Vive la (Gewurztraminer) Révolution!

Due to its sheer popularity and dominance on our supermarket shelves, occasionally I yearn to escape the all-encompassing world of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Not that I have anything against New Zealand or indeed the fabulous expressions of the grape it produces – far from it – but sometimes it’s just nice to get away from the norm. If, like me, you hanker after a New Zealand Sauvignon rebellion, then there are very few wines which would be further from than the style than Alsatian Gewurztraminer. Although often likened to one another for their pronounced aromatics (indeed, with typical examples, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc wines should be among the easiest for wine students to pick out in a blind tasting), the similarities stop there: while Sauvignon Blanc produces wines with tropical and citrus aromas and crisp acidity, Gewurztraminer often produces wines which are off-dry, low in acidity and exotically flavoured, with typical nuances of rosewater and lychee. The prefix ‘Gewürz’, after all, means ‘spiced’ or ‘perfumed’ in German.

Another primary difference between the grapes is preferred growing regions. Whereas Sauvignon Blanc can make superb wines in its spiritual home of the Loire Valley and its ‘new classic’ region of Marlborough, as well as other premium cool climate sites in the New World, Gewurztraminer seems to be rather more picky in selecting its growing location. Although decent efforts are made in Germany and the USA, nowhere really beats the French region of Alsace for Gewurztraminer wines of distinction and complexity.

One such Gewurz I tried recently is the Kuhlmann-Platz Gewurztraminer 2013 from Alsace’s first and largest co-operative, Cave de Hunawihr. Elegantly bottled in true Germanic fashion, the wine is actually fairly muted on the nose for Gewurz: hints of citrus fruits and stone fruits emanate from the glass, as well as a touch of ginger spice, but overall the wine is a little reticent on approach. However, this fleeting sense of disappointment is quickly rectified on the palate, where the wine explodes into a symphony of Turkish Delight, rose petal, lychee and honeyed melon; all supported by a comforting blanket of sweetness and sufficient acidity to keep things fresh. As with all medium-dry whites, spiced Asian dishes and soft ripe cheeses work a treat: specifically, I found the Hunawihr Gewurz to be a perfect match to Malaysian Chicken curry.

Although an exuberantly fruity and edgily-different wine, admittedly the Hunawihr Gewurztraminer not one that will tempt Marlborough Sauvignon lovers away from their glasses of Brancott or Villa Maria. For the contemplative wine lover, however, it will succeed in providing a delightful if temporary distraction from New World Sauvignon. My advice is to enjoy a glass now and to savour its lingering, sweetly spiced succulence, before quickly reaching for the bottle of Oyster Bay.