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Traminette is an off-shoot of  Gewurztraminer, producing a crisp, floral, often fruit-forward wine that flies under the radar with most wine consumers.

I had the privilege of tasting trial blends with Grove's assistant winemaker John Gladstone. We tried it bone dry (no residual sugar) and we tried it at 1 percent, 2 percent and 3 percent residual sugar levels.

I preferred a style in the 1.5 percent range.

In the end, Grove winemaker Max Lloyd settled on 1.1 percent for his 2010 vintage. It retains a crisp, floral character, with some melon ball, green apple, pear and spice flavors. 

While many well-known wine grapes have been around for centuries, Traminette is a newcomer, introduced commercially in 1996 by Cornell University.  It is a cross of Gewurztraminer and a hybrid grape that claims other hybrids as parents.

The intent behind this Frankenstein was to create a winter-hardy, disease resistant white wine grape that could flourish in colder growing regions, particularly in the northeastern U.S. Traminette's flavor and aroma profile mimics a muted version of Gewurztraminer.

Grove has packaged this in a blue bottle, reminiscent of off-dry wines in Germany. Try the 2010 vintage with this flavorful dish below.

Ingredients

16 large scallops

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

Wash scallops, pat dry, lightly sprinkle with salt. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Dredge each scallop in the cocoa mix. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sear scallops, about 90 seconds. When they have browned, flip the scallops to the other side and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 4 minutes for firm.

Asparagus & Orange-Grapefruit Salad

½ pound asparagus

½ orange, peeled and sectioned

½ ruby red grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

½ tablespoon wildflower honey

½ tablespoon rice vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash asparagus and snap off tough ends. Cook asparagus until tender but still firm. Cut each spear in half lengthwise and then into 2 long strips. Toss the asparagus, orange, grapefruit, tarragon, and onion in a bowl. Add the honey and vinegar. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

Orange Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, julienne

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup Grove Winery Traminette 

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

2 sprigs parsley

1 cup orange juice concentrate

¼ cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and pepper and sauté until the shallots are lightly browned. Deglaze with wine. Add bay leaf, thyme, and parsley and reduce to half volume. Add orange juice concentrate and cream. Bring to a simmer, pull from heat, and whisk in butter bit by bit until incorporated. Remove the thyme, parsley, and bay leaf.

Presentation

Place the asparagus salad in the center of each plate. Arrange 4 scallops around the salad and drop a teaspoon of sauce between each scallop. Garnish sauce with a fresh parsley leaf. Serves four.