Gewürztraminer is an aromatic grape variety that performs best in cooler climates, notably in Alsace and Germany. The grape is also planted successfully in Chile & Uruguay, and in Australia & New Zealand. In French it is written Gewurztraminer (without the umlaut). Gewürztraminer is a variety with a pink to red skin colour, which makes it a "white wine grape" as opposed to the blue to black-skinned varieties commonly referred to as "red wine grapes". The variety has high natural sugar and the wines are white and usually off-dry, with a lychee bouquet. Indeed, Gewürztraminer and lychees share the same aroma compounds. Dry Gewürztraminer may also have notes of rose petals, orange blossom, passion fruit and Turkish Delight. On the palate, it is marked by its full-bodied texture, low acidity, stonefruit (mango, peach and apricot) flavours and spices (ginger and cinnamon). It is not uncommon to notice some spritz (fine bubbles) on the inside of the glass. Many Gewurztraminer wines have a level of residual sweetness, rather than being fully dry on the finish, making them suitable for drinking with Asian cuisine such as stir-fried pork with plum sauce. Blue cheeses such as Munster or Gorgonzola are a favourite pairing. Also, Middle Eastern and Moroccan dishes using nuts and dried fruits work well when combined with roasted meats. Sweet Gewurztraminer is excellent with Pannacotta, fruit-based sorbets, or Baklava pastries.
