schiller-wine

A Comprehensive Guide - in Alphabetical Order - to the Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

2012-02-03T01:34:00.018-05:00

Pictures: Oysters from Fort Dauphin with Patrick Rajaonary at Cafe de la Gare and Terrine de Foie Gras a la Vanille at Villa Vanille in Antananarivo

Off the eastern coast of Africa, Madagascar in the Indian Ocean is the 4th largest island in the world. Long known for vanilla beans and peppers, you can dine in its capital Antananarivo like in Paris, but at much, much lower prices and you can drink imported wines, mainly from France and South Africa, as well as – and this comes as a surprise to most visitors – wine produced locally.

As a result of the island's long isolation from neighboring continents, Madagascar is home to a vast array of plants and animals, many found nowhere else on Earth. Approximately 80% of all plant and animal species found in Madagascar are endemic. The island has been classified by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot.

Pictures: Impressions from Madagascar

Before becoming a sovereign country again in 1960, Madagascar was a French colony for over 60 years. Since regaining independence, the the first period (1960-1972), under the leadership of French-appointed President Philibert Tsiranana, was characterized by a continuation of strong ties to France. The period under Vice Admiral Didier Ratsiraka (1975-1993) saw a political alignment with the Eastern Bloc countries and a shift toward economic insularity. The period under the leadership of Professor Albert Zafy (1993-1996) ended with the return of President Didier Ratisiraka return to power (1996-2001), followed by the presidency of Marc Ravalomanana (2001 -2009), who was eventually pushed from power in a coup d'etat led by Andry Rajoelina.

Antananarivo

Antananarivo is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. Unlike most capital cities in southern Africa, Antananarivo was already a major city before the colonial era; in 1793, Antananarivo was made the capital of the Merina kings. The city was captured by the French in 1895 and incorporated into their Madagascar protectorate. Roads and broad flights of steps connecting places too steep for the formation of carriage roads were constructed throughout the city. In 2011, the capital's population was estimated at 1,300,000 inhabitants.

Pictures: Impressions from Antananarivo

I lived in Antananarivo from 1989 to 1992 and visited Antananarivo since then on average every other year. The last time, I was in Madagascar, was between November 2011 and December 2012.

The Restaurant Scene in Antananarivo

While most of the restaurants in Antananarivo offer French brasserie/restaurant food, there are also other food options, including traditional Malagasy food. The traditional Malagasy food is rice 3 times a day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a bit of meat or fish, and Analamao (bok choy-type greens). The Malagasy eat traditionally with a spoon and a fork - no knife. Madagascar has the highest per capita rate of rice consumption in the world.

French food in Madagascar ranges from basic bistro food to 1-star Michelin food. If you like French food, you are just right in Madagascar. You can eat in Antananarivo just as well as in Paris, but at considerably lower prices.

Wine in Madagascar

Turning to wine, Madagascar produces wine. The vineyards are in the Betsileo area in the highlands and total about 800 hectares. This compares with 100.000 hectares in Germany or South Africa. Traditional Malagasy wines – the vast majority - are made with so called French American hybrid grapes that are more fungus resistant than the vitis vinfera (European) grapes that dominate the world wine market. While traditional Malagasy wines tend to be of reasonable quality, they do not reach a quality level that would allow to marketed traditional Malagasy wines internationally. In particular, French American hybrid grapes tend to have a “foxy” taste that lets many wine drinkers stay away from these wines. See: The Wines of Madagascar - Good and Interesting Table Wines

But – and this is a brand new development - a new winery – Clos Nomena – has just started to produce Malagasy wine exclusively made with European grapes that tastes very much like the wines we are used to: Clos Nomena: Taking the Wine of Madagascar to New Heights

Pictures: Malagasy Wines

For imported wines, practically nothing was available in the 1980s, when I first set foot on the red island. That changed in the following years and French wine became readily available in supermarkets and restaurants. The most recent development is the influx of South African wine, which began perhaps a decade ago.

Ratings

Here is my current list of Antananarivo's restaurants, rated on a scale from 1 to 5 stars.

I am publishing my views in 3 different ways:

(1) in alphabetical order: A Comprehensive Guide - in Alphabetical Order - to the Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

(2) ordered by the number of stars: A Comprehensive Guide - Ordered by the Number of Stars - to the Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar and

(3) my 12 personal favorites, irrespective of stars: Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

This listing is in alphabetic order.

At the time of my last visit, in 2011/2012, the exchange rates were Euro 1 = Ariary 2750 and US$ 1 = Ariary 2000

Akoa ***

Located in Ivandry, the suburb where many foreigners live, Akoa consists of a small hotel and an excellent restaurant. I in particular like to have lunch or dinner in the tropical garden in the pool area.

The menu is strictly French brasserie and restaurant food with French standards like Tartare de Crevette and Terrine de Canard, Filets de Sole among the main courses, all in the Ariary 18.0000 range. As a specialty, Akoa offers a Menu Zazakely for children up to 10 years for Ariary 16.000.

Reflecting the relatively large share of English-speaking clients of Akoa – the American School of Antanananarivo is just next door - the wine list used to be more international than in other Tana restaurants, but no longer is: now you find only French wines on the wine list, ranging from Ariary 37.000 to Ariary 165.000. Akoa also offers wine en verre and en carafe.

See on schiller-wine: Restaurant and Hotel AKOA – An Oasis of Tranquility in the Buzzing Third World City Antananarivo in Madagascar

Ivandry, 22 437 11

Alt Muenchen *

The meeting point for the German expatriate community. On the road to Ambohimanga on the left side after Analamahitsy.

Au Triporteur ***

A table d’hote and tapas bar, owned and run by a French. I like in particular the very nice garden terrace with a gorgeous view of the Palais de la Reine. Lunch and dinner sur reservation only.

We had a wonderful Sunday four-course lunch with friends. For 10 people, the bill came to Ariary 480.000, including 2 bottles of French wine. I liked the cheese plate, which comprised only Malagasy cheeses, including a Bleu.

The wine list is good, with reasonably priced French wines. We had an excellent 2004 Riesling from Alsace and a delicious 2005 Medoc.

Andrianarivo, 22 414 49

Brunch'N Bio ***

A new place in Ivandry, close to Radio Netherlands, run and owned by a German woman, Michaela Pawliczek, who used to work for the German development cooperation GTZ and decided to stay in Madagascar and change jobs when GTZ decided to withdraw from Madagascar in the wake of the recent political crisis.

Reflecting Michaela's origins, you find quite a number of German specialties on the menu, like Bratwurst. At the same time, Brunch'N Bio is riding on the "green" wave and all the food is organic. Within a short period of time, Brunch'N Bio has become a popular place for lunch in Ivandry.

Brunch'N Bio is also a caterer and a bakery; it was the obvious choice of my daughter Cornelia and her fiance Chris last year, when the threw an Oktoberfest Party in their back yard in Ivandry. My wife Annette likes very much the German (bio-) bread of Brunch'N Bio.

From the Brunch'N Bio facebook page: La table d'hôte « Brunch'n Bio » est ouverte depuis septembre 2011 pour vous chouchouter, votre famille et vos amis avec des brunchs samedi et dimanche (10-15h) et des déjeuners et tea time pendant la semaine (12-14h et 14-16h, sauf mardi) basés au maximum sur des ingrédients biologiques. En plus, vous trouverez chez nous un grand choix de pain complet, jus & smoothies, notre propre ligne thés bio et nos fameux cookies. Nous sommes situés dans une magnifique maison malgache traditionnelle avec jardin spacieux et calme à Alarobia, près de l'Immeuble Assist.

Ivandry 032 05 145 05 - 034 05 145 05

Café Charly (Carlton) ****

Until not so long ago, the Carlton Hotel used to be the Hotel Hilton, which was for many years the only international chain hotel in Madagascar. The Hilton always was - and the Carlton still is - a popular place for events (I threw my farewell reception there). Similarly, the restaurant used to cater and still does to the hotel guests. Typically, Antananarivo residents do not go there for dinner.

But the restaurant was, years back, the place where the country’s leaders and visiting business and development agencies people would mingle over lunch; in the evening, however, the visitors would typically go to one of the restaurants in town.

This has changed for at least 3 reasons. There are now several other hotels in town that cater to international business travelers, traffic has become so bad that people want a more central location and the development agencies people are not coming for the time being as the current regime has not been recognized by the international community. But this will change and things will get back to normal. Now, however, while the restaurant is very nice and has an ambitious menu, it tends to be empty during lunch and dinner.

The restaurant has recently seen a major facelift and has become a hip place. The food is much more French than I expected. I like very much the Gambas de Mahajanga, Katakata au Lait de Coco for Ariary 25.000 and the traditional Tartate Charly’s avec Croquette de Cassava for Ariary 22.000. Most dishes are Ariary 25.000. The Menu is available in French and English.

The wine selection is relatively broad, with 4/5 of the bottles being from France. Of the French wines, about half is Bordeaux, many around Ariary 70.000 and one wine for Ariary 350.000. The other wines come from the Rhone, Loire, Bourgogne and Langeduec regions as well as Italy, Spain, Chile and South Africa. In addition, Café Charly offers 2 Malagasy wines – the Clos Malaza (red, white and rose) and the Grand Cru d’Antsirabe, both for Ariary 38.500. It is one of the broadest wine lists in town, reflecting the clientele of this international hotel, coming from all 4 corners of the world.

Café de la Gare ***

One of the new-wave additions to the Tana restaurant scene in the renovated Railways Station Building. Piano music very evening. A very lively place, where you always can meet interesting people. Very fast internet free of charge. English-speaking staff.

The food is good French brasserie food, with a limited choice for lunch and a more elaborate choice for dinner. I like the Tartare de Beuf for Ariary 13.000. Most main courses are around Ariary 15.000. The brunch on Sunday for Ariary 18.000 is very popular.

Friday evening, fresh oysters are brought in from Fort-Dauphin in the south of Madagascar. Half a dozen oysters on the half-shell cost Ariary 18.000. See on schiller-wine: Fine Wine and Fine Oysters in Madagascar: Oysters from Fort Dauphin and Wine from Clos Nomena

The wine list contains about 40 bottles, including a Blanc, a Rouge and a Rose Clos Nomena for Ariary 56.000. Among the other wines, one finds a lot of decent wines from Bordeaux, for Ariary 50.000 to 140.000, wines from other French regions and a good selection of wines from South Africa.

Brasserie and Bar

Train Station, 22 611 12

Chalet des Roses **

A – relatively speaking - typical Italian trattoria and pizzeria, with pizza, pasta and other Italian dishes on the large menu, all in the Ariary 7.000 to 12.000 range. You have a choice of 20 different pizzas.

In addition to a dozen or so French wines, the Chalet des Roses carries a list of red, white, gray and rose wines from 2 Malagasy producers, Clos Malaza and Grand Cru d’Antsirabe, in the 12.000 to 14.000 range.

Antsahavola, 22 642 33

Chez Arnaud ****

A gem as far as I am concerned. A restaurant – without bar – which surprisingly has a huge list of pizzas, very much off the beaten track and very difficult to find for tourists. You meet Malagasy and expatriate residents here, who care for good, classic French restaurant food. The setting is appealing, with a Malagasy touch, but rather simple and not as fancy as in the other 4 star restaurants in Antananarivo.

The menu is huge, with two pages of pizzas, but what impressed me most was the huge variety of classical French food. The menu presentation is unpretentious, on white sheets in plastic cover sheets. The food is not cheap. Many courses are in the Ariary 18.000 to 20.000 range. But given the outstanding quality of the food, prices are reasonable.

Last time, we started with delicious Cuisses de Nymphes (with lots of garlic) and then had for the plat de resistance Foie Gras Entiere Poele (Foie Gras comes in 6 different versions) and Filet de Zebu avec Sauce Poivre Vert. We finished with Banane Flambee and Mousse au Chocolat, classics at their best.

The wine selection is impressive, with about 50 wines from France, but also from other parts of the world. Many wines are in the Ariary 40.000 to 70.000 range. Only one Malagasy wine is served, a Clos Malaza Gris for Ariary 20.000.

The Frenchman Arnaud is the Chef of Chez Arnaud. He came to Madagascar in 1995. He evidently loves cooking and knows what he is doing. As far as I know, he is the only Frenchman, who runs a restaurant in Antananarivo from the kitchen – all the others are maitre d’hotel and supervise the dining room.

Ambohipo 22 221 78 Closed on Monday

Chez Francis **

Restaurant cum hotel close to Ile Rouge.

22 613 35

Chez Mariette *** (Table d’ Hote)

The place to go for a high-class Malagasy dinner, although I am not sure it is still in operation. Renowned Chef Mariette Andrianjaka has cooked for notables during her long career and now runs a table d’hote in her 19th-century villa. She prepares six-course set meals based on haifi cuisine, the traditional banquets once served to Merina royalty. These might include anything from carp to eel or goose, accompanied by myriad vegetable and rice dishes.

Faravohitra, 22 216 02

Chez Maxime **

A long time Chinese food favorite of Ivandry residents. Off the beaten track.

Ivandy 22 431 51

Chez Lorenzo **

Lovely pizzeria, Italian restaurant and small hotel in the Ivandry suburb, owned and run by the entertaining and charming Italian expatriate Lorenzo and his Malagasy wife. They opened about 20 years ago. I in particular like the cozy garden restaurant. The menu includes Antipasti, Pate e Risotti, Carni e Pesce and about 20 Pizze. Most dishes are around Ariary 12.000.

The wine list is almost exclusively Italian red wines, all around Ariary 60.000.

Ivandry, 22 427 76

Coreen Restaurant **

Very authentic Korean restaurant owned and run by Koreans. With gas tanks under the tables. If you like Korean food, go there.

Isoraka

Divina **

Pizzas, crepes and desserts in Analamahitsy. My daughter’s fiance Chris thinks that the Divina pizzas are the best in Antananarivo.

Analamahitsy 034 43 241 22

Glacier Brasserie (Hotel Glacier) **

Exists since 1933 and has been very popular with the French expatriate community since then. A large complex with a café, which turns into a bar with live music during the weekend and a brasserie, as well as a casino. Glacier is always packed with ladies of the night waiting for clients. From the balcony brasserie in the first floor, you have a very nice view of the Avenue de l’ Independence.

The brasserie offers good quality French brasserie food, a good menu with Malagasy dishes and some Chinese dishes as well as pizza and pasta. It includes such standards as Carpaccio de Zebu, Entrecote and Filet de Zebu, Steak Tartare and Lapin a la Moutarde, all in the Ariary 12.000 to 15.000 range. Last time I had Cuisse de Nymphe a la Provencale, Crevettes a la Creole and Ananas Flambee, all for Ariary 30.000.

Last time, the lunch special was Salate Tomate et Mozzarella, Voie de Veau a l’ Echalo and Crème Caramel for Ariary 9.900.

One of best place in Antananarivo for traditional Malagasy wine. Their wine list includes a relatively large share of Malagasy wines: Lavasoa, Lazan ‘I Betsileo, Clos Malaza and Cote de Fianar. Last time, we had a bottle of the rouge Cote de Fianar, for Ariary 12.000. Glacier also ½ a dozen French wines, all in the Ariary 50.000 range and wines from South Africa for around Ariary 30.000.

Avenue de l’Independence, 22 202 60

Hediard ****

A very elegant and classy new-wave restaurant, opposite to the French Embassy. This is the place where the French Ambassador takes his guests, I suppose. As a specialty, and in addition to traditional, classy French restaurant food, Hediard also serves Sushi. A French restaurant that could be in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The French wine list is impressive.

Every Thursday, they have tea time for Ariary 25.000 with a variety of teas and delicious, sophisticated sweets.

Across from French Embassy, 22 283 70

Ile Rouge **

A popular, very basic hang-out of French expatriates, often accompanied by their Malagasy partners. Catering to its clientele, the bistro food is quite good. You have a nice selection of typical French bistro dishes written on a blackboard, many in the Ariary 10.000 to 12.000 range. The Tournedos Rossini stand out as well as the Escargots. On Sunday, Il Rouge always has something special.

The wines are basic bag-in-box wines from France and South Africa.

Ambondrona, Rue Rainandriamampandry

Infinithe ***

A super-stylish, modern, ninimalist new place near Lac Anosy in the old Solimotel on the road to Arivonimamo. The interior was designed by Johary Chris Rasoarahona, the son of my friend Christian Rasoarahona.

It is a café which opens in the morning. People come were for breakfast, for lunch or a snack/cake/coffee in the afternoon as well as for a cocktail in the afternoon. Infinithe closes in the early evening; it does not serve dinner.

For lunch it is packed with mostly Malagasy working in the government offices district of Ampefiloha. The food is classic French brasserie food. In the afternoon, people come for the sensational cake and pastry selection. The wine card is small, but very appealing with a good selection of wines by the glass and by the bottle, including half a dozen French wines.

I am looking forward to the opening of a second Infinithe in Ivandry.

Ampefiloha, 032 03 888 88

Jasmin **

A Chinese restaurant that has been around for several decades. An institution that has seen better days but has remained unchanged. I used to go there for business lunches a lot and with the kids during the week end as they all loved Chinese food. The new wave of hipp restaurants is crowding out this traditional place.
Rich choice of good, delicate Chinese food, with a bit of a Malagasy twist. Not cheap – a main course often around Ariary 15.000.

Behind BNI in Analakely

Kudeta ****

Superbly stylish bar-restaurant, fancy modern place with a Malagasy touch – you could think to be in New York. International clientel, less French-centered than other places.

The menu makes imaginative use of local ingredients. If you like Fois Gras, this is one of the places to go; it comes in 4 different versions: nature, poele au miel, 2 facons de terrine and confit de foie gras, all for Ariary 18.000.

I also like the Crevettes and Cuissse de Nymphes (very juicy). The Assiette de Fromage de Madagascar for Ariary 12.000 is also tempting. Excellent presentation.

The wine list is dominated by French wine, in particular Bordeaux. On the first page of the wine list, they list 4 Bordeauxs at the Cru Bourgeois level for Ariary 300.000 to 400.000. The next page has about 25 mainly Bordeaux AC wines, starting at Ariary 45.000. Finally, the page vins du monde is dominated by South African wines, in the Ariary 40.000 to 70.000 range. In addition, Kudeta offers 10 wines by the glass (for Ariary 10.000 to 18.000) and 5 wines en carafe (for Ariary 20.000 and 30.000) for half a liter. No Malagasy wines.

Isoraka, 22 611 40

L’Avenue in the Hotel Tana Plazza **

Unpretentious and good hotel restaurant. Not as chic and trendy as the Café de la Gare, which is just opposite, good restaurant food is being served in the main room and on the covered terrace. L’Avenue has the same wine card as the Brasserie in the Hotel de France, which includes 3 different traditional wines from Madagascar (each as rouge, blanc, rose). In terms of food, the prices are a tiny bit lower than those at the Hotel de France.

Avenue de l’Independence, 22 218 65

La Boussole ***

The Compass - an attractive, lively bar-restaurant that could be in the South of France. Nice little patio allows for al-fresco lunch and dinner. A hang out place for young expatriates.

The restaurant serves mainly French brasserie-style dishes, while the bar whips out more prosaic snacks such as burgers and the like. Thus, a broad selection of dishes, from Hamburgers to Romazava to Zebu Steak and Foie Gras.

About 20 wines by the bottle, from Ariary 45.000 to 140.000. About half of the wines are from Bordeaux.

Isoraka, 22 358 10

La Brasserie in the Hotel de France **

A nice brasserie/restaurant in the Hôtel de France, serving good, traditional brasserie food. For lunch, a daily changing 3 course menu (entrée, plat du jour, dessert) for Ariary 19.000 is served.

Good wine list, dominated by French wine. In addition, La Brasserie has 3 Malagasy wines (each as rouge, blanc and rose) on the list, all for Ariary 19.400.
Avenue de l’ Independence, 22 213 04

La Fougere Colbert ***

The second restaurant of the Hotel Colbert, with a nice terrace.

La Muraille de Chine **

A Chinese place that has been around for decades and has not changed much. Large Chinese, but also French and Malagasy menu, at reasonable prices.

A rather large list of Bordeaux wines in the Ariary 30.000 to 40.000 range.

Avenue de l’ Independence, 22 230 13

La Plantations ****

A lovely restaurant, without a bar, next to the IBIS Hotel, on the street from the center of town to Ivandry. The Plantation indeed reminded me of a plantation home in the Southern United States. It is not a Malagasy house, very different from everything else. Plantations is a very popular lunch place, but also open several evenings in the week. You can either sit in the building or in the lovely garden area. You feel a bit like in the country side. An oasis of tranquility, with a Southern soul. Very friendly service.

The menu is classical and innovative French restaurant food with most plats in the Ariary 17.000 to 18.000 range. My wife and I shared a Terrines de Foie Gras a la Facon au Chef for Ariary 18.000 and then both had the Marmite de Fruits de Mer au Lait de Coco, also for Ariary 18.000, the last time we had dinner there.
A good selection of about 25 wines from various French wine growing areas, including Cotes du Rhone, Loire, Languedoc, Bordeaux, Bourgogne and Alsace, most in the Ariary 60.000 to 80.000 range as well as one wine from South Africa and the Malagasy Clos Nomena (for Ariary 42.000) add to the pleasure.

Next to the IBIS 032 82 699 30

La Ribaudiere ***

A hotel cum restaurant and bar in the center of town. It also has a very nice garden restaurant/lounge area. Newly renovated. It is owned and run by two French men, who took over the place about 3 years ago. They alternate and run the place for a month each. I met Stephan, whose wife is a French advisor to the Government.

The restaurant is very modern and arranged with good taste. Every detail is thought through. Stephan is a pro. He, among others, was a director at a 4 star hotel in Los Angeles. In fact, I felt very much like in Miami South Beach in the restaurant. The Lounge music supports this feeling.

Very few Malagasy people, few tourists, dominated by French co-operants. Very much a 40 something male co-operant crowd.

The food is classic French bistro/restaurant food, with most main courses around Ariary 15.000. Always, the food was very tasty and well presented. Reflecting Stephan’s origins, the also offer as a specialty 6 kinds of Flammenkuchen – an Alsatian speciality, for Ariary 15.000. In addition: Fondue Savoyade for 23.000 Ariary and Raclette Savoyade for Ariary 29.000.

The lunch menu express for Ariary 12.000 (steak frite + verre + caffee) is also tempting.

Wine card: 17 wines from France and South Africa, mostly in the Ariary 30.000 to 40.000 range. Last time we had an A Bordeaux C for Ariary 35.000.

Behind BNI, 24 215 25

La Rotonde (Hotel Gregoire) ***

The best place to eat seafood and fish in Tana. An institution, which has a bit of a problem to survive in light of the many new-wave restaurants. Paul Gregoire founded the bar Poker d’as in 1942, when Madagascar was still a French colony. Over time the place was enlarged with the addition of a hotel and 2 restaurants. It is now managed by the 3. generation of the Gregoire family.

I like the Ocean en Plateau for two people for Ariary 70.000 – Camaron, Crabe, Langouste, Crevettes, Calmares, Poisson fume, Huitres. They also serve fresh oysters from Mahajanga and Fort Dauphin.

The wine list includes French standards, but also 2 Malagasy wines – the Grand Cru d’Antsirabe and the Clos Malaza, both for Ariary 17.000 and as vins rouge, blanc, gris.

Besarety, 22 222 66.

La Table de IBIS ***

The hotel restaurant of the new IBIS on the route to Ivandry. Most dishes in the Ariary 18.000 range. A wine list with an international touch, with many wines around Ariary 60.000.

Ankorondrano

La Taverne de Hotel Colbert ****

Traditional French, classy restaurant with a lot of cloud and a long history. An institution. I have dined there with Ministers and Prime Ministers. When I arrived in 1989 in Antananarivo, it was the only place where you could eat in style. It has not changed much and still is one of the top spots.

Classy good traditional French food. Most main courses are in the Ariary 25.000 to 30.000 range. This time I had Mi-cuit de fois gras frais maision for Ariary 22.500, Marmite de langoustine for Ariary 30.000 and an Tarte de la banana au rhum de Nosy Be for Ariary 14.500

Exceptional wine list. Grand selection of Bourgogne and Cote du Rhone wines, but also of Bordeauxs. Most wines are in the 6 digit level, with many wines costing more than Ariary 200.000. Wines start at Ariary 60.000.

