Gewürztraminer

\Geh-VERTZ-trah-mee-nur\ (German) One of the most pungent wine varietals, Gewürztraminer is easy to recognize by its heady, aromatic scent. Although its name is German, this grape began its life in the Middle Ages, in Italy's Tyrollean Alps, near the village of Termeno (Tramin) in Alto Adige.

Traminer, the parent vine of Gewürztraminer, has grown near Tramin for close to a thousand years. Although this grape is grown widely throughout Eastern Europe, traminer berries are pale green with very little scent, and on their own make very bland wine.

Like pinot noir, however, traminer vines have a propensity to mutate. Several hundred years ago, one of these mutations resulted in a vine that produces dark pinkish-brown, spotted berries that makes very distinctive, aromatic wine.

The French began calling this prized clone traminer musqué, traminer parfumé, or traminer aromatique. The Germans called it roter traminer. The Italians called it traminer rosé, traminer rosso, or termener aromatico. In the late 19th century, the Alsatians began calling it gewürztraminer, but this name was not officially sanctioned until 1973. "Gewürz" translates as "spicy" or "perfumed", depending on whom you read.

While the Gewürztraminer vine makes fabulous wine, it is nearly as hard to grow as the pinot noir. It buds early, so it is particularly vulnerable to frost, as well as viruses. Nor is it very productive; even a healthy vine only produces small clusters.

The dark pink color of Gewürztraminer grapes results in wines colored from light to dark golden yellow with a copper tone, depending upon the fruit ripeness. Gewürztraminer is quite full-bodied; more so than most any other white wine type. In fact, Gewürztraminer can be made into an excellent dessert wine.

Gewürztraminer wines are an excellent match for fresh fruit and cheeses a good complement to many simple fish and chicken dishes, especially recipes that include capsaicin (hot pepper) spices.