Gewürztraminer: Most Floral White Wine Ever?

Gewürztraminer is one of the most aromatic white wines out there! Let’s dive into everything you need to know to find great quality and food pairings.

First things first, the pronunciation of Gewürztraminer is a bit tricky if you're not a fluent German speaker. It sounds something like "Geh-VURTS-Trah-Mee-Nur".

The name Gewürztraminer breaks up into two words:

• Gewürz: meaning "spicy" or "intense aromas"
• Traminer: meaning "of Tramin"

Because of the name, for the longest time we've thought that Gewürztraminer originated from Tramin, in Alto Adige wine country, Northern Italy.

However, recent DNA analysis shows more clonal diversity in Northeastern France and Southeastern Germany which suggests that Gewürz comes from around Alsace, France.

Floral To The Core

What makes Gewürztraminer so special are intense floral aromas often described as rose and lychee. These aromas come from compounds found in the skins of Gewürztraminer grapes that are unlocked in the fermentation.

It's one of the reasons why Gewürztraminer producers will let the wine macerate on the skin for a few hours before fermenting the wines – to collect these incredible flavors!

Another fun fact about Gewürztraminer is that the grapes are a pinkish-gray color. You can often see this in the glass as the wine will have a slightly golden or pink gold hue.