Antananimena, 22 202 02

La Varangue *****

Currently the best address in Antananarivo. A true dining experience thanks to Chef Lalaina Ravelomanana, but also to the elegant dining room and the lovely terrace, which overlooks the hotel’s charming garden. Nice, cosy separate bar with perhaps 20 perfumed rums.

To get the full experience, choose the 7-courses menu Parfums et Saveurs for Ariary 125.000. Alternatively, the Medaillon de filet de zebu for 95.000 are exceptional. But most courses are in the Ariary 20.000 to 30.000 range. Last time, I started with risotto epice, then had the duo de filet d’agneau et faux filet and finished with banana, all for Ariary 69.000.

Two pages of wine. The wine list starts at Ariary 40.000 for Alsatian, South African and Bordeaux wines and goes up to Ariary 500.000 for a Vosne Romanee. Most wines in the Ariary 70.000 to 170.000 range. They also carry the Clos Nomena wine, but no traditional Malagasy wines.

Antananimena, 22 2273 97

Le 31 Rotisserie **

Opposite to the Glacier on the Avenue d’Independence, this new restaurant is not easy to find. You have to walk up several stairs and then you arrive in a kind of back room, which does not look very inviting. Still, the Chef and owner has returned from Toulouse after spending 30 years there and in Toulouse and is aiming high by, inter alia, offering Specialites Sud Ouest.

Avenue de l’Independence, Analakely

Le 313 (Hotel du Louvre) ***

A new hotel in Antananarivo for international business traveler. With the Colbert, Carlton, one of the three top business hotels in Antananarivo.

French/international food for the clients of the hotel. Most courses are around Ariary 12.000. The restaurant is a very good deal, but is shunned a bit as it offers the atmosphere of an international chain restaurant.

For lunch, you can choose for Ariary 10.000 a burger, salad, or pizza plus un dessert and a soft drink. Limited, but good selection of mainly French and South African wines, mostly around Ariary 50.000.

The wine list consists of about 20 wines in the Ariary 40.000 to 50.000 range, from France and South Africa. Not too exciting. They also have a Clos Malaza for 35.000.

Antananimena, 22 390 00

Le B’ ****

B stands for Buddha: A Balinese inspired restaurant with bar, lounge, dining room and a nice little porch. A new-wave restaurant in Tana, clearly playing in the top league.

The menu is written on a blackboard and changes seasonally. Overall, a high quality French restaurant food with individual courses in the Ariary 13.000 to 20.000 range. Innovative and very stylish presentation of the food. The Chef used to work at the Pallisandre, one of Antananarivo’s 5 star restaurants.

Large wine list with mainly French wines, but also some South African wines. Bordeaux is well represented. Wines start at around Ariary 50.000 and quite anumber of bottles go for 6 digit prices, up to Ariary 400.000. We had a Bergerac for Ariary 60.000. No wines from Madagascar.

Isoraka, 26 340 49

Le Buffet du Jardin **

A simple indoor and outdoor brasserie, very popular with French expatriates, with reasonably priced brasserie food, which has recently been taken over by the Hotel Colbert, which is just around the corner. With the arrival of the Colbert you see less ladies of the night waiting for clients. Centrally located, next to the Colbert and Louvre. One of the regulars there was former Prime Minster Guy Razanamasy, for after or pre-dinner Whiskey.

I never had dinner there, but like it for a quick lunch in the garden brasserie or an afternoon coffee. The Buffet du Jardin has a good list of plats, typically around Ariary 8.000. Chris, my future son in law, likes the Pizzas there, all around Ariary 10.000.

Antananimen, close to Hotel Colbert

Le Bureau Pub **

A simple Pizzeria, Cyber Café opposite to the Hotel Chez Francis, run by a French guy. Pizzas are all for Ariary 10.000. Le Bureau Pub also offers snacks and sandwiches.

Ambondrona, Rue Rainandriamampandry

Le Carnivore ***

A new, trendy, modern meat place with a nice Lounge/Bar area, between the Nerone and the Petit Verdot. The lunch menu is straightforward – as main course you can choose between 7 different meat options, all at Ariary 18.000. Similarly, the 7 or so starters all cost Ariary 7.000. For dinner, le Carnivore offers 3 options: A vegetarian meal for Ariary 20.000, unlimited meat + dessert for Ariary 35.000 and unlimited entrée + unlimited meat + dessert for Ariary 45.000.

When I was there the last time, the place was packed.

The wine card is interesting, starting at Ariary 40.000 and going up to close to Ariary 200.000.

Le Combava ***

A new hotel cum restaurant on the route to the airport, just before the American Embassy, when you come from the city. The setting of the restaurant is beautiful; you get a bit the feel of being in a green house.

The food is good, traditional brasserie food, with main courses in the Ariary 15.000 to 18.000 range. Reflecting the large share of American clients, you have a choice between a menu in French or in English.

The wine card comprises 16 wines from a rather wide selection of countries, including the Malagasy Lazan I Betsileo for Ariary 15.000. Unusually, the wines tend to be good, inexpensive table wines and very few cost more than Ariary 30.000. Perhaps have a dozen of the wines are Vin de pays des Cotes du Tarn wines.

26 328 47

Le Grand Orient ** Currently closed

A Chinese Malagasy restaurant that has been there for ages. Le Grand Orient could have been in Shangai in the 1930s. The time appears to have stood still. With piano music in the eving. The menu combines Chinese and Malagasy cooking. I have spent there many evenings with my Malagasy friends. Hope it will reopen and keep it therefore on the list.

Close to Railway station, 22 202 88

Le Grill du Rova ***

A charming restaurant on the hillside just below the Rova with a strong Malagay touch. Only open for lunch. The Sunday brunches with a traditional Malagasy band are very popular. Very nice setting with a terrace overlooking the city.

Limited, but interesting menu featuring French and Malagasy dishes. French starters are all for Ariary 10.000 and Main Courses are all for Ariary 12.000; the latter include brochettes de filet du zebu and magret de canard. I can recommend the Degustation de Plats Malgache for Ariary 25.000. Regular Malagasy courses are offered for Ariary 12.000. The wine list is minuscule and not worth mentioning it.

Haute Ville below Rova, 22 017 17

Le Jean Laborde **

Cosy and small brasserie in the Hotel Jean Laborde with an extensive and basic brasserie menu. Nice bar area. Very limited selection of wines. I have rarely seen people there.

Isoraka, 22 330 45

Le Montparnasse ***

Very cosy, French restaurant with a nice bar area. A small place with low ceilings right off the busy route circulaire in the Ampandrana Quartier of Tana.

Main courses in the Ariary 12.000 to 15.000 range, mostly classic French cuisine, as the name of the restaurant already suggests. But they also have 5 Malagasy dishes, as the owner is married to a Malagasy. Le Montparnasse also serves Pizzas for Ariary 13.000.

The wine list is very limited, but not bad. About half a dozen French wines are listed on a blackboard, with the list changing frequently as the owner indicated. The wines were in the Ariary 35.000 to 60.000 range. No Malagasy wines.

Across from the German Embassy, 32 07 848 03

Le Palladios ***

A Brasserie/Restaurant cum Garden Pizzeria and Lounge Bar, on the main route to Ivandry. It caters to the international crowd that lives in Ivandry. The menu is quite large and broad, including a long list of salades composes for around Ariary, grillades au barbecue for Ariary 15.000, plats for Ariary 15.000, les specialities orientales for 18.500 and les pizzas au feu de bois.

Le Palladios does not have a wine menu, but perhaps 20 different bottles of wines sitting on little table, where you look at the bottle and decide. About half of the bottles are Bordeaux wines, not exceeding Ariary 100.000.

Ankorondrano 22 539 49

Le Petit Verdot ***

The favorite of many French expatriates in Antananarivo, because of the very typical French bistro ambiance, the good food, the outstanding selection of French wines and the good price/quality ratio. As far as I am concerned, it has the best wine card in town.

Typical French Bistro food with courses in the Ariary 9.000 to 15.000 range. They also have a formule du midi for Ariary 9.000: Steak frites, dessert du jour, ballon de vin. Isn’t this a steal? Saturday evening, they have the Cassolette de Fruits de Mer for Ariary 18.000. I always wanted to try it, but have not yet done it.

An exceptionally long wine list with about 100 wines by the bottle, at very reasonable prices. Many of the wines are from the Bordeaux region, ranging from simple AC wines up to the 2004 Brane-Cantenac for 220.000 and other wines in this category. But the rest of France is also well represented, including the South West. 14 wines are served “en pot” – mainly from South Africa and France.

4 Malagasy wines by the bottle – Lazan I Betsilio and Cru de Malaz (white, red, grey, rose) – for Ariary 20.000 complete the impressive list. Overall, the wines seem to be very reasonably priced. Most wines are around Ariary 50.000.

Ambohijatova, 22 392 34

Le Phare ***

A new restaurant in Isoraka, quite different from all the others in the quarter, as it is a Creperie. The restaurant is rather large, with two dining rooms. The restaurant is very neatly and stylishly done in blue and white and at least I felt a bit like in northern France.

I am not a crepes or galettes expert, but Le Phare offers an enormous list of different crepes and gallettes, ranging from Ariary 5.000 to 15.000. Of course, Le Phare serves cidre, brut and doux, but also has a limited wine selection. But you go there for the cidre. My daughter Cornelia went there for lunch and like it very much.

Isoraka, 20 26 323 28 mercredi – dimanche 18:30 – 22:00 creperie

Le Relais de la Haute Ville **

A decent restaurant in a beautiful location in the Haute Ville part of Antananarivo. It is not really on the list of the French cooperants and tourists. I once had lunch there on the terrace. Service was slow, but the food was good.
Haute Ville 22 604 58

Le Relais Normand **

One of Antananarivo’s old-timers that has survived. But in today’s hip restaurant scene of Antananarivo, it looks a bit out of line. Was over years one of my favorite places, but has been clearly crowded out by the new-wave restaurants. Last time I went there, I had lunch and was the only client.

The menu is classical French bistro food. I had crudite de Zuma for Ariary 10.000, followed by crevette sautee a l’ail for the same price. Everything costs Ariary 10.000 or less. The food was very good, but both tourists and expatriates probably do not feel overly comfortable here.

Decent French dominated wine list, including the Clos Malaza as Rouge, Blanc, Gris for Ariary 17.500.

Tsaralalana, 22 207 88

Le Rossini ***

A fancy new-wave restaurant with a comfortable lounge and bar area. Live (pop) music every Friday and Saturday. Has a nice terrace on the second floor for lunch and dinner (in the summer).

Large selection of traditional French restaurant food, with most courses in the Ariary 12.000 to 17.000 range. I started with the Cuisses de Nypmphes au Provencal for Ariary 14.000 and had the Tornedos Rossini for Ariary 21.500 as main course.

Good selection of wines. Half of the wines are Bordeaux, starting at Ariary 55.000 and quickly moving into the 6 digit range.

Rossini clearly aims at the **** star category, but I have never been satisfied, when I ate there. Thus, only 3 stars as far as I am concerned, although I know that many of my friends feel it is a **** place.

Isoraka, 22 342 44

Le Shandong ***

Arguably the best Chinese restaurant in town, with a large, typical Chinese menu with dishes raining between Ariary 10.000 and 20.000. Le Shandon also serves Malagasy and imported wines, ranging from the Clos Malaza for 15.000 to a Graves for 70.000.

22 319 81

Les Trois Metis **

Hotel cum restaurant in the building where once the American Embassy was. A bit off the beaten track. I still have to check it out.

22 359 83 / 033 05 520 20

L’Orion **

En face Auximad Antsahavola

034 84 129 29

Lokanga Boutique Hotel - Table d’Hote **

Lokanga Boutique Hotel advertises itself as “Hotel de Charme avec Table d’Hote.” If you want to eat there, you have to order 24 hours in advance; I understand they use La Boussole as caterer. Still, the view from the terrace is breathtaking.

Haute Ville 00 261 32 03 530 70

Nerone ***

It advertises itself as “un petit bout de l’Italie au Coeur de Tana – gourmandizes de la cuisine italienne”. Indeed, a typical Italian trattoria with an extensive Italian menu. A high-quality restaurant in the Haute-Ville, with authentic specials, exquisite pasta, good wine and mock-Roman décor. It's probably the best Italian experience you'll have in Madagascar. Most courses are in the Ariary 20.000 range. Complemented by a list of about a dozen Italian wines. A large place for an Italian feast.

Ambatonakanga, 22 23118

Nika **

A new restaurant, next to the Chocolaterie Robert, that focuses on West-African food, but also serves some Malagasy and French dishes. A trendy, chic, minimalist brasserie with a large, separate bar area. Everything is written on several blackboard that hang on the main wall. The main dishes are around Ariary 9.000. The menu is small, but special and interesting. About half a dozen wines are offered.

Antanimena, next to the Chocolaterie Robert Shop 22 291 24

Nirvana **

A lunch place in an office building in Ivandy. Large menu with something for everyone. Large selection of pizzas, salads, French bistro food, Malagasy food and Indian food. Prices are a bit on the high side, compared with what they offer, but this is due to the location in an affluent area.

No wine.

Ivandry

O! Fosa **

A new restaurant in Antanimena that apparently aims high, but which was closed when I wanted to have dinner there. The restaurants has a capacity of 50 couverts. Blanquette de veau, Boeuf Bourguignon, Calmar Sautés à l'Ail et les Camarons en Rouclade are the specialties of Chef Michel Randrianjafy, who before joining in 2009, used to work for Le B’ and Rossini.

Antanimena 261 34 07 185 47 Ave. Rainizanabololona

O! Poivre in the Hotel de France **

Hotel de France has a Brasserie (Le Brasserie), see above, and a Restaurant (O!Poivre), conveniently located on the Avenue de l’Independence. O!Poivre is a small restaurant, which used to serve typical French restaurant food, but I understand, the restaurant is under new management and has changed its concept. I was a regular there, when I used to live in Tana. The crevettes au poivre were delicious.

34 Avenue de l’Independence, 22 213 04

Ozone **

Thai restaurant and music bar offering about 200 Thai courses in the Ariary 10.000 range. Typical Thai restaurant. You feel like in Bankog. I had the spicy seafood noddles. With Music bar.

The wine list is limited. No French wines, but Malagasy and South African wines.

Next to Le B’, 24 749 73

Palissandre ****

A new, classy, elegant hotel with a lot of Malagasy soul and tradition, overlooking the center of the city. One has a wonderful view from the terasse of the hotel. An oasis of peace, above the buzzing traffic of the Avenue d’Independence. A bit off the beaten track.

Excellent and great presentation. Filet de Zebu costs 20.000, as do most main courses. Traditional French cuisine and a number of Malagasy dishes. The Menu is in French and English.

A good selection of French wines and a few South African Wines – 28 in total, including the Clos Malaza as gris, rouge, rose et blanc, for 32.000. The red Bordeaux AC cost 80.000 and the Muscadet 70.000, again a bit higher priced than other four star restaurants.

Faravohitra, 22 605 60

Pourquoi Pas! **

Formerly the Chez Rodrigue, this small French Bistro is now open for lunch and for dinner, from Tuesday to Saturday, run by an French expatriate. It advertises itself as “Resto-Snack-Tapaz”. The furniture is indeed extremely basic and would suggest Pourquoi Pas! is a Snack Bar. One the other hand, the blackboard suggests a good number of classical French Bistro dishes, in the Ariary 12.000 to 16.000 range for the plats. Indeed, when I had lunch there, the place was packed, mainly with French, who seemed to be regulars and to know the patron well.

No Malagasy wines, all French and some South African

Isoraka, 31 Rue Russie, 26 300 69

Radama **

A restaurant focusing on Malagasy cuisine only, for the Sakafo Malagasy. I like the formule plat du jour for Ariary 4.000.

Isoraka, 22 319 27

Restaurant Des Artistes **

A new, simple hotel cum restaurant, in the center of town. It has only an outside, though covered, restaurant. The menu is limited but the food – snack/bistro food – is good. The one page menu offers: Sandwichs, Entrees, Pates, Plats – in the Ariary 8.000 to 12.000 area.

Analakely, close to Glacier

Sakamanga ***

I have seen the hotel growing from a small, intimate place to quite a large complex. The owner has acquired over the years various houses and has created a labyrinth and extremely charming patchwork hotel that doubles as a museum.

The large majority of the clientele tends to be tourists, often nature freaks and sometimes those middle-aged people who tour the country by taxi-brusse. It is always packed and lively.

Very good and reasonably priced food. I like the Brochette de Zebu for Ariary 10.000. Most dishes are in the up to Ariary 15.000 price range. Dinner is served in the restaurant facing the street, while lunch is also served within the Sakamanga complex in small garden area with lots of tropical plants.

In addition to good French and South African wines, the wine list carries a Malagasy wine, a Grand Cru d’Antsirabe (rouge) and Clos Malaza (white and sweet). They also offer wines en carafe and en verre from France and South Africa. I also like the selection of Rhum aromatisee and typically finish the evening – if I stay at the Sakamanga – with a couple of glasses of rhum (for Ariary 2.000).

Ampasamadinika, 22 358 09

Savanna Café **

A typical French Brasserie, far away from Antananarivo center, next to the Airport. Has a comfortable bar area and a nice deck with a beautiful view. The Brasserie is open 7/7 from 6:30 in the morning to 23:00 in the evening.

The food is typical French brasserie food, with most dishes in the Ariary 15.000 range.

Only French wines, limited selection, but reasonably priced: mostly in the Ariary 32.000 to 35.000 area. Most wines are also available en verre and en pichet.

Mandrosoa Ivato Fitroafana Rte Aeroport, 034 07 760 29

Shanghai *

A very basic place that has been there for many decades, where you can eat Chinese food for lunch or dinner in the Ariary 6000 to 9.000 range. A large selection of Chinese dishes. I used to go there for lunch, as the office of the IMF was just around the corner.

Antsahavola

Sucett’s ***

A quiet place that serves good French Bistro and creole food. Just around the corner of the Kudeta. From the outside, the red glow give Sucett's the air of a slightly seedy cabaret, but there's little of ill repute here: you'll find plenty of budget-conscious travelers and keen eaters tucking into the French and creole cuisine.

Isoraka, 22 322 27

Tamboho ***

A new hotel restaurant in the Waterfront quartier, with a lovely deck, overseeing the lake. The set-up is very modern and functional. A good selection of French brasserie dishes, mostly around Ariary 12.000.

The wine list looks interesting, with an international touch, many bottles around Ariary 60.000.

Waterfront 22 693 00

Thai Foods **

A recommendation of my daughter Cornelia and her fiance Chris: Does not have the ambiance of the Ozone, but the food is definitely superior. Prices are very reasonable. Cornelia likes the Papaya salad for Ariary 6.000.

No wine.

Route Circulaire

Tsiki **

A restaurant that you find in no guide. Few tourists or expatriates go there. I am one of the few. French and Malagasy food at budget prices in an environment that has in my view some class.

It has a two pages menu with one page Malagasy food and one page classical French bistro food. As for the former, I can recommend the Romazava for Ariary 9.000. Most Malagasy dishes are in this price range. Last time, I had Gambas Grilles for Ariary 10.000 and my wife a pave de Zebu a la Sauce Roquefort, also for Ariary 10.000. We finished with Banane Flambee for Ariary 3.500.

The wine list is short. A couple of imported wines and the Coteaux d’ Ambalavao and the Cote de Fianar, red, white, gray and rose, in 0.75 and 0.375 bottles. The Coteaux d’Ambalavao is Ariary 11.000 in the 0.75 liter bottle and the Cote de Fianar Ariary 7.000. Both are produced by the Chinese Chan Fui et Fils.

My long-time Antananarivo favorite. See on schiller-wine: Tsiky – Charming Restaurant in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Serving Good Food and Malagasy Wines

Analakely, 22 283 87

Viko Viko ***

A rather large and typical French Brasserie near the Hotel Carlton at the Ho Shi Min Square. It is a simple, basic and spacious restaurant with a large bar, a nice lounge area, 2 connected dining rooms and an open air space. It reminded me very much of a “routier” in France. “We are packed for lunch. Before the crises we were also always full for dinner”.

Oddly, it is not included in the otherwise comprehensive list of Tana restaurants of the monthly Tana Planete Magazin, nor can you find it in any of the guides. But it is well known in and well frequented by the French expatriate circle in Tana. When I was there, 2/3 of the clients were French expatriates.

It is run by a French couple, perhaps in their late fifties/early sixties. They own and operate Viko Viko now for 6 years. She is in charge of the cash register and he constantly walks through the restaurant to make sure the service is efficient and smooth. He greets most clients personally and seems to know everyone. Generally, everybody seems to know everybody.

The menu is written on a blackboard that is put in front of you when you order. It contains quite a number of salads (in the Ariary 12.000 range) and a dozen or so French Brasserie classics (between 15.000 and 18.000). They also have wood-fired oven and offer half a dozen pizzas for around 13.000. Friday’s special – Couscous – is apparently very good. Last time I had Salade Nicoise for Ariary 12.000 for lunch with a ballon de rose. He has the classics like Maigret de Canard, Gambas Sautees, Steak au Poivre, to name a few.

Viko Viko offers perhaps 10 wines by the bottle, all written on little plates that are attached to the wall, in the Ariary 50.000 to 80.000 range.

Place de Ho Chi Minh, close to Hotel Carlton

Villa Isoraka ***

A new restaurant next to the Rossini in Isoraka, in a traditional Malagasy villa. This used to be a popular hang-out with Americans, in part because of the tex-mex food. Although the food of Villa Isoraka is classic French restaurant/brasserie food, they kept a few tex-mex favorites on the menu.

Villa Isoraka consist of a stylish and trendy indoor restaurant, a rather large garden restaurant around the building and a small bar area. The garden restaurant is lovely, dominated by a huge Ravinale plant, which is almost has high as the Villa Isoraka.

Villa Isoraka does not have a printed menu, but all dishes are written on a blackboard. The menu is not large, consist of classical French restaurant/brasserie food (with some tex-mex component). The 5 starters are all in the Ariary 9.000 to 13.000 range, and the about 10 main courses in the Ariary 13.000 to 18.000 range.

The wine list is very impressive. Villa Isoraka has a one page list of wines by the glass, which includes Champagne for Ariary 40.000 and a Chateau Gloria for 34.000. Other wines by the glass are in the Ariary 15.000 to 25.000 range. No Malagasy wine except Clos Nomena for Ariary 50.000

Isoraka 24 220 52

Villa Vanille ***

A classy establishment outside the centre in an old colonial villa, with a strong Malagasy component. There is nightly music performed by Malagasy bands and it has the best Malagasy wine list in town.

The cooking is somewhat eclectic, though as you'd expect from the name, the region's most famous and flavorsome orchid features heavily. Amazingly, a full page with different pizzas and a full page with couscous variations are accompanying a traditional French restaurant menu with such delicacies as Camerons a la Vanille (Ariary 50.000) and Langouste rouge grille (Ariary 50.000).

Villa Vanille is also a good place to taste Malagasy foie gras: You have a choice between Foie gras maison, Foie gras a la vanilla and Escalope de foie gras chaud a notre facon, all around Ariary 18.000.

Importantly, is the only top restaurant in Antanarivo which features a good selection of Malagasy wine. Villa vanilla currently offers the Clos Malaza, the Lazan ‘I Betsilio and the Grand Cru de Antsirabe as Rouge, Blanc and Gris, by the glass and by the bottle (for Ariary 22.000 the former two and Ariary 27.000 the latter). In addition, you can choose among a decent collection of French, Argentine and South African wines in the Ariary 40.000 to 90.000 range.

Antanimena, 22 205 15

Zebu Original Bistro ***

The restaurant is in the first floor of traditional Malagasy house, with a nice, small garden. As the name indicates, its speciality is Zebu steaks. Once every week, the offer the “formule”, which is a plat with Zebu steak a volonte, i.e. as much as you want, for Ariary 25.000. Otherwise, you can choose from a wide variety of typical Bistro dishes, in the 10.000 to 15.000 range. I finished the dinner with banana flambé for Ariary 5.000.

The crowd is tilted a bit more to non-French, English speaking visitors and residents than in other restaurants of this class.

The wine list is short and international; no Malagasy wines. Last time, we had an Argentinean wine for Ariary 35.000, which was appropriate as we ate with a long-timer Argentinean friend there.

Isoraka, 033 14 683 95

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Visiting Jennifer Breaux Blosser and Breaux Vineyards in Virginia, USA

2012-02-02T08:19:00.000-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Jennifer Breaux Blosser

I recently visited and tasted the wines of Breaux Vineyards in Virginia. The visit was part of a Virginia winery tour, organized by wine blogger Allan Liska for fellow wine blogger Lindsay Morris.

