108. Gewurztraminer - The One Wine You Will Always Identify in a Blind Tasting | WSET Level 2 and Level 3

Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 10 minutes 53 seconds Release Date: April 23, 2025

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Episode Description

If there is one grape that will wake up your nose and make you feel like a confident taster, it is Gewurztraminer. In this episode Joanne makes the case that Gewurztraminer is probably the most recognisable grape in the world, and explains exactly why that matters for anyone who has ever sat in a tasting and worried that their nose is broken. It is not broken. You just need the right wine in your glass.

This episode covers Gewurztraminer in genuine depth, going beyond the brief mentions it gets in the Level 2 and Level 3 textbooks to give you the full picture. Joanne walks through the grape's historical origins, its ancient connection to the Traminer family and the Sauvignon lineage, why climate is everything for this variety, and what makes Alsace its undisputed spiritual home. If you have a bottle of Alsatian Gewurztraminer within reach, this is the episode to listen to with a glass in hand.

The episode also covers where else Gewurztraminer is grown at Level 3, including Germany, New Zealand, Chile, Washington State, and the Finger Lakes, and why some of these cooler climate regions have real potential for the variety going forward.

What You'll Learn in This Episode Why Gewurztraminer Matters for WSET Students

• Why Gewurztraminer is considered the world's most recognisable grape and what that means for blind tasting
• How identifying pronounced aromatic varieties builds tasting confidence at every level
• Why this grape is covered in detail for both Level 2 and Level 3 despite its brief textbook mention

Pronunciation, Meaning, and Origins

• How to pronounce Gewurztraminer correctly
• What Gewurz means in German and why the umlaut is often dropped in modern labelling
• The ancient Traminer vine family and its connection to Sauvignon Blanc and Grauer Traminer
• First recorded references in the Rheingau in 1827 and in Alsace in 1886

Climate and Vineyard Considerations

• Why Gewurztraminer needs a cool to moderate climate with a long growing season
• The danger of low acidity and what happens to the wine in warmer climates
• Why flabbiness is the enemy and how harvest timing is critical
• How sugar builds rapidly and why alcohol levels of 14% or above are common

In the Glass

• Full body and rich oily texture explained
• The deep golden colour that comes from the pink-tinged grape skin
• Key aromas and flavours - lychee, rose, and sweet baking spices
• The electric, almost pop rock sensation Joanne describes on the palate
• The vocabulary used to describe Gewurztraminer - pungent,