In the glass
Aroma: candied apricot, honey, saffron, dried rose
Palate: botrytis honey, marmalade, ginger, tropical preserves
Late-harvested noble-rot Gewurztraminer picked in the first days of winter from a single Tramin parcel where botrytis develops. Sweet, deeply concentrated, with bright acidity balancing 150 grams of residual sugar; styled as Tramin's answer to Alsace's Selection de Grains Nobles.
What it pairs with
-
Apricot tart with mascarpone
The wine's candied apricot mirrors the fruit while honey notes flatter the mascarpone. -
Aged Roquefort
Sweet wine + blue cheese is the classical pairing; Terminum's botrytis honey balances the cheese's salty pungency. -
Foie gras with fig compote
The wine's tropical preserves and honey echo the fig while structuring the liver's fat. -
Tarte Tatin with vanilla
Caramelised apple meets the wine's marmalade-and-saffron register.
History
Tramin developed Terminum in the mid-1990s to demonstrate that the Tramin terroir could produce noble-rot sweet wines competitive with Alsace and Sauternes. Harvest happens in late November to early December once botrytis settles; production is small (typically under 5000 bottles per vintage).
- 1995 — First experimental late-harvest Terminum vintage
- 2011 — Falstaff names Terminum 'best Italian sweet wine' in its annual Italian wine rankings
Facts
- Producer
- Cantina Tramin
- Grapes
- Gewuerztraminer (100%)
- Classification
- DOC Alto Adige Vendemmia Tardiva
- Oak
- Slow fermentation and ageing in stainless steel; no oak
- ABV
- 12.5%
- Price
- EUR 50 to 80 (half-bottle 375 ml)
- Drinking window
- 5 to 25 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1995
Frequently asked about Terminum Gewurztraminer Vendemmia Tardiva
What does Terminum Gewurztraminer taste like?
Candied apricot, honey, saffron and dried rose on the nose; botrytis honey, marmalade, ginger and tropical preserves on the palate. Full-bodied and sweet, balanced by high acidity that prevents cloying.
When should I drink Terminum?
Drink between 5 and 25 years from vintage. The wine improves dramatically with bottle age, developing saffron, dried apricot and marmalade complexity. Serve at 10-12C in a small dessert-wine glass.
What food pairs with Terminum?
Foie gras with fig compote and aged Roquefort are the canonical matches. Apricot tart or tarte Tatin work equally well as dessert pairings.
Is Terminum a botrytis wine?
Yes. Late November to early December harvest captures grapes affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) in a single Tramin parcel where the microclimate consistently develops botrytis. Production is small and vintage-dependent.