Allan Liska is well known in the wine world. He runs the wine blog CellarBlog, which focuses on wines from Virginia, where he lives, and on wines from Bordeaux, where he probably would want to live and frequently travels. CellarBlog is among the most influential wine blogs in the United States. Lindsay Morriss came to Virginia to present her MBA thesis and to lead a tasting of Georg Albrecht Schneider wines at the German Wines Society (DC Chapter), which I coordinated. Lindsay runs the wine blog Lindsay du Vin.

The three of us have all reported on the day drip: Lindsay du Vin, Cellarblog and schiller-wine: Touring Virginia Wineries - Fabbioli Cellars, 8 Chains North and Breaux Vineyards - with Virginia Wine Expert Allan Liska.This posting focuses on one of the wineries we visited, Breaux Vineyards.

Wine Producer Virginia

Virginia is the 5th largest wine industry in the US, with nearly 200 wineries and 2,500 acres of vineyards. Over the past 50 years, Virginia wines have experienced a tremendous development - to elegant and balanced, mostly European vinifera-based wines. Recently, Donald Trump bought a Virginia winery and AOL founder Steve Case is in the process of buying one.

Pictures: Jennifer Breaux Blosser

As far as white wines are concerned, the European vinifera grapes Chardonnay and Viognier are the leading varieties today. Increasingly they are made “naked” or with little oak only, with the objective of retaining natural acidity and freshness. It appears Viognier is on its way to becoming Virginia’s official “signature grape”.

For French-American hybrid varieties, Seyval Blanc is still popular, but resembles now the fresh and crisp wines from France’s South West. Vidal has become the backbone of the artificially frozen ice wine (cryoextraction), which I am not a great fan of.

The first ice wine was reportedly produced in Germany in 1794. Today, ice wines are highly prized wines that are made not only in Germany, but also in Austria and Canada as well as other countries, including the United States. Canada has experienced an amazing ice wine boom in the past decades. See about German and Canadian ice wine here. In the context of ice wine, some wine regions, including Virginia, are pushing cryoextraction. This is an approach, which kind of simulates the frost in the vineyard in the wine cellar. It was developed by the French. Instead of waiting for mother nature to produce frosty temperatures in the vineyard, the winemaker subjects the grapes to frosty temperatures in the cellar and presses them while frozen.

As far as red wines are concerned, there was a shift in top Virginia reds from straight varietal wines to blends. And blends have gone from being dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with a significant amount of Petit Verdot. There is an increasing focus on neutral oak and clean, vibrant fruit, mirroring the evolution of Virginia white wines.

Tannat, Uruguay’ signature grape from the South West of France, is showing up in more Virginia wines, usually as a blend. The only red French American hybrid which has performed consistently well in Virginia is Chambourcin, which, with its bright cherry aromas and flavors, crisp acidity and low tannin, resembles the Gamay grape of Beaujolais.

Finally, Claude Thibault, a native from France, has now been producing premium sparkling wines in Virginia. While respectable sparkling wines have been made in Virginia in the past, sparkling wines have been taken to a new level in Virginia by Claude Thibault. His NV Thibault-Janisson Brut, made from 100 percent Chardonnay, which President Obama offered his guests at his first state dinner, is as close as you can get to Champagne outside of France.

Breaux Vineyards

Breaux Vineyards is owned by Paul Breaux, who made his money with a real estate company specializing in sales and property management on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and is managed by Jennifer Breaux Blosser, Paul’s daughter, and her husband Christopher M. Blosser. I had the pleasure of meeting with Jennifer Breaux Blosser.

What began as a small hobby in the carriage house of the original 1750's Log Cabin on the far side of the property, the winery has grown into what the Washington Post describes as "Loudoun County's most impressive wine undertaking." Featuring the finest of European winemaking equipment, Breaux Vineyards is often credited with standard for winemaking facilities in Virginia.

Pictures: Breaux Vineyards

Today, the 404 acre estate has over 100 acres planted in 18 different grape varieties. Breaux Vineyards produces 10.000 to 12.000 cases per year. 90% of it is sold on the premises.

It was definitely a party-like atmosphere when we arrived, where a good 100+ people were gathered at bistro tables and chairs throughout the property, surrounded by cheese, crackers and bottles of Breaux wine. No wonder that Breaux has for the 4th year in a row been named Virginia’s Favorite Winery. “I wanted to bring Lindsay and Christian to a winery that is as packed as any winery in Napa or Sonoma to show the potential of the wine business in Virginia” said Allan.

Breaux Vineyards is one of the few VA wineries that is represented overseas, with a fairly healthy export market in the U.K. In fact, last year Breaux Vineyards was even awarded three medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

The Breaux Vineyards Portfolio

2010 Sauvignon Blanc - Steel fermented and dry, crips with a bright acidity. $17.00

2010 Viognier – A surprisingly light style wine, yet full of flavor; peaches and cream in a glass. $24.00

2010 Madeleine's Chardonnay - Steel fermented at a cool temperature, robust fruit notes, including banana, pineaplle and red pear. $ 19.00

Equation - A delicate combination of Old World and New World winemaking techniques yield a luscious, balanced expression of fruity Merlot complete with dark red fruit and dried plum. $15.00

2006 Meritage - A superb blend of these 3 major Bordeaux grapes. Excellent ageing potential given proper conditions. 10+ years. $28.00

2008 Lafayette - 100% Cabernet Franc—Named after the hub Cajun city, Lafayette (Louisiana). Medium bodied spicy wine. $19.00

2006 Breaux Soleil - This is a dessert wine. It is made of 100% late harvest Vidal, Viognier, Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc. This bottle is .375ml, which is half of a regular wine bottle size (.750ml). $26.00

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - Aromas suggestive of smoky cherry & raspberry. On the palate the wine builds complexity & offers rich, earthy flavors & chocolate. $24.00

2006 Merlot $28.00

Picture: Allan Liska, Christian G.E. Schiller and Lindsay Morriss tasting at Breaux Vineyards

2010 Nebbiolo Ice $19.00

2006 Nebbiolo - Expressive aromas contrast floral and tobacco notes, along with pungent spices. Aged in American and French oak for three years, this Nebbiolo offers well integrated, refined tannins with a firm acidity. $38.00

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An Evening with Lindsay Morriss: The Wines of Weingut Georg Albrecht Schneider and her Ideas on How to Raise the Profile of German Wines in the USA

Visiting Anne Moller-Racke and her Donum Estate in California: Old World, Terroir-driven Winemaking in the New World

Touring Virginia Wineries - Fabbioli Cellars, 8 Chains North and Breaux Vineyards - with Virginia Wine Expert Allan Liska

Lunch with Pinot Noir Giant Walter Schug in Sonoma, California

2012-02-01T10:21:00.000-05:00

Picture: Lunch with Walter Schug in Sonoma

Schug Carneros Estate Winery in Carneros/Sonoma is the showcase and life-long dream of a celebrated California winemaker with German roots - Walter Schug. His home is Schug Carneros Estate winery in Sonoma, California, but he was born and grew up in Assmannshausen in the Rheingau in Germany, not too far away from Mainz, where I spent 10 years before moving to Washington DC. Today, Walter Schug uses his experience of over 50 harvests to oversee the production at Schug Carneros Estate Winery, while son Managing Partner Axel Schug and Sonoma-raised Winemaker Michael Cox run the day-to-day duties at the winery.

I had the pleasure to spend almost half a day with Walter Schug. We first took a look at the vineyards in the Carneros appellation. We then toured the winery and tasted some of the Schug wines. We finished the visit with a lunch in Sonoma, where Walter lives. During these hours, we talked a lot about Walter’s passion for Pinot Noir and his life that brought him from Assmannshausen in the Rheingau to Sonoma in California. And I took many pictures.

This is the 3 posting of a series of postings on Walter Schug. It focuses on the lunch we had with Walter Schug in Sonoma. One more postings will follow: In the Carneros AVA with Walter Schug.

I have already written about Walter Schug on schiller-wine:

California Pinot Noir Pioneer Walter Schug: From the Rheingau in Germany to Carneros in California

Visiting Walter Schug and his Schug Carneros Estate Winery in Carneros, California

A California Wine Legend: Walter Schug

German-born Walter Schug is in particular known for being a California Pinot Noir Pioneer. Yet the success of his Schug Carneros Estate Winery is only the last chapter in an extraordinary career of making extraordinary wines in California.

Pictures: Pictures from Germany and the US and Pinot Noir from Staatsweingut, Joseph Pelps and Schug at Schug Carneros Estate Winery

Before establishing Schug Carneros Estate Winery, Walter Schug was Vice President and Winemaker at Joseph Phelps Vineyards for 10 years, laying the groundwork for Phelps' rise to iconic status. Under Walter’s hand, Joseph Phelps Vineyards became one of California’s top wineries. At Phelps, Walter produced America’s first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend, the critically acclaimed “Insignia.” He further developed Napa Valley’s reputation as a source of great Cabernet, producing the single-vineyard bottlings from the Eisele and Bacchus vineyards. His groundbreaking work with botrytis-affected Riesling and Gewurztraminer would help redefine the very idea of California dessert wine. Walter would go on to be the first to bottle a varietal-labeled Syrah. The 1974 vintage was the first varietal Syrah ever marketed in the United States and laid the groundwork for the popularity of Rhone-style wines today.

Schug Carneros Estate Winery

Schug Carneros Estate Winery is situated on a 50-acre site in the Carneros Appellation, south-west of the town of Sonoma. The post-and-beam German-style winery, hidden down a dusty lane behind a gas station, employs 12 people full time and a revolving cast of foreign students.

When Walter started to produce his own wines in 1980, his wife Gertrud joined the effort full time. With the help of Gertrud's tight financial controls, Walter and Gertrud purchased 50 acres and began to plant the vineyards in the Sonoma portion of the Carneros Appellation in 1989. Two years later, in 1991, the Schug Carneros facility went into operation.

Pictures: Schug Carneros Estate and Winston

Today, Schug Carneros Estate produces 50,000 cases annually. “In the beginning we made three times more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir. Today it is the opposite” Walter said.

In terms of grape growing, Walter said that the Schug team was very concerned with finding the most environmentally friendly and efficient way of growing the grapes. Cover crop is an important part of the yearly cycle. In the Spring, carpets of mustard flowers, California poppies and wild grasses cover the ground between the vines. Not only does this transform the vineyards into a colorful patchwork, but the benefits also include prevention of soil erosion, nitrogen addition, soil structure improvement, weed suppression and creating a habitat for beneficial insects. In addition, it reduces the vineyard work load, fuel use, and the necessity for pesticides.

Walter showed us around in the impressive cellar, which reminded me a lot of the wine cellars I know from Germany. In particular, there were not only 800 barrique barrels but also 30 larger barrels (German Stueckfass), which are exactly the same as those you find in Walter’s homeland Germany, but probably nowhere else in California.

Initially, for 4 years Walter made his wine using the facilities at Storybook Winery. Then Walter moved to Yountville, into a building owned by one of the Domaine Chandon principals. Through 1990 he continued to build production, reaching the 6,000 case level. The Schug Carneros facility went into operation in 1991, followed in 1995 by 5,000 square feet of barrel ageing caves. More cave additions followed since then and another cave addition is in the planning.

Pictures: Walter Schug and Christian G.E. Schiller

"We have always done well in the overseas market, but we have seen preferences shift here in the U.S.," Walter said. Particularly with Chardonnay, there has been a noticeable change away from the big oaky California-style Chardonnays to a more lean austere style which pairs more aptly with a wide variety of food.

In the cellar, Walter explained, he favors progressive use of the newer technologies available to winemakers today, such as the Voll Tauchers, hydraulic punch-down fermenters that automate the process of gently punching down the cap during fermentation, while at the same time preserving age old traditions.

The Schug Carneros Estate Portfolio

Though Walter’s career began in Germany’s Rheingau, his wines are more often associated with fine French Burgundy. This similarity is due in part to Walter’s philosophy that the varietal and regional qualities of the grape should shine through in his wines. “But the true credit goes to the grapes themselves, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from the cool Carneros Appellation, where climate and soils provide traits consistent with their French counterparts. The long Carneros growing season allows these grapes to mature slowly, developing intense flavors with balanced acidity” said Walter.

Pictures: Walter Schug and Christian G.E. Schiller

Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the stars of the Schug Porfolio. True to the Carneros region, they exhibit lush, intense fruitiness, spicy complexity with balanced oak and acidity. “We make Pinot Noir at 3 quality levels” continued Walter “in stainless steel, 8 to 10 months in barrique barrels and our Heritage Reserve wine”.

The Schug Heritage Reserve collection is blended from the finest barrels in each vintage. These bottling are produced in small lots, emphasizing added complexity and concentration.

In recent years, Walter has even found room for some old friends, adding Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as well as Sauvignon Blanc to his own label. Indeed, Schug's Heritage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon brings back memories of his earlier Insignia creations. Blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this limited 400 case production wine is sought out by the many collectors who remember his earlier years at Joseph Phelps Vineyards.

The first wine under the Schug label was the 1980 Heinemann Vineyard Pinot Noir from grapes grown on a Napa Valley hillside vineyard. Though this vineyard launched the brand, Walter’s search for great Pinot Noir eventually took him to the Carneros region.

Lunch in Sonoma

After the cellar and vineyard tour and a little wine tasting, Walter, my wife Annette and I went to Sonoma, where Walter lives, for lunch. When I was sitting with Walter at the lunch table, I was very proud and honored. I could feel that I was lunching with an American wine hero.

Pictures: Walter Schug

Over lunch, Walter surveyed a California wine industry that had been transformed from its forgotten status in the 1960s to the level of international quality leader it enjoys now. We talked a lot about these amazing developments over the hours we spent together. Modestly, Walter simply acknowledged an involvement in this transformation. Of course, there is much more to it. Walter Schug’s influence and impact on California wine make him an icon in the industry.

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The 2011 Pinot Days in San Francisco

In the Glass: A 2007 Pinot Noir from the Gault Millau Shooting Star of the Year - Estate Baron Gleichenstein, Germany

In the Glass: Pinot Noir from France, Germany and California

New Classification of New Zealand Pinot Noirs

California Pinot Noir Pioneer Walter Schug: From the Rheingau in Germany to Carneros in California

German winemakers in the World: Robert Stemmler (USA)

Meeting Winemaker Dianna Lee and Tasting Her Siduri Wines and Her Novi Family Wines

Visiting Walter Schug and his Schug Carneros Estate Winery in Carneros, California

Meeting Wine Maker Paolo Cianferoni at his Caparsa Estate in Chianti Classico, Italy

2012-01-31T01:30:00.005-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller and Wine Maker Paolo Cianferoni at his Caparsa Estate

Following the 2011 European Wine Bloggers Conference in Brescia, I spent 3 days in a beautiful and exciting location: In the Chianti Classico region in Tuscany, at the invitation of the Chianti Classico Consortium. We visited several wineries and tasted perhaps as many as 70 different wines from Chianti Classico producers, both big and small.

While in Tuscany, I dined and wined (1) with the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium at the Santa Maria Al Prato Convent in Radda in Chianti, at (2) Badia al Coltibuono, at (3) Castillo di Brolio, where Bettino Ricasoli came up with the original Chianti Classico blend, at (4) Castillo di Ama, where we saw an amazing Contemporary Art Collection, at (5) Vignemaggio, where Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was borne, at (6) Dario Cecchini’s Solo Cicca Restaurant in Panzano and (7) at Caparasa, with Chianti Classico niche wine producer Paolo Cianferoni.

This is the fourth in a series of postings. I have already posted:

Blogging, Wining and Dining at the European Wine Bloggers Conference (#EWBC) October 2011 in Brescia, Italy – A Tour D’ Horizont

Wining, Dining and Blogging in Chianti Classico (#EWBC), Tuscany, Italy

Dining and Wining where the Royals Eat: Dario Cecchini’s Solo Cicca Restaurant in Panzano – the Butcher of Chianti Classico

Sienna, Florence and Chianti Classico

The Chianti Classico region covers an area of approximate 100 square miles between the city of Florence in the north and the city of Siena in the south.

Historically, the Chianti Classico zone is where the production of Chianti started. In 1716, Cosimo III de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, issued an edict legislating that the 3 villages of the Lega del Chianti, the village of Greve and a 2 mile hillside north of Greve as the only officially recognized producers of Chianti. This delineation existed until the 1930s when the Italian Government expanded the zone. Subsequent expansions throughout the twentieth century would bring the Chianti zone to cover almost all of Tuscany. The original zone of the edict of Cosimo III de' Medici would eventually be considered the heart of the Chianti Classico region.

Pictures: Wine Maker Paolo Cianferoni at his Caparsa Estate

The Chianti Classico zone is a truly unending source of culture, scenery, architecture, gastronomy and wines. Here lie the lines of defense of the two Republics, Siena and Florence, which have scowled at each other through its woods and vineyards for centuries. Interspersed with the countryside are castles: some are still occupied by the noble families whose ancestors built them in the feudal middle ages; others - ruined, perhaps in battle centuries ago, and abandoned - still dominate their hilltops with proud arrogance. There are numerous hill towns and hamlets, villas and farmhouses, guarded by sentinel cypresses, by people who may make their living tending the vineyards, or have already made more than a living and have retired to beautiful old houses. Be aware that the British, German, Dutch, Swiss, French and Hong Kong have bought up much of the Tuscan landscape. They too have become wine makers with a vengeance.

Sangiovese - the Soul of Chianti

Sangiovese is the signature grape of Chianti. It is the soul of Chianti wine. The Sangiovese grape, like the Pinot Noir, is not an easy grape variety, but has the potential of producing world class wines.

Since 2006, the use of white grape varieties such as Malvasia and Trebbiano has been prohibited in Chianti Classico. The share of Sangiovese can range from 80% to up to 100%, with the remainder either other native red grapes, like Canaiolo and Colorino, or international varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Wines that do not comply with these rules – of which we tasted a number during the trip - cannot be sold as Chianti Classico, though produced in the same area.

The Caparsa Estate

With 12 hectares of vine, the Caparsa Estate is a small winery close to Radda in Chianti. Of the potentially about 60.000 bottles of wine, it markets only 20.000 bottles and sells the rest in bulk. Chianti Classico niche wine producer Paolo Cianferoni explained: "We only bottle a third of our production making only a Riserva. 2/3 of our production is sold to large companies, so we have 20,000 bottles to sell. These are sold either locally or exported to small importers. If I had to sell all my grapes as bottled wine, I would have to change the whole structure." As in many vineyards of the area, olive oil is also proudly produced.

Pictures: Caparsa Estate

Paolo Cianferoni and his partner Gianna have been running Caparsa since 1982. A hands-on man, Paolo's hands are everywhere at once, planting, picking, labeling, bottling, pricing, selling. Gianna works along side Paolo, indulgent of her husband's restlessness. Together they live their lives in harmony with the environment, Italian peasant culture, the world of wine and their 5 children.
History

The Cianferoni family bought the estate in 1965. Initially it was run by Paolo's father – Reginaldo Cianferoni – a professor of economics and politics at the University of Florence. The estate for many centuries was the property of one of the greater noble families of Radda in Chianti who entrusted the estate to the share-cropping contract (division of the products half and half between the land-owner and the peasant families who worked the estates.

The Wine Portfolio

Drawing on vines growing at an altitude of 450 meters, the Caparsa Estate produces several different wines.

Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo Riserva – one of the two flagship wines; always made as Riserva; matured in barriques; bottled 27 months after harvesting; 100% Sangiovese; he currently sells: 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Pictures: In the Wine Cellar

Chianti Classico Carpasino – the second flagship wine, mainly Sangiovese, but also Canaiolo and other grapes; depending on the year made as Riserva; matured in casks and barrels; he currently sells 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.

The two flagship wines are not filtered and the estate’s production philosophy emphasizes special respect for the environment. Paolo: "We have been certified since 2005. My father used chemicals. I moved towards organic viticulture in stages. Organic viticulture encourages complexity, while the use of herbicides etc. simplifies wines. The problem with biodynamics is that it has a priest!"

Vino Rosso di Caparsa - a tavolo (table) wine made from Sangiovese,Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia. It is light on the mouth and the pocket. Sold in 5 liter bottles for Euro 13 per bottle.

Vino Bianco di Caparsa - a white wine mix of 50% Trebbiano and 50% Melvasia using only the first pressed juice (no skin). Sold in 5 liter bottles for Euro 13 per bottle.

Vin Santo – Paolo made a vin santo in 1997 and still has it in his portfolio.

Vendemmia Tardiva – Paolo made late harvest wine in 2003; the grapes were affected by noble rott.

Paolo does not produce Super Tuscan wines.

Paolo Poured 2 Wines

Paolo poured two vintages of Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo Riserva us, the 2007 and the 2000. Both are delicious; inaddition, the 2000 showed how well Chianti Classico wine can age.

Pictures: Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo Riserva, 2007 and 2000

Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo Riserva 2000

98% Sangiovese + 2% Colorino; Maturazione: 16 mesi in fusti da 225 e 550 litri di rovere Allier. Fermentazione: Spontanea, con lieviti autoctoni, per circa 14 giorni.

Bright garnet color; classic cherry nose with hints of leather and spices, soft textured mouthfeel, fruity finish, very attractive and elegant.

Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo Riserva 2007

90% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino, 5% Ancelotta; Maturazione: 2 anni in Tonneau di 500 litri di Troncais, Allier, Vosges, Americano, Ungherese. Fermentazione: Spontanea, con lieviti autoctoni, per circa 12 giorni.

Purple color, vibrant fruit, more structured with firmer tannins than the 2000.

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German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

2012-01-30T01:00:00.044-05:00

Picture: Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, Kai Buhrfeindt, Grand Cru Weinrestaurant, Christian G.E. Schiller, Markus Schneider, Weingut Markus Schneider

Weingut Robert Weil produces only Riesling, both in the dry and in the fruity-sweet and noble-sweet styles. It is without any doubt the Rheingau’s flagship winery. It was founded in 1875 and is currently managed and co-owned by Wilhelm Weil. Weingut Robert Weil wines represents at its best what German wine is known for in the world: classic Riesling wines.

By contrast, Weingut Markus Schneider is a new winery, founded only a few years ago. Wine maker Markus Schneider is one of Germany’s shooting stars, who has made himself a name within a short period with innovative, non-traditional wines, in particular new-world-style red wines.

Pictures: Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, and Markus Schneider, Weingut Markus Schneider; Kai Buhrfeindt, Grand Cru Weinrestaurant

Thus, at the Grand Cru dinner, we had the opportunity to taste the wines of the representatives of two camps: (1) Weingut Robert Weil, 100% Riesling, a world star when it comes to dry, fruity sweet and noble sweet Rieslings, with a long tradition and (2) Weingut Markus Schneider, presenting the international grapes Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Merlot, unknown in Germany a few years ago that can compete with any such wines from anywhere in the world; a young innovative wine maker, producing non-traditional, new-world-style wines in Germany.

These top wines accompanied a delicious menu created for us this evening by Chef Michael Amerswald.

During the evening, I was reminded of a conversation that I had a few months ago with German wine expert Phil Bernstein from MacArthur’s Beverages in Washington DC. The German Wine Society had invited Lindsay Morris, who had done a master thesis about the future of German wine in the US. She argued that Germany should branch out and promote its non-traditional wines, such as red wines, which now accounts for one third of Germany’s wine output. Phil took the opposite position: Germany should not branch out, it should focus on where its comparative advantages are and do what nobody in the world does as well as Germany – produce Riesling.

Kai Buhrfeindt and his Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main

Over the past couple of years, I have regularly dropped by the Grand Cru Wine Bistro (Weinrestaurant) in Frankfurt’s Sachsenhausen district, whenever I was in Frankfurt. There is perhaps a handful of brasserie/bistro type restaurants with a strong wine menu in Frankfurt am Main. Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru is one of them.

Pictures: Kai Buhrfeindt and Christian G.E. Schiller at Grand Cru Weinrestaurant: Chat Sauvage Versus Peter Querbach – An Impromptu Pinot Noir Wine Tasting with Kai Buhrfeind at His Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, Germany

The excellent food, the large, well chosen and ever changing wine list – with about 300 wines by the bottle and by the glass - and the French brasserie/bistro atmosphere of Grand Cru always bring back fond memories of the 3 years which I spent in Paris. The expertise and the passion for wine and food of owner Kai Buhrfeindt – a Staatlich gepruefte Weinnase (a government certified wine nose) - shows clearly and everywhere at Grand Cru.

