"Gevurztraminer" (wine): description, manufacturer, reviews

The world produces a great variety of alcohol, strong and not very much. Everyone chooses a drink to their taste. You can try and forget, but "Gevurztraminer" is a wine that can not be ignored. Its unique taste, spicy aroma forever cut into memory and forced to return to this masterpiece again and again.

Wine

Wine refers to alcoholic beverages, it is obtained from grape juice by complete or partial alcoholic fermentation. This technique was known for 7 thousand years before our era. The presence of the gods of Osiris winemaking from the Egyptians, Dionysus from the Greeks, Bacchus from the Romans shows how important the drink took in everyday life.

Where it first appeared, it is not exactly known, presumably it is Mesopotamia, Palestine (Israel) or Georgia. The Egyptians were actively engaged in winemaking and distributed a drink throughout the Mediterranean, the Romans - further, to all the conquered lands. Europeans brought to the American continent, to South Africa, New Zealand, Australia.

Description

Magnificent sweet wines, affecting the richness of the fragrance and with incomparable taste, are produced in France. "Gevurtstraminer" - wine (photo in the text), which personifies a masterpiece of Alsatian winemakers. This drink has an unforgettable taste, full-bodied, with spicy and delicate notes of fruit.

"Gevurtstraminer" - wine, the description of which requires the use of adjectives only in excellent form. He has an incredibly strong individual and very diverse flavor, you can "hear":

• peony;
• Rose;
• apricot;
• Zest;
• Violet;
• A sheet of black currant;
• Dried apricots;
• White pepper;
• saffron;
• honey;
• Orange jam;
• peach;
• caramel.

You can feel and exotic fruits: passion fruit, mango, pineapple, lychee. There are also spices: cloves, ginger, mint.

The drink has a rich yellow color with golden light patches, it provides a reddish skin of berries. The round, full-bodied taste of a firm structure is combined with elegant freshness. "Gevurtstraminer" is not accepted to withstand in barrels, it is drunk young, it reaches its peak for the third year.

History

Wines from "gevurztraminer" grapes stand out among other similar drinks with original taste and effective aroma. He is the most recognizable among all Alsatian wines. Once you try it, it can not be confused with any other.

Several hundred years ago the Italian region of Alto Adige was famous for its grape variety "traminer". Roman legionaries liked the local variety, and they brought it to Rome. The drink from this grapes was approved by Caesar himself.

The Romans used to drink wine daily, on the conquered lands, they cultivated grapes, including the "traminer". So he appeared on the territory of France in Alsace. Over time, for his amazing taste and persistent fragrance, he received the prefix "gevurts" - spicy (German). Not only the name, but also the shade of berries changed. The pale green skin changed color to golden yellow or pinkish brown. It is this variety that gives a magnificent white fragrant wine.

How to serve

Alsatian wines are served chilled, usually up to 8 ⁰ C. "Gewurztraminer" - wine, the temperature of supply of which can vary depending on its acidity. A very acidic drink is cooled to 12 ⁰ C, at a low acidity the temperature is reduced only to 8 ⁰ C. After bottling wine by glasses, it is recommended not to leave it on the table, but put it back in the refrigerator to prevent the beverage from heating up.

The wineglass is called "Sauvignon Blanc", its unofficial name "Farewell to the Old New Year". It has an elongated shape of a tulip. Aromatic wines are drunk only from such glasses, they most fully concentrate the bouquet of the drink in its upper part. According to the rules of etiquette, the capacity is filled by 1/3. This is just the "lake of wine" - its most wide part, it turns out 100 grams of drink.

With what is combined

"Gevurtstraminer" - wine (consumers' reviews are unanimous in this), which perfectly suits as an aperitif. It requires careful selection of a couple, to find the golden mean, preserving peace and understanding between the tastes of the drink and the dish.

Interesting combinations are offered by culinary specialists of national cuisines:

• Russian herring under the fur coat will acquire more vivid notes, and the combination of salted fish and sweet vegetables will surprise with new shades;
• Seafood Chinese cuisine perfectly combined with wine, this pair emphasizes and mutually exacerbates the taste;
• Acute Mexican cuisine will find a worthy partner, on its background the drink will not be lost, but will accept the challenge, adding to its strong taste its powerful flavor.

"Gevurtstraminer" - wine, which is perfectly combined with fruits, gingerbread, desserts with cinnamon, ginger confiture. It can be served with meat or poultry with oranges, pineapple. Excellent will harmonize the game under cowberry sauce, pilaf with dried fruits. Exotic dishes, old cheeses, foie gras, desserts - a divine fruit shade of wine will suit any proposed option. The ability of "Gevurtstraminer" to emphasize the taste of the dish and make it more attractive is surprising.

