Gewürztraminer (German pronunciation) or Gewurztraminer (English and French pronunciation), is a pink-skinned white wine grape produced in Alsace, France. It’s planted globally throughout Europe and the U.S. and thrives in cool-climate regions like Pfalz, Yakima Valley, and Finger Lakes.
An underrated white wine with styles ranging from dry to sweet, it’s one of the most aromatically distinctive varieties often delivering a ripe lychee note. Its full-body and age-worthy notes offer bright acidity layered with flavors of tropical fruit, floral, and spice.
From dry to sweet, here are 10 food-friendly Gewurztraminer or Gewürztraminers to try this season!
Wolfberger 2017 Hengst Grand Cru Gewurztraminer (Alsace); $37, 94 points. Pear, mustard blossom and stemmy aromas are fun and lighthearted. This wine is vivacious with acidity and has a rich, creamy texture offering all of the lychee and spice you could want. Grassy dill complements those and adds a lovely savory note to this sweet wine. Kysela Père et Fils. Editors’ Choice. —Layla Schlack
Savage Grace 2019 Orange Oak Ridge Vineyard Gewürztraminer (Columbia Gorge); $30, 92 points.
The aromas leap up with notes of lychee, pink grapefruit and ginger. The palate is richly flavored, showing nuance and detail. Cloudy with a light gold tinge, it drinks bone-dry, thoroughly delightful, with spot-on balance. The cleansing finish kicks it up a notch. Editors’ Choice. —Sean P. Sullivan
Union Sacre 2020 Los Ositos Vineyard Gewürztraminer (Arroyo Seco); $26, 92 points. There’s nearly a hint of pink to the color of this wine, which begins with aromas of peach tonic, apricot blossom, melon and a hint of white pepper. The palate dries up considerably, blending stone fruit and melon flavors with grass, wet stone and gunpowder tea. —Matt Kettmann
Keuka Spring 2019 Gewürztraminer (Finger Lakes); $18, 91 points. Hallmark aromas of lychee, ginger and jasmine make for a classic Gewürz profile on the nose. It’s rounded and ripe on the palate yet honed by a pleasantly pithy texture. Juicy lychee and peach flavors are studded with rose and dried floral spice, making this a balanced yet fully fleshed-out offering. Editors’ Choice. —Alexander Peartree
Two Vintners 2019 O.G. Extended Maceration Olsen Vineyard Gewurztraminer (Yakima Valley); $30, 91 points. This orange wine spent two months on skins and was aged in amphora. Effusive aromas of flower, ginger, orange oil and mineral are followed by bone-dry flavors. It hits a high mark. Editors’ Choice. —S.S.
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2019 Gewürztraminer (Finger Lakes); $17, 90 points. Gentle aromas of white peach, lychee, ginger and rose grace the nose. There’s a deft touch to the creamy palate, with flavors of rose water and lychee perked up by specks of white pepper and potpourri. The fruit lingers nicely on the finish. —Alexander Peartree
Husch 2020 Gewurztraminer (Anderson Valley); $16, 90 points. Enticing rose petal aromas and generous litchi, peach and honeysuckle flavors provide a potpourri of sensations in this medium-bodied and richly textured wine. Good concentration helps create a lingering, floral finish. —Jim Gordon
Kuentz-Bas 2019 Gewurztraminer (Alsace); $25, 90 points. In this wine, white pepper and honey aromas carry an earthy edge for a homey, inviting effect. Sips reveal acidity lively with spicy white pepper. The midlength finish is lightly astringent, with floral white-tea notes. Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant. —L.S.
Villa Wolf 2019 Gewürztraminer (Pfalz); $12, 90 points. Classic notes of lychee, white tea and honeysuckle extend from nose to finish in this gorgeously perfumed, fruity white. Just a lip-smacking shade off-dry, it’s a juicy, exuberantly fresh sip that’s perfect as an aperitif or accompaniment to delicate spiced foods. It’s a fantastic bang-for-your-buck find that’s best enjoyed young. Loosen Bros. USA. Best Buy. —A.I.
Dopff Au Moulin 2019 Gewurztraminer (Alsace); $22, 89 points. Aromas of dill and ocean spray waft up from the glass, giving way to a creamy, silky palate. A bit of alcoholic heat in this wine competes with restrained acidity and delicate dill and green-apple notes. Over the course of the long finish, herbaceousness springs to the fore. Heritage Wine Cellars. —L.S.
Published: November 24, 2021