Wilhelm Weil and his Weingut Robert Weil in the Rheingau

Founded in 1875, Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich is the Rheingau’s #1 estate and one of Germany’s best. Four generations and over a century ago Dr. Robert Weil, who was a Professor of German at the Sorbonne, was forced to leave Paris because of the Franco-Prussian War (1870/1871). He subsequently joined his brother August in Kiedrich in the Rheingau and established the Robert Weil winery.

Dr. Robert Weil purchased his first vineyards in Kiedrich and moved there in 1875, when he bought the estate manor from the heirs of Sir John Sutton, an English baronet. A man of vision, he built up the estate by purchasing 2 local wine estates and the vineyards of Count von Fürstenberg. Contacts throughout the world and the production of great wines brought rapid growth to the Weingut Robert Weil.

Pictures: Wilhelm Weil and Christian G.E. Schiller at Weingut Wilhelm Weil. I visited Weingut Wilhelm Weil last year and posted about my visit: Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany and Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

Today, Weingut Robert Weil is managed by Wilhelm Weil, who owns the winery jointly with Suntory from Japan. 75 hectares under vine, it is one of the largest estates in the Rheingau. The historical manor house, the ultra-modern cellars and the vinothek stand side by side in a beautiful park – the same synthesis of old and new that is reflected in the estate’s philosophy of winemaking. While I visited Weingut Weil in the summer of 2011, major extension works were going on.

Picture: Wilhelm Weil at Grand Cru Weinrestaurant

In 1988, the estate was sold by Robert Weil to the Japanese beverage group Suntory, and his son Wilhelm appointed as estate director. The vineyard area was doubled, and an ultra-modern cellar built. I did not ask Wilhelm, but he is reportedly in the process of repurchasing shares from Suntory.

While we visited Weingut Robert Weil, there was construction work going. “We want to double the surface of the winery’s underground cellar” Wilhelm said.

The Rheingau

It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. It is a quietly beautiful region, rich in tradition. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.

The third President of the USA - and notable bon viveur - Thomas Jefferson visited the Rheingau in 1788 and wrote that the wine of the "Abbaye of Johnsberg is the best made on the Rhine without comparison … That of the year 1775 is the best." He also referred to the Rheingau’s Riesling as the "small and delicate Rhysslin which grows only from Hochheim to Rudesheim". Impressed by the quality of the Rheingau Riesling wines, he bought 100 grapevines to take back to his estate in Virginia.

Although the Rheingau is one of Germany’s smaller wine-growing regions, its 3,100 ha (7,660 acres) of vineyards are vastly diverse in their geological makeup. They can be divided into four zones: vineyards in the Rhine, vineyards in proximity to the Rhine, vineyards on the higher reaches of the middle plateau, and vineyards on the heights at the foothills of the Taunus Hills. The Rheingau is dominated by Riesling, accounting for 4/5 of the vineyard area. Pinot Noir accounts for 1/10 and is concentrated around Assmannshausen.

Weingut Robert Weil and Riesling

The vineyards are planted 100% with Riesling. The estate’s dedication to Riesling since 1875 has led numerous observers of the international wine world to regard Weingut Robert Weil as a worldwide symbol of German Riesling culture. A Riesling wine of the 1893 vintage, grown on the Gräfenberg site, made the estate famous. The imperial Habsburg court in Vienna purchased 800 bottles of this wine at a price of 16 gold Marks per bottle in 1900. The 1920 vintage of the Kiedricher Gräfenberg Trockenbeerenauslese is described as a Zeppelin wine, as it was served on board the LZ 127 „Graf Zeppelin” dirigible on its circumnavigation of the world in 1929.

The Top Weil Vineyards: Kiedricher Klosterberg, Kiedricher Turmberg and Kiedricher Gräfenberg

Weingut Robert Weil’s top vineyards all belong to the group of the highlying sites of the Rheingau: Kiedricher Klosterberg, Kiedricher Turmberg and Kiedricher Gräfenberg. Inclination (up to 60 %), exposure (southwest) and the ability of the barren stony soils to absorb heat are the factors that make for three perfect Riesling sites. These conditions, as well as ideal circulation, enable the grapes to remain on the vine for a long time, ripening well into November.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Wilhelm Weil looking at the Weil vineyards

Kiedrich Gräfenberg: Kiedrich Graefenberg is situated on a southwest-facing ridge and a steep cliff with inclines of up to 60 percent. The soil consist of deep and medium-deep stony, fragmented phyllite partially mixed with loess and loam. This combination of barren stony soils, an ideal microclimate, steep inclination and southwestern exposure allows the grapes to hang on the vine for a very long time.

At the end of the 12th century, the renowned site was first documented as “mons rhingravii” (literally, the hill of the Rhine counts) and in 1258, was named “Grevenberg.” To this day, Gräfenberg has remained a focal point. The record prices it fetches at auctions bear witness to the site’s renown.

Kiedrich Klosterberg: The name Klosterberg (literally, monastery hill) derives from “Closterweg,” the old path that ran through this vineyard in Kiedrich en route between the monastery Kloster Eberbach and its mill near Eltville. The shallow to deep stony-gritty soils of the southwest facing site are of Devonian (colored slate) and pre-Devonian (phyllite and sericite gneiss) origin, and are mixed with gravelly loess.

Kiedrich Turmberg: Since the founding of Weingut Robert Weil, the Turmberg site was always considered one of the estate’s top sites, second only to Gräfenberg. The name Turmberg (literally, tower hill) derives from the surviving keep (central tower) of the former castle Burg Scharfenstein. The archbishops of Mainz had the fortress built on the steep crag northeast of Kiedrich in 1160. With it, the Rheingau sovereigns hoped to secure the eastern flank of the Rheingau as well as the important trade route that ran from Eltville to Limburg and Cologne. Turmberg lies on the slopes of a steep, slaty crag. Its stony-gritty soils consist primarily of phyllite mixed with small portions of loess and loam.

With the wine law of 1971 and its amendment of the vineyard register, numerous traditional vineyards, like Turmberg, were incorporated into other sides. In 2005, the Turmberg parcel was reinstated as an individual vineyard site consisting of 3.8 ha (9.4 acres). It is solely owned by Weingut Robert Weil.

Markus Schneider and his Weingut Markus Schneider in the Pfalz

Weingut Markus Schneider is in Ellerstadt in the Pfalz. Markus Schneider learned how to make wine at Weingut Dr. Buerklin-Wolf in the Pfalz from 1991 to 1994. His father - Klaus Schneider – had grown grapes for many years as a member of the local wine cooperative, before leaving the wine co-operative and founding his own winery in 1990, with the view of setting up a winery for his son Markus. For years later, Markus took over and 1994 was the first vintage made by and bottled under the name of Markus Schneider. In the following years, Markus Schneider increasingly shifted to making blends, based on international grape varities, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Merlot, that were a novelty for Germany.

Innovative Wine Labels and Wine Names

At the same time, the wines were marketed with non-traditional, modern labels and wine names; these wines became increasingly appealing for young and hipp wine consumers. Markus Schneider markets all his wines as QbA, without any reference to the predicate level (that have been dominating German wine classification for decades) and without any reference to the vineyard(s) were the grapes come from (moving away from the terroir principle that has become increasingly important for trational German wine producers). Here are some of Markus Schneider’s wines: Blackprint, Rotwein Alte Reben, M Spaetburgunder, Tohuwabohu, Chardonnay, Riesling and Kaitui.

A Shooting Star

In 2003, Markus Schneider was voted Newcomer of the Year by the Feinschmecker and in 2006, Discovery of the Year. Within only a few years, Markus Schneider had shot to the top echelons of the German wine industry and established a solid position. Since 2007, Weingut Markus Schneider is in the 3 (out of 5) grapes category of Gault Millau.

Pictures: Markus Schneider

The Vineyards

Markus Schneider owns and leases vineyards. In addition to warmer vineyards in the valley around Ellerstadt, Weingut Markus Schneider also owns/leases vineyards in higher and cooler regions on the edge of the Haardt Mountains. The approximately 50 hectares of vineyards spread over the following varieties: Weiße Rebsorten: 30 % Riesling, 8 % Weißer Burgunder, 5 % Grauburgunder, 5 % Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Rote Rebsorten: 12 % Spätburgunder, 12 % Blauer Portugieser, 10 % St. Laurent, 5 % Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Mitos.

In the Wine Cellar

Markus talked a bit about how he makes his wines. He likes concentrated, fruity wines with intense aromas. Markus told us that he achieves this through strict yield limitation, late harvest and vineyard work focused on the physiological maturity of the grapes.

Markus Schneider: „In the wine cellar, natural must concentration with traditional methods is important. For rosé and red wines, this is achieved through juice reduction of up to 40%, using the saignée method. In addition, red wines are very slowly fermented using traditional mash fermentation, which last for premium wines up to 3 months. The maturation takes place in traditional wooden casks and barrique barrels.“

„White wines are vinified with long maceration times (up to 48 hours). The maturation takes place until up to the bottling in the spring in stainless steel tanks, oak barrels and barriques. My white wines remain in contact with the fine yeast until shortly before bottling in order to achieve a complex aroma spectrum.”

Weingut Markus Schneider Wine Portfolio

Here is an overview of the wine portfolio of Weingut Markus Schneider:

Rosé Cuvée Saigner Medium Dry Rosé St. Laurent, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

Ursprung Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Portugieser, Cabernet Mitos

Blackprint Merlot, St. Laurent, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Mitos, Cabernet Dorsa

Rotwein Alte Reben 100% Portugieser

M Spaetburgunder

tohuwabohu Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Syrah

Weissburgunder

Grauburgunder

Chardonnay

Riesling

Kaitui 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Takatuka 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Chardonnay

Vet Rooi Olifant South African wine; joint venture with South African wine maker

Wining and Dining with Kai Buhrfeindt at Grand Cru

This was a spectacular evening with the outstanding food of Chef Michael Amerswald and the spectacular wines of Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider, all very well orchestrated by Kai Buhrfeindt.

Pictures: Chef Michael Amerswald and Kai Buhrfeindt

Steinbutt/ Kalbskopf/ Nüsse

Markus Schneider, Kaitui 2011, Sauvignon Blanc, QbA

The Markus Schneider Kaitui is a tribute to New Zealand which is well known for its Sauvignon Blanc. Kaitui means Schneider in the language of the Maori. Markus Schneider: “This is a very early bottling. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and also (starting with this vintage) also on large oak barrels.” A very fruity, lush, very much new world style Sauvignon Blanc.

Rote Beete/ Rauchschinken

Weil, Kiedricher Turmberg 2007, Riesling QbA

A Lagenwein (premier cru) – dry; the Turmberg consists primarily of phyllite mixed with small portions of loess and loam, which accounts for the pure minerality in the wine. The 2009 Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken made it to the Wine Spectator Top 100 wines for 2010 (2009 vintage). Wilhelm Weil: “The wine was fermented in stainless steel and large oak barrels. A perfect food wine.”

Skrei/ Schwarzwurzel/ Blutwurst/ Ravioli/ Beure Blanc

Weil, Kiedricher Graefenberg 2002, Riesling 1. Gewaechs

Weil, Kiedricher Graefenberg 2007, Riesling 1. Gewaechs

Graefenberg is the top vineyard of Weingut Wilhelm Weil. Wilhelm Weil: “Gräfenberg is the only site in the world in which grapes of every quality category – including Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese – have been harvested every year without exception since the 1989 vintage.”

Wilhelm Weil: “2002 was an average year, a bit on the cool side. By contrast, 2007 is view as a vintage of the century.” The 2002 showed a lot of minerality and was very fresh. Intense peach notes in the finish. The 2007 was lush, oily and ripe, but already showing some hints of aging.

Kalb/ Kohlrabi/ Kartoffel/ Trüffel

Markus Schneider, Merlot 2009, QbA trocken

Markus Schneider, Syrah 2009, QbA trocken

The Merlot and the Syrah: Both very concentrated, fruity, new-world-style wines, with intense aromas.

Stuart Piggot included the Syrah 2009 in his List of 2011 Favorites under the category innovation of the year:

Innovation des Jahres: 2009er Syrah "Made in Germany" vom Weingut Markus Schneider.

"Die Rebsorte Syrah ist ein neuer Import aus dem französischen Teil des Rhônetals, der nur dank der Klimaerwärmung bei uns Einzug halten konnte. In Übersee wird er meist als "Shiraz" vermarktet, und der erste Rotwein aus dieser Sorte des Pfälzer Jungwinzer-Phänomens Markus Schneider hat eher die Üppigkeit eines Überseeweins. Hier geht es jedoch selbstbewusst um "made in Germany". Der Duft des Weins (29,50 Euro ab Hof, Telefon 06237/7288) verbindet warme Aromen wie reife Brombeeren, Bitterschokolade und Gewürze mit kühler Kräuterfrische. Trotz des Riesenkörpers schmeckt man den Alkohol kaum, und die Gerbstoffe wirken fast wie Kakaopulver auf der Zunge. So etwas gab es noch nicht "made in Germany"."

Weißer Canache/ Tonka/ Ingwer/ Orange

Weil, Kiedricher Graefenberg 2005, Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel

A sweet-style Riesling Auslese. While 70% of Weingut Robert Weil’s wines are fermented dry, the reputation Weil wines have in the world are due are to a large extent to the world class fruity-sweet and noble-sweet Rieslings. Robert Weil’s top botrytis wines are sold today at extremely high prices - they are among the most expensive in the world. The current world record (in 2006) is held by a 1999 Weil Trockenbeerenauslese, at DM 5.000 (EUR 2500).

This is a prime example for what kind of fruity-sweet and noble-sweet Rieslings Wilhelm Weil is able to produce. Intense and rich, long finish.

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Rhine Wine – The Weingut Schloss Rheinhartshausen Wines of the Mariannenaue Island in the Rhine River, Germany

2012-01-27T01:17:00.004-05:00

Christian G.E. Schiller and the former General Manager of Weingut Schloss Reinhartshausen, Dr. Karl-Heinz Zerbe

Rhinewine is a popular term in the wine world. In its broadest interpretation it means a wine from a wine region in the Rhine valley – Alsace in France or Baden, Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Rheingau, Mittelrhein in Germany. Using a narrower concept, it is a wine from one of the 3 German wine regions that include the world Rhine in their name – Rheinhessen, Rheingau, Mittelrhein. In its most narrow concept, it means a wine from an island in the Rhine river.

The Rhine River and its Wines

The wines of Mariannenaue – an island in the middle of the Rhine river in the Rheingau area – are the only wines – as far as I know – that meet the criterion of the most narrow definition: wine from an island in the Rhine river. I visited Mariannenaue with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim.

Insel Wein from Mariannenaue Island

The Mariannenaue island is owned and operated by the Weingut Schloss Rheinhartshausen.

The Rheingau

It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. It is a quietly beautiful region, rich in tradition. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.

The third President of the USA - and notable bon viveur - Thomas Jefferson visited the Rheingau in 1788 and wrote that the wine of the "Abbaye of Johnsberg is the best made on the Rhine without comparison … That of the year 1775 is the best." He also referred to the Rheingau’s Riesling as the "small and delicate Rhysslin which grows only from Hochheim to Rudesheim". Impressed by the quality of the Rheingau Riesling wines, he bought 100 grapevines to take back to his estate in Virginia.

Dr. Karl-Heinz Zerbe

Although the Rheingau is one of Germany’s smaller wine-growing regions, its 3,100 ha (7,660 acres) of vineyards are vastly diverse in their geological makeup. The soil varies from stony slate at the western part near the villages of Assmannshausen and Rudesheim to loess, sand and marl in the lower central villages of Geisenheim, Johannisberg, Winkel, Oestrich and Hattenheim. Soil reverts to stony phyllite in the higher central and eastern villages of Hallgarten, Kiedrich and Hochheim. Generally, wines from the lower slopes where the soil is heavier—sandy loam and loess—produce fuller wines, while at the higher slopes where it is more stony and slatey, the wines reflect more minerality, elegance and concentration.

The Rheingau enjoys a distinctly continental climate with cold winters and warm, but not hot, summers. The Rheingau – unlike any other region of the world – is associated with Riesling and nearly 80% of the Rheingau’s cultivated vineyards are planted with Riesling. The Rheingau is home to about 7% of the world’s Riesling vineyards. Pinot Noir accounts for 1/10 and is concentrated around Assmannshausen.

Weingut Schloss Reinhartshausen

The full name of the Weingut is „Administration Friedrich Prinz von Preussen Schloss Reinhartshausen”. It is located in Erbach in the Rheingau. A 5-star hotel is also operated on the premises. Wine has been produced at Weingut Schloss Reinhartshausen since medieval times.

At Schloss Reinhartshausen, over the following centuries, various aristocratic owners came and went. There, were today is Schloss Reinhartshausen, was in the 12th century the Castle of the Ritter von Erbach. For many centuries, Schloss Reinhartshausen belonged to the Knight of Allendorf. In 1800, the counts of Westphalia purchased the property from Freiherr Langwerth von Simmern and built the „Alte Schloss” (old palace). In 1855, Princess Marianne von Preussen, of the house of Nassau-Orange, purchased the property, and added a museum building, used to make her collection of art accessible to the public. Her son Albrecht von Preussen inherited the palace and wine estate in 1883, and it continued to be passed on to the next generation in the Prussian royal house. In 1957, ownership passed to Prince Friedrich von Preussen, son of the last German crown prince. The palace was re-created as a hotel, and expanded until 1991. In 1998, Willi Leibrand, founder of the large REWE supermarket chain, bought the run-down Schloss Rheinhartshausen with the vision to bring it back to previous hights. August Kesseler, one of the fathers of the German red wine revolution – with Chef Joachim Wissler – was hired to implement his vision. Under August Kesseler’s leadership, Schloss Reinhartshausen was transformed into an enchanting 5-star-hotel. When Willi Leibrand died, in 1999, entrepreneur Dieter Bock, together with a group called the „Freunde von Reinhartshausen” (Friends of Reinhartshausen) purchased Schloss Reinhartshausen from the Leibbrand estate.

The vineyard area totals 100 hectares, with holdings in: Erbach (Hohenrain, Marcobrunn, Rheinhell, Schlossberg = monopole, Siegelsberg sites), Hattenheim (Nussbrunnen, Rheingarten, Wisselbrunnen), Kiedrich (Sandgrub), Rauenthal (Wülfen) and Rüdesheim (Bischofsberg). Schloss Rheinhartshausen is the largest privately owned winery in the Rheingau.

More than 80% of the vineyard area is planted with Riesling. The remainder is planted with Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, Silvaner, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc.

The estate is a member of the VDP association.

The Wines of the Mariannenaue Island

The Mariannenaue island in the middle of the Rhine river, with its two vineyard sites Erbacher Rheinhell and Hattenheimer Rheingarten, is located right in front of Schloss Reinhartshausen, and stretches out to the west as far as the neighboring village of Hattenheim. With an area of 89 hectares it is the largest island in the Rhine river.

Touring Mariannenaue Island with Dr. Karl-Heinz Zerbe

We were welcomed by the former General Manager of Weingut Schloss Reinhartshausen, Dr. Karl-Heinz Zerbe, in the courtyard of Schloss Reinhartshausen with a Secco sparkler from the Mariannenaue. We then went over by boat - "Prussia's Gloria," the last of the Prussian gunboat fleet – to the island and toured the island.

The vineyard area totals 23 hectares. With 8.5, the pH value is high on the island (normal is 7). “Because of the high ph values, coupled with the specific micro-climate, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc do very well here” said Dr. Karl-Heinz Zerbe.

The Weingut Schloss Reinhartshausen Portfolio

The wines of Schloss Reinhartshausen are offered in 7 groups.

(1) Trockene Weine – Dry Wines: About 12 wines. The entry level wine costs Euro 8.90.

(2) Erstes Gewaechs – Premier Growth: 2 Erstes Gewaechs wines for Euro 25 and Euro 33.

(3) Feinherbe Weine – Off-dry Wines: 4 wines.

(4) Weine mit dezenter Suesse – Sweet-style Wines: 4 sweet-style Kabinett and Spaetlese wines.

(5) Rotwein & Weissherbst – Red Wine and Rose – 4 Spaetburgunder wines, with one aged in barrique, for Euro 14,50.

(6) Sekt – 4 Sparkers including a Secco from the Mariannenaue island for Euro 7.50.

(7) Edelsuesse Raritaeten – Noble-sweet specialties: 12 noble sweet wines from the 2001 to 2009 vintages. The 2003 Erbacher Schlossberg Trockenbeerenauslese in the 0.375 liter bottle for Euro 192 is the most expensive one.

The Wine Tasting

The afternoon ended with a wine tasting.

2010 Von der Insel Mariannenaue, Weissburgunder & Chardonnay Qualitaetswein trocken

2010 Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen, Riesling, Qualitaetswein trocken

2010 Schloss Reinhartshausen, Riesling Classic feinherb (13.3 g. remaining sugar)

2007 Erbacher Schlossberg, Riesling Erstes Gewaechs

2005 Erbacher Schlossberg Riesling Auslese fruchtig (65.4 g. remaining sugar)

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Zum Schwarzen Kameel - The Ultimate Classic of Viennese Wine Bars, Vienna, Austria

2012-01-26T04:02:00.003-05:00

Picture: Zum Schwarzen Kameel

This historic establishment was founded originally by a spice merchant in 1619. It has been one of the city's best places to enjoy a glass of wine for the last century.

Outdoor seating and the bar area are casual while a more formal sit-down atmosphere can be enjoyed in the restaurant.

Picture: Zum Schwarzen Kameel

The wine list is broad, and includes also excellent examples from all the major wine growing regions of the world.

Pictures: The Bar Area

This is the ultimate classic of Viennese wine bars, where you can enjoy modern versions of local classics at very reasonable prices.

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Picture: Vienna

Bognergasse 5 (U-Bahn Herrengasse).

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Tasting Washington State Wines at the Tasting Room in Seattle, USA

2012-01-25T10:44:00.004-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller in the Tasting Room in Seattle

Unlike in other parts of the world, tasting rooms are very popular and widespread in the United States. Typically, they are open from 9 am to 5 pm (and not in the evening), you do not have to make an appointment, they charge for the tasting, they do not serve food and you can buy the wines there. Often, the tasting rooms are dissociated from the winery and in a close-by town or on a main road. In Germany, France or Italy, for example, these kind of easy tasting opportunities are rare to find.

The Tasting Room in Seattle is a blend of a typical American tasting room and a wine bar.

The Tasting Room in Seattle

There are 2 "Tasting Rooms" in Washington State, one in Yakima and one in Saettle.

The Place

The Tasting Room in Seattle is a typical wine bar, open at night, where you can hang around with a glass of wine and eat some food, right in the heart of Pike Place Market, at the copper topped tasting bar or outside at a table on quaint Post Alley or inside at a table.

The Wines

It has some elements of a tasting room insofar as the Tasting Room only serves the wines of a group of Washington State winemaker. Wines are served by the ounze, half glass, full glass, carafe, bottle and to go.

The Tasting Room Winemakers

Camaraderie Cellars: Owned by Don and Vicki Corson who have made the Olympic Peninsula their home since 1990. Whenever we are at a wine festival we are often asked "Why Port Angeles?" Making wine in Port Angeles does seem a bit out of the ordinary since it is located on the "wet" west side of the Cascade Mountains and the grapes are from vineyards on the "dry" east side. But our answer is that although the winery is some distance from the grapes, ocean breezes from the Strait of Juan de Fuca make the Olympic Peninsula an ideal place for making wine. Besides Camaraderie Cellar's location, it's wines are distinctive for their pedigree. We are fortunate to have long-term relationships with Fred Artz at Artz Vineyards on Red Mountain, and Paul Champoux at Mercer Ranch. These vineyards are regularly mentioned as among Washington's best, a tribute to Fred and Paul's passion for excellence, a passion Camaraderie Cellars happens to share.

Picture: Seattle

Harlequin was founded in 1999 by Robert Goodfriend. The small, family owned winery located in Touchet (Walla Walla Valley), works with the best vineyards and growers in Washington and Oregon State to designate individual vineyard rows which are specifically assigned to Harlequin. Robert maintains complete control over yield, canopy management, irrigation and picking decisions. Winemaking at Harlequin is very hands-on and intensive. Reds are fermented in small, one-ton fermentors and punched down by hand. Ageing occurs in the best oak from the best coopers.

