The extreme wine

It was the best of times, it was gewürz of times

by Thor Iverson

UNCORKED

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The problem, of course, is the name. Gewürztraminer. Gewürztraminer. Geh-vurtz-tra-mee-nairh. If you're reading this out loud, you've either hurt your tongue or convinced everyone around you that you're loony. Ignore them, or tell them you're talking about one of the most interesting wines in the world. Maybe they'll send you some at the funny farm.

Gewürztraminer. Say it like you're about to invade France. Because that's what this grape did a few centuries ago, migrating from northeastern Italy to Germany, and finally to Alsace. And although it can be delicious no matter where it's grown, it has reached its fullest expression in that region of France (where it's pronounced "geh-vehrz-tra-mee-nairh" and loses the umlaut).

And I do mean fullest. Great gewürztraminer (gewürz for short) tastes like nothing else: big, fat, oily, and thick, with flavors of lychee, roasted nut, crushed flowers, and spice ("gewürz" means spice in German). You'll never mistake it for any other wine. You might not even like it; gewürz has as many passionate detractors as it has admirers. Gewürz is to wine what Megadeth is to music; you may not enjoy it, but it's hard to ignore.

Gewürztraminer is a white grape, but you wouldn't know it from the vivid red color it achieves in the vineyard. Those dark skins help contribute to the color of most gewürz, a viscous deep gold that matches the smell and taste of the wine in intensity. In fact, gewürztraminer is so strong that it performs more like a red wine than a white when it comes to food matching. It can handle spicy food, complex food, and the kind of food for which you'd otherwise choose beer. It stands up to red meat without batting an eye. And in some cases, it can even handle dessert.

Dessert? That's right. Gewürz grapes get ripe very quickly, and fermenting them to full dryness can leave them with an alcohol level over 14 percent and a hot, unbalanced taste. So some winemakers leave a little residual sugar in their gewürz, which keeps the alcohol lower and helps balance out the wine. It also yields slightly sweeter results. In Alsace, vendange tardive and sélection des grains nobles gewürztraminers are almost always sweet, and are served with either the stinkiest of cheeses or foie gras, or as the dessert itself.

Unfortunately, quick ripening can also mean low acid levels. When that happens, gewürz -- dry or sweet -- gets flabby. It can still be very tasty, but it's less compatible with food and will not age. When there's proper acidity, however, gewürz can age for five or 10 years, or longer. With age, it gets even spicier, even racier, even more gewürz-y, so if you don't like it young you'll absolutely despise it old. Devotees, on the other hand, will love it even more.

When it's made in Alsace, gewürz more often possesses most of the big, full, fat qualities it's capable of. In Germany, the wine tends to be more austere, has a stronger mineral component, and rarely has problems with low acidity -- indeed, the opposite is sometimes the case (which can make one's first German gewürz a rather zingy surprise). Italian gewürz (also called traminer aromatico, or just traminer -- though the latter is technically a different grape) is much thinner, and teeters on the edge of dullness from all but the best producers. American gewürz is hit-or-miss, with most examples being sweet, flabby, and pretty disgusting -- but there are some great bottles from devoted producers, usually based on fruit grown in higher elevations or in colder regions. The brave new world for gewürz, however, appears to be New Zealand, where a fruitier character is added to its spicy richness.

Gewürztraminer. Say it. Or just drink it. And then say it with your mouth full of wine. But don't do it around your friends, who are already a bit concerned.

A note on buying: you shouldn't have much trouble finding gewürztraminer in the Alsatian section of any specialty wine shop. Just ask. Almost anything from Alsace or Germany is worth a try. Be wary of New World gewürztraminers, except those from New Zealand (Huia makes a tasty and widely available wine). For Italian wines, restrict yourself to the Alto Adige region.

1996 Storrs Gewürztraminer Monterey Viento Vineyard ($11.99). One of the best American gewürztraminers, with a mélange of pecan, citrus, tropical-fruit, and cream-pie flavors. Very slightly sweet, but with excellent balancing acidity and a long finish.

1996 Fitz-Ritter Dürkheimer Nonnengarten Gewürztraminer Spätlese ($11.99). Light spice and cashew, sweet lemon and orange, cinnamon, caramelized onions, and a strong sense of sweetness balanced out by strong acidity. A guiltless pleasure; it's heady without being heavy. The '97, slightly lighter and more direct, is in stores for a few dollars more.

1997 Mill Creek Gewürztraminer Dry Creek ($14). Pure lychee syrup, a touch candied but with intense and delicious grapefruit, lime, and chrysanthemum aromas. Spicy decadence on the finish. ("Hey waiter, there's chrysanthemums in my gewürztraminer!" "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full?")

1995 Rolly Gassmann Gewurztraminer ($15). The fat, smoky style of classic Alsace gewürztraminer. Some powdery cane-sugar flavors, along with buttermint and pine. Drink now.

1993 Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Mambourg ($18.25). Last year's Thanksgiving wine at my house. Still showing beautifully, with strong minerality, lychee, and a friendly honeydew flavor dusted with nuts.

1996 Brancott Gewürztraminer Gisborne Patutahi Estate ($24). Insanely over-the-top bitter banana and raw nut flavors, with rich tropicality and some wet stones. Fascinating.

Thor Iverson can be reached at wine@phx.com.

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