Best German Wines (Awards) – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2012

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller and Helena Becker from Weingut Friedrich Becker, Pfalz - Best Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) of the Year

Gault Millau published its new wine guide for Germany - Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2012 - in November 2011. It reviews on 914 pages 1029 wineries, with about 7700 wines. Its rating symbol is a grape and Germany’s best winemakers are awarded one to five grapes, a bit like the forks in the Gault Millau food guide.

Ever since 1994, the Gault Millau WeinGuide Germany has honored outstanding personalities of the German wine world and special wines. This year, the outstanding personalities are:

Wine Maker of the Year: Matthias Mueller

Matthias Mueller is a winemaker from Boppard in the Mittlerhein region. He is arguably the best winemaker from this region. Both the wine region – Mittlerhein – and the winemaker – Matthias Mueller – are not well known outside of Germany.

Shooting Star of the Year: Stephen Attmann

The Shooting Star of the Year come from the Pfalz and is General Manager of the Weingut von Winning – Dr. Deinhard in Deidesheim.

Discovery of the Year: Weingaertner Cleebronn-Gueglingen

The Discovery of the Year is a wine co-operative in Württemberg: Weingärtner Cleebronn-Güglingen eG. It has 600 members and manages a vineyard area of 290 hectares. It sells its wines largely in the region. I have known the Weingärtner Cleebronn-Güglingen eG for many years. When I got married, we served a Schillerwein from the Weingärtner Cleebronn-Güglingen eG.

Best Wine Collection of the Year: Egon Mueller (Mosel)

Picture: Egon Mueller in Hattenheim

Best Sekt of the Year: 2001 MonRose Brut Raumland (Rheinhessen)

Best Weisser Burgunder (Pinot Blanc) of the Year: 2010 Birkweiler Mandelberg, Grosses Gewaechs, Dr. Wehrheim (Pfalz)

Best Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) of the Year: 2009 Pinot Noir Trocken Friedrich Becker (Pfalz)

Best Riesling trocken of the Year: 2010 Westhofener Morstein, GG, Keller (Rheinhessen)

Best Riesling “feinherb” 2010 Scharzhofberger Spaetlese von Hoevel (Saar)

Best Riesling Kabinett of the Year: 2010 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Markus Molitor (Mosel)

Best Riesling Spätlese of the Year: 2010 Scharzhofberger -4- Egon Mueller (Saar)

Best Riesling Auslese of the Year: 2010 Scharzhofberger -6- Egon Mueller (Saar)

Best Riesling Edelsüss of the Year: 2010 Abtserde Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Goldkapsel Keller (Rheinhessen)


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