Picture: The First Starbuck's in the World, close to the Tasting Room in Seattle

Latitude 46° North falls just south of the town of Walla Walla, Washington, and runs through the great viticultural regions of our state. The blending of wine from great sites, coupled with meticulous winemaking, creates wines of added complexity and nuance. We produce wine in the purest expression of Washington State winegrowing. Latitude 46° N Winery is a small winery owned by four families. Old World methods combined with New World fruit are the ideals of winemaking that we have based our foundation on. We currently produce a dry Gewurztraminer from the Columbia River Gorge, Syrah and Grenache blends from various Columbia Valley Vineyards, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and our Flagship blend of Washington State Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah: The Vindication. The Vineyards used to create the wines of Latitude 46º N are grown, under our supervision, through long-term contracts with managers we consider friends. There may be grapes from 8-10 different Vineyards in one season. We prefer to buy fruit by the actual row of vines, than by the ton. This method provides extensive opportunities to adapt the microclimate of the fruit to our desired endpoint. We will harvest at the optimum level of flavor, not sugar. Our Vineyard Managers give amazing amounts of tolerance to our requests and desires. The harvest time at the winery is an exciting period. Each lot of grapes is fermented separately. Reds are fermented in small ¾ ton fermenters and punched down by hand. These wines are pressed gently with a membrane press at the peak of flavor and tannin maturation. Barrels are selected for specifically complementing varieties and Vineyards. White wines are fermented in neutral barrels to promote slight oxidative fermentation, without oak flavor addition. Blending is an exercise taken very seriously. Complexity, seamlessness and sheer intensity are the intentions behind the blended wines of Latitude 46º N. pride that we put into our winegrowing is echoed in the bottle, and in your glass.

Picture: The Tasting Room Seattle

Mountain Dome Winery is truly a family owned and operated winery. The Manz family started their winery in September of 1984 and have built their geodesic dome and 15,500 square foot winery by themselves. After spending a few years developing the desired style of sparkling wine, the family decided the 1988 vintage would be the first commercial release. A friend suggest that the winery, built on snowy, tree covered mountain top, reminded him of a gnome village and created the Gnome label for Mountain Dome's Non-Vintage. Mountain Dome has grown from a family obsession into an award winning winery, producing more than 3,000 cases a year. The winery is located on an 85 acre forest in the foothills of Mount Spokane. The three Manz children have grown up working in the winery. The oldest son, Erik, is now the winemaker.

Picture: The Tasting Room in Seattle

Naches Heights Vineyard is perched on the southwest plateau high above the beautiful Naches Valley. This area was formed one million years ago when a lava flow poured in from the Goat Rocks Wilderness area to the west. Soils then formed on this plateau, consisting of wind blown loess known as Tieton loam. Our elevation at NHV - up at 1780 Feet - places us as one of the highest elevated vineyards in the state. The high elevation (closer to the sun) combined with the rich volcanic soil creates unique growing conditions for our wine grapes. With farming in the Cline family's blood for 68 years, the NHV site has been in Cline stewardship for 44 years. Our love for the land and our environment translated a past orchard life of plums, apricots and apples into a happy, healthy vineyard – your palate will approve of our attention to detail in the growing of wine grapes on this sunny, volcanic site. Naches Heights Vineyard currently produces five grape varietals: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Tempranillo and Syrah.

Picture: The Tasting Room in Seattle

Seattle's "Micro" Winery Founded in 1988 by husband and wife duo, Paul Beveridge and Lysle Wilhelmi, Wirlidge Winery specializes in hand-crafted wines made from select single vineyard sites in Washington State. This family-owned winery is located in the historic Madrona neighborhood of Seattle. The company's goal is to find the best vineyard sites in Washington State and hand-make the wines to bring out the unique characteristic of each vineyard's terroir. Grapes are picked in the Yakima, Red Mountian, and Walla Walla appellations and are crushed, pressed and aged in new French oak barrels at the Seattle neighborhood winery. Visit the newly planted biodynamic vineyard in Yakima, WA - just 2 short hours from Seattle. Over 20 grape varieties are planted from the famous wine regions in Europe including France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Wilridge is a small, family winery run in the European tradition. Owners Lysle Wilhelmi and Paul Beveridge live near the winery in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle with their two sons, Mack and Liam. Paul's parents , Bob and Berta Beveridge, live in the apartment above the winery. Wine making at Wilridge is a family and neighborhood affair, with relatives and friends pitching in. Paul is winemaker, Lysle is in charge of sales, Mack and Liam handle barrel washing and grampa provides "quality control sampling". The plan is to stay small and focused on quality, like many of the small wineries in Europe. There are no employees and volunteers that want to "get their feet wet" are welcome to help during harvest and bottling.

Picture: The Tasting Room in Seattle

Wineglass Cellars was founded in 1994 by David and Linda Lowe. Our first crush was 1994 and the following May we opened for sales and tasting. David grew up in a small town in Eastern Oregon and Linda grew up in the Yakima Valley. We both wanted the small town life for our two sons Steven and Patrick. We also enjoyed a love of wine from touring the Oregon wine country over many years and, starting in the mid ‘80s, touring the Yakima Valley wine country. Our desire for country life when combined with our love of wine made for a perfect "escape from the big city (Seattle)" plan. In the winter of 1993 we moved onto the three acres we presently live on. The following year we purchased a horse barn from a neighbor which is now Wineglass Cellars Winery and Tasting Room. The philosophy of wine making at Wineglass Cellars is hands on. We keep production small and quality very high. This enables us to closely control the quality from vintage crush to labeling of the bottles. Wineglass Cellars only buys the highest quality grapes from the Yakima Valley, and California to produce its wines. When we talk of hand crafted wines we mean it! This is also cause for lots of tired days during crush and press. The emphasis at Wineglass Cellars is on red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay from the Yakima Valley rounds out our current offerings. Wineglass Cellars is a small winery producing 2500 cases per year. The winery is located in the Yakima Valley. Our cozy tasting room has a lovely view of the surrounding apple orchards of Zillah, Washington.

Picture: The Tasting Room in Seattle

The Food

The Tasting Room offers some Tapas type food, including a Cheese Sampler and a Salumi Cured Meat Sampler, both for US$ 9.

Tasting Room Hours

Sunday - Thuraday : Noon - 8pmFriday & Saturday : Noon - 10pm

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The Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta, Italy

2012-01-24T01:28:00.008-05:00

Christian G.E. Schiller with Lucia Barzanò, il Mosnel

The 4th European Wine Bloggers’ Conference was held in Brescia with Consortium of Franciacorta, the local sparkling wine, as the main sponsor. During the conference, I participated in an evening visit of il Mosnel di Emanuela Barboglio e Figli in Camignone di Passirano, which included a gorgeous dinner prepared by1 star Michelin Chef Stefano Cerveni from due colombe. I will report on the food aspects of the evening in a separate posting.

Franciacorta: Grape Varieties

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc are the 3 grape varieties of Franciacorta. Chardonnay is the most important one, accounting for 85% in terms of plantings. Pinot Noir (10%) and Pinot Blanc (5%) follow with a sizable distance. The designations for dosage are exactly as those of Champagne.

A Short History

Unlike the Champagne region, which can look back to several centuries of fame, Franciacorta’s history is very short. It started only 50 years ago, when Franco Ziliani produced a couple of thousand bottles of a sparkling wine for the Guido Berlucchi winery, which sold very well. It sold so well, that over night, the region of Franciacorta was born and the well-equipped and architecturally varied wineries we know today sprang up within a short period of time to establish the region.

Christian G.E. Schiller with the General Manager of the Franciacorta Producer Consortium, Giovanni Salvioni

Types of Franciacorta Sparklers

There are 5 main types of Franciacorta sparklers:

Franciacorta – Chardonnay and/or Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco up to 50% of the blend. Even this regular non-vintage wines need to be aged on lees for 18 months, and then in bottle for further 7 months. Can come at different dosage levels.

Franciacorta Satén – Must be a Blanc de blancs with only the use of Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco permitted. Possibly the most approachable and unique style in Franciacorta, with lower (4.5 atmospheres of pressure instead of 6) pressure and therefore creamier feeling of bubbles. Must be aged 24 months (almost half as much again as Champagne's requirement). Always brut. Saten is a Chardonnay-dominated, creamy, soft-textured wine with fine mousse and restrained perlage.

Franciacorta Rose – Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero (at least 25%). Can come at different dosage levels. A Franciacorta Rose must contain at least 15% Pinot Nero.

Franciacorta Millesimato (Vintage) – At least 85% of the grapes must come from the same vintage. Aging period increases to 35 months. Can come at different dosage levels.

Franciacorta Riserva – This is a Millesimato, although it may also be a Saten or Rose. Needs to be aged on lees for 60 months, and then in bottle for further 7 months. Can come at all dosage levels.

Industry

There are about 200 producers in Franciacorta, with a total output of 13 million bottles. The total vineyard area of Franciacorta is 3000 hectares. As opposed to Champagne, there are no big Estates in Franciacorta, which buy grapes from other producers. Franciacorta producers own vineyard land and grow the grapes they need for their sparkles themselves. Production of a Franciacorta producer rarely exceeds 400,000 bottles. One exception is Guido Berluccio, the largest producer, accounting for 1.5 million bottles of Franciacorta (in addition, Guido Berluccio produces 2.5 million other sparkling wine). 85% of Franciacorta is sold in the country.

The Still Wines of Terre di Franciacorta

Franciacorta is not sparklers only. In the same area, still wines are also produced, both white and red, under the appellation Terre di Franciacorta (or Curtefranca). The red Terre di Franciacorta is produced with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes.

An Evening at il Mosnel with Lucia Barzano

In the heart of Franciacorta, in Camignone di Passirano, lies the historic villa of il Mosnel with its 16th-century wine cellars and surrounding properties that the Barboglio family inherited in 1836. Directing il Mosnel di Emanuela Barboglio e Filgli today is the fifth generation of winegrowers, the children of Emanuela Barboglio. Giulio Barzanò oversees production and sales, while Lucia Barzanò directs marketing, external relations, and administration. Emanuela Barboglio was in 1968 one of the first to produce DOC Franciacorta sparklers. She passed away in 2007.

Giulio Barzanò and Lucia Barzanò

In 1976 the name of the winery was changed from Azienda Agricola Barzanò Barboglio to the current il Mosnel, a local dialect word, of Celtic origin, that means "heap of stones." Il Mosnel produces 250,000 bottles a year with Franciacorta accounting for 90%.

Grape Varieties and Vineyards

We saw a little bit of the vineyards, when we arrived at il Mosnel. Il Mosnel has 40 hectares of vineyard area, of which 38 hectares under the Franciacorta DOCG. 35 hectares of the Franciacorta DOCG are planted with Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay; the rest with Pinot Noir. The (remaining) DOC vineyards are planted with Cabernet (Franc and Sauvignon) and Merlot for the production of red wine. The vineyards are all around the winery. Everything is hand-picked using a team of 60-70 pickers.

In the il Mosnel Winecellar

After a welcome drink and an introduction by Lucia Barzanò, we toured the winery. The cellars are located in historic structures from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, providing good conditions for ageing Franciacorta wine. Lucia explained: “il Mosnel was among the very first producers in the area to adopt stainless steel fermenters, refrigeration facilities, and pneumatic presses.”

Lucia Barzano on how il Mosnel Franciacorta is made: “The grapes, all from our estate vineyards, are harvested into shallow boxes and are quickly brought to the cellar, where they go through a painstaking quality examination. The clusters are then gently pressed in several cycles, which yields three fractions of must, each of different quality. These lots are then fermented separately, at controlled temperatures, either in small oak barrels or in steel fermenters, depending on each lot's ageing potential.”

“During maturation, the wines, all subdivided according the grape variety, vineyard, and press fraction, remain in contact with their own spent yeast, or fine lees. In the spring, the wines undergo a lengthy series of careful tastings and are then blended, in varying proportions, into the various stylistic versions of Franciacorta. They will then be given a second fermentation in the bottle, a procedure known here as the Metodo Franciacorta.”

The Wines that were Poured by Lucia Barzano

During the fabulous dinner prepared by 1 star Michelin Chef Stefano Cerveni from due colombe, on which I will report in a separate posting, Lucia poured the following wines.

Chef Stefano Cerveni from due colombe

Il Mosnel Franciacorta Pas Dose

We started with the Il Mosnel pas dose, a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Bianco and 10% Pinot Noir. This cuvée spends 30 months on the lees. It has subtle full bouquet, crisp and dry on the palate, elegant texture, long-lasting mousse with extremely tiny bubbles.

Il Mosnel Franciacorta Brut Saten 2007

Produced exclusively from Chardonnay, partly fermented in stainless steel and in small oak barrels, the Brut Satèn has a dosage of 8 gm per liter and a little less pressure than the other Franciacorta sparklers. At least 30 months on the lees. A rich bouquet with some hints of vanilla, the leisurely mousse caresses the palate with great finesse.

Il Mosnel Franciacorta Rose Brut

A very attractive Rosé Brut, made from 20% Chardonnay fermented in small oak barrels, 20% Chardonnay fermented in stainless steel, 20% Pinot Blanc fermented in steel and 40% Pinot Noir fermented in steel after a brief maceration on the skins, which gives the typical pink colour.

Prettily pink with lots of red fruit flavors and enough acidity in the finish to be refreshing, quite elegantly toasty and spicy.

Il Mosnel IGT Sebino Passito Sulif 2009

In addition to its Franciacorta ultra-premium sparklers, il Mosnel also makes (1) Curtefranca Bianco DOC, a wine made of 60% Pinot Blanc and 40% Chardonnay, (2) Curtefranca Rosso DOC, a red wine composed of 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Nebbiolo and 10% Barbera and the IGT Sebino Passito Sulif.

The latter is produced solely from Chardonnay grapes that were dried for several months before fermentation. The grapes loose over 50% of their moisture during the drying period; this is then followed by a long, slow fermentation, in small barrels. Straw wines are typically sweet wines, capable of long life, but do not have to be sweet.

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DiVino – A New Wine Bar in Budapest, Hungary

2012-01-23T01:26:00.002-05:00

DiVino in Budapest

DiVino, right next to the Basilica is the latest addition to the small, but growing wine bar scene in Budapest. The other 2 wine bars in Budapest that I would recommend are Drop Shop Wine Bar and Doblo Wine Bar. I have also written about the Wine Bar by the Bazilika, but this wine bar has moved a few blocks down the road and its future seemed uncertain, when I was there the last time.

I have written about Drop Shop and Doblo Wine Bar on schiller-wine: Doblo Wine Bar in Budapest, Hungary and Drop Shop Wine Bar in Budapest, Hungary

The Wines

DiVino only serves wines of Junibor, the association of young Hungarian winemakers, by the glass and bottle, as well as to go. DiVino does not serve any imported wines.

The Place

DiVino is a modern, trendy and young place. The design is minimalist.

The Food

I have not eaten there, but I heard that the Hamburger was a must-try and that the food in general was very good.

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Wine Maker Martin Tesch: Riesling People Vol. 2, Germany

2012-01-20T01:08:00.000-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Martin Tesch at the Riesling + Co World Tour 2010 in New York, USA

Martin Tesch is a German avant-garde wine maker and he has now published a second avant-garde book about his world of Riesling wine and Rock and Roll music: Riesling People Vol. 2.

Riesling People Vol. 2

With the 2010 vintage, the Riesling Unplugged, the signature wine of Martin Tesch, Weingut Tesch in Langenlonsheim (Nahe) in Germany, celebrated its 10th anniversary. At this occasion, Martin produced the audio book Riesling People Vol. 2. It is a medley of diverse contributions of a group of friends of Martin Tesch - sommeliers, customers, journalists, writers, chefs and musicians. The sommeliers Natalie Lumpp, Jürgen Fendt, Billy Wagner and others comment on Riesling Unplugged of each of the 10 vintages; Stuart Pigott talks about hunting sharks on the Nahe river. The Rock and Roll Band Die Toten Hosen – Martin Tesch produced the wine Weisses Rauschen with them (see below) – contributed a song to the Riesling People Vol. 2, as did Koester + Hocker and the Group Les Sauvignons. All in all, a highly entertaining and informative audio book about Martin Tesch’s Riesling Unplugged.

Pictures: Riesling People Vol. 2

Unplugged in Music and Wine

Unplugged stands in the pop and rock scene for performances with small audiences without reinforcement and other technical manipulations of the music; what you get is a maximum of authenticity and individuality. Unplugged stands in the German wine scene for a Riesling made by Martin Tesch according to the same principles; again, what you get is a maximum of authenticity and individuality.

See: In the Glass: Unplugged - Eric Clapton and Martin Tesch

Martin Tesch’s Riesling Unplugged

Martin Tesch is a young and ambitious winemaker from the Nahe region. He is one of the rising stars among Germany's new generation of winemakers. When he took over the family's winery a few years ago, he made the decision to focus exclusively on the production of dry wine. His goal was to return to the basics of authenticity, balance, and complexity.

Picture: Tesch Riesling Unplugged 2010 and FAVOriten, see: Tesch Riesling Unplugged 2010 and Duo Favo FAVOriten

Towards that end, he created a wine that has become an international favorite: Riesling Unplugged. The wine is as natural as you can get, with tremendous value placed on environmental-friendly viticulture. The wine is untreated, meaning no must concentration or chaptalisation.

Tesch's Riesling Unplugged is a bone-dry, light wine with intense minerals and concentrated fruit on the nose, and a long palate with refreshing acidity.

Weingut Tesch

Martin Tesch owns and runs Weingut Tesch in the Nahe valley. The Weingut has been family-owned and run since 1723 and is a member of the prestigious VDP, the century-old association of Germany’s top winemakers.

Picture: Martin Tesch in Mainz, Germany

In his mid-thirties, Dr. Martin Tesch is a Ph.D. microbiologist by training. He took over Weingut Tesch in 1996 and has presided over fundamental changes both in the vineyard and the wine cellar as well as in the marketing of the Tesch wines. Martin stopped producing sweet-style wines; all Tesch wines are now dry, except, it seems, for the occasional Eiswein when conditions allow. Further, he has moved to natural and non-interventionist winemaking and strict yield control of between 20-30 hl/ha. The harvest is manual and he picks the grapes at full ripeness, but avoids botrytis. Also, he changed and simplified the label design. There are no long words anymore on the label. Finally, Martin Tesch now generally uses the Stelvin glass closure. It is a ultra-modern and expensive technical fitting.

Riesling People Vol. 1

Obviously, Martin Tesch is very much into Rock and Roll. He has documented his passion for wine and Rock and Roll in a book entitled Riesling People, Vol. 1.

This is an unusual book. It explains in a straightforward way, without words, what makes Martin Tesch tick and the wines he produces so special. As a picture-book and travelogue, Riesling People Vol. 1 differs dramatically from the usual wine books. Almost without words, the book tells the story of Martin Tesch and his love for Riesling and Rock and Roll music. It is narrated by black and white photography, printed on glossy paper, and showcases the ecclectic mix of wine and music in Martin's world.

Picture: Riesling People Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

The central theme of the book is the Rolling Riesling Show, which was jointly organized by Martin Tesch and the guitar manufacturer Gibson. Martin Tesch took an audience that was not necessary knowledgeable about wine through six different dry Rieslings and their soil-specific differences. In addition to the Rolling Riesling Show events, the book includes pictures from London wine bars, from Hong Kong, New York, Jancis Robinson and Stuart Pigott, proud Australian importers with the first container of Tesch wines, Martin Tesch at the concert of the Tote Hosen in Trier and backstage with the Düsseldorfer Punk Rockers at Rock am Ring.

See: The Avantgarde Wine World of Dr. Martin Tesch

Die Toten Hosen and Weisses Rauschen

Martin Tesch made a wine with Die Toten Hosen (The Dead Pants, but more elliptically: Nothing Going On), Germany’s leading punk rock group. Both teamed up to produce Weisses Rauschen (White Noise). The members of Die Toten Hosen are Campino (Andreas Frege), Kuddel (Andreas von Holst), Vom (Stephen 'Vom' Ritchie), Andi (Andreas Meurer) and Breiti (Michael Breitkopf).

Picture: Die Toten Hosen

After the band's first wine Machmalriesling was quickly sold out, Die Toten Hosen and Martin Tesch agreed to produce another wine together, Weisses Rauschen. Of course, Martin is in the lead, but Martin told me that the band played an active role in the selection of wine, the name of the wine and the design of the bottle. The wine was named after a song of Die Toten Hosen from the album Zurueck zum Glueck (Back to Happiness).

The wine is a typical Tesch Riesling: No frills, crisp with fine grape flavor reminiscent of apple and apricot. It was environmentally-friendly grown in the vineyard, and naturally fermented and aged in the cellar.

See: In the Glass: 2009 Weisses Rauschen – A Joint Venture of Winemaker Martin Tesch and Punk-Rock Band Die Toten Hosen

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Wine Maker Dinner with Stefan Rumpf at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim, Germany

2012-01-19T02:18:00.006-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Stefan Rumpf at the Wine Maker Dinner

Weingut Kruger-Rumpf was in the press again recently, when their dry Riesling finished as second runner-up in the prestigious Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2011. I visited Weingut Kruger-Rumpf 3 times last year, the last time for a Kruger-Rumpf wine maker dinner at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim.

The first time, Georg Rumpf – the young wine maker of Weingut Kruger-Rumpf - had to reschedule because of an American client. But since I had scheduled a visit of Schlossgut Diel, which is just a stone throw away from Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, for the same day, we went there anyway and had a wonderful dinner at the lovely Kruger-Rumpf country restaurant. Georg and Stefan Rumpf, Georg’s father, were sitting next to us with the American client and were so kind to share with us some of the noble-sweet wines they were tasting. The lovely Kruger-Rumpf country restaurant, which is part of the Kruger-Rumpf Estate, is run by Georg's mother Cornelia.

Picture: Stefan and Georg Rumpf with an American Wine Buyer

The second time - after a tasting with German Pinot Noir Star August Kesseler in Assmannshausen - was for our official appointment, where Georg rolled out the red carpet for me. Here is my posting Visiting Georg Rumpf and his VDP Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe Region, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Georg Rumpf Tasting

The third time was at the end of last year, when Stefan and Cornelia Rumpf had invited for a wine maker dinner at their Weinstube. This posting is about the wine maker dinner.

Weingut Kruger-Rumpf

“In our family, viniculture has been tradition since 1708 - a tradition that we have been cultivating in our vineyards as well as in our manor house which was built back in 1830” said Georg Rumpf, when I visited Weingut Kruger-Rumpf last year and George showed me around. Stefan Rumpf, Georg’s father, brought Weingut Kruger-Rumpf up to where it is today: After completing his studies in agricultural sciences, including stints in Californian wineries, and conducting research at the Geisenheim research institute, Stefan Rumpf took over the estate from his parents in 1984. Up until then, the wines were sold almost entirely in bulk. Stefan Rumpf changed this and started to bottle his wines and to market the bottles himself. Less than 10 years later, in 1992, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf was invited to join the VDP, the about 200 German elite winemakers, a clear sign of what Stefan Rumpf had achieved over the course of just 8 years.

Pictures: Weingut Kruger-Rumpf

Today, the vineyard area totals 22 hectares and the annual production is 14.000 cases. Georg Rumpf has taken over the winemaking aspect of Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, while his father is now more focusing on sales and general management.

The top sites are: Münsterer Dautenpflänzer (slate with sandy loam); Münsterer Pittersberg (slate); Münsterer Rheinberg (weathered quartzite and sandy loam); Binger Scharlachberg Rheinhessen (Rotliegend and porphyry).

Grape varieties: 65% Riesling, 10% each of Silvaner and Weissburgunder, 5% each of Chardonnay, Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder. In fact, Kruger-Rumpf was the first estate in the Nahe region to plant Chardonnay.

Weingut Kruger-Rumpf has 3 (of) 5 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland. It took 1st place in the DER FEINSCHMECKER Deutscher Riesling Cup 2008. In the US, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf is imported by Terry Theise.

In the Vineyard with Georg

Last year, I also had a chance to visit the Kruger-Rumpf vineyards with Georg. “Our vineyards are steep. They are located in a narrow side valley of the Nahe and in Rheinhessen, safe from wind and rain. In a small area, the steep slopes of our vineyards offer a wide range of different soil types. Deeply rooting vines get their minerals from the lower soil layers and bin them within their grapes” Georg explained in the car.

