nuances of the local color make it possible to add individual notes of taste and aroma of a particular area to the drink.

"Gewurztraminer" (Alsace, France) is classified based on the degree of its sweetness.

• Vendanges Tardives (Vandage Tardive) - late collection. Produced exclusively from late harvest grapes.
• Selection de Grains Nobles (Seleksion de Gran Noble) - is made from the most ripe and noble selected berries. Such grapes are considered to be the sweetest.
• Quintessence de Grains Nobles are wines that outperform SGN in terms of key parameters. Very rare and expensive.

Grape sort

"Gewürztraminer" (translated as "spicy grapes" tramina ") - a grape variety that is a clone of "pink tramina". The official name was received not so long ago - in 1973. A rather capricious grape variety, it has high requirements for the microclimate and soils.

Does not tolerate drought and deprived soil. Fertile soils saturated with limestone and minerals remain the best conditions for growing. Alsace is famous for its fertile soils with a high concentration of limestone. About twenty percent of the province's vineyards are occupied by this variety.

Cool weather considered the most favorable for Gewürztraminer. In a hot climate, the berries quickly lose their acidity and gain sugar, which gives the wine from such grapes an unpleasant shade of bitterness. Excessive rainfall can lead to loss of aroma. If frost strikes during early flowering, this will lead to shedding of flowers. The variety is quite difficult to care for and does not have a plentiful harvest, but with due attention it pleases with quality.

'Gewürztraminer' is cultivated primarily in Germany, Slovakia, France, Croatia, northern Italy and Bulgaria. There are also vineyards in New Zealand, Australia, USA, South Africa and Israel. Among the post-Soviet countries, such grapes can be seen in Ukraine, Moldova and Russia.

Wine classification

All existing wines are usually classified according to the following criteria:

• carbon dioxide content
• type of raw material
• alcohol and sugar content
• exposure time

"Gewürztraminer" can be classified as a white grape varietal wine with an average carbon dioxide content, dry and young (up to 3 years).

Wine production technology remains unchanged for several thousand years. Of course, it is being improved, but the basic principles remain unchanged.

Experts learned how to cross several varieties of grapes, determined how to slow down or speed up the fermentation process, and found out which tree is best suited for long-term storage of the drink. However, despite all the new technologies, the basic process of wine production remains unchanged and Gewürztraminer is no exception.

Gewürztraminer is a grape with a German name, Italian roots and a French passport that travels all over the winemaking world and prefers Alsace as its home.

If you prefer well-mannered wines that are discreet when introduced, but open delicately and for a long time, Gewürztraminer is not for you. If you like wines that are light and unobtrusive, with a delicate aroma and taste, Gewürztraminer is also not for you. This is a wine with an aggressive charm. It tries to seduce immediately with its sensual spice, the exciting aroma of rose petals, the taste of tropical fruits with a hint of white pepper, bergamot and even Nivea cream, which is attributed to it by a prominent specialist in Oz Clark varieties.

As soon as this grape variety was called: ruza in Romania, drumin in the Czech Republic, red ptink in Slovakia, ranfolitsa in Hungary, mala dinka in Bulgaria, heida in Switzerland, rotfrance in Germany, aromatic in France. Difficult to pronounce, aggressive, catchy "Gewurztraminer" has become the official name of the most fragrant white grapes.

Traminer is one of the oldest grape varieties. It comes from the South Tyrolean town of Tramin (Termeno), Bolzano region in northern Italy, where it has been cultivated for over 1000 years. As he moved northwest, he acquired a "spicy" German prefix - Gewürz. The mutant-prone traminer evolved into grapes with dark golden yellow or pinkish brown berries with thick skins.

hit or miss

Gewurztraminer is very tricky to grow and produce, and the difference between a "good" Gewurztraminer and a "plain" one can be radical. Soil, climate, picking time, fermentation temperature - everything can cause failure. An overripe Gewurztraminer resembles a second-rate Muscat, while an underripe one resembles a third-rate Riesling.

Favorite variety...

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Sooner or later?

For many, Gewurztraminer is synonymous with dessert wine, although most Alsatian Gewurztraminers are dry or almost dry. Sweet wines, they are also the most prestigious, are made from late-harvest grapes that have gained a maximum of sugar and aromatics - Vendenges Tardives. Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN) are wines made from selected very ripe berries, most affected by botrytis cinerea - noble mold.

Dry gewürztraminer has all the richness of aromas inherent in the variety, and bitterness may appear in the aftertaste. A fresh, catchy grain of black pepper adorns the finest Alsatian specimens. Botrytis destroys some of the essential oils, the aroma of the wine becomes softer, candied fruits, honey, melon, praline appear in it.

The best dry grand cru should be aged no more than 10 years, late-harvest wines no more than 15. Plain Gewurztraminers should be drunk young, they peak in the third year and quickly lose their shape.

Typical flavors of Gewurztraminer

• orange jam

caramel

• white pepper

• black currant leaf

impatient terpenes

Gewurztraminer owes its catchy and at the same time infinitely rich aroma to the high concentration and special composition of terpenes that accumulate in the skin. Terpenes are hydrocarbons, the base component of essential oils. In Riesling, the concentration of terpenes is 13 times less than in Gewurztraminer, and in some Muscats, on the contrary, a little more. Terroir is the basis of the fragrance. Alsatian clay soils rich in limestone and minerals provide the "correct" terpene composition for the best examples of Gewurztraminer.

In the German Palatinate, guewürz is sourer, with more floral and fruity aromas, and very few are as spicy as in Alsace. Powerful sweet gewurztraminers are born in the Austrian Burgenland, and magnificent dry ones are born in the vicinity of Vienna. In its homeland, in northern Italy, the wine is lighter, more acidic and more delicate than in Alsace.

Appearance

■ Small conical clusters

■ Small, sometimes pinkish round leaf, asymmetric, with pimply rounded teeth and a light fluff below

Character

■ Loves clay fertile soils rich in limestone and minerals

■ Does not tolerate frosty winters

■ Blooms early and if spring is late, flowers often fall off

■ Loses flavor due to the abundance of rain in the summer, but if it is hot, it gains sugar too quickly

Gewürztraminer is whimsical in the choice of dishes for him. It makes sense to follow the old tradition and choose typical dishes for the typical wine of the region: foie gras, foie gras with truffles, onion pie, smoked fish, roast goose and, of course, soft spicy Münster cheese with a reddish hard crust. And you can follow the wine itself and not resist its romantic impulse, turned to the East, to dishes in sweet and sour sauce, prepared with an abundance of spices.


Winemaker about variety

Jean Trimbach (Domaine Trimbach), representative of the family of the owners of an old Alsatian house, working with all the noble varieties of the region:

“No one argues that Gewürztraminer came to us from Alto Adige, but it is here that it gives the best results. We have it the most correct in terms of aromas, acidity and subtlety. There is no kink to either side."