Good morning all,

Simon’s Wine of the Week is Michel Leon Gewurztraminer 

This week we’re going spicy. Or if you speak German we’re going ‘Gewurzt’ as that is their word for spice. One of the most unusual and distinctive white grape varieties, Gewurztraminer is very aromatic and naturally high in sugar. This means that it can get quite alcoholic (lots of sugar to turn to alcohol), and it’s a doddle to identify in a blind tasting.

Originally from Southern Italy, Gewurztraminer has made its home in the vineyards of Northern Europe with Germany and Alsace as its heartland. It can be made in various styles, with some sweeter versions, and even some with a little spritz, but most, like this one, is made as a full-bodied off-dry white.

As I said earlier, it is a very distinctive grape variety and the wine’s aromas are easy to identify. Raise a glass of Gewurztraminer to your nose, and you’re going to get a big whiff of lychee, rose water, or Turkish Delight. It naturally makes big and powerful wines with lots of body, and alcohol, so if you are a red wine drinker who likes a more aromatic style of wine, this could be for you.

I tried this on Monday whilst teaching WSET level 2 and it showed really well. On the nose it really has classic lychee and English rose, loads and loads of it. Behind that there’s a touch of red apple and citrus to balance which means it is not too over the top. The palate is not as full as I expected which makes for a nice change. It’s off-dry (it’s certainly not sweet, but there’s just the merest hint of sugar), with more lychee, Turkish Delight, grapey notes, ginger, and citrus. This ain’t no shrinking violet.

Food wise then the classic pairing is with spicy food. The touch of sugar and aromatic, spicy notes make it perfect for Indian or South-East Asian food. If you’re going German then you need to try it with sauerkraut. It’s also great with the stinkiest of cheeses. The stinkier the better in my opinion.

Have a great week,
Simon