Rieslingfeier is an annual event in New York City that celebrates Riesling, in particular German Riesling. The cornerstone event is the Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner. Inspired by Daniel Johnnes’ famous Burgundy fête “La Paulée” it is very likely the greatest German wine BYOB dinner in the world, with both winemakers and guests bringing special bottles from their cellars to share.
Rieslingfeier is orchestrated by Stephen Bitterolf of the vom Boden wine importing company.
This year, Rieslingfeier took place on Friday, February 17 and Saturday February 18. 13 top German wine producers and (for the first time) 2 top Austrian winemakers were in attendance.
Almost all of the photos are mine. I used a few photos from other participants, which they put on facebook.
For last year's Rieslingfeier, see:
A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA
The 11 Winemakers: Rieslingfeier 2015 in New York City, USA
Riesling Crawl in New York City – Or, Where to Buy German Wine in Manhattan: Schiller's Favorite Wine Stores, USA
The Gala Dinner of the Rieslingfeier 2015 in New York City, USA
Joining
Annette Schiller, who organizes wines tours (ombiasyPR and WineTours), and Christian Schiller, who blogs on schiller-wine, joined the 2017 celebration of German Riesling. We were happy to meet the participating German elite winemakers. Many of them we know personally. Some of them we call our friends.
See: Announcement: ombiasy WineTours 2017 to Germany, Bordeaux and Burgundy with Annette and Christian Schiller
Pictures: Christian Schiller and Caroline Diel with Anouk at Schlossgut Diel. See: Tasting with Sylvain Taurisson Diel at Schlossgut Diel, Nahe – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Official Rieslingfeier and Rieslingfeier Side Events
There were 2 kinds of events. First, there was the official Rieslingfeier program: The official program comprised 3 major blocks: (1) A series of 4 seminars on Friday; (2) the Grändtasting on Saturday during the day and the (3) Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner on Saturday evening.
Second, there were Rieslingfeier side events, including winemaker dinners and tastings. A very special side event was a BYOB dinner on Friday evening at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, with many Rieslingfeier winemakers participating, organized by a Riesling fanatic based in New York. Finally, Annette and I did a few things unrelated to the Rieslingfeier, which I am also ncluding in the Rieslingfeier Side Events part of this posting.
Official Rieslingfeier 2017 Events
Friday February 17
Seminars
The kick-off was Friday, February 17 at Cork Restaurant with of a series of 4 seminars.
10:30am-11:30am: “Speaking German” – German wines in the contemporary landscape
Growers: Caroline Diel, Cornelius Dönnhoff and Johannes Leitz
Moderators: Eduardo Porto Carreiro (Untitled), and Raj Vaidya (Restaurant Daniel)
“Speaking German” was an industry-only tasting/discussion focusing on the challenges, and rewards, of German wines, with a focus on restaurant and retail practices. The 3 producers each poured a GG and a Kabinett wine. This was a free, industry-only seminar.
12:00-1:00pm: Different Strokes for Different Slopes: Germany and Austria
Growers: Leo Alzinger, Clemens Busch, Eva Fricke and Franz Hirtzberger
Moderator: David Schildknecht, Vinous Media
Steep slope, riverside viticulture: Riesling lovers inevitably celebrate it, and few growers have more formidably mastered it than these four. But terraces of slate overlooking the Mosel or Rhine and those of Urgestein along the Danube differ dramatically from one another. The seminar explored how the techniques and styles of these estates and their respective regions have adapted to their terroirs, and challenge their proprietors to explain: “What’s so special about steep slopes, terraces or river exposure?” $35.00
1:30-2:30pm: GIANTS: 2005 vs. 2015
Growers: Thomas Haag (Schloss Lieser), Egon Müller IV, Johannes Selbach and Daniel Vollenweider
Moderator: Stephen Bitterolf, Rieslingfeier Founder
The vintages 2005 and 2015 are perhaps the two most critically acclaimed German vintages of this young century. While both vintages came to the market with big scores and big expectations, this tasting offered a chance to compare the vintages, side by side. How do these two giants compare? This tasting focused on Mosel estates, with each grower presenting the same bottling from the two different vintages. $50.00
3:00-4:00pm: Radikals: business as not usual
Growers: Hans-Joseph Becker, Jochen Beurer, Andreas Hütwohl (Von Winning) and Johannes Weber (Hofgut Falkenstein)
Moderator: Paul Grieco (Terroir)
This seminar focused on the radicals of German winemaking, growers who have gone against the grain by either pushing beyond the historical boundaries of their region, or, in fact, returning to traditions long forgotten. Four unique estates, each representing a unique terroir of Germany: Rheingau, Swabia, Pfalz and Saar. Think you know German wine? To quote the bard: “There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” $35.00
Saturday, February 18
Rieslingfeier Gränd Tasting
All the Rieslingfeier growers were be in attendance for this walk-around tasting. The event largely focused on wines from the 2015 vintage.
5th Annual Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner
Saturday, February 18th, 2017 | 7pm
Reynard | Wythe Hotel
80 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
The arguably most spectacular Riesling Party of North America took place at the trendy Reynard in the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, on Saturday, February 18. About 130 wine freaks made the pilgrimage from across the country to NYC to be with 13 top German producers and 2 Austrian producers, leading wine and food journalists, importers, and sommeliers to enjoy a casual dinner and Riesling rarities.
