Howell: Gewürztraminer wines famed for spiciness
Yikes. Summer is nearly over. Where on earth did it go? There isn't enough time to talk about every great summer wine out there, and I almost missed out on the chance to include one of my German faves. Happily, this one can carry you right into autumn and beyond.
In the last column, the subject was German Riesling and the many different styles in which it can be made. There is another white grape that grows very well in cool climates, but always seems to hide in the shadow of the more famous Riesling. It is called Gewürztraminer, and I have found a wonderful German version to share with you.
Wine to try: P.J. Valckenberg Gewürztraminer 2013. The producer is the family Valckenberg, and they have been making wine in Germany since 1786 when the winery was founded by patriarch Peter Joseph Valckenberg.
Grapes: 100 percent Gewürztraminer (pronounced guh-VURTZ-trah-mean-er). The grape originated in Italy, around the village of Tramin in the Alto-Adige region of the north. There, it is known as the traminer grape (the grape of the village of Tramin). When the German winemakers began growing it in Germany, the prefix gewürz was added, which means "spicy." The wine is famous for its characteristic spicy notes of clove, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and allspice. It is sort of like being in a German bakery!
Just as Riesling is often misunderstood as always being sweet, Gewürztraminer has had the same stigma. But dry versions do exist. Gewürztraminer doesn't have quite the natural acidity (tartness) as Riesling, but it still has the ability to deliver great balance in any level of wine it makes. You'll find both Riesling and Gewürztraminer can range in style from bone-dry to off-dry to sweet to even ice wine, and everything in between. It is all about when you pick the grape (the ripeness level), and how dry you ferment the wine.
Region: This wine is made in the Pfalz region of Germany (pronounced with a silent "p," like fallz). Located on the western border of Germany, it is directly north of Alsace, France, where you find very similar grape varieties being grown. The Pfalz also goes by the name "Palatinate," which translates to palace. This area is the second largest wine anbaugebiete (or wine-producing region) in the country; the Rheinhessen is the biggest.
Valckenberg Gewürztraminer is a QbA wine, which stands for Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete. Quick flashback to last column — don't let the lingo scare you! This really just means quality wine from the anbaugebiete of Pfalz. Very good quality…
Taste: I have served this wine at many tastings, and it always stands out as a crowd favorite. The nose is quintessential Gewürz, with perfumed floral notes of honeysuckle and rose petal immediately hitting the olfactory. Behind that is a lovely whiff of ripe tree fruit that smells like late summer, along with a sprinkle of baking spice. The wine tastes of peaches and apricot, but there is something else there. I didn't know how to describe it until I actually was able to eat a lychee fruit. It is juicy and tropical, and very hard to stop after eating just one. And Gewürztraminer wines are known for their ability to mimic that flavor!
Food pairings: This wine is a semi-dry style that is the perfect quencher alongside spicy foods. It's no surprise that you find Gewürztraminer wines abundant on Thai, Mexican, Cajun and Indian restaurant wine lists. Try them with peanut satay sauces, red and green curries, fiery tomato salsas, blackened fish dishes, chipotle burritos, Tandoori chicken, coconut-crusted shrimp and Pad Thai. These wines are also aromatic enough to stand up to some of the world's most pungent cheeses (washed-rind styles) like Limburger, Taleggio, Époisses and real German Muenster. It also will pair nicely with your end-of-summer outdoor picnics.
Price: $10 to $12 a bottle, with an easy-to-open Stelvin cap.