Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Pictures: Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

The visit of Weingut Kaufmann took place during the 2019 Rheingauer Schlemmerwochen/ Gourmet Weeks. The winery was packed with wine and food lovers who had come for the Schlemmerwochen. Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps had reserved a special table for us for the tasting and dinner. We did not see much of Eva as she was in the kitchen most of the time. Also, there was no way of giving us a cellar tour. But Urban gave us a wonderful tasting of his stunning wines and Eva joined us for part of the dinner.

Picture: Weingut Kaufmann

Weingut Kaufmann

Weingut Kaufmann/ VDP: Can’t we all imagine the unbridled joy of bringing our closest-held dream to life? Swiss-born Urban Kaufmann, who long dreamed of owning his own winegrowing estate, knows that feeling better than most. Up through 2013, even as he served as owner of one of the most successful Appenzeller cheese dairies, he also traveled to Europe’s finest wine regions, scouting out the ideal spot to turn his dream into reality. The Rheingau, it turns out, was just that sort of place. He joined up with Eva Raps, the former long-standing director of the VDP, in acquiring Weingut Hans Lang, an organically certified estate. They then began a diligent, step-by-step pursuit of their vision of what a Rheingau wine can be. The estate, which now also bears the Kaufmann name, produces traditional Rheingau Rieslings, alongside a range of Pinot wines (Blanc, Gris and especially Pinot Noir). That latter variety has long been the estate’s calling card, drawing admirers throughout Germany for over twenty years.

Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps

I quote Urban:”To produce top cheeses was important to me, today Riesling, white Burgundy grapes and Pinot-Noir are the focus in my life. There are magic moments to take care of these grapes in the vineyard and in the cellar from the fermentation phase until bottling.”

Picture: Urban and Eva

And Eva: “For me, it’s wonderful to finally be able to implement the quality philosophy of the VDP at a wine estate of my own. Fortunately, we have just the right sites in our portfolio to do so.”

Picture: Urban and Eva

Profile: Weingut Kaufmann

Owner Urban Kaufmann
Winemaker Urban Kaufmann
VDP member since 1994
Hectares of vineyards 20
Bottle production 120 000
Grape varieties 75% Riesling, 15% Spätburgunder, 10% Weiss- & Grauburgunder and Chardonnay

Vineyards
HASSEL, Hattenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
SCHÖNHELL, Hallgarten | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
WISSELBRUNNEN, Hattenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Schützenhaus, Hattenheim | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
Hendelberg, Hallgarten | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®

Memberships
Demeter
Deutsches Barrique Forum
Slow Food
Vinissima

Eco Certification
Demeter

Aperitif in the Courtyard

We started with an aperitif in the courtyard.

Pictures: Aperitif in the Courtyard

Tasting and Home-cooked Dinner

We then moved to a large table right in the front-room of the winery for the tasting and dinner.

Pictures: Tasting and Home-cooked Dinner

The Wines

We tasted 9 wines.

2018 Weingut Kaufmann weissburgunder


2017 Weingut Kaufmann uno


2017 Weingut Kaufmann rheingau riesling

Urban Kaufmann: Gutswein - Radiant, dynamic, and elegant, these wines form the foundation of our estate. Grown in the sandy, mineral-rich soils of the region, they reflect our year-round commitment to sustainable practices in our vineyards, as well as our diligence and experience in the cellar.


2017 Weingut Kaufmann hattenheimer riesling


2017 Weingut Kaufmann tell riesling

Urban Kaufmann: Tell - A truly special wine with a very speical place in our hearts. Made from the best fruit selected from our best vineyards and blended into a liquid representation of the Kaufmann philosophy.


2016 Weingut Kaufmann wisselbrunnen riesling GG

Urban Kaufmann: Single vineyard - vibrant, focused and complex, each of our single-site wines delivers a story of origin unlike any other. Patience in the vineyard and the cellar is rewarded in their supple richness and unmistakable sense of place.


2017 Weingut Kaufmann pinot noir

Urban Kaufmann: Pinot Noir - Our estate proudly flies the flag for Rheingau reds. The legenday line is built on a firm foundation of clarity, precision, and sustainable farming.


2016 Weingut Kaufmann riesling kabinett feinherb


2017 Weingut Kaufmann wisselbrunnen spätlese


Looking Back: Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann

Two years ago, when we visited Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps, we were in the middle of a construction site and the winery was still called Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann. And we also had a family-style dinner.

You have achieved a lot, Urban and Eva. Congratulations!