There were 14 tables with 1 winemaker and 10 guests at each table. There was one table with 2 winemakers at the same table.
The five course meal was customized by Reynard’s Chef Sean Rembold to pair with dry and off-dry Riesling.
The wine service was presided over by Rieslingfeier Chef Sommelier Raj Vaidya along with a group of the country's top sommeliers.
My wife Annette Schiller and I were sitting with Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch from the Mosel. At each table, about 20 wines were served. At my table, were pouring the wines.
All the wines were outstanding, but some of them were out of this world. You could walk to other tables and taste the wines poured there. Guests and winemakers also walked around and shared the wines with other people.
The evening began at 7pm with a Weingut Dreissigacker Sekt reception. Dinner started at 8:00pm sharp and ended at around midnight. Some of us went to the rooftop bar of the Wythe Hotel to end the evening with a gorgious view of Manhattan.
Attending German star winemaker Johannes Leitz called it a „slaughterhouse event“.
Reception with Dreissigacker Sekt
The evening began at 7pm with a Weingut Dreissigacker Sekt reception.
14 Tables
There were 14 tables with one winemaker and 10 guests or so sitting at one table. (There was one table with 2 winemakers).
The Dinner
Rieslingfeier Side Events
Wednesday, February 15
Pre-Rieslingfeier Event in Washington DC
For us, the Rieslingfeier started on Wednesday evening (February 15) in Washington DC at MacArthur Beverages. Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages had convinced Johannes Selbach to travel from Germany to New York via Washington DC and to show his new vintage to Phil‘s customers in Washington DC.
Thursday, February 16
Annette and I travelled to New York via bus on Thursday. We had made reservations at the Metropolitan Opera. Before the opera, we joined Johannes Leitz at a tasting close by the opera.
Following the opera, we were torn between joining Clemens Busch at Rouge Tomate where Star Sommelier Pascaline Lepeletier had organized a winemaker dinner with Weingut Clemens Busch and Weingut Falkenhof that evening.
We left the Met at 11:00 pm and felt that it was too late for Rouge Tomate, which usually closes at midnight. However, we were wrong. Somm Pascale Lepeltithe er told us the next day that guest and winemakers stayed until 2:00 pm.
Instead, we went to Williamsburg to Maison Premier, a well known for oysters and cocktails and open until 2:00 pm during the week and 4:00 pm during the weekend, for our project: On the Heels of Stuart Pigott. Leading German wine journalist Stuart Pigott used to live in Williamsburg for a few years. He just published an article in Der Feinschmecker, a leading German Gourmet Journal, in which he describes afew of his favorite New York spots, including Maison Premier, which is just around the corner from where Stuart used to live.
Friday, February 17
Lunch at The Lobster Place in Chelsea
Annette and I attended the first seminar only. We then went to the The Lobster Place in the Chelsea Market for a light lunch.
Happy Hour at Terroir
At 4:00 we met for Happy Hour drinks at Paul Greco‘s Terroir with German Wine Importer Justin Christoph an his wife.
BYOB Dinner with Rieslingfeier Producers in Chinatown
A very special side event was a BYOB dinner on Friday evening at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, with many Rieslingfeier winemakers participating, organized by a Riesling fanatic based in New York.
Saturday
Between the Gränd Tasting (see above) during the day and the Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner in the evening (see above), we had a couple of hours to kill. We went to The Four Horsemen in Williamsburg, also a recommendation of Stuart Pigott. The Four Horsemen focusses on natural wines.
Sunday
Lunch at Eatelly
Before hopping on the Vamoose bus to go back to Washington DC, we met with German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) Board Member Al Friedman for lunch at Eatelly (Flatiron).
Stephen Bitterolf
Rieslingfeier was founded in 2012 by Stephen Bitterolf, a passionate advocate for Germany's culture of winemaking. He was the Wine Director at Crush Wine & Spirits in New York where he helped develop one of the largest German wine programs in the country before founding his own import company, vom Boden.
The Rieslingfeier 2017 Producers
Leo Alzinger of Weingut Alzinger, Wachau
Hajo and Eva Becker of Weingut J.B. Becker, Rheingau
Jochen Beurer of Weingut Beurer, Württemberg
Clemens Busch of Weingut Clemens Busch, Mosel
Caroline and Sylvain Diel of Schlossgut Diel, Nahe
Cornelius Dönnhoff of Weingut Dönnhoff, Nahe
Eva Fricke of Weingut Eva Fricke, Rheingau
Franz Hirtzberger of Weingut Hirtzberger, Wachau
Johannes Weber of Hofgut Falkenstein, Mosel
Johannes Leitz of Weingut Leitz, Rheingau
Egon Müller of Weingut Egon Müller-Scharzhof, Mosel
Thomas Haag and his son of Weingut Schloss Lieser, Mosel
Johannes Selbach of Weingut Selbach-Oster, Mosel
Daniel Vollenweider of Weingut Vollenweider, Mosel
Andreas Hütwohl of Weingut Von Winning, Pfalz
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A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA
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