🍇 Traminer

Traminer is an ancient white wine grape variety, recorded in the VIVC catalogue under the prime name Savagnin blanc. The catalogue lists 111 synonyms for it, among them Traminer, Weisser Traminer, Savagnin, Heida, Gringet, Formentin and Fromenteau.

VIVC does not give a country of origin for Traminer, and there is no full DNA-marker pedigree for it. What the catalogue does record is that the variety has offspring: in the passports of Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir, Savagnin is listed among the parents.

Its closest relative is Gewürztraminer. According to VIVC, it is a mutation of the pink-berried Savagnin rose, that is, of the same Traminer family. Gewürztraminer has pink berries, and the catalogue marks it as an aromatic variety. Traminer, that is Savagnin blanc, has white berries and carries no such mark.

Traminer plantings are small and scattered across Europe. According to VIVC, in 2009 France had 481 ha, Austria 321 ha, Slovenia 215 ha and Bulgaria 1,072 ha. In Romania in 2008 the variety covered 407 ha.

Why it matters to you. «Traminer» and «Savagnin» on a label are the same white variety, while «Gewürztraminer» is its aromatic pink-berried form, so the taste of the wine can differ noticeably. If the variety is named on a wine from the EU, at least 85% of the bottle is that variety. White wine is served at 4–10 °C and stored lying down, at 10–16 °C.