Know your Grapes: Traminette

Traditional wine grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir are all old world grapes that have been cultivated and nurtured for centuries. There's a number of new world grapes which are very hardy and disease resistant and make wonderful wines, including the Concorde, Catawba and Niagra. But there is wide array of hybrid grapes that combine the traditional flavors of the old world and the hardiness of new world. Traminette is a wonderful combination, combining one of several Seyve grapes and Gewürztraminer into a hardy and flavorful white grape. First created at the University of Illinois in 1965, this young variety has in quick time won over many of the hearts of wine makers and a number of wine drinkers.

Wines made from Traminette thrive very well in the Midwest, especially in the hot summers and cold winters of Indiana, where it has been named the signature grape of the state.

In a wine, Traminette adds a floral and spicy flavor, much like Gewurztraminer. Like Gewurztraminer, Traminette best stands up to spicy and complex dishes, such as many Asian dishes or a Pork dish.

Traminette, being a white grape, is best suited to white wine styles. This means that that the grapes should have as little contact with the stems and grape skins during the fermentation process as possible. In fact, Purdue scientists determined that prolonged exposure to the skin and stems creates an unfavorable wine. Fermentation of the wine takes around 2 weeks, making for a rather quick process. The scientists also recommend adding residual sugar to the wine regardless of the style, as Traminette tends to run on the very dry side.

A far number of Indiana Wineries produce a Traminette wine. Easley Winery produces a floral, spicy variety that is reasonably priced. Oliver Wineries Creek Bend label also has a Traminette priced around $15 (which I'm sipping as I type) that has a stronger and more complex flavor that is also very tasty. This wine varietal is growing in popularity with dozens of Indiana wineries making wines from Traminette grapes.