There are wines you drink and wines you remember. For me, the most important ones are wines you can no longer buy: my family’s.
A Swedish name, a Spanish wine
They were called Blomberg Selection, after my father’s estate in Sweden, Blomberg Säteri. All three wines shared the same label design, each in a different colour: a manor-house façade, simple and elegant, with the name in red letters underneath.
The wines were made in Spain, they were «Vino de España», and they were released by the family company J&J Nordic. The person who drove them forward was my brother Gustav. A Swedish family with Spanish wine: that, in a way, is how my own story between the two countries began.
Three wines
There were three:
- Blomberg Selection Gran Reserva
- Blomberg Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
- Blomberg Selection Gewürztraminer
They were very good. Today they no longer exist, and that’s why I treasure them all the more. The illustration above brings all three together, side by side, each with its colour and its name.
Where I fell for Gewürztraminer
Of the three, the one that left the biggest mark on me was the white. With Blomberg Selection Gewürztraminer I discovered a grape that has been one of my favourites ever since. If you notice I talk about it a lot on this site, now you know why.
A little about the grape
Gewürztraminer is a pink-skinned variety from the family of the old Traminer, which according to tradition takes its name from the village of Tramin (Termeno), in South Tyrol, in northern Italy. Today its best-known home is Alsace. Gewürz means «spice» in German, and that’s a good clue: it’s one of the most aromatic grapes there is.
In the glass it usually smells of lychee, rose petals and spice, sometimes with tropical fruit, peach or ginger. It can be dry or have a touch of sweetness, and on the palate it’s usually broad and unctuous.
At the table it’s a great partner for spiced or Asian cooking (Thai, Chinese, mild Indian), foie gras, smoked salmon and strong cheeses such as Munster.
My Gewürztraminers today
I can no longer open a Blomberg Selection, but I can open these, which you’ll find among my whites:
- Trimbach Gewürztraminer, from Alsace.
- Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Turckheim, also from Alsace.
- Viñas del Vero Gewürztraminer, from Somontano.
- Finca Río Negro Gewürztraminer, from a high-altitude vineyard in Guadalajara.
Something to listen to
A wine from a Swedish family made in Spain calls for Swedish music: «Slipping Through My Fingers», by ABBA. It’s about family and how quickly time passes. I think it’s perfect for raising a glass to the wines that are gone and to the people who made them.