Pictures: Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Looking Back: Weingut Hans Lang

Weingut Hans Lang was always been a top producer in Germany with holdings in top Rheingau vineyard sites. Hans Lang was always open to new ideas, be it the production of dry Rieslings, his pioneer work in the German Barrique Forum or his uncompromising pursuit of quality. By the early 1990s, he had already banished mash pumps from his cellar and had reverted to labor-intensive harvesting by hand to continually improve wine quality.

See:
A Wine Feast in the Rheingau, Germany: The Grand Wine Convention 2010
Weingut Hans Lang, Hattenheim in the Rheingau: Eva Raps, Managing Director of VDP, and Urban Kaufmann, Swiss Cheese Producer, Take Over, Germany

Picture: Christian Schiller at Weingut Hans Lang with Hans Lang

Bye-bye

Thanks Eva and Urban for a great evening.

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling - Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Joachim Flick in Hochheim, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Wegeler in Oestrich-Winkel, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Rheingau, with Jan Christensen - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Kloster Eberbach: Overnight-Stay, Dinner, Tour and Aperitif in the Steinberg Vineyard - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Wining in the Steinberg Vineyard – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Lunch, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau, with Owner Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen and Winemaker Arne Willkens - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tasting and dining at winery Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Owners and winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps

Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar tour, vineyard tour, and tasting in the vineyard at winery Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai

Lunch at restaurant Altes Haus in Bacharach

Tasting and vineyard drive at winery Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ratzenberger, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided tour of Eltz Castle

Tasting at winery Reinhold Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen

Tasting at winery Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm

Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Wine-pairing dinner at winery Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle

Tasting at winery Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Middle Mosel, with Ernst Loosen

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef: Visit of the famous Berncasteler Doctor Cellar and Tour and Tasting at  Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef, with Ownwe Matthias Willkomm

The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Lunch at Restaurant Juffer Flair of Weingut Christian Steinmetz in Brauneberg

Tasting at winery Haart in Piesport, Mosel, with Johannes Haart

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Cellar tour and tasting at winery Peter Lauer in Ayl, Upper Mosel, Saar Valley, with Katharina Lauer and Peter Lauer

Lunch at Weinrestaurant Ayler Kupp at winery Peter Lauer

Tasting at winery H. Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe, with Anne Dönnhoff 

Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Visit and tasting at winery Dr. Crusius, Traisen, Nahe, with Peter and Judith Crusius.

Vineyard tour, cellar tour and tasting at winery Kruger-Rumpf, Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Stefan and Georg Rumpf

Tour, Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Weingut Kruger Rumpf, Nahe, with Stefan, Cornelia and Georg Rumpf – Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard tour and tasting at winery Bischel in Appenheim, Rheinhessen, with Christian Runkel, Owner and Winemaker

Winery visit and lunch at winery Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin Guntrum

Guntrum is Back (Stuart Pigott/ James Suckling): Wine Pairing Lunch and Tour at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Owners Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Mainlust “Desche Otto” – an Ultra Traditional Apple Wine Tavern, with an Innovative Twist, off the Beaten Track in Schwanheim, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 
 

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Invitation: Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, Sunday, August 25 at 4:30 pm, USA

Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller at the Annual Riesling Party 2017 at their Home in Washington DC, USA

Hello wine folks,

this year again we will host a Riesling Party in the dead of summer (to show you that a Riesling is the perfect thirst quencher).

WHEN: Sunday, August 25 at 4.30 pm
WHERE: at our home in Mclean
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: bring one bottle per person of Riesling (from anywhere in the world). You may also bring a bottle of bubbles or a red one if you are not such a Riesling fan.

We will provide: food, water, glasses - everything that makes a party great - AND: a very special Riesling!

Please let us know if you plan to come. I will then provide you with our address.

So much looking forward to seeing many old wine friends and perhaps some new ones!

CHEERS and see you soon!

Annette & Christian
aschiller@ombiasypr.com

p.s.

The 2019 Riesling Party will take place a week before the start of the 2019 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours. As of now we will be 11 people, including Annette and Christian. There is still one room left - single or double. See:  Happy 4th of July -> 4th of September: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy: 1 Room Left, France/ USA

Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller in Buffalo at the National Convention of the American Wine Society 2018. See: The 2018 American Wine Society National Conference in Buffalo, New York State, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

Previous Riesling Parties at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia

This will be our 6th annual Riesling Party in McLean, Virginia:

Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2017)
Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund (2016)
Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2015)
Riesling Summer at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2014)
Summer of Riesling with Annette and Christian Schiller in Washington DC, USA (2013)

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Happy 4th of July -> 4th of September: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy: 1 Room Left, France/ USA

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: July 1, 2019)