Uncovering America's best kept wine secrets
Traminette
Traminette is Gewürztraminer’s American daughter, fragrant, floral, and lightly spiced. It’s approachable but still expressive, offering a friendly gateway into the world of aromatic whites.
Traminette is Floral, Zesty, and Juicy. If you like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, or Viognier, you may enjoy Traminette for its similar profile.
Flavors
Peach
Orange blossom
Honey-drizzled toast
Ginger snap cookie
The smell of floral soap
Imagine a honeycomb sprinkled with ginger and elderflower syrup. It’s perfumed, spicy, and delightfully offbeat.
Think of Traminette as Gewürztraminer’s more easygoing American cousin. It keeps those floral and spicy vibes like honeysuckle, lychee, and ginger but in a fresher, lighter frame. Compared to Gewürz, it’s less overpowering and often crisper, so you get the intrigue without being knocked over by perfume. Many expect it to taste sweet because of the heady aromatics, but some bottlings are dry or off-dry, which makes it a fun surprise. It’s a grape that shows how hybrids can deliver personality without feeling fussy.
Acid
Traminette combines floral aromatics with crisp acidity, making it lively and refreshing.
Tannin
This hybrid keeps things silky and floral, with no tannin. It's satin-sheet soft.
Alcohol
Traminette usually ranges 11–12.5%. Indiana and New York examples are aromatic and refreshing with alcohol kept low by cooler growing conditions.
Serving Temp
45–50°F (chilled but not icy)
Chill for 1.5–2 hours in the fridge, then let the bottle sit for 5–10 minutes before pouring to open up aromatics.
Food Pairing
Takeout: Indian Curry
Snack: Spicy jalapeño poppers
From the Fridge: Couscous
Elevated Pairing: Seared foie gras with ginger-honey glaze
Where you'll find it
Traminette is a modern hybrid (Gewürztraminer × French-American variety) developed in 1965 in Illinois. It captures Gewürz’s floral aromatics in a hardier vine.
Indiana
Perfumed, floral, often semi-sweet.
New York (Finger Lakes)
Bright, aromatic, leaning dry or off-dry.
Virginia
Floral, spicy, with good acidity.
Pennsylvania
Sweet or semi-sweet, very popular locally.
Ohio
Light, musky, and easy-drinking.
The Last Drop
A hybrid with Gewürztraminer parentage, Traminette carries that signature floral-and-spice perfume but is much easier to grow in cold climates. Think of it as Gewürz’s scrappy American cousin, tough enough to handle midwest winters, and the official grape of Illinois.