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Litterally Gewurz in German means "spicy" and Traminer means "coming from Tramin", a small city in south Tyrol of Austria, the original town of this grape. This grape belongs to the Muscat family and it shares with it a great aromatic nose. In Alsace because of the soil, the climate, the elevation and exposure of the vineyards along the base of the Vosges mountains, Gewurztraminer gives its best and produces one of the most appreciated wines in the world. This grape is known to be very resistant to rigid winters but it is also difficult to grow: it is vulnerable to early spring frost damage and is susceptible to various diseases.

Gewurztraminer, because of the natural tendence of the grape to produce a bitter taste, is often vinified in a slightly sweet to medium sweet style. The wine is delicious and has a complex bouquet which reminds of flowers, fruit and spices. It is always a rich full-bodied wine notoriously low in acidity that gives the best of its freshness if it is consumed soon after bottling. Late harvest Gewurztraminers can be aged for many decades. The nose of these wines is extraordinary and often shows powerful aromas of roses, tropical fruit, orchard-fruit, grapefruit and lychee fruit. Spicy aromas certainly include nutmeg and cinnamon.

Without any doubt Gewurztraminer is the right wine for many ethnic dishes such as Thai, Mexican, Chinese and Indian. Neverthless is also perfect with poultry and Alsatian sausages. This wine deserves to be paired with cheese, especially Munster or Roquefort. Last but not least, the sweet version of Gewurztraminer are the perfect choice for desserts.

In Alsace Gewurztraminer is grown in Eguisheim, Pfaffenheim, Riquewihr, Obermorschwihr, Orschwihr and few more towns. Soil is typically composed of limestone and sometimes Clay-limestone. Totally 2,526 ha (6,250 acres), which is 18% of the Alsace vineyard's size are cultivated with this grape. The production is around 30 million bottles per year.