Floral delights

Perfumed, scented and floral white wines from such classic grape varieties as gewürztraminer and riesling are often classified as “aromatic”.

Unlike chardonnay, which has a relatively restrained bouquet, impressing more with its fullness of body and barrel-aged complexity, gewürztraminer and riesling attract you with their inviting fragrance, and then seduce you with their rich, penetrating, vibrantly fruity flavours.

If you haven’t yet discovered the delights of pungently perfumed gewürztraminer (often simply called “gewurz”, which means spicy), give yourself a treat.

Riesling – long regarded around the world as chardonnay’s great rival in the quality stakes of white wines – is a personal favourite of many winegrowers here, especially those based in the relative coolness of the South Island, where riesling flourishes.

GEWÜRZTRAMINER

Askerne Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2020