I don’t think there is any better way to sum up the Gewurztraminer (ger-vertz-tramina) grape than by quoting Matt Skinner, author of “Thirsty Work” where the inspiration for this article comes from. Matt states, “Like and oversized drag queen with too much make-up, way too much perfume, mega high heels, and very little shame, this variety is the flamboyantly camp member of the white grape family! But, sadly, it also doubles as one of the uncoolest grape varieties in the world. In fact, it’s fair to say that if Gewurztraminer were an outfit it’d be socks, sandals, and a camel brown safari suit. Try pronouncing it – apart from being much harder to say than Chardonnay, it even sounds a bit naff. And that’s the problem.”

This can be a very correct way to describe this Alsace favourite because the aromas of this grape are some of the most bold and bizarre but that doesn’t mean that this is a bad grape by any means. In fact it really isn’t all that bad! These grapes tend to have flavours and aromas reminiscent of ginger, rose, lychee and cinnamon to name a few and because of low acidity are rich and carry much weight in your mouth giving a long lasting flavour. Perhaps this is why this grape makes a great match with mild spicy, sweet and tangy foods such as Chinese or Thai.