New World Riesling and Gewürztraminer

Posted by Alan Boehmer Aug 6, 2006

I'm afraid that California and the rest of the New World are playing catch up to Germany and Alsace. And we're not doing very well, with a few notable exceptions.

Riesling and Gewürztraminer do so splendidly in Germany and Alsace that the entire wine industry of those regions is largely built on these two varietals. Winemakers in America, Canada, Australia and South Africa have tried for many decades to duplicate or at least equal the splendid wines that these varietals produce on their home turf, but with generally disappointing results.

To be sure, there are many excellent New World examples of Riesling and Gewürztraminer. But nothing that compares favorably with the wines of Germany or Alsace. A similar phenomenon occurs with malt based whisky. Why is it that fine whiskeys made from malted barley can only be made in Scotland? Could it be that great wine made from Riesling and Gewürztraminer must come from their homelands, too? If true, why?

Our tasting panel made some interesting comparisons between New World vs. Alsatian and German Rieslings and Gewürztraminers.

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