Manufacturer country

All over the world, only one country is recognized, where genuine, "correct" "Gevurztraminer" is produced - France. Here you can find dry and dessert sweet wines. There are inexpensive "popular" and privileged precious varieties. Some features of wine in other countries:

• The Italian "brother" is inferior in terms of the brightness of the bouquet, the intensity of the character. Lighter, sour and does not have an expressive aroma.
• German wine is sweeter than Alsatian, slightly acid, but brighter than the Italian version. Has a rich floral-fruity aroma with subtle animal tones.
• Yellow "Gelber Traner" and red "Rother Traminer" - so called "Gevurtstraminer" in Austria. Differ very sweet taste.
• On the American continent, there are no such ideal conditions for the production of this brand. In addition, the love of local winemakers to experiments does not add to the similarity with the original.
• The Spanish climate is hot for vines, in the process of ripening the berries too quickly lose their unique spirit. The Catalans were not too upset and "crossed" wine with nutmeg. From the real "Gevurtstraminera" he, of course, is far away.

The standard is the white wine "Gevurtstraminer" (France). The winemakers of the whole world are guided by it and are engaged in the production of an exquisite and surprising drink. Terms and nuances of winemaking allow you to bring a note of local flavor and features for each specific area.

The wine "Gevurztraminer" (France, Alsace) is classified according to the degree of sweetness:

• Vendages Tardives (Vendanges Tardives - VT) or late collection are made from late grape grapes.
• Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN) - made only of the ripe choice noble berries, they are considered to be the sweetest.
• Quintessence de Grains Nobles - QGN, rare wines, by superior parameters exceed the exquisite varieties of SGN.

Grape sort

"Gevurztraminer" is a grape variety (literally translated "spicy grapes" of the Tramine "), which is a clone of the" pink tracer. "The official name of the grapes was not so long ago, in 1973. The capricious variety, it has high requirements for soils and microclimate .

It does not tolerate deprived soil and drought. Optimal for cultivation are fertile, mineral and limestone soils. French Alsace is famous for its soils with a unique high content of limestone. In this province, 20% of the total area of the vineyards is occupied by the "gevurtstraminer" variety.

The coolest weather is considered the most favorable. In a hot climate berries too quickly gain sugar, lose their acidity, and in wine an undesirable shade of bitterness appears. Excess of rain causes loss of flavor. Earlier flowering in the case of unexpected frosts leads to the shedding of flowers. The variety is not distinguished by an abundant harvest, but with proper care it pleases with quality.

It is cultivated mainly in France, Germany, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, northern Italy. There are vineyards with this variety in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa. In the post-Soviet space such a variety can be found in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova.

Classification of wines

All existing wines are classified according to the following main characteristics:

• Color;
• Type of raw materials;
• The content of carbon dioxide;
• The period of aging;
• Sugar and alcohol content.

"Gevurtstraminer" - wine, which by classification can be described as:

• White;
• Grape varietal;
• average;
• Young (up to 3 years);
• Dry.

Production technology

The production of wine has not changed for many thousands of years. Of course, the technology is being improved, but the essence remains unchanged:

• Unicellular organisms (yeast) convert the sugar contained in the grape juice into alcohol.
• The fermentation time determines the saturation of the taste and the depth of the shade of the drink. Red wines roam a little less than a week, for white varieties this process can take several weeks.

• Exposure and storage are important, the term depends on the type of drink.

Specialists came up with how to accelerate or slow down the processes of fermentation, determined which tree is most suitable for long-term storage of the drink, learned how to cross different varieties of grapes. Despite all modern inventions, the technology of wine production remains the same. Just make and "Gevurtstraminer."

Curious facts

There are several interesting facts related to winemaking:

• Wine is produced on all continents of the Earth, except for Antarctica;
• The first scientific center devoted to the study of the drink appeared in France;
• Taste and smell of the product depend not only on raw materials, but also on the timing of harvesting, the weather conditions in each case, the temperature of fermentation, the aging time, the kind of wood from which the barrels are made;

• Store bottles with wine stoppers down or on the side so that the cork is wet and does not let air in;
• Professional winemakers pour wine into certain types of bottles, corresponding to the type of beverage;
• The taste depends on the flow temperature: light wines require more cooling at 7-10 degrees, for reds, 18-20 ⁰ ;
• It was in Alsace in 1955 that the concept of "wine road" was first introduced, combining tourism, hotels, wine tasting and good food.