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Traminer is a name that may be used to refer to a number of ancient European grape varieties. Historically speaking, it was used to describe the Germanic family of Traminer variants, or as a synonym for one key member of that family, Gewurztraminer. Traminer's history is long and complicated, with each of its traditional growing regions offering different names and local histories for the Traminer family.

The Traminer family is highly prone to mutation, just like the Pinot family to which it is closely related (whose most famous members include Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). Various forms of Traminer have appeared all over Europe, and later in New World wine regions, and have spawned some of the world's most-famous wine grapes; such greats as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chenin Blanc are, ultimately, descendants of the early Traminer varieties. This all provides some context for the impressive span of Traminer's history and genetic diversity.

In 2000, prominent French ampelographer Pierre Galet revealed that White Traminer was in fact the same variety as Savagnin Blanc, a key ingredient of Jura's famous vin jaune (and not to be confused with the entirely distinct Sauvignon Blanc).

The name Traminer has long been said to derive from Tramin (Termeno), a town high in the Alps of Alto-Adige, although this hypothesis is now strongly refuted by various authorities in the field of ampelography. Traminer grapes were reportedly grown around Tramin for around 500 years between the 11th and 16th Centuries. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, Traminer's presence in Alsace is documented, although there is little evidence as to how it made its way down from the mountains into the Rhine Valley. It seems most likely that Traminer arrived in Alsace from Pfalz, Germany, where one particularly fragrant variant took the prefix "gewurz" ("spicy" in German) and the legacy of Alsace Gewurztraminer began.

The colors and flavors of Traminer wines vary considerably depending on which sub-set they belong to. The most prominent example is undoubtedly Gewurztraminer, which also produces some of the most profoundly aromatic wines on the planet. Less well known is the deep-pink-skinned Roter Traminer (also known as Red Traminer, Savagnin Rosé and Klevener de Heiligenstein), which produces intensely aromatic white wines, sometimes with a faint pinkish hue.

Members of the Traminer family have proven so genetically unstable that it almost impossible to track their ancestry with any degree of certainty. Even White Traminer and Savagnin Blanc, which are now accepted as being the same grape, display subtle differences in leaf structure depending on where they are grown. As a consequence, there are literally hundreds of synonyms for the grapes of the Traminer family.

Synonyms include: Savagnin, Auvernat Blanc, Bon Blanc, Forment, Fromenteau, Gentil Blanc, Schleitheimer, Ryvola Bila.

Food matches for Traminer include:

• Shrimp ravioli
• Peach-glazed pork chops
• Grilled mahi mahi