Gewürztraminer is a special grape according to many point of views. Its presence in wines is easily recognizable by anyone and it is Gewürztraminer the first aromatic grape which is usually met by any neophyte wine lover. Capable of making white wines with remarkable body, with the characteristic golden yellow color, its aromatic vehemence - which reminds not only grape, but also spices, flowers and tropical fruits - is something which hardly goes unnoticed. The remarkable personality of Gewürztraminer is in fact so strong that it is sometimes exaggerated, in particular when it is being used with other grapes, but however it always gives any wine a touch of elegance and finesse like few other grapes. Introduced this way, it would seem that making a good Gewürztraminer wine takes little and it is enough to completely trust its magic. Of course, it is not like that. Making an excellent Gewürztraminer wine is an art not for many, transforming it into an ordinary wine is something which frequently happens instead.

 Despite Gewürztraminer is considered an “international” grape, as opposed to its other famous colleagues, it does not have French origins, nevertheless it has a strong connection with France and in particular with Alsace, region from which come excellent wines produced with this grape. It is believed Gewürztraminer - sometimes also written as Gewurztraminer or Traminer Aromatico in Italy - derives from Traminer, a grape originating from Termeno, in Alto Adige, and of which exists written documents as old as 1000 AD. Gewürztraminer's berries, as opposed to its progenitor Traminer, have a basically pink color and stronger aromatic qualities: it is not by chance the German word gewürz means spicy and, in this specific case, its more appropriate meaning is aromatic. It should be noticed the existence of a certain confusion between the use of the names Traminer and Gewürztraminer: despite they are two different grapes, Gewürztraminer is frequently defined as Traminer.

 Wines produced with Gewürztraminer generally have a fuller structure when compared to other white wines, a strong and typical aromaticity as well as a pretty high alcohol by volume, sometimes greater than 13%. Thanks to its qualities, Gewürztraminer is a grape used for the production of many styles of wine, from dry to sweet, including ice wines. The most common vinification technique makes use of inert containers, such as steel and cement, whereas fermentation and aging in cask or barrique is a pretty limited practice, because when used in an exaggerated way it can compromise the appreciation of aromas, the main characteristic of Gewürztraminer. The remarkable quantity of alcohol can sometimes make acidity insufficient therefore making the wine unbalanced, a problem which keeps producers pretty busy. Gewürztraminer is not an easy grape for the ones who decide to cultivate it and to use it for wine making, however, given the appropriate conditions and quality criteria, it is capable of making wines which can always and however surprise.

	The three Gewürztraminer of our comparative tasting

 We will focus our comparative tasting on one of the most interesting and celebrated area of Italy for Gewürztraminer: Alto Adige. Not only the region from which this grape is from, but also an extremely interesting area for the production of white wines, of which Gewürztraminer is an excellent representative. The first wine selected for our comparative tasting is Cantina Terlano's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Lunare, the second one is Hofstätter's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Kolbenhof, whereas the third wine is Produttori Termeno's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer. Three excellent examples of Alto Adige's Gewürztraminer, of which only Cantina Terlano's Lunare has been aged for about 12 months in cask, whereas the other two have been vinified in steel tanks, where they are allowed to age for some months followed by a short aging in bottle. The three wines will be served at a temperature of 10° C (50° F), enough for the development of the exuberant aromas of the grape and for the appreciation of the other organoleptic qualities. The comparative tasting will be done by using three ISO tasting glasses.

 As opposed to most of white wines - in which can be generally observed colors ranging from greenish yellow to straw yellow - in Gewürztraminer hues will show deeper and fuller colors, intense straw yellow color, as well as golden yellow color, a characteristic which can be found in young wines as well. The reason of this deeper intensity in colors is mainly because of Gewürztraminer's skin, which with its pink color, gives deeper colors to wines. As wines produced with this grape generally have a pretty high alcohol by volume - also greater than 13% - Gewürztraminer wines can age for some years in bottle. With aging the color will get deeper golden yellow colors, as well as evident amber yellow color nuances, a characteristic which is always present, for example, in sweet wines produced with Gewürztraminer.

 The first wine of which we will examine appearance is Cantina Terlano's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Lunare, the only one of three wines fermented and aged in cask. By keeping the glass in vertical position, it will be observed the base of the liquid mass, where it will be possible to see a brilliant golden yellow color. By tilting the glass over a white surface and by observing the border of the liquid mass, it will be observed nuances of the same color. The second wine we will examine is Hofstätter's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Kolbenhof. The color of this wine is paler than the previous one: here it will noticed an intense straw yellow color, almost golden, with straw yellow nuances. The last wine of which we will evaluate appearance is Produttori Termeno's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer, aged in steel tanks. The color of this wine is intense golden yellow and - by tilting the glass over a white surface - it will be observed nuances of the same color. As it was predictable, the effect of aging in cask gave Cantina Terlano's Gewürztraminer Lunare deeper hues than the other two wines.

