Cheers to Gewurz
Rebecca Taylor
A good friend is passionate in her love for Gewurztraminer. I share her liking for Gewurz, but it’s a relatively uncommon preference and as a result we can share some more special wine at a barbecue and be fairly sure people will keep their mitts off it. It seems that even the most hardened barbecue wine scavenger will be deterred by a bottle of Gewurztraminer (unless, of course, the scavenger is me). So why the polarisation? It’s largely down to personal tastes, but there are also a few misconceptions about the grape.
It’s easy to think of Gewurztraminer as just being sweet wine, but this is not the full story. The Gewurztraminer grape is naturally high in sugar and low in acidity, and often some sweetness is left in the wine, but it can also be fermented dry, though the lower acidity levels tend to result in a higher perceived sweetness than actual. Because of the lower acidity, a bit of phenolic ‘grip’ can be useful to pep the wine up a bit. Phenols are the bitter extracts contained in grape skins and pips. A little can be a good thing, but too much leads to wines that confusingly taste both sweet and bitter at the same time. So, as with any wine, attention to detail and quality are important factors. There are also different styles to choose from and matching the style of Gewurz to the occasion is particularly important. Because of the tendency to have some sweetness and the low acidity, Gewurz can be an excellent match for spicy food. Hot spices like chilli make a wine taste less sweet, so a sweeter style that was great with curry may be cloying when served as an aperitif.
Gewurztraminer is perhaps the most pungent of grapes, intensely aromatic and naturally full-bodied. The signature aromas of roses, ginger, lychees, Turkish delight and spice can be heady in the best examples, but too often they are overwhelming, leaving nothing to the imagination. A well made Gewurztraminer should be exotic, not pornographic.
I lined up two different Gewurztraminers from Johanneshof in Marlborough, who have an established reputation for their white aromatics, but particularly the Gewurz. We started with the Dry Gewurztraminer 2008, which has an inviting nose of lemon peel, warm ginger and almonds. In the mouth it has quite an oily texture and a mineral, smoky note with a hint of dried herbs. $35.00
Next up was the medium Gewurztraminer 2010. This had lovely clean florals, mandarin and lychee on the nose. It’s weightier and more unctuous on the palate with a sweeter ginger and a bit of musky spice. $35.00
Most interesting, and wine of the week, was trying a bottle of Old Coach Road Gewurztraminer 2010. This is pretty darn good stuff, really clean, full of citrus, ginger and tangerine with a slightly oily texture and a dry finish. $19.00.
It’s easy to think of Gewurztraminer as just being sweet wine, but this is not the full story. The Gewurztraminer grape is naturally high in sugar and low in acidity, and often some sweetness is left in the wine, but it can also be fermented dry, though the lower acidity levels tend to result in a higher perceived sweetness than actual. Because of the lower acidity, a bit of phenolic ‘grip’ can be useful to pep the wine up a bit. Phenols are the bitter extracts contained in grape skins and pips. A little can be a good thing, but too much leads to wines that confusingly taste both sweet and bitter at the same time. So, as with any wine, attention to detail and quality are important factors. There are also different styles to choose from and matching the style of Gewurz to the occasion is particularly important. Because of the tendency to have some sweetness and the low acidity, Gewurz can be an excellent match for spicy food. Hot spices like chilli make a wine taste less sweet, so a sweeter style that was great with curry may be cloying when served as an aperitif.
Gewurztraminer is perhaps the most pungent of grapes, intensely aromatic and naturally full-bodied. The signature aromas of roses, ginger, lychees, Turkish delight and spice can be heady in the best examples, but too often they are overwhelming, leaving nothing to the imagination. A well made Gewurztraminer should be exotic, not pornographic.
I lined up two different Gewurztraminers from Johanneshof in Marlborough, who have an established reputation for their white aromatics, but particularly the Gewurz. We started with the Dry Gewurztraminer 2008, which has an inviting nose of lemon peel, warm ginger and almonds. In the mouth it has quite an oily texture and a mineral, smoky note with a hint of dried herbs. $35.00
Next up was the medium Gewurztraminer 2010. This had lovely clean florals, mandarin and lychee on the nose. It’s weightier and more unctuous on the palate with a sweeter ginger and a bit of musky spice. $35.00
Most interesting, and wine of the week, was trying a bottle of Old Coach Road Gewurztraminer 2010. This is pretty darn good stuff, really clean, full of citrus, ginger and tangerine with a slightly oily texture and a dry finish. $19.00.
Have Your Say
0 Comments
No comments.