Gewürztraminer and Food Pairing
Ingredients and Styles
Gewurztraminer can be a difficult wine to pair with food. People often think that the spiciness suggested by its name will make it a good match with all spicy dishes and cuisines. Nothing could be further from the truth. Gewurztraminer, being a late-ripening and relatively late-harvested grape, is ample in alcohol, and pairing such a “hot” wine with spicy foods can produce results that are far from refreshing or enjoyable. It’s often claimed that Gewurztraminer is the perfect wine to go with Chinese and other Asian cuisine. Although it can indeed go with many dishes (try an off-dry example with slightly spicy or sweet dishes, such as sweet and sour pork or hoisin-glazed ribs), the pairing is not a guaranteed success.
But if Gewurztraminer is choosy about what it pairs with, it compensates by pairing well with some unexpected and challenging foods. Classic, dry Gewurztraminer is best with rich dishes and can stand up to many a preparation that other white wines can't share the table with. Rich fowl are great: goose, duck, and turkey. Whether the bird is of the classic holiday roasted variety or something more daring, like curried duck with lemon, honey, and ginger, Gewurz is quite content. White meats such as pork and veal are also excellent table companions for Gewurz, whether in the form of a classic Alsatian choucroute laden with pork chops, sausages, potatoes and sauerkraut or a simple veal roast. Gewurz pairs well with crab and other sweet shellfish, including prawns and, depending on the treatment, scallops. Finally, many quiches and other egg-based tarts are exceptional with Gewurztraminer, making it one of the few wines that pairs well with such a traditionally difficult match. Eggs are notoriously tough on wines.
Gewurztraminer, being bold, lends itself well to higher-impact cooking techniques. It holds its own against smoked, grilled, and even charred or blackened foods. Indeed, at times you need to use these potent cooking methods to stand up to the wine's extroverted personality. Even so, steaming and poaching (if the ingredients are well chosen), as well as sautéing can also work well with this grape.
Off-dry versions should be treated much in the same way as off-dry Rieslings: to match sweet dishes, show off sweet spices, or flirt with preparations that are higher in salt. Gewurz can be exceptional with many cheeses as well as less-sweet desserts.
Late-harvest or dessert styles of Gewurztraminer are best served alone, dribbled over vanilla ice cream, or served with a compote or tart based on peach, pear, or lychee.
| Wine Style Sugar Level |
Ingredients | Cuisines + Cooking Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | Eggs Crab and other sweet shellfish (prawns, scallops) Meatier fish White meats (pork, veal) Fatty or rich fowl: goose, duck, turkey, or even dark chicken meat Onions, leeks, red peppers |
Quiches, frittatas, egg-based tarts Roast onions, leeks, red peppers Steamed or poached sweet shellfish Add some mildly spicy and barely sweet notes to a dish, such as baked salmon with spiced onions and currants Pair meatier fish, such as rockfish (Pacific snapper) with a slightly spicy, salty peanut sauce Richer treatments of port or ham, e.g. a classic Alsatian choucroute Simple veal roast Smoked, grilled or charred rich fowl Grill over apple or almond wood (avoid mesquite or hickory) Pair dark meat from chicken with wild rice |
| Off-dry | Pork Rich fowl Carrots Aromatic spices ( curry, ginger, clove, cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom ) Fruit or dried fruit Foie gras Salt, soy |
Have a touch of sweet in the dish - sweet and sour pork, hoisin-glazed ribs, glazed ham Roast and caramelize carrots to bring out their sweetness Use fruit in savory dishes or as a condiment - fruit chutney, tropical fruit salsa, pickled fruit Duck with orange sauce Add dried fruit, such as currants, to a meat strudel Add aromatic spices to your dish, e.g. curried duck with ginger, lemon and honey Saltier dishes Cheese fondue |
| Sweet dessert style | Vanilla ice cream Peach Pear Lychee |
Best served solo Dribble over vanilla ice cream Compote or tart based on peach, pear, or lychee Make sure the dessert is not sweeter than the wine! |
Pairing Pointers
Gewürztraminer works well with:
- Aromatic, spicy dishes. You need to be aware of the level of heat, but exotic cuisines that stress curry, ginger, clove, cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom are very happy tablemates.
- Strong cheeses. It is one of the few wines that can hold its own against aged and pungent cheese.
- Rich dishes. Fatty birds like goose and duck, luscious treatments of foie gras, and rich treatments of pork and ham are lovely.
- Smoked ingredients and foods grilled over aromatic woods (apple or almond, but not mesquite or hickory).
- Slightly fruity and sweet but not hot dishes: for instance, anything served with a fruit chutney, a tropical fruit salsa, or pickled fruit (like peaches).
- With hard-to-match egg dishes such as quiche and frittata.
Gewurztraminer doesn't work well with:
- Very spicy (capsaicin-driven) food. The combination of the spiciness of the food and the high alcohol content of the wine isn't enjoyable.
- With acidic dishes and ingredients. Avoid Gewurztraminer with green vegetables, tossed green salads, tomatoes, and other sharper tasting ingredients and preparations.
- With dishes that are too sweet. While the wine matches nicely with mildly sweet preparations or those that imply sweetness, Gewurztraminer will taste harsh if accompanying anything that's too sweet. When matched with simple and delicate cuisines, the wine is generally too bold. If you are serving a subtle dish, opt for a less pungent interpretation of the wine, such as one from Italy.