Gewürztraminer: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
The ancient Traminer variety, is a green-skinned grape that takes its name from the village of Tramin, located in South Tyrol, a mainly German-speaking province in northern Italy. It is claimed for there from between the year 1000 to the 16thc. Traminer was spread down the Rhine to Alsace, by way of the Palatinate, where Gewürz (meaning spice) was added to its name – presumably as one of its mutations occurred. The German word literally means ‘Spice Traminer’ or ‘Perfumed Traminer’, but intended to imply aromatic rather than spicy.  Image source: foodandwine.com Its origin is usually stated as Burgundy, but Alsace would become its spiritual home. Though, even here, it ‘plays second-fiddle’, to both Gewurztraminer and Riesling. It is also widely planted in north-east Italy and Germany. |
| Taste/smell: Tastes of lychees, with apricot, floral, honey, grapefruit, passion fruit, peach, rose and tangerine notes. It is also described as tasting of ginger and spice. Varieties/Mutations It has an unstable genome. Frankisch in Austria, Gringet in Savoie, Heida in Switzerland, Formentin in Hungary and Grumin from Bohemia are all very similar to Savagnin blanc and probably represent clones of the Traminer family. Durbach vines are often described as a less aromatic form of Gewürztraminer. Baden vineyard of Durbach claims its own type of Red Traminer called Durbacher Clevner. The Germans have tried to breed the flavours of Gewurztraminer into vines that are easier to grow. In 1932, Georg Scheu crossed it with Müller-Thurgau to produce Würzer, a little of which is grown in Rheinhessen and in England. Similar crosses at Alzey and Würzburg respectively have produced Septimer and the reasonably successful Perle. An early-ripening Siegerrebe is the result of a cross with Madeleine Angevine at Alzey. A cross between Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe produced Ortega. In 1938, Harold Olmo crossed Sémillon and Gewürztraminer at UC Davis to make Flora, which is grown a little in California and New Zealand. In 1965, Gewurztraminer was crossed with Joannes Seyve 23.416 at the University of Illinois to produce a hybrid variety called Traminette, which is more cold-tolerant, while maintaining most of the taste and aroma characteristics of the original. In the 1920s, Gewürztraminer was crossed with Trebbiano to create the pink-skinned Italian wine grape variety Manzoni rosa. In the 1970s in Czechia, Gewürztraminer was crossed with Müller-Thurgau to create the wine grape variety Pálava, a pink-skinned, earlier, more productive with a Traminer-like aroma. Taminga was the result of a late 20th c Australian viticulturalist crossing Gewürztraminer with Merbein 29-56. | Description: Image source: www.plantgrape.fr An aromatic white wine grape which performs best in cooler climates. It produces a dark golden-coloured wine, on occasion with a copper tinge. It often has some bubbles inside the glass. Gewurztraminer is especially sensitive to both soil and climate. It is early-budding and susceptible to frost, it needs dry and warm summers. It ripens erratically and late.  Image source: www.plantgrape.fr Its small adult leaves have three lobes, young shoots have a very high density of prostrate hairs. Its round-shaped berries have a pink (purplish) skin when ripe.  Image source: londonwinecompetition.com Prominent Gewürztraminer wines: Usually include Gewürztraminer on the label. |
| Gewürztraminer producing countries: Big Five Producers: (overall 42% of vineyards, 64% of wine production and 41% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Spain: Aragon, Asturias and Navarre France: Alsace. Italy: Trentino. USA: California, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. Chile: Southern Chile. Next Ten Largest Producers: (with big five, responsible overall for 75% of vineyards, 88% of wine production, 64% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Argentina: Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Mendoza and Patagonia. Australia: Adelaide Hills, Australian Alps, Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Tasmania and Yarra Valley. China: none detected. Germany: Palatinate, Pfalz. India Pune. New Zealand: Auckland, Central Otago, Gisborne and North Canterbury. Portugal: Açores and Trás-os-Montes. Romania: none detected. South Africa: Robertson and Stellenbosch. Turkey: none detected. Others countries growing Gewürztraminer: Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia… | Grape is also known as: Auvernas rouge, Blanc Brun, Blanc Court, Bon blanc, Christkindeltraube, Clevner, Crovena Ruzica, Dreimaenner, Dreimannen, Dreipfennigholz, Drumin, Duret rouge, Edeltraube, Fermentin rouge, Fleischweiner, Fourmenteau rouge, Frencher, Fromente, Fromenteau, Fuszeres, Gentil Rose Aromatique, Gentil-Duret rouge, Gentile blanc, Gewuerztraminer, Gringet, Gris Rouge, Haiden, Haiden, Heida, Kirmizi Traminer, Klaevner, Kleinbraun, Kleinwiener, Laebeinger, Livora Cervena, Liwora, Mala Dinka, Marzimmer, Mirisavi Traminac, Nature, Nature Rose, Noble Rose, Nuernberger Rot, Pinat Cervena, Pinot vert doré, Piros Tramini, Plant Paien, Princ Cerveny, Princt Cervena, Ranfoliza, Red Traminer, Rosso, Rotclevner, Rotedel, Roter Nuernberger, Roter Traminer, Rotfranken, Rothklauser, Rothweiner, Rothwiener, Rotklaevler, Rotklaevner, Rotklevner, Rousselet, Rusa, Ruska, Ryvola, Salvagnin, Sauvagnin, Savagnin Jaune, Savagnin Rosa Aromatique, Savagnin Rose, St. Klauser, Termeno Aromatico, Tramin Cerveny, Tramin Korenny, Traminac, Traminac Crveni, Traminac Diseci, Traminac Mirisavi, Traminer, Traminer Aromatico, Traminer Aromatique, Traminer Musque, Traminer Parfume, Traminer Rose, Traminer Rozovyi, Tramini, Tramini Piros, Trammener, Traminer Rot |
Tramin, South Tyrol – Image source: tramin.com
Gewürztraminer: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
