Tips

How should you enjoy a Gewürztraminer?

by Bestheim

Published on 05.26.2026

Gewurztraminer is Alsace’s most aromatic grape variety . To fully appreciate and savor this wine, it’s helpful to know a few key facts. It offers an explosion of floral and exotic aromas, an intense golden color, and a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. This is not a wine to be sipped quickly. Take your time. Whether semi-sweet or sweet, each style reveals a different facet of the grape variety.

The 4 Steps to Tasting a Gewürztraminer

Appearance: Observe the Color

Tilt the glass against a white background. Look for the color: straw yellow for sweet wines, intense golden yellow for Grands Crus, and deep gold for Vendanges Tardives. Observe the thick tears that slowly run down the sides of the glass. This is a sign of concentration and high sugar and alcohol content.

First Nose: Subtle Aromas

Without swirling the glass, gently inhale. Subtle floral notes, white fruits, a light muscat scent. Gewurztraminer does not reveal itself immediately on the first nose. You have to seek it out.

Second nose: the aromatic explosion

Swirl the glass to release the aromas. Then comes the explosion:

Lychee, mango, pineapple
Spices: ginger, pepper, cinnamon
Rose in the background
Late Harvest: candied fruits, candied apricot, honey

This aromatic intensity sets Gewürztraminer apart from all other Alsatian grape varieties.

On the palate: roundness and balance

Take a small sip and inhale gently to aerate the wine. Immediate roundness, full-bodied attack. The sweetness comes through first, then freshness sets in to balance it. The Gewurztraminer coats the palate and lingers.

Long and lingering finish:

Exotic fruits for the sweet wines (Chasseurs de Lune, Rayon de Lune)
Candied fruits and raisins for the Vendanges Tardives

Our Grand Crus, Mambourg and Zinnkoepflé, reveal this duality: opulence on one hand, liveliness on the other.

How to serve Gewurztraminer: 8–12°C, in a wide tulip glass?

Serving temperature:

Sweet Gewurztraminer (Chasseurs de Lune, Rayon de Lune): 8–10°C → 2 to 3 hours in the fridge
Grand Cru Gewurztraminer: 10–11°C → 1 to 2 hours in the fridge
Sweet Gewurztraminer (Vendanges Tardives): 11–12°C → cool cellar, not the fridge

If it’s too cold, the aromas close up. If it’s too warm, the alcohol takes over and the wine becomes heavy.

The right glass: a wide tulip-shaped glass, such as a large Burgundy white wine glass—a classic Alsatian glass. Gewurztraminer’s powerful aromas need room to breathe. Fill the glass no more than one-third full to allow the wine to breathe.

Decanting: Not necessary for sweet wines. Useful for Vendanges Tardives: 30 minutes of aeration reveals the wine’s full complexity.

Munster, spicy dishes, foie gras: pairings with Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer pairs well with dishes that other wines cannot handle. First, Munster, an Alsatian washed-rind cheese. The cheese’s intensity complements the wine’s aromatic power. Characterful cheeses, such as Maroilles, also find their balance. Discover in detail all the food pairings with Gewürztraminer.

Next, spicy cuisine: Thai, Indian, and dishes with ginger. The sweetness of Gewurztraminer tempers the heat without overpowering it. The pairing works because the wine has just as much character as the dish. Alsatian onion tart and asparagus: Gewurztraminer also pairs very well with these dishes.

For pairings with a Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives, consider pan-seared foie gras, poultry in cream sauce, blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne, and fruity desserts like mirabelle plum tart or tarte Tatin. The wine’s rich, syrupy body holds its own perfectly against these intense flavors.