Thursday Virtual Happy Hour: Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer (or Gewürztraminer in German-speaking regions) is a pink-skinned grape variety that produces some of the world's most distinctive aromatic white wines. Gewürztraminer wines are perfumed with aromas ranging from blossom to lychee and orange peel, all with a relatively full body, low acidity and ranging from dry to sweet. Most readily associated with the Alsace region of northeastern France, the grape is nonetheless found in wine regions worldwide.

The primary aromatic descriptors used to define Gewürztraminer are typically lychee, rose petal, Turkish delight, tropical fruit and perfume. On the palate it is marked by its full texture, low acidity, stonefruit (mango, peach and apricot) and spicy (ginger and cinnamon) flavors. The variety gets its distinctive aroma from the presence of monoterpenes in the skins (as does the perfumed Muscat family) and while the variety has many fans, its detractors often object to any one of its hallmarks, from the pungent aromas to the low acidity, the oft-encountered residual sweetness and the sometimes detectable phenolic astringency. The latter two aspects often go hand in hand as Gewürztraminer winemakers often try to leave some residual sugar in the finished wine to counterbalance its drying phenolics – sometimes detectable in both dry and sweet styles on the back-palate (the aftertaste).

The best examples of Gewürztraminer are generally regarded as being from the grand cru vineyards of Alsace. It could even be argued that Alsace is the spiritual home of Gewürztraminer, despite the fact that it is not its ancestral home (see below) and that Gewürztraminer accounts for less than one-fifth of vineyard area in the region.

Gewürztraminer, as we know it today, reputedly arrived in Alsace from the Pfalz region of Germany and the variety can be found both here and in wider Germany and Austria (where its relations Roter Traminer and Gelber Traminer are also encountered). In most German-speaking countries and regions – including northern Italy's Trentino-Alto Adige – Gewurztraminer is labeled with an umlaut over the "u", giving Gewürztraminer.

## We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/z6H6QcFPCNI?si=dWi_XwjifbGgNPfp - How to say it: Gewurztraminer - Wine and Spirits Education Trust (0:07)
2. https://youtu.be/xaLcs4gMkEU?si=LgHHI2D9vs6L71zw - Gewürztraminer 101 - Wine Folly (6:56)
3. https://youtu.be/HmSzpJRG1CM?si=QvEfB9_i5JQT_5_D - Winecast: Gewürztraminer - The Unknown Winecaster (8:28)

So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!