 The evaluation of Gewürztraminer's aromas - of quality Gewürztraminer wines, of course - always represents an amazing experience for every taster. Not only a world made of the exuberant and exaggerated grape aroma, but in particular of a universe made of tens of aromas, in which are found, among the many, flowers, fruits - also tropical - spices and aromatic herbs. In Gewürztraminer produced with dried grapes, the scene is completed by aromas of dried fruits and jams, in other words, the olfactory analysis of this grape should be considered a highly educative experience for every taste: it is not by chance the wines produced with Gewürztraminer are frequently used for educational purposes in sensorial wine tasting classes. Thanks to alcohol - which in Gewürztraminer is frequently higher than 13% - wines produced with this grape can stand to some years of aging in bottle, a process allowing its exuberant aromas to evolve and by giving back - in particular in sweet wines - genuine nectars characterized by complex and intense aromas.

 We will begin the olfactory evaluation of our wines from Hofstätter's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Kolbenhof. By keeping the glass in vertical position, we will evaluate opening aromas. It will be immediately perceived a strong grape aroma - a quality which classifies Gewürztraminer in the family of aromatic grapes - and an overall elegant and refined profile. After having swirled the glass, it will be done a second smell which will allow the perception of the aromas of peach, litchi, banana, pineapple, passion fruit, apricot, broom, pear, kiwi and honey. It will finally be noticed an aroma of sage, one of the many aromatic herbs which can be found in the olfactory evaluation of Gewürztraminer. It will also be noticed, despite the aromaticity of the wine is pretty strong, how the other aromas are expressed in a very balanced and harmonic way. We will now pass to the evaluation of the second wine, Produttori Termeno's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer.

 By keeping the glass in vertical position and without swirling, we will proceed with the evaluation of opening aromas. From the glass will be perceived the typical aroma of grape as well as peach, litchi and honey. The second smell - done after having swirled the glass - will reveal aromas of banana, passion fruit, pineapple, apricot, pear and orange, as well as pleasing and balanced aromas of flowers such as acacia, lily and white rose, the latter being typical in Gewürztraminer. It will also be noticed the presence of sage aroma, just like in the previous wines. We will now pass to the olfactory evaluation of the last wine, Cantina Terlano's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Lunare, the only one of the three fermented and aged in cask. The first smell will reveal opening aromas of grape, litchi, yellow rose and honey, whereas the second smell - after having swirled the glass - will allow the perception of the aromas of banana, peach, gooseberry, apricot and broom as well as sage. It should also be noticed the presence of vanilla and toasted wood aromas, sign of the passage in cask, which however do not disturb the balance and the perception of other aromas.

 The gustatory evaluation of dry Gewürztraminer wines can be sometimes deceiving for the neophyte taster. Because of the high content in alcohol and a limited acidity, dry wines produced with this grape usually appear smooth, a surely pleasing roundness. This characteristic, despite it is very pleasing, can be sometimes confused with the organoleptic sensation of sweetness. This “false” perception will be also evident in the three Gewürztraminers of our comparative tasting, three wines which have to be considered absolutely dry. Gewürztraminer wines are also characterized by a pretty full structure, probably among the whites having the highest structure. As we would certainly expect from any aromatic grape, in Gewürztraminer the olfactory correspondence to the taste is always very good, persistence in the mouth of the best wines can be measured for more than 15 seconds, while leaving in the mouth a pleasing and clear flavor of grape.

 The first wine we will examine is Hofstätter's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Kolbenhof. After the very first sip it will be possible to perceive the high content in alcohol and the structure, a sensation which is hardly met in other white wines. It will also be noticed the correspondence to the nose - something we will notice in other wines as well - and the strong flavor of grape. Also acidity will be well balanced with the other organoleptic qualities of the wine. Let's now examine the second wine, Produttori Termeno's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer. Also in this case the attack will evidence both alcohol and body, a good acidity, very well balanced, and the usual flavor of grape, very elegant and refined. The last wine we will examine is Cantina Terlano's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Lunare, fermented and aged in cask. The attack is not different from the previous wines, also in this case it will be noticed the alcohol and body, higher than the previous wines, however balanced by a good acidity. It will finally be noticed how the organoleptic qualities of wood do not negatively influence Gewürztraminer's personality and typicality.

 In the final phase of our comparative tasting, we will discover another fine characteristic of Gewürztraminer: long persistence. In quality wines produced with this grape - as in the case of our three wines - the taste-olfactory persistence is always very long, most of the times longer than 15 seconds. The long finish of Hofstätter's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Kolbenhof will be characterized by flavors of grape, peach, banana, pear, kiwi, honey and litchi, whereas in Produttori Termeno's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer the flavor of grape will be joined by peach, honey, litchi and banana. Also the last wine, Cantina Terlano's Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Lunare has a very long persistence in which it is possible to perceive flavors of grape, peach, apricot, litchi, honey and pear. As we can see, three pretty similar finishes which confirm the typicality of Gewürztraminer, a grape which hardly goes unnoticed, from its golden look to the long flavors left in the mouth at the end of tasting.