CHARMING TONGUETWISTER

Hard to say, easy to enjoy, says JOHN BELSHAM of this spicy and aromatic variety.

EVEN THOUGH YOU may need to dust off your school German to pronounce it correctly (it’s ‘guh-voorts-tra-mee-ner’), gewürztraminer is certainly well worth the linguistic gymnastics. Although the grape is most commonly associated with Alsace in France and Pfalz in Germany, it actually originated in the town of Tramin, situated at the base of the Dolomite mountain range in north-eastern Italy where it is known as Traminer aromatico. One of the oldest grape varietals known, the Romans loved this spicy grape and took it with them to Germany and France. Two thousand years later, it continues to thrive. The Germans added the word ‘gewürz’ to the name to reflect the spicy and aromatic profile of this attractive grape. In the southern hemisphere, the varietal is flourishing in New Zealand’s cool climate. Although the vineyard plantings are still quite small, the best examples are simply charming and it’s a delicious style to explore.

TASTING PANEL

The riesling tasting panel also tasted the gewürztraminer wines.