Gewürztraminer

• Color: White (Pink-Skinned)
• Grape Parentage: Gewürztraminer is a mutation of Savagnin Rosé (Red Traminer).  Traminer itself has a parent-offspring relationship with Pinot, but it is unclear which is the parent and which is the offspring.  
• Place of Origin: Although it has been suggested that Traminer is indigenous to Alto-Adige, modern evidence suggests an origin in northeastern France or Germany.  Where the Red Traminer mutation developed is open to debate, but it is likely the further Gewürztraminer mutation occurred somewhere in the Rheinland or Pfalz.  
• Origin of Grape Name: “Spicy” Traminer (“Gewürztraminer” first appeared in print in the writings of the German Johann Metzger in 1827)
• Major Countries of Production:
  • France: 3,232 hectares (2011, FranceAgrimer)
    • Haut-Rhin département: 2,063 ha
    • Bas-Rhin département: 1,082 ha
  • Germany: Pfalz and Baden
  • Austria: Steiermark
  • Italy: Northeastern Italy
  • USA: 
    • California: 1,735 acres (2010, USDA/CA Dept. of Agriculture)
    • Washington: 632 acres (2010, Washington Wine Commission)
  • New Zealand: 311 hectares (2009, New Zealand Winegrowers)
• Synonyms:
  • Alsace: Traminer, Rotclevner, Rousselet, Frenscher, Edeltraube
  • Other France: Traminer Musqué, Traminer Aromatique, Traminer Parfumé, Gentil-Duret Rouge, Gris Rouge
  • Germany: Dreimanner, Christkindltraube, Rotedel, Rotfranke, Frankisch, Kleinweiner
  • Italy: Traminer Aromatico, Flaischwiner
  • Austria: Roter Nurnberger, Ranfoliza
  • Hungary: Fuszeres, Tramini
  • Romania: Traminer Roz
  • Macedonia: Traminec
• Viticultural Characteristics: Thick-Skinned, Early-Budding, Mid-Ripening, Uneven Ripening, Susceptible to Coulure
• Preferred Soil Type: loamy and heavy clay soils
• Common Blending Partners: While often vinified as a single variety, Gewürztraminer may be blended with other Alsatian white grapes (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, etc.)

Typical Descriptors and Structure for Alsatian Gewurztraminer

• Visual: Yellow/Gold, Moderate Plus to High Concentration
• Aromas/Flavors: High (Heady) Intensity
  • Fruit: Tropical Fruit (Lychee, Pineapple, Tropical Fruit Punch), Ripe Stone Fruit (Peach Jam, Dried Apricot), Citrus (Orange Marmalade, Grapefruit Pith)
  • Floral: Roses, Floral Perfume
  • Spice: Cinnamon, Clove, Gingerbread, Musk, Potpourri, Exotic Spices
  • Other: Honey, Bergamot Oil, Face Lotion/Perfumed Hand Soap
  • Earth: Moderate to Moderate Plus Minerality
  • Oak: None or Neutral Cask

Structure: Dry to Off Dry, Moderate Plus to Full-Body, Diminished to Moderate Acidity, Moderate to Elevated Alcohol, Phenolic Bitterness