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French-German tongue twister

By Pauline D Loh (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-05 10:09

This is a grape that would be schizophrenic were it human. It was born and bred in Italy, given a German name and found fame as a French vintage. It then migrated all over the world - settling in large numbers in Napa Sonoma, California, and in New Zealand where it adapted very well to the cool fresh climate.

The cooler wine-growing regions in the southern states of Australia also nurtured the Gewurztraminer back to popularity after Old World vintners neglected it for drier whites such as the Sauvignon Blanc.

As Asia started discovering the pleasures of the grape, the Gewurztraminer found favor with this new group of wine drinkers from South Asia to China, who readily paired it with their favorite cuisine.

One reason is probably because the Gewurztraminer is an intensely aromatic varietal with an instantly recognizable bouquet. It has pronounced lychee and honeysuckle notes, a scent spectrum familiar to the Asian palate.

This wine with the tongue-twister name (ger-wurs-trah-mee-ner) is also an easy entry-level wine, being so distinctive in scent, color and taste.

It is a pretty wine in the glass too, and depending on its quality, can range from very pale gold to rich ingot amber. There are drier vintages, but generally this is a sweet wine. However it is not syrupy, for the sweetness is in the nose rather than on the palate.

This makes it delicious to drink, whether alone or at the table with food. Chilling it well will improve it, besides enhancing the pleasure of swirling it in a glass and warming it to release its unique bouquet.

It is wine you want to drink relatively young to take advantage of the heady aroma of this little pink-skinned grape.

In the cellars currently, the best bottles are probably those from 2006, 2004 and 2003 if you can afford them. The better vintages are from Alsace, France and Napa in California. For dryer wines, the New Zealand, Australian Margaret River and Adelaide Hills Gewurztraminers are worth a second and third look.

For food pairing, take a hint from the wine's name. "Gewurz" means spice-scented or perfumed in German, so this wine will complement strong-flavored dishes from Indian, Thai or Chinese Sichuan cuisines.

Northern Indian curries with their cardamom, cloves and star anise are spicy and aromatic - characteristics which the wine shares. The cuisine of Thailand with its chili, lemongrass and scented gingers will also match the strong nose of the Gewurztraminer.

Chinese food in Beijing features a heavy heat spectrum, but mainly from Sichuan peppercorns.

A clean, cool glass of Gewurztraminer will soothe the palate and pick up the aftertaste of the spices.

And of course, a good wine deserves your undivided attention and there is nothing like a quiet glass of the best vintage after a long day at work. The Gewurztraminer is definitely good company.