Thursday 10 November 2011

Wine of the Week - Gewurtzraminer (France/White)

Hi all,

I am back in Alsace for the weekend so this week's wine had to be one of the local superstar: Gewurtzraminer. 

What it is
Gewurtzraminer-based aromatic white wine.

What to expect
Pale to Medium Golden colour
An aromatic nose full of ripe tropical fruit (lychees) and floral notes (rose).
The palate is rich with a lot of tropical fruits, a slightly sweet mouthcoating texture, all supported by elegant floral notes.
LUSCIOUS WHITE WINE WITH RICH FRUIT, FLORAL ELEGANCE.
Have it with
Beautiful for aperitif. Otherwise this is the perfect match for a curry (Indian or Thai) or any Asian food. Otherwise, try with a slice of smoked salmon or with a dessert. Yum!
Where to find it
1) Waitrose - £9.29
2) JS
- £7.99

3) Majestic - Trimbach/Zindt Humbrecht - around £14 each but from 2 of the most prestigious producers in Alsace. Worth it!
NB: Apparently Tesco customers are not discerning enough to buy Gewurtzraminer... 

Did you know
The 'Gewurz''s pink
coloured grapes

> The grape of Gewurtzraminer, although it produces white wine, takes a beautiful pink tinges when ripe.

> Alsace is the driest wine region in France. It is sheltered from the rain and winds coming from the east by the Vosges massif. The Rhine on the east also provides a cooling effect during the potential hot summers. Most of the best vineyards are those making the most of this situation: south-east facing slopes down in the Haut Rhin (look for a 68xxx address on the bottle label)



> Gewurtzraminer is one of the 4 Noble grapes in Alsace along with Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat so you can find Grand Cru which means it comes from the best sites in Alsace.

> Alsace is one of the only region in France with relatively simple labels: you get what you look at as most of the wines are showing the variety of grapes first rather than the domain.

> I was born in Colmar, the nearest town to some of the best villages producing Alsacian wines. (see below).
The town where I was born. Self proclaimed
the 'Capital of Alsace wines'

> Alsacians are the dog's bollocks when it comes to aromatic white wines! If Gewurtraminer is too sweet for you, try a Pinot Gris or a Riesling. You'll also get aromatic whites but with drier and leaner in styles.


> Gewurtzraminer is one of the 4 Noble grapes in Alsace along with Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat so you can find Grand Cru which means it comes from the best sites in Alsace.




I leave some great pictures taken from the web of my Heimat!





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