At some point of the tour, where the Nahe river flows into the Rhine river, we had an extraordinary view of the Rhine valley with the vineyards of Ruedesheim on the other side of the Rhine river (including the vineyards of J. Leitz), the vineyards of the Mittelrhein area in some distance, the Rheinhessen region beginning on the other side of the Nahe river and we in a Kurger-Rumpf vineyard in the Nahe region. It was a gorgeous day. I will never forget this magic moment with Georg Rumpf.

Pictures: In the Vineyard with Georg Rumpf

We visited all the vineyards of Kurger-Rumpf, or at least saw them from a distance, like the Binger Scharlachberg on the other side of the Nahe river:

Münsterer Pittersberg - Großes Gewächs, 5.5 ha, largest site of the winery, Soil: Devon-slate, wine: Riesling with citric like aroma and well balanced acidity.

Münsterer Dautenpflänzer - Großes Gewächs, 1.7 ha, heart of Kapellenberg, highest-class site of the winery, Soil: quartzite alteration with loess clay, Grape variety: Riesling, Scheurebe, Wine: fruity, consistent wine.

Münsterer Rheinberg - 1.9 ha, Soil: predominantly quartzite and slate, Grape variety: Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Wine: diverse wines.

Münsterer Kapellenberg - 4 ha, all around Dautenpflänzer site; most diverse site of the winery, Soil: quartzite alteration with loess clay, Grape variety: Riesling, Pinot Blanc.

Dorsheimer Burgberg - 0.8 ha, particularly good microclimate through site in form of an amphitheatre, Soil: clay soil with slate and quartzite, Grape variety: Riesling, Wine: delicately balanced Riesling wine with discreet fruit aroma.

Binger Scharlachberg (Rheinhessen) - 1 ha, only site located in Rheinhessen; the name of the site arose from a high ferrous oxide part within the stone which colors the soil red, Soil: quartzite alteration with slate, Grape variety: Riesling, Wine: fruity, very complex wine.

“White wine is our specialty as Riesling grows on 70 % of our steep slopes by the Nahe. We are especially proud of our 50 year old Riesling vines at our sites Münsterer Pittersberg and Münsterer Dautenpflänzer. Silvaner and Pinot Blanc take up 10% of our vineyards each. The different Pinot varieties (Pinot Gris, Pinot Madeleine and Pinot Noir) as well as Chardonnay, Scheurebe, and Gewürztraminer complete our assortment” said Georg.

In terms of farming, the guiding principle is sustainable vineyard practices. “You can’t improve wine in the cellar, only make it worse,” Georg’s father Stefan said later. “At least ninety percent of the quality of a wine comes from the raw material you harvest.” And “Our grapes ripen in sunny, steep hillsides safe from wind within the Nahetal and Rheinhessen region. What we care about is a strong crop reduction in the vineyard as well as a gentle treatment of the grapes. In order to guarantee best quality, we harvest our grapes by thorough hand picking. Afterwards, we grant our wine sufficient time and rest in the cellar.”

Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf

One of the (many) assets of Weingut Kruger Rumpf is the lovely country restaurant, which is part of the winery. It opened its doors in 1994. They call it a wine tavern, but for me it is a country restaurant. Whatever you call it, it is a lovely place, where you can have a great time with traditional, upscale cuisine and Kruger-Rumpf wines in the cozy atmosphere of a family-run country restaurant .

The rooms are decorated with appropriate accessories depending on the season. Painted stucco ceilings, historic tiled stoves, wooden floors, warm wall paint as well as furniture in country-house style provide for a comfortable living room atmosphere. The bright rooms are located on the ground floor of the manor house.

In addition, there is an idyllic garden. Especially during the summer, the garden restaurant of the winery provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the evening in a cozy al fresco atmosphere with a hearty meal and a good glass of wine. In fact, we did the tasting with Georg in the garden restaurant.

For special events, there also is a Gewölberaum for 90 people and a Tafelraum for 20 people. Finally, the courtyard provides space for up to 200 people.

The Kruger-Rumpf Portfolio

The Kruger-Rumpf Portfolio comprises about 40 different wines. About 20 of them are Rieslings, ranging from a simple “Literwein” to (dry) Grosses Gewaechs wines and (noble-sweet) icewines. Then, there are less than 10 other white grape varities, with the focus on Burgundy grapes. The remainder is comprised of red wines (Pinot Noir) and bubblies.

Weingut Krueger-Rumpf sells 70% of its production in Germany and exports the remaining 30%. Accordingly, “80% of the wines we produce are dry wines” said Georg “ and 20% are fruity-sweet and noble-sweet wines.”

The Portfolio of Terry Theise, the US importer of Weingut Kruger-Rumpf , comprises 9 wines. His selection reflects very well the American market: there is no red wine and only one of the 9 wines is a dry wine, all others are fruity- sweet and noble sweet.

Wining and Dining with Stefan and Cornelia Rumpf

This was a lovely and lively evening. We were about 100 wine enthusiasts. Stefan Rumpf guided us through the evening. Cornelia Rumpf was orchestrating the evening from the kitchen. Georg Rumpf was out of town, conducting another wine tasting.

Amuese Guele: Kalbsfleischtartare mit Trueffeln – Blinis mit Ziegenkaese und sautéed Rote Paprika - Lachstartare

Winzersekt

Praline und Parfait von der Gaenseleber

2002 Pittersberg Riesling Auslese

A 10 years old wine, still very fresh, rich but not blatantly sweet; a bit salty.

2002 Scheurebe Spaetlese

A gracefully aged wine. We drank the last 24 bottles.

Steckruebensuppe mit Burgunder-Trueffeln

2008 Kapellenberg Riesling Grosses Gewaechs

A grand cru wine that has already aged a bit.

2010 Dautenpflaenzer Riesling feinherb

Very fruity, with lots of apricot notes.

Steinbutt in Safrancrepes im Bouillabaisse-Sud

2010 Weisser Burgunder, trocken

Fresh, clean and crisp, mostly fermented and aged in stainless steel.

2010 Pittersberger Riesling, trocken

With bright aromas of peach and chalk and slate minerality, quite lush on the palate, fruity.

Ruecken vom Hirsch mit Topinambur und Gorgonzola-Nocken

2010 Spaetburgunder, trocken

A lean and elegant Pinot Noir; too young.

2009 Spaetburgunder “M” trocken

Aged for 2 to 3 years in barrique, nice (others felt too much) vanilla notes.

Rohmilch Taleggio mit Walnusskrokant und schwarzen Nuessen

2010 Dautenpflaenzer Riesling Grosses Gewaechs

Crisp green apple aromas with undertones of herbs, refreshing on the palate, super.

2009 Kapellenberg Riesling Kabinett

Notes of quince, a tangy palate with a pleasing sourness. Produced mainly for Terry Theise and the American market.

Apfel-Quittensueppchen mit Maronenparfait

2001 Pittersberg Auslese Goldkapsel

Already a senior citizen, who, however is still in good health.

2006 Dautenpflaenzer Auslese

Light yellow in the glass, very fresh, lots of honey and tropical fruit aromas on the palate.

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1st International Riesling Symposium, Rheingau, Germany

The Wines of the Roter Hang (Red Slope) in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany

Best German Wines – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2012

The Wine Maker Couple H.O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, with Roland Gillot, Lead Wine Tasting of Kuehling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot, Germany

2012-01-18T01:17:00.008-05:00

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with H. O. Spanier, Caroline Spanier-Gillot and Roland Gillot at the Tasting in Bodenheim.

The wine maker couple Hans Oliver Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, with Carolin’s father wine maker Roland Gillot, had invited for a guided tasting of the 2010 wines of Weingut Kuehling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot in Bodenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany. Along with the wines, H.O. and Carolin served a dinner of 6 small, fine courses. The cost was Euro 30 per person.

Both Weingut Kuehling-Gillot and Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier belong to the 100 top Estates of Germany: Germany’s Top 100 Winemakers – Handelsblatt online and Vinum 2011

I recently arranged a wine tasting in Washington DC, which included the wines of Weingut Kuehling-Gillot. See: The Focus on Dry German Riesling – Daniel Hubbard Presents the German DSWE Portfolio to the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)

Pictures: At the Tasting in Bodenheim at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot

H.O. Spanier, Carolin Spanier-Gillot and Roland Gillot

The three of them - H.O. Spanier, Carolin Spanier-Gillot and Roland Gillot – are gifted wine makers. Roland was the head winemaker of Weingut Kuehling-Gillot between 1970 and 2002. Weingut Kuehling-Gillot came about by marriage in 1970 of Roland Gillot and Gabi Kuehling. Roland (photo) is in particular famous for his noble-sweet wines.

Picture: Roland Gillot

Carolin took over from her father in 2003. She is a graduate of the famous Geisenheim College wine maker school, a co-founder of the Message in a Bottle association of young winegrowers and a member of the Vinissima. She is sometimes referred to the whirlwind among the young, women winegrowers in Germany. In 2006, after 4 years at the helm of Weingut Kuehling-Gillot, Carolin (photos) married H. O. Spanier of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier, joining two successful and tradition-rich estates of Rheinhessen.

Pictures: Caroline Spanier-Gillot

H.O. Spanier took over Weingut Spanier in Hohen Suelzen in the South of Rheinhessen from his parents in 1993. Weingut Spanier was in 1997 merged with the neighboring Weingut Battenfeld to become Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier. Over the following years, H.O. (photo) singlehandedly transformed Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier into one of the most preeminent wone producers in Germany.

Picture: H.O. Spanier

Carolin and H.O have two children, who they hope will carry on the tradition of producing great wines. The family lives in Hohen-Suelzen.

Although both estates continue to produce wine under their respective names – Weingut Kuehling-Gillot and Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier - certain functions have been pooled. The tasting room and sales office for both estates is in Bodenheim at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot. As wine makers, both have stamped their wines with a unique signature, but Carolin and H.O. confirmed to me during the evening what I had heard from other sources that H.O. is taking the lead in in terms of winemaking at both estates, while Carolin will be more active in terms of marketing and sales. Essentially, when it comes to the wines of Weingut Kuehling-Gillot and Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier, they carry the signature of H.O. Spanier.

Rheinhessen

Rheinhessen is an area that used to be known for winemakers often focusing on quantity and not quality. Rheinhessen is the largest viticultural region in Germany. Every fourth bottle of German wine comes from Rheinhessen. The high-yielder Mueller-Thurgau accounts for about 1/5 of the vineyards. Unlike in other German wine regions, where monoculture of the vine is the norm, here the many rolling hills are host to a wide variety of crops grown alongside the grape. Rheinhessen also has the rather dubious honor of being considered the birthplace of Liebfraumilch. At the same time, Rheinhessen is among Germany’s most interesting wine regions. A lot is happening there. This is not because of the terroir, but because of the people. There is an increasing group of mostly young and ambitious winemakers who want to produce and indeed do produce outstanding wine and not wines in large quantities. Carolin Spanier Gillot and H.O. Spanier are two of them.

Rheinterrasse and Roter Hang

One region of Rheinhessen, the Rheinterrasse, had always been in a somewhat different league, the stretch of vineyards which runs from Bodenheim, south of Mainz, in the north to Mettenheim in the south, often referred to as the Rheinterrasse. The Weingut Kuehling-Gillot vineyards are in this part of Rheinhessen. The vineyards of the Rheinterrasse have a favored mesoclimate in comparison with others in the region. The Rheinterrasse accounts for one-third of the region's Riesling wines. The wines from the Rheinterrasse were at some point even more expensive than Bordeaux wines. The Roter Hang (Red Slope) is at the center of the Rheinterrasse. This steep slope extends for some five kilometers (three miles) with a total of 180 ha (445 acres) around Nierstein on the left bank of the Rhine.

Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier

The Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier is in Hohen-Sülzen (Wonnegau area) close to the city of Worms in Southern Rheinhessen. The Spanier family has been making wine for generations. The vineyard area totals 18 hectares, with holdings in: Kirchenstück, Rosengarten und Sonnenberg (Hohen-Sülzen), as well as Frauenberg (Flörsheim). More than 50% of the area is planted with Riesling, as well as with Pinot Noir (20%), Pinot Blanc (8%), Silvaner, Chardonnay and other varieties.

Annual production is around 70.000 bottles of wine. The estate is a member of the VDP association. H. O. Spanier has been a member of the ECOVIN organic growers association since 1996. Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier is now fully biodynamic.

Weingut Kuehling-Gillot

Weingut Kuehling-Gillot (photos) is in Bodenheim (Nierstein area) in Rheinhessen in Germany. In its present form, it came about by marriage in 1970 of Caroline Spanier-Gillot’s parents. It has over 200 years of history behind it through the Kühling and Gillot families.

Over the years, the estate has acquired some of the best sites in Germany on the Rhine Terrace and added an architectural gem: its unique park and Art Deco pavilion, and stylish reception hall, tasting room, and vinothek. These have proved popular for a wide variety of events, including the guided tasting in which my wife Annette and I participated.

Pictures: Weingut Kuehling-Gillot in Bodenheim

The vineyard area of Weingut Kuehling-Gillot totals 11 hectares, with holdings in: Burgweg (Bodenheim), Kreuz and Sackträger (Oppenheim), Ölberg and Pettental (Nierstein) and Rothenberg (Nackenheim). Grape varieties planted are Riesling (4,3 ha), Pinot Noir (0,9 ha), Pinot Gris (0,8 ha), Portugieser (0,8 ha), Chardonnay (0,5 ha) and Scheurebe (0,4 ha).

Annual production is around 70.000 bottles of wine. The estate is a member of the VDP association. Caroline Spanier-Gillot is a member of Message in a Bottle and Vinissima. Weingut Kuehling-Gillot is now fully biodynamic.

Weingut Kuehling-Gillot owns five Erste Lagen (Grand Cru) sites. Theses are: Spätburgunder Bodenheim Burgweg, grown on sandy marl limestone; Riesling Nackenheim Rothenberg, grown on red slate; Riesling Nierstein Pettenthal, grown on red slate; Riesling Nierstein Ölberg, grown on red slate; and Spätburgunder Oppenheim Kreuz, grown on shell limestone/loess.

Biodynamic Wine Making

Carolin and H.O. are very much into “green winemaking”. They share a comitment to leaving a legacy of healthy soil and great wines. To that end, when it comes to the vineyard, they employ biodynamic methods and constantly strive to maintain healthy soils with the capacity to sustain vines. As for making the wine in the cellar, they share the philosophy of what H. O. calls “controlled laissez faire”. “Great wines need time, and this is guaranteed by traditional fermentation and maturation processes in large, wooden barrels.” said H.O. “Wine is a mythical product," said H.O. "it is not only ancient, but highly charged with spiritual meaning. As a winegrower, one always tills both on earth and on heaven.”

The Guided Tasting with Small Plats (“Kleine Koestlichkeiten”)

2010 QVinterra Riesling feinherb Kuehling-Gillot

A Gutswein – All Kuehling-Gillot Estate Wines (Gutswein) carry the QUINTERRA trademark. “This Latin term was inspired by the five Rhine Terrace villages—Bodenheim, Oppenheim, Nierstein, Nackenheim, Laubenheim—where we own sites and the respective vineyards’ five soil types” explained Carolin. White wines are sealed with the Stelvin screw cap; red wines have a natural cork.

2010 Riesling Eisback trocken BattenfeldSpanier

A Gutswein – Notes of peach, green apple and grapefruit on the nose, good structure, stimulating acidity, fresh.

2010 QVinterra Riesling trocken Kuehling-Gillot

A Gutswein - The dry Qvinterra Riesling shines with clean fruit which reminds of nectarines and apples, good structure, a shot of minerality, fresh.

Feiner Kaesedip mit Brezelchen und Brot

2010 Hohen-Suelzen Sylvaner BattenfeldSpanier

An Ortswein – a Silvaner fermented and aged in large, old, wooden barrels (Stueckfass), notes of herbs and overripe pears on the nose, Burgundian finesse and elegance.

2010 Hohen-Suelzen Weissburgunder BattenfeldSpanier

An Ortswein – notes of pear on the nose, a fresh, dry and mineral Pinot Blanc from loess, marl lime and chalk soil in Hohen-Sülzen, long finish.

Tafelspitz mit Gruener Sosse

2010 Hohen-Suelzen Riesling BattenfeldSpanier

An Ortswein – notes of peach, lime and passion fruit on the nose, good structure, linerging finish with some hints of herbs.

2010 Oppenheim Riesling Kuehling-Gillot

An Ortswein - The village location on the Rhine Terrace suggests the soil type and resulting wine. Nierstein’s red slate soil delivers a ripe, creamy Riesling; while Oppenheim Riesling is known for its fruity elegance and vivid acidity, thanks to the limestone in which the grapes grow.

Quiche Lorraine

2010 Kirchenstueck Riesling Grosses Gewaechs Battenfeld Spanier

A Grosses Gewaechs – Lemon and pear notes on the nose, very intense, very mineral on the palate, the vibrant acidity tightens the finish.

2010 Oelberg Riesling Grosses Gewaechs Kuehling-Gillot

A Grosse Gewaechs - Soil type: Red slate. Good balance between the elegant aromas of ripe fruits and the spicy aromas of the red slate, dense, long and strong finish.

Gebratene Blutwurst auf Kartoffelpuree mit Apfelchutney

2010 Frauenberg Riesling Grosses Gewaechs Battenfeld Spanier

A Grosses Gewaechs - Finesse, minerality, fruit, length: a world-class Riesling

2010 Pettenthal Riesling Grosses Gewaechs Kuehling-Gillot

Grosses Gewaechs – A ripe, creamy, dense grand-cru Riesling with a long, intense finish.

Vesperplatte – Wildknacker und Hirschschinken aus eigener Jagd und Herstellung

2008 Kirchenstueck Spaetburgunder Grosses Gewaechs BattenfeldSpanier

A Pinot Noir Grosses Gewaechs - blueberry and cherry notes on the nose, complex structure, dense flavours on the palate, elegant.

2008 Kreuz Spaetburgunder Grosses Gewaechs Kuehling-Gillot

A Pinot Noir Grosses Gewaechs - Soil type: Chalk and limestone. Aged in new and used barriques, dark berries and a hint of spiciness in combination with an elegant and long finish.

Kaeseplatte

2008 Oppenheimer Sacktraeger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Kuehling-Gillot

A noble-sweet wine at its best, made by Roland Gillot.

schiller-wine - Related Postings

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German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness

Visiting Agnes and Fritz Hasselbach at their Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

1.International Riesling Symposium

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

Terry Theise's Top German Wines of the 2009 Vintage

Impressions from the Riesling & Co World Tour 2010 in New York

German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine

JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

1st International Riesling Symposium, Rheingau, Germany

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Best German Dry Riesling - Weinwelt German Riesling Awards 2011 (2010 Vintage)

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Best German Wines – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2012

Germany’s Top 100 Winemakers – Handelsblatt online and Vinum 2011

Wine Maker Arndt Koebelin at K+M Gutsweine in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

2012-01-17T01:04:00.009-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Arndt Koebelin and Bernd Klingenbrunn

Wine Maker Arndt Koebelin came to Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to present his wines at K+M Gutsweine.

K+M Gutsweine

Frankfurt am Main in Germany has a number of very good wine stores. Among them are the 2 K+M Gutsweine wine stores, both owned by Bernd Klingenbrunn and Armin Mauer, at Hamburger Allee 37 and Gluckstrasse 20. Stuart Pigott: “"Bernd Klingenbrunn und Armin Maurer sind ehrgeizige Weinhändler, die ihrem eigenen Geschmack und ihrer Vorstellung von gutem Wein trauen und ein eigenständiges D-, A- und F-Sortiment aufgebaut haben. Meine wichtigste Weinhändler-Entdeckung des letzten Jahres in Deutschland!" (Stuart Pigott, kleiner genialer Weinführer 2009). Bernd and Armin have a very personal selection of wines from only winemakers they have a personal relation with. One of them is Eva Vollmer, last year’s Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland Discovery of the Year, Weingut Eva Vollmer. Another one is Arndt Koebelin, Weingut Koebelin, who they discovered in 2006. Arndt Koebelin visits K+M Gutsweine in Frankfurt on a regular basis to present his new wines. I was lucky to participate in his last presentation.

Pictures: Bernd Klingenbrunn and Armin Mauer during the Weingut Arndt Koebelin Tasting.

Baden

Baden is Germany’s most southerly and - with 16,000 hectares (39,300 acres) under vine – third largest wine region. Despite its size and the quality of its wines, it is not well known outside of Germany, because it exports very little.

From north to south, Baden spans approximately 200 kilometers, and is primarily situated on the right bank of the Rhein river. On the left bank is Alsace in France. Lying primarily in the Rhine rift with the protection of Vosges Mountains to the west and the Black Forrest to the east, Baden’s climate is the warmest in Germany Baden is divided into nine districts.

Baden is known for its Pinot wines, both white and red, which account for more than half of Baden’s wine output. Riesling plays only a minor role. By far the most commonly cultivated single variety is Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) with nearly forty percent of the total vineyard area. Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Chasselas are the main white varieties cultivated, but none more widely than Muller-Thurgau.

In Baden - like in Wuerttemberg - the wine industry is dominated by wine co-operatives; they account for 85% of the region's production. This explains the low export share. Private winemakers are the exception.

Weingut Arndt Koebelin

Arndt Koeblin started his own winery in 2005, when he took over his parents’ estate in the Kaiserstuhl region of Baden. Before that, he was the head winemaker of the Winzergenossenschaft (wine co-operative) Durbach. He also did internships in New Zealand and in Burgundy. 2005 was Arndt’s first vintage. Since the 2006 vintage, he has been an essential part of the K+M Gutsweine portfolio.

Pictures: Arndt Koebelin and Bernd Mauer

When Arndt took over from his parents, he knew he had to change quite a bit. Importantly, he built a new winery. Today, Weingut Arndt Koebelin is based just outside of Eichstetten. It is a modern, state-of the art operation. Arndt also switched to organic farming in the vineyard. The vines are up to 40 years old.

The Wines Arndt Poured

The Weingut Arndt Koeblin wine portfolio is dominated by Pinot varities – as Gris, Noir and Blanc: Grauburgunder, Spaetburginder and Weisser Burgunder. But Arndt also makes some Riesling and Rivaner. Here are the wines Arndt poured in Frankfurt.

2010 Rivaner Kabinett trocken 6.20 Euro

2008 Gutensberg SR trocken (K+M Exklusiv)

2009 Spaetburgunder QbA trocken im Holzfass gereift 10.20 Euro

The special microclimate of the vineyard (at night cool temperatures and quick drying off of the grapes by the morning sun), bordering a forest, contributes to fresh, highly aromatic Pinot Noirs with a good structure.

2008 Spaetburgunder trocken S *** im Barrique gereift 15.30 Euro

2007 Spaetburgunder MAGNUM trocken S *** im Barrique gereift, 1.5 ltr. 31.90 Euro

2010 Grauer Burgunder Kabinett trocken 8.90 Euro

2010 Grauer Burgunder *** Selection Spaetlese trocken 13.50 Euro

Arndt’s white wines are all harvested in very small containers. The most is moved via gravity and without pumping. Arndt also lets the most sit for 24 hours at 3 degrees Celsius with the objective of stabilizing and harmonizing the flavors in the grapes before fermentation. After the most is pressed, it spends another night at 3 degrees Celsius. Only then the fermentation starts with natural yeasts. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and for the Pinot Gris "S" in barrels.

N.V Pinot Sekt brut Privat Cuvee 13.50 Euro

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German and Austrian Wines in the Wine Spectator Top 100 2010

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness

Visiting Agnes and Fritz Hasselbach at their Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

1.International Riesling Symposium

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Wine Maker Count of Bentzel-Sturmfeder in Frankfurt am Main Presenting his Wines from Wuerttemberg, Germany

2012-01-16T01:45:00.000-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Wine Maker Count of Bentzel-Sturmfeder

Wuerttemberg is one of the wine regions in Germany that sells a relatively low share of its output outside the region in other parts of Germany or even exports its wines. So, I was very happy when I heard that Count of Bentzel-Sturmfeder, Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder came to Frankfurt am Main to present his wines at Claudia Vechiatto’s Number one wine.

Number one wine

Number one wine is a wine store, owned and run by Claudia Vechiatto, in Sachsenhausen, Mörfelder Landstrasse 116. I like very much the very personal selection of the wines of Number one wine. Claudia is also always able to generate a very welcoming atmosphere at her store when she organizes little events, like the wine tasting with Count Bentzel-Sturmfeder.

