Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Wine Blogging Wednesday



Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday being hosted by the

Wine For Newbies blog and podcast. Keep an eye out for their upcoming podcast on New York state wine. This months mission is to pick a white wine other than the Big 3- Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and the Finger Lakes beloved Riesling. If you've read my blog at all, you know of my taste for Traminette. Heck, I even wrote the Traminette varietal character for Appelation America. So yes, I will shamefully use this occasion to espouse the virtues of Traminette.

First a little history. Traminette was conceived in 1965 when H.C. Barrett from the University of Illinois crossed Gewurztraminer with Johannes Seyve 23.416 (a close relative of Seyval Blanc). The seeds were subsequently planted in the University of Cornell grape-breeding program in 1968 and today it is grown in many states. It is prized in the Finger Lakes for its hardiness in cold climates.

Two weekends ago, Fulkerson Winery released their 2005 Traminette and I picked up a bottle or three. Fulkerson has been growing Traminette grapes since 1981 and their experience with this grape shines through. Fulkerson 2005 Traminette displays the fragrant floral and citrus aromas that I find heavenly in Traminette, with tastes of lime, pear, green apple, and Gewurz spice, with a long lingering and somewhat dry finish. I am a fan of Gewurztraminer, but I feel that Traminette reveals more fruit flavors and less bitterness. My wife does not like Gewurtztraminer, but she does like Traminette, so if you don't care for the spiciness of Gewurz, "Give Tram A Try". I like that. I will make "Give Tram A Try" my new slogan to convince all of America and the World to try Traminette. Buhahahah. My plan has been hatched. Food pairings that I have seen suggested for Traminette include turkey, salmon, Thai food, Mexican food, and even Easter Ham.

My thanks to Wine For Newbies for this WBW and remember: Give Tram A Try!!!!!!!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice...I'll have to try this one too. I almost wrote about a Traminette for WBW but am going to wait about a week before doing tasting notes on a local bottle. Thanks for the great write up!

Anonymous said...

Several wineries in Pennsylvania are also making nice Traminettes, most notable are Pinnacle Ridge and Vynecrest. Both of these wineries are near Kutztown, at the Southern end of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. The Pinnacle Ridge tram has an amazing aroma of Rose Petals, the Vynecrest more like a traditional dry gevertz. Also check out their reislings.