Information About Gewürztraminer & Riesling Wines Is At The End Of This Page

Most people think of Gewürztraminer as the sweet white wine with the unpronounceable name. Originally from Germany, Gewürztraminer is pronounced 'ga-VERTZ-trah-MEE-ner' - the name means Spice Grapes. It is currently grown in Germany, Alsace France, and in smaller amounts in California and Australia .

Gewürztraminer tend to be a sweet white wine, although they do make dry versions. The aroma is a flowery, spicy one, with particular odors of roses and lychees. While you often can drink Gewürztraminers young, some benefit from 2-4 years worth of aging.

Riesling is a grape with many names - Weisser Riesling, Rheinriesling, Riesling Renano, and Johannisberg Riesling. Riesling is the 'precusor' to White Zinfandel - the wine that "sweet tooth" drinkers sought out before White Zinfandel became available. The Riesling grape is believed to be indigenous to Germany, and has been planted there since the fourteenth century. Riesling does the best in Germany and in California, but is also grown in the Alsace region of France, in Austria, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Riesling is a late-ripening grape, and only has a moderate yield. This makes it difficult to grow, and often the price reflects this. A cheap Riesling might be sharp, but a well grown riesling will be a sweet but complex white wine that ages very well. Riesling is affected by where it is grown - Californian Rieslings tend to be dry and have a melony taste, while Germanic Rieslings are more tart and 'grapefruity'. Other typical Riesling flavors include fruity and floral, as well as honey and musky.

Riesling goes very well with oriental dishes. It also goes well with seafood of all types, and is one of the few wines that goes well with chocolate. It is also great on its own, as a dessert wine. In Ontario, Canada, Riesling is used in the creation of Ice Wine.