Picture: Claudia Vechiatto with Count Bentzel-Sturmfeder.

History

The winery was founded in 1396, when Count Eberhard von Wuerttemberg gave Knight Friedrich Sturmfeder a piece of land for his services to him. For many centuries, the winery was owned by the Sturmfeder family. The Sturmfeder family is of German origin and is mentioned for the first time in 987 at the Neudenau Abbey in Wuerttemberg.

Until the mid-19th Century, wine was only made for family consumption. When the Sturmfeder family decided to buy the remaining parts of the Schozacher Roter Berg, it laid the foundations for commecial winemaking. Through a marriage of the Sturmfeder with the Bentzel families, the name Bentzel-Sturmfeder-Horneck came about.

The history of the Counts of Bentzel started in Sweden in the middle of the first millenium. They entered Germany in the context of the 30 Years War.

Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder

Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder is a winemaker by training. Between 1889 and 1991, he did an apprenticeship at the winery. Since 1995, he has been the General Manager of Weingut Graf von Bentzel Sturmfeder and since 2001 also its owner. Today, he runs the operation jointly with Holger Matz who is responsible for the wine cellar.

Pictures: Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder

Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder

Weingut Graf von Bentzel Sturmfeder is in Schozach, which is part of the town of Ilsfeld in Württemberg. The winery is a member of VDP.

Pictures: Kilian Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder

Weingut Graf von Bentzel Sturmfeder is the sole owner of the Einzellage (single vineyard) Schozacher Roter Berg (15 Hektar). The Red Mountain is a south-facing slope with a gradient of 45 percent. It is situated at an altitude of 280 meters above sea level. The soil consists of limestone and Keuper and has a reddish colour, which gave it its name.

The following varieties are grown there: 26 percent Pinot Noir, 25 percent Riesling, 17 percent Samtrot, 17 percent Lemberger. The rest are other varieties such as Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Meunier, St. Laurent, Dornfelder, Cabernet Dorsa and Acolon.

Wine Portfolio

Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder has almost 50 wines in its portfolio. In terms of prices, the wines start at a bit above Euro 5 per liter for entry-level wine in the liter bottle. Most wines are in the Euro 6 to Euro 11 range.

Picture: Weingut Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder Wines

There are 3 Erste Lage wines in the wine list – a Spaetburgunder, a Lemberger and a Riesling – for around Euro 20.

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German and Austrian Wines in the Wine Spectator Top 100 2010

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness

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Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

1.International Riesling Symposium

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

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Italy’s Top Wines and Wine Makers – The 2012 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia

2012-01-12T01:01:00.004-05:00

Christian G.E. Schiller with Barone Ricasoli at Castello di Brolio. I toured the Chianti Classico region last year and wrote about it on schiller-wine: Wining, Dining and Blogging in Chianti Classico (#EWBC), Tuscany, Italy

The best Italian wine guide is Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia. The top winemakers of Italy are awarded glasses, from 1 glass to 3 glasses - Tre Bicchieri. Individual wines are also awarded glasses, from 1 to 3 glass(es).

This is the 25th edition of Vini d’Italia, which was first published in late 1987 in newsletter format with reviews of a limited number of wines. It has grown in size and coverage each year since then. The latest edition is over 1,000 pages big and contains reviews of about 20,000 wines from about 2,300 wineries.

The Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2012 was issued in October 2011. The German and English versions are scheduled to be released in February 2012.

See here for the Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2011.

Italian Wine

Italy is home of some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in the country long before the Romans started developing their own vineyards. Two thousand years later, Italy is world leader in wine, accounting for about 20% of world wine production. Italians also lead the world in wine consumption by volume, 59 liters per capita, compared with 8 liters per capita in the US. Wine is grown in almost every region of the country.

The Classification System

Italy's classification system has 4 groups of wine. The 4 classes are:

(1) Vino da Tavola (VDT): A very basic wine, made for local consumption; the bottle label does not indicate the region or grape variety. This is the wine you typically get served in a Pizzeria or Trattoria in Italy, when you ask for the “house wine”. Simple, cheap and decent. Sitting late in the evening at a Piazza in Italy and eating Pizza with a Vino da Tavola, served in a 1 liter jug, is just great.


Christian G.E. Schiller with Giovanni Folonari from Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute at Kobrand’s Tour d’Italia 2011 in

(2) Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT): Wines that are considered to be of higher quality than simple table wines, but which do not conform to DOC and DOCG regulations. Sometimes, these are premium wines of winemakers who dropped the DOC/DOCG designation and instead carry the broader IGT designation, allowing them to try to improve quality by using nontraditional grapes, blends, viticultural practices or vinification techniques that are not allowed under the DOC and DOCG standards. A typical IGT wine is the so-called Super Tuscan.

(3) Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC). Soave is currently the largest DOC appellation in Italy, with 15,500 acres of vines.

(4) Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). DOCG wines are a tick higher in terms of quality requirements than DOC wines (maximum yield for example), which is the highest category in Italy's wine-classification system. About 13,000 acres of vine of the 15,500 acres of the DOC appellation also qualify for DOCG. Presently, there are about 120 IGT zones, 310 DOC and 30 DOCG appellations.

Wine Regions

There is wine everywhere in Italy, from the Alps in the North to Sicilia in the South, clustered into 20 wine regions, which correspond to the 20 administrative regions. The about 30 DOCG wines are located in 13 different administrative regions but most of them are concentrated in Piedmont and Tuscany.

Wine Map of Italy

The Piedmont area of northwestern Italy is further divided into the two popular regions of Barbaresco and Barolo. The predominant grape there is the Nebbiolo. Northeastern Italy has the Veneto area. Soave and Valpolicella are two important regions that produce many local varieties.

Christian G.E. Schiller with Franciacorta Producer Maurizio Zanella,founder of the renowned Ca' del Bosco and current President of the Franciacorta Consortium. I visited Franciacorta last year and wrote about it on schiller-wine: The Up and Coming Premium Sparklers of Franciacorta (#EWBC), Italy

The large area in central Italy is Tuscany and is known for Chianti. The Sangiovese is the predominant red grape in Tuscany. The Chianti area of Tuscany is a large geographic area that is divided into eight zones. Each zone has a Chianti DOCG that regulates the Chianti made in that zone.

In Italy’s South are Puglia and the island of Sicily. The Negroamaro grape is widely grown in this area.

Italy’s Grapes

There are several hundreds of indigenous grapes in Italy. The following is a list of the most common and important ones.

Rosso

Sangiovese - Italy's claim to fame, the pride of Tuscany. It produces Chianti, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino.

Christian G.E. Schiller with Roberto Stucchi at the Badia a Coltibuono in Chianti Classico. I toured the Chianti Classico region last year and wrote about it on schiller-wine: Wining, Dining and Blogging in Chianti Classico (#EWBC), Tuscany, Italy

Nebbiolo - The most noble of Italy's varietals. Nebbiolo is difficult to master, but produces the renowned Barolo and Barbaresco.

Montepulciano - The grape of this name is not to be confused with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano; it is most widely planted on the opposite coast in Abruzzo. Its wines develop silky plum-like fruit, friendly acidity, and light tannin.

Barbera - The most widely grown red wine grape of Piedmont and Southern Lombardy, most famously around the towns of Asti and Alba, and Pavia. Barbera wines were once considered as the lighter versions of Barolos. But this has changed. They are now sometimes aged in French barrique, intended for the international market.

Corvina - Along with the varietals Rondinella and Molinara, this is the principal grape which makes the famous wines of the Veneto: Valpolicella and Amarone.

Nero d'Avola - Nearly unheard of in the international market until recent years, this native varietal of Sicily is gaining attention for its plummy fruit and sweet tannins. The quality of Nero d'Avola has surged in recent years.

Dolcetto - A grape that grows alongside Barbera and Nebbiolo in Piedmont; a wine for everyday drinking.

Bianco

Trebbiano - Behind Cataratto (which is made for industrial jug wine), this is the most widely planted white varietal in Italy. It is grown throughout the country, with a special focus on the wines from Abruzzo and from Lazio, including Frascati. Mostly easy drinking wines.

Moscato - Grown mainly in Piedmont, it is mainly used in the slightly-sparkling (frizzante), semi-sweet Moscato d'Asti.

Pinot Grigio - A hugely successful commercial grape, known as Pinot Gris in France and Grauburgunder in Germany. Produces crisp and clean wines. Typically mass-produced wine in Italy.

Christian G.E. Schiller at the Palazzo Vescovile in Monteforte d’Alpone with the SoaveCru Winemaker Allessandro Danese from Corte Moschina. I visited the Soave region last year and wrote Wining and Blogging in the Soave Region, Italy

Arneis - A crisp and floral varietal from Piedmont, which has been grown there since the 15th century.

Garganega - The main grape varietal for wines labeled Soave, this is a crisp, dry white wine from the Veneto wine region.

The 2012 Gambero Rosso Tre Bichieri Wines

This year, 375 wines got the top award of Tre Bichieri, down from 402 wines last year and 392 and 339 wines in the years before, respectively. The top four regions continue to be Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto and Friuli, accounting for a combined 184 awards, slightly less than half of the total number.

Wines from the Piedmont region again received the largest number of awards – 72, with Barolo and Barbaresco wines dominating. With 62 awards, Tuscany received the second-highest number of Tre Bicchieri awards. Brunello di Montalcino wines account for the largest part of the award winners from Tuscany. The number of award-winning Chianti Classico wines declined from 13 last year to 9 this year. A sizable number of super-Tuscan wines received Tre Bicchieri awards. The Veneto area got 34 Tre Bicchieri awards. 12 wines are Amarone della Valpolicella wines and 5 Soave Classico wines.

The 2012 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia Awards

Red Wine of the Year - Sardus Pater, Carignano del Sulcis Superiore “Arruga” 2007: Sardus Pater is a cooperative on the island of San’Antioco, southwest of Sardinia.

White Wine of the Year - Umani Ronchi, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Superiore “Vecchie Vigne” 2009 : Umani Ronchi is a famous winery in the Marche region in central Italy.

Sparkling Wine of the Year - Ferghettina, Franciacorta Extra Brut 2005: Franciacorta sparklers are the “Champagnes” of Italy, close to Brescia. I recently visited Brescia and Franciacorta and wrote: The Up and Coming Premium Sparklers of Franciacorta (#EWBC), Italy

Sweet Wine of the Year - Roeno, Cristina V.T.(Vendemmia Tardiva) 2008: A late harvest wine from the Roeno Winery in Brentino Belluno in the Veneto region.

Winery of the Year - Tasca d'Almerita: A Sicilian winery that is a driving force behind the recent surge in popularity of the native Nero d’Avola grape.

Best Ratio of Price to Quality (Best Buy) - Gianfranco Paltrinieri, Lambrusco di Sorbara Leclisse 2010: A red sparkler made from Lambrusco di Sorbara grapes, using the Charmat method.

Grape Growers of the Year - Sergio Mottura: Sergio Mottura owns and runs the Mottura estate in the Lazio region. The vineyard area totals some 120 hectares, organically farmed.

Grape Growers of the Year - Giuseppe Russo: Giuseppe Russo, a trained pianist with a degree in Italian literature, manages the certified organic family estate on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily.

Up and Coming Winery - Mattia Barzaghi: Mattia Barzaghi is a niche winery in Tuscany, following a biodynamic approach.

Award for Sustainable Viticulture - Alois Lageder: A wine giant from the German speaking part of Italy. The name Alois Lageder is synonymous for the highest standard of quality. Alois Lageder follows biodynamic principles on his 60 hectares of vineyard land.

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Visiting Andrea and Stephan Herzer at their Weingut Herzer in Saale Unstrut, Germany

2012-01-11T01:17:00.000-05:00

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Andrea and Stephan Herzer, Weingut Herzer, Saale-Unstrut, Germany

During the summer of 2011, my wife Annette and I visited with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim the Saale Unstrut wine region in the eastern part of Germany. We visited 7 wineries during a period of 4 days. I am infrequently reporting about these visits.

I have already reported about Weingut Pawis, Weingut Luetzkendorf, Weingut Gussek and Weingut Klaus Boehme.

Weingut Pawis in Saale Unstrut, Germany

Weingut Lützkendorf in Saale Unstrut in Germany

Visiting Andre Gussek and his Weingut Winzerhof Gussek in Saale Unstrut, Germany

Weingut Klaus Boehme in Saale Unstrut in Germany

This posting is about our visit of Weingut Herzer, where had a very enjoyable wine tasting led by Andrea Herzer.

The Saale Unstrut Wine Region

The Saale Unstrut wine region is Germany’s most northern wine region, in the valleys of the Saale and Unstrut rivers, around Freyburg and Naumburg. With 730 hectares of vineyard area, it is one of the smaller wine regions in Germany. The oldest record of viticulture dates back to the year 998 during the reign of Emperor Otto III.

Located in the area of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), Saale-Unstrut has become a thriving emerging wine region after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 (as Sachsen, the other wine region in the area of the former GDR; Sachsen is half of the size of Saale Unstrut).

Pictures: Andrea Herzer

Basically, all of the wineries we visited have experienced rapid growth and large investments over the past years, following 50 years of communism that did not allow for private initiative. In a way, Saale Unstrut is an emerging wine region in an old world wine country. It is pretty much an emerging market situation there, but without any foreign investors.

Picture: Map of German Wine Regions including Saale Unbstrut

Most of the region's vineyards are situated in the State of Saxony-Anhalt, with the remainder in the State of Thuringia and in the State of Brandenburg (the "Werderaner Wachtelberg" near Potsdam). The vineyards are located on the hillsides lining the Saale and Unstrut rivers. It all looks very attractive, with steep terraces, dry stone walls and century-old vineyard cottages, interspersed with meadows, floodplains. High above, are defiant castles and palaces. Saale Unstrut is located in a region that was the intellectual and cultural center of Germany (Heiliges Roemisches Reich Deutscher Nationen) for many centuries. The second German university (after Prague) was the University of Leipzig, which is just 50 km away from Saale Unstrut. Schiller and Goethe, to name just 2, lived here. Culture, history, nature and wine are combined here perfectly.

Saale-Unstrut exports almost no wine and sells very little in the western part of Germany. Most of it is consumed in East Germany. The quality price ratio is not very favorable, so Saale Unstrut wines have a hard time to compete with the wines in West Germany. But the Saale Unstrut wine makers have no problems at all to sell their wine, as the Saale Unstrut wine is very popular with the locals and the tourists visiting East Germany, including the Baltic Sea. Of course, when you visit Weimar, Erfurth or Leipzig, to name a few of the many very historic towns of the eastern part of Germany, you want to drink local – either Saale Unstrut or Sachsen wines.

Pictures: Stephan Herzer

Saale-Unstrut is the northernmost of Germany's wine regions, and is therefore one of Europe's northernmost traditional wine regions. It lies to the north of the 51st degree of latitude, which was considered to be the limit for viticulture before global warming. Also, the weather is more variable than in the regions to the west. All the winemakers we met were concerned about the danger of late and winter frosts.

White grape varieties make up 75% of Saale-Unstrut's vineyards. The most common grape varieties are the white varieties Müller-Thurgau and Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc). The wines tend to be vinified dry and have a refreshing acidity. In addition to the white classics of the region, we also had one fantastic tasting with red wines only (at Winzerhof Gussek) and got the chance to taste varieties like Holder and Andre that were new to me.

Weingut Herzer

Weingut Herzer is in Rossbach, close to Naumburg. It was founded in 1992 by Andrea and Stephan Herzer. Andrea is a winemaker daughter from the Saale Unstrut region, who studied business economics. Stephan is a winemaker (Diplomingenieur für Weinbau und Kellerwirtschaft, Viticulture and Enology) from the Pflaz; he studied at Geisenheim College. “Stephan kam hier wegen des Weines, er ist hier geblieben wegen des Weibs” (Stephan came here because of the wine, he stayed here because of the woman) said Andrea. The two of them acquired in 2000 a historic farm in the village of Rossbach, restored it and turned it into a winery. They have 3 children.

Pictures: Weingut Herzer

The vineyard area totals 21 hectares, planted mainly (80%) with the white wine varieties Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Chasselas, Kerner and Bacchus, and the rest with the red varieties Dornfelder, Portuguese, Blauer Zweigelt and André. "Pinot Blanc is our most important grape variety" said Andrea. The wines are mainly sold through restaurants in the region and the Berlin area. Weingut Herzer also produces base wine for Rotkaeppchen, the Saale Unstrut Sekt giant.

The Tasting

We did not see much of the winery or the vineyards, but enjoyed a wonderful tasting of Herzer wines in the cosy tasting room of Weingut Herzer, led by the charming Andrea Herzer; she was towards the end of the tasting joined by her husband and winemaker Stephan. We covered most of the Weingut Herzer Portfolio.

Pictures: The Wines we Tasted

The Weingut Herzer wine portfolio contains about 30 wines, grouped under the 4 headings: Weisswein, Rosewein, Rotwein and Specialties.

The white wines were all in the Euro 6 to 8.50 range, with the 2010 Grossjenaer Bluetengrund, Riesling Kabinett trocken for Euro 8.50 among the top wines.

Rose – only one wine: an off-dry Andre Rose QbA

Red wines: 6 wines with the 2009 Zweigelt in the 0.5 liter bottle for Euro 12.00 being the most expensive wine.

The specialty wines were wines aged in wood, noble sweet wines, a Sekt (for Euro 12.50) and 3 homemade brandies/liquors.

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Apple Wine Tavern Zur Buchscheer in Frankfurt am Main, Germany – The Traditional Way: Apple Wine Made on the Premises

2012-01-10T01:52:00.191-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Robert Theobald

I grew up with apple wine (Apfelwein) in Frankfurt am Main. Although there are 3 beer breweries in Frankfurt and the world renowned Rheingau and Rheinhessen wine regions just 30 minutes away from Frankfurt by S-Bahn or car, I would say that Frankfurt am Main is a city of cider. Frankfurt has a large number of traditional apple wine taverns, where you sit on communal benches, eat hearty local food and drink sour and tart German apple wine. Typically, there is only one apple wine – the house apple wine – available.

Zur Buchscheer in Sachsenhausen belongs to the small group of apple wine taverns that make their own apple wine and pour it in their apple wine tavern. 100 years back, this was the rule. Today, it has unfortunately become the exception in Frankfurt am Main.

I have compiled my private list of favorite apple wine taverns in Frankfurt: Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Cider in the World

Cider is made all over the world. The French cidre is produced in Normandy and Brittany. It comes as cidre doux, cidre demi-sec and cidre brut, but most French cidre is sweet. Typically, French ciders are sparkling. Higher quality French cider is sold in champagne-style bottles (cidre bouché). German cider has a tart, sour taste. In the UK, cider is available in sweet, medium and dry varieties. In the US during colonial times, apple cider was the main beverage, but after prohibition the word cider came to mean unfiltered apple juice. Alcoholic cider is called hard cider in the US.

Pictures: Zur Buchscheer

Cider was already known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the 11th century it was introduced into Spain and was used there as a medicine for scurvy. It was introduced into England in 1066 when William the Great brought some from France into England.

Apple Wine in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Apple wine is a German variant of cider. It has an alcohol content of 4%–9% and a tart, sour taste. Traditionally, it is not bubbly.

Much of the apple wine is consumed at the wooden, communal tables in the local apple wine taverns with hearty local food, like Green Sauce (made from 7 herbs and yogurt accompanied by boiled eggs and boiled potatoes), Rippchen mit Kraut und Brot (grilled pork, sauerkraut and bread). It is served in a Geripptes, a glass with a lozenge cut that refracts light. A filled Geripptes is called a Schoppen. If you drink more than a glass or are in a group, you typically order a Bembel (a specific Apfelwein jug). The different sizes of a Bembel are designated after their contents in glasses from 4-er to 10-er Bembel.

The apple wine tavern (Apfelweinwirtschaft) is as distinctive a Frankfurt institution as the Bierkeller is of Munich or the Weinstube of Mainz. Many of the best-known establishments are concentrated in Sachsenhausen, but others are dotted all over the city. They are strongly traditional. They offer hearty local cuisine, usually at moderate prices.

Zur Buchscheer

Zur Buchscheer in Sachsenhausen was founded in 1876 by Adam Theobald. Now in the fifth generation, it is owned and managed by Robert Theobald and Christian Theobald.

The name Zur Buchscheer goes back to the 16./17. Century and signifies an area in the forest where the peasants would take their pigs and the sheppards their sheep so that the animals could find nutritious food like nuts.

Then as today, the apple wine served at Zur Buchscheer is made on the premises. When you go to the Zur Buchscheer in the September/October period, you can observe it yourself.

Making Apple Wine at Zur Buchscheer

Robert Theobald took a group of apple wine lovers, which included me, through the process of making apple wine at Zur Buchscheer: “For our cider, we use carefully selected orchards of the Wetterau, the Taunus, the Odenwald, the Spessart as well as from the surrounding area. For the fermentation, we do not need cultured yeasts, as the yeast that sits on the apples is sufficient to get the fermentation going. In addition, the cider is clarified only by the tannins and acids of the apple orchard. We do not need to filter our apple wine, which would take aromas away.”

Pictures: Making Apple Wine at Zur Buchscheer and Aplle Wine Maker Robert Theobald

The Place

As in all apple wine taverns, you sit on communal benches, eat hearty local food and drink apple wine. At Zur Buchscheer, there is in addition to the regular restaurant a very nice and cosy garden restaurant.

Pictures: Zur Buchscheer

The Food

The food served is hearty local food, like Green Sauce (made from 7 herbs and yogurt accompanied by boiled eggs and boiled potatoes), Rippchen mit Kraut und Brot (grilled pork, sauerkraut and bread). Robert Theobald: “In our kitchen, the meals are always freshly prepared. So, our mashed potatoes as well as baked potatoes made from fresh potatoes and seasoned with "good" butter."

Pictures: House Apple Wine and Single Variety Apple Wine

Zur Buchscheer Menu

Here are a few items from the Zur Buchscheer menu.

Rippchen Rib – boiled or grilled - with „Sauerkraut“ and bread € 7,50

Schlachtplatte Butcher’s Platter – boiled – with “Sauerkraut” and bread € 7,50

„Gref – Völsing’s“ Rindswurst Beef sausage – boiled with „Sauerkraut“ and bread € 4,20

Gegrilltes Schäufelchen Grilled cut of shoulder of pork with “Sauerkraut” and bread; by weight: between € 9,00 and € 16,20

Frankfurter Grüne Soße The famous Frankfurt cream-sauce speciality with seven green herbs! “Grüne Soße” served with 4 boiled egg halves and boiled potatoes € 8,00

Homemade sausages from the “Vogelsberg” (an area north – east from Frankfurt) - all served with bread an butter

Portion of “Preßkopf” (a terrine of pork) € 4,50
Portion of “Leberwurst” (a liver sausage) € 4,00
Portion of “Blutwurst” (a black pudding sausage) € 4,00

Handkäse mit Musik - a must for everyone visiting Frankfurt – very tasty
A Frankfurt cheese speciality with “Musik” (oil, vinegar and onions) € 2,60

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Germany’s Top 100 Winemakers – Handelsblatt online and Vinum 2011

2012-01-09T01:10:00.011-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Armin and Caroline Diel. Schlossgut Diel is one of the 12 estates that has been continuously on the list. Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany

Every year, towards the end, Handelsblatt online and Vinum release a list of the 100 Top Winemakers in Germany, this year for the 26th time. This is a pretty good list of Germany’s Top 100 Wine Estates. Overall, I would say, right on the dot, although there are always wineries where you wonder why they are on the list and other where you wonder why they are not on the list. Handelsblatt is the German equivalant of the Financial Times and Vinum is a wine journal.

Here is a link to the new list of Germany’s Top 100 Wine Estates.

Here is a posting on schiller-wine on the previous year's list.

Out

Here are the winemakers that did were dropped from the list this year.

Weingut Schloss Proschwitz (Sachsen)
Karthäuserhof (Mosel)
Weingut Rosch (Pfalz)
Weingut Clüsserath (Pfalz)
Weingut Biffar (sold) (Pfalz)
Weingut Darting
Weingut Faubel
Weingut Duijn (Baden)

In

Here are the newcomers and returners.

Weingut Gebrüder Bercher (Baden)
Juliusspital (Franken)
Weingut Siegrist (Pfalz)
Weingut Graf von Kanitz (Rhein¬gau)
Weingut Freiherr von Gleichenstein (Baden)
Weingut Klaus Zimmerling (Sachsen)
Weingut Kranz (Pfalz)

Continued Presence for 26 Years

A dozen winemakers have been continuously on the list for 26 years. I find this very impressive. It is indicated by the number 26 next to their name. Here is the list.

Salwey
Dr. Heger
Rudolf Fuerst
Toni Jost
Schloss Saarstein
JJ Pruem
Egon Mueller
Schlossgut Diel
Oekonomierat Rebholz
Mueller-Catoir
Fuhrmann-Eymael
Dr. Buerklin-Wolf

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Joachim and Silvia Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger, one of the producers that has been on the list since it first appeared 26 years ago.

Organic and Biodynamic Wine Making

About 20 of the top 100 winemakers follow organic or biodynamic principles in the vineyard, indicated in a separate column. Weingut Battenfeld Spanier and Weingut Kuehling Gillot in Rheinhessen, both owned and run by H.O. Spanier and are two of them.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with H.O. Spanier

Dry versus Sweet

The table also gives the share of dry wines in total production for each winery. There are obvious regional differences, with the Mosel region clearly standing out in terms of a large share of sweet wines in total output. For most of the Mosel estates, sweet wines account for 50 % or more of the production, while it is the opposite in all other German wine regions.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Manfred Pruem, Weingut Pruem in the Mosel valley. I met Katharina Pruem recently in the United States. JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Size

In terms of size, none of the wineries is large by international standards. About 20 have less than 10 hectares and about 20 have more than 30 hectares. The largest is newcomer Juliusspital with 172 hectar, followed by Dr. Buerklin Wolf with 90 hectares. The remaining 60 percent of the wineries are in the 10 to 30 hectares range.

http://www.weinkenner.de/2011/neues-handelsblatt-ranking-deutscher-weingueter-die-100-besten-19233/2/

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Weingut Chat Sauvage – Bourgogne in the Middle of the Rheingau: Meeting Chat Sauvage’s Winemaker and General Manager Michael Staedter, Germany

2012-01-06T01:09:00.010-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Michael Staedter

Following the recent impromptu tasting of 2 red wines from the Rheingau (Querbach and Chat Sauvage) at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru Wine Bistro in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, I was contacted by Michael Staedter, who is General Manager and Winemaker at Chat Sauvage. He invited me over to the winery for a tasting. I gladly accepted and asked my fellow wine blogger Alex Haller, also from Frankfurt, if he would be interested to join in; he was. He has already posted on his blog Blind Tasting Club a very nice report, in German: Besuch im Weingut “Chat-Sauvage” – Eine Burgund-Enklave im Riesling-Land

Weingut Chat Sauvage, founded in 2001, is the baby of Günter Schulz, who has made his money and still is making his money outside of the wine industry. Wine, in particular Bourgogne varieties, is his passion. The winery is run by Michael Städter, who is assisted in the vineyard by Mathias Scheidweiler.

The history of Weingut Chat Sauvage began in 1992, when Guenther Schulz started to make regular visits from Hamburg, where he lives, to the Rheingau in order to visit his daughter. He quickly fell in love with the region and began to think about making wine himself in the Rheingau. His first wines – couple of barrels - were made at Weingut Schamari-Mühle in Johannisberg, in cooperation with Erik Andersson.

Pictures: Chat Sauvage Winery

Right from the beginning, the Chat Sauvage wines were sought after by wine lovers in Germany, which encouraged Guenter Schulz to push ahead with his passion. The next important step was the construction of a winery. He auctioned off his collection of fine wines at Christie’s in London and used the proceeds to buy more vineyard land and to construct a winery in Johannisberg in the Rheingau. Weingut Chat Sauvage moved into the new winery in August 2010.

Michael Staedter

While Guenter Schulz is the owner and the brain behind Weingut Chat Sauvage, the man on the ground is Michael Staedler, who is in his early 30s. He is the Managing Director and the Cellar Master of Weingut Chat Sauvage. He has been with Guenter Schulz from early on in the Chat Sauvage undertaking. His mother is from Oestrich Winkel in the Rheingau.

Pictures: Michael Staedter

Michael started his career in the wine industry at Schloss Johannisberg, where he did a 3 years apprenticeship in winemaking. This was followed by studies in viticulture and oenology at the famous Geisenheim College. During his studies, Michael worked at the Weingut Schamari-Mühle, were Guenter Schulz started his Chat Sauvage journey in 2001. Thus, right from the beginning, Michael was part of the project. When Guenter Schulz decided to have his own winery, he asked Michael if he would be interested in joining him as Managing Director and Winemaker. Michael accepted. This was 4 years ago. Before that, Michael had spent a year in the Bourgogne and ½ a year in Australia.

Pinot Noir/Spaetburgunder in the World, in Germany and in the Rheingau

In Germany, the Pinot Noir is called Spätburgunder. It is to red wine what the Riesling is to white wine: the cream of the crop. In the US, Pinot Noir shows great promise in Oregon and California. The reputation that gets Pinot Noir so much attention, however, is owed to the wines of the Bourgogne in France, where it has probably been cultivated since at least the 4th century (first documented, however, in the 14th century). Regardless of where it’s grown, Pinot Noir is not typically a value wine. That is so because Pinot Noir is such a delicate grape that it is difficult and expensive to grow and make into the spectacular wine it can be. It is sensitive to climate and soil, Pinot Noir needs warmth (but not intense heat) to thrive and does well in chalky soils. As the German name implies, it ripens late (spät).

The Spaetburgunder’s success story in the Rheingau started with the Cistercians who created a net of monasteries across medieval Europe and with Eberbach Monastery founded their branch in the Rheingau. Present at all times: Spätburgunder, not only the economic basis for many monasteries but also symbol of the Christian mythology of the Last Supper with the blood of Christ. For a long time the Spätburgunder has appeared in many Rheingau vineyards from Hochheim to Lorchhausen but its traditional home in the Riesling country of the Rheingau is the steep slate vineyards behind the roofs of the small wine village of Assmannshausen. Set up by Eberbach Cistercians a hell of a good Spätburgunder grows in the world renowned Assmannshäuser Höllenberg. First mentioned more than 500 years ago the red Rheingau wines continue to be discussed until today. A large part of the hill is cultivated by the State Wineries of Hesse Domain Assmannshausen (“Hessische Staatsweingüter Domaine Assmannshausen”).

However, it was August Kesseler who profoundly shaped the style of the Rheingau Spätburgunder in the last 20 years, with the help of harvest reductions, longer mash times and skilful wine processing in big wooden cask or in small barrique barrels and who pushed the Rheingau Spätburgunder into the ranking list of the best German red wines.

In the Vineyard

The vineyard area of Chat Sauvage totals 7 hectares. 4/5 of the production is Pinot Noir and 1/5 is Chardonnay. 2/3 of the vineyards are steep slopes.

The Chat Sauvage vineyards are scattered around in the western part of the Rheingau. We did not go to the vineyards, but we talked a bit about them standing in front of the winery.

All work in Chat Sauvage’s vineyards is manual work. Considerable attention is paid to keeping the yields low, with first pruning after flowering, a green harvest, as well as selective hand-picking.

In the Wine Cellar

We toured the wine cellar. Michael explained that traditional maceration, 18 months aging in barrique and no filtration are among the guiding principles for making Chat Sauvage wines. In terms of oak, Michael told us that they had experimented with Hungarian wood, but have settled non on French oak. Spontaneous fermentation? Michael expressed skepticism.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Michael Staedter

The Chat Sauvage Wine Portfolio

The Chat Sauvage wine portfolio currently comprises 15 wines, from the 2006 to 2009 vintages, of which 11 are red wines:

Picture: Chat Sauvage Tasting Room

2007 and 2008 Rheingau Pinot Noir, entry level red wine, for Euro 16
2007 Johannisberger Hoelle, Pinot Noir, for Euro 23
2007 Johannisberger Hoelle, Pinot Noir, Erstes Gewaechs, for Euro 35
2007 Lorcher Kapellenberg, Pinot Noir, for Euro 23
2007 Ruedesheimer Drachenstein, Pinot Noir, for 42 Euro, currently the most expensive wine on the list
2008 Johannisberger Hoelle, Pinot Noir, for Euro 23
2008 Johannisberger Hoelle, Pinot Noir, Erstes Gewaechs, for Euro 35
2008 Lorcher Kapellenberg, Pinot Noir, for Euro 23
2008 Ruedesheimer Drachenstein, Pinot Noir, for Euro 23
2008 Assmannshaeuser Hoellenberg, Pinor Noir, Erstes Gewaechs, for Euro 35
2009 Clos de Schulz, Chardonny, fermented in French oak, for Euro 26.
2006 Rheingau Pinot Noir Brut Vintage Sekt Rose, for Euro 16
2008 Rheingau Pinot Noir Rose Trocken for Euro 9
2009 Rheingau Pinot Noir Rose Trocken for Euro 9

What Michael Staedter Poured and Alex Haller's Write-Ups

We then moved to the trendy and modern tasting room and tasted a series of 2007 and 2009 Pinot Noirs. All bottles had been open for 2 days already.

Picture: Michael Staedter

My fellow blogger Alex Haller has already extensively written about the wines we tasted and I have decided to just quote him, although his comments are in German.

Picture: Alex Haller

2007 Johannisberger Hölle Erstes Gewächs – Ein trinkiger Wein mit innerer Spannung. Zuerst die Süße Burgundernase mit eleganter Frucht und leichtem Marzipan-touch. Hier wird schon klar, dass der Holzeinsatz punktgenau dosiert wurde – es waren in diesem Fall ca. 30% Erstbelegung der Barriques. Dann am Gaumen die etwas frischer erscheinende Frucht, einer jahrgangsbedingt animierenden Säure geschuldet. Der Wein erhält dadurch eine schöne Saftigkeit, die den Trinkfluß fördert. Ein Pinot der Spaß macht ohne aber dabei die Eleganz eines Burgunders vermissen zu lassen. Denn schon bei diesem ersten Wein wird klar, dass hier ein deutlich französischer Stil erreicht wurde. “Auf Wiedersehen Spätburgunder, bonjour Pinot!”

Picture: The 2007's

2007 Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Pinot Noir - Der voluminösere und kräftigere Wein. Etwas opulenter am Gaumen und noch mit präsentem Tannin, das sich aber überaus feinkörnig zeigt. Auch hier wirkt ein saftiges Säuregerüst. Ein wahrhaftiger Burgunder aus dem Rheingau den man jetzt schon geniessen kann, aber vielleicht noch ein Weilchen weglegen sollte.

2009 Rheingau Pinot Noir – Der Einstiegswein, und was für ein sensationeller Wert! Michel Städter hat absolut recht, wenn er diesen Wein als PL-Hammer bezeichnet. Dieser Pinot entspricht einer erstklassigen Village-Qualität aus dem Burgund. So ist er am Gaumen von einem schönen mittlerem Gewicht aber gleichzeitig auch von einer bestechenden Eleganz. Hier erlebt man wahrlich in Seide gehüllte Frucht. In der Nase zeichnet sich schon die pure fruchtige Eleganz ab welche quasi ohne Unterbrechung am Gaumen fortgesetzt wird. Dort zeichnet sich der Wein durch eine unwiderstehliche Harmonie aus, wobei er sich gleichzeitig auch sehr lebendig und präsent zeigt: Ein “mittelgewichtiges Konzentrat”, um es kurz zu sagen. 16 Euro sind bei diesem Wein mehr als gut angelegt. Schnell kaufen bevor er weg ist!

2009 Lorcher Kappellenberg Pinot Noir - Eine Nase mit feinen erdigen Zügen die sich aber auch mit einer sehr präzisen Frucht vermengt. Am Gaumen fällt gleich das höhere Volumen und Gewicht auf, dennoch vermittelt der Wein aber niemals den Eindruck “fett” (und schon gar nicht alkoholisch) zu sein. Im Gegenteil: die Harmonie scheint wie in Stein gemeisselt. Das Tannin zeigt sich etwas präsenter, noch leicht rauh, aber von einer schönen feinkörnigen art, quasi zum genüßlichen Kauen - und auch hier ist es in dieses elegante seidige Mundgefühl eingebettet. Überhaupt scheint sich dieses schmeichleriche Textur wie ein roter Faden durch die gesamte 2009er Kollektion zu ziehen. Die etwas rauheren Tannine sind übrigens dem Taunus-Quarzit-geprägtem Boden verschuldet . Das Finish ist ebenfalls wie aus dem Bilderbuch mit einer dezenten aber überaus präzise definiertern Fruchtnote und einer guten Länge. Coup de Coeur! Mein geheimer Favorit.

2009 Johannisberger Hölle Pinot Noir Erstes Gewächs – Nun wiederum eine Nase die mehr fruchtig als erdig erscheint, auf elegante und graziöse Weise, natürlich wieder völlig auf übertriebenen Holzeinsatz verzichtend. Am Gaumen extrem feines, diesmal etwas süßeres Tannin. Viel Charme durch generöse Frucht kommt hiermit ins Glas. Der Wein hat Körper und Volumen aber wirkt trotz 13,5% Alkohol nie überdeht! Über die seidige Textur brauch ich jetzt bestimmt nicht nochmal Wörter zu verlieren. Und auch hier wird man wieder mit einem überzeugendem Finish belohnt. Mit jedem neuen Wein den wir probieren, zeichnet sich immer mehr die Qual der Wahl ab, die uns dieses Weingut beschert.

Picture: The 2009's

2009 Asmannshäuser Frankenthal Pinot Noir - eine Lage die zum ersten mal gesondert ausgebaut wurde bei Chat Sauvage – üblicherweise wurde sie immer mit der Hölle zusammen gelesen und vergoren. Die Nase scheint hier etwas dezenter, ist eventuell leicht verschlossen. Der Wein vereint eine gewisse Leichtigkeit mit herzhaft würzigem Biss. Das Tannin ist etwas fester und auch die Säure ein Tick höher, ohne aber das dies jetzt besonders auffallend sei. Der Wein zeigt eine dezente Kräuterwürze die Ihm schon in diesem jungen Stadium eine aussergwöhnliche Tiefe verleiht. Wie den vorhergehenden Weinen kann man auch diesem ein sehr gutes Alterungspotenzial bescheinigen!

2009 Assmannshäuser Hölle Pinot Noir – die wohl bekannteste Rotweinlage des Rheingaus kommt als Krönung der Probe ins Glas. Die Nase zeigt sich auch hier im verschlossenen Baby-Stadium: Beerig-erdig mit nur dezenten Holznoten. Am Gaumen dann ein kraftvoll zupackender Wein der aber wieder mal gleichzeitig zu schmeicheln vermag. Mehr feinkörniges Tannin trifft dunkle Frucht die fast mit Zartbitter-Schokoladennoten einher kommt. Das richtige Säuregerüst ist aber auch dabei und so stimmt wieder mal die Balance. Ein Wein der offensichtlich noch altern muss, wobei er sein enormes Potential nicht verleugnen kann. Kaufen und weglegen!

Ach ja, ausserdem wurde vom Jahrgang 2009 noch eine alles-krönende Partie aus der Hölle gefüllt die als Erstes Gewächs tituliert wird. Verständlicherweise blieb diese kostbare Flasche bei unserer Verkostung geschlossen, und wir können nur erahnen welch tolles Elixier sich da wohl verbergen mag. Das Chat Sauvage Team scheint sich auf jeden Fall ziemlich sicher über dessen aussergewöhnliche Qualität und hat den selbsbewussten Preis von 120 Euro ausgeschrieben. Dieser Wein bewegt sich somit preislich auf allerhöchster deutscher Pinot-Ebene, wie manche Abfüllungen von Kesseler, Fürst oder Becker.. Sammler, aufgepasst!

Weingut Chat Sauvage
Hohlweg 23
65366 Geisenheim/Johannisberg

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German Rieslings – Favorites of German Wine Bloggers: A Survey by Baccantus

2012-01-05T01:02:00.003-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Stefan Schwytz in Baden, Germany

My fellow German Wine Blogger Stefan Schwytz who runs the popular wine blog Baccantus asked a number of German wine bloggers the question: What are your favorite 3 German Riesling wines (under Euro 12)? Here are the answers. Stefan did not ask me, but I added at the end my 3 favorites. If you are interested in the reasoning of the wine bloggers behind their choice (and if you can read a German text) go to Baccantus for more information. For links to the producers that made it to the list go to Baccantus.

Andreas Durst, Winzer & Fotograf, Durst-wein.de

St. Goarer Frohwingert trocken Philippsmühle/ Mittelrhein 2007, 2008, 2009, 11,50 €
2010 Jacobus trocken Peter Jacob Kühn/ Rheingau, 9,20 €
Wachenheimer Gerümpel, Weingut Karl Schaefer/Pfalz, 2009, 2010, 9,00 €

Marco Giovanni Zanetti, aka der WinePunk

2010 Riesling C.A.I. von Immich Batterieberg, Mosel, ca. 11 €
Riesling Kalkstein 2010 Winzerhof Thörle, Saulheim, Rheinhessen, 9,90 €
2010 Jacobus trocken Peter Jacob Kühn/ Rheingau, ca. 10 €

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Johannes and Christoph Thoerle in Saulheim. schiller-wine: Surprising the World with their Pinot Noir: Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen, Germany

Thommy Witteck, Weinwelt Rheingau

2010 Weingut Prinz (Hallgarten) ‘Vom bunten Schiefer’ Riesling QbA feinherb, 7,20 €
2010 Riesling Spätlese trocken ‘Alte Reben’, Heinz Günter Hauck, Bermersheim, Rheinhessen, 6,95 €
2009 Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett fruchtig, Max Ferdinand Richter, Mosel

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Fred Prinz in Berlin. schiller-wine: The Sauvignon Blanc Trophy 2010 - The Top 20 German Sauvignon Blancs

Martin Zwick, BerlinKitchen

2010 Schäfer-Fröhlich “Bockenauer” Riesling trocken, Nahe ab 11,50 €
2010 Fritz Ekkehard Huff “vom Rotliegenden” Riesling trocken, Rheinhessen, 6,50 €
2010 KarlHeinz Schneider, Riesling trocken, Nahe, 4,90 €

Dominik Vombach, Ecowein.com

2010 Ökonomierat Rebholz Riesling „vom Buntsandstein” Kabinett trocken, Siebeldingen, Pfalz, ca. 9,90 €
2010 Riesling Terra Rossa Hirschhof, Rheinhessen, 6,95 €

Oliver Haag – Haag-Weinkultur

2010 Weingut Wittmann – Gutsriesling trocken Rheinhessen, 11,-€
2010 Weingut Emrich Schönleber – Riesling trocken, 11,-€
2010 Weingut Fritz Haag – Riesling QBA trocken, Brauneberg, Mosel,10,-€
Weingut Knab – Riesling 2010 Kabinett trocken, 8,-€

Stephanie Döring, Someliere, TVino.de

2010er Gutsriesling Battenfeld Spanier, Rheinhessen 8,90 €
2010er Kühling-Gillot Qvinterra Riesling QbA trocken, Rheinhessen 8,90 €
2010er Riesling trocken, St.Urbanshof, Mosel 9,90

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Nik Weis, Weingut St. Urbanshof in Berlin. schiller-wine: Germany's Top 16 Winemakers - Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2011

Thomas Günther, Weinverkostungen.de

2010 Schätzel KabiNett Nierstein Riesling
2009 Knipser Laubersheimer Kapellenberg Riesling Kabinett trocken 8,60 €
2009 Riesling feinherb Weingut Johann Peter Mertes, Mosel/ Saar 6,50 €
2010 Alfred Merkelbach, Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese Fuder, Mosel, 6,50 Euro

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Kai Schaetzel in Nierstein. schiller-wine: A New Fixture in the Reemerging Red Slope of Nierstein - Visiting Kai Schaetzel and his Weingut Schaetzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany

Jan Buhrmann, Sommelier und Sherry-Educator

2010 Riesling trocken Dorst & Naab, 8,90 €
2010 Hochheimer Hofmeister Riesling „Alte Reben“ Spätlese trocken, Weingut Im Weinegg, Rheingau, 9 €
2010 Weg & Wiese Riesling trocken, Weingut Bürgermeister Carl Koch Erben, Oppenheim, Rheinhessen, 5,50 €

Hendrik Thoma, Mastersommelier & TVino-Mann

2010 Riesling, Battenfeld Spanier, Rheinhessen, 8,90 €
2010er Emrich Schönleber Riesling Mineral QbA trocken
2010er Riesling Drache QbA trocken, Weingut Von Winning Deidesheim/ Pfalz, 8,50 €

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Hendrik Thoma in Hamburg. schiller-wine: A Master Sommelier became a Web 2.0 Digital Sommelier- An interview with Germany's Hendrik Thoma (Part 2)

Stephan Lappas

2010er Emrich Schönleber Riesling Lenz QbA, Nahe
2010er Emrich-Schönleber Riesling QbA trocken
2009 C.A.I. Riesling Kabinett, Weingut Immich-Batterieberg, Mosel

Ralf Kaiser, der Weinkaiser.de

2010 Okfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett, Weingut von Othegraven, Kanzem (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) 12,50 €
2010 Hochheimer Domdechaney Riesling Spätlese, Weingut W. J. Schäfer, Rheingau, 10,50 €
2010 Gut Mannwerk – St. Aldegunder Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese alte Reben, 10,90 €

Picture: The Schaefers in Hochheim. schiller-wine: Meeting J. Schaefer from Weingut J. Schaefer, Hochheim, Rheingau, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Peter Jakob, Weinhistoriker & MarcoDatinis Weinwelt

2009 Steillagenriesling Weingut Sebastian Schneider, Mittelrhein
2010 C.A.I. Weingut Immich-Batterieberg, 9,75 €
2009 Kröv Letterlay Riesling Kabinett Weingut Staffelter Hof, Mosel, 8,90 €

Harald Steffens, Winzer vom Weingut Steffens-Keß

2009 Reiler Goldlay Spätlese trocken, Steffens-Kess, Mosel, (Bio) 9,70 €
2009er Alte Reben Riesling Spätlese trocken, Weingut Brohl, Pünderich, Mosel, 11,50 €

Stefan Schwytz, Baccantus.de

2009 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese** trocken, Frank Brohl, Pünderich, Mosel, 11,50 €
2008 Riesling ‘Schieferboden’ trocken, Weingut von Racknitz, Odernheim, Nahe, 11,50 €
2009 Stettener Pulvermächer Riesling trocken – Kieselsandstein – Weingut Beurer Kernen im Remstal, Württemberg, 9,80 €

Christian G.E. Schiller, schiller-wine

Riesling Kalkstein 2010 Winzerhof Thörle, Saulheim, Rheinhessen, 9,90 €
2010 Fritz Ekkehard Huff “vom Rotliegenden” Riesling trocken, Rheinhessen, 6,50 €
2010 Schätzel KabiNett Nierstein Riesling

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Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA

2011-12-30T11:02:00.009-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Terroir

During the summer of 2011, I spent a couple of weeks in the San Francisco Bay Area with my wife Annette. It was the end of a trip that had started in the north, in Seattle. From San Francisco, we went as far south as Paso Robles. As my daughter Katharina used to live in Berkeley until recently, I was a regular in the Bay area for many years. This list is the outgrowth of it. It also contains a number of places where I do not go for the wine, but the oysters.

Barrel Room

A San Francisco wine bar featuring carefully selected small production wines from all over the world.

620 Post St.

Bar Tartine

Not one of the 60 or so wines could be called a major brand.

561 Valencia (at 16th St.)

District Wine Bar

Gorgeous space – an old brick building opening into a lounge of a room with table, bar and sofa seating.

4- 6 Happy Hour Mo – Fr, 5-7 Happy Hour Sat
1 $ Oysters during Happy Hour
216 Townsend Street (at 3rd)
Telephone: (415) 896-2120

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

Mainly a wine store. The wine list and selection of flights rotates regularly. Small bites like cheese and bread are also on the menu.

San Francisco Ferry Building, Embarcadero

Hog Island Oyster Bar

I got there for the oysters: The Hog Island Oyster Bar offers indoor and outdoor tables with spectacular views of the bay. The oysters arrive fresh daily from Hog Island's oyster farm on Tomales Bay.

San Francisco Ferry Building, Embarcadero

Hotel Biron

Hotel Biron isn't actually a hotel; a small space on Rose Street, behind Zuni Café, with the ambiance of a well-appointed wine cellar. Biron serves up a nice list of wines and a short menu that includes a cheese plate and an olive mix.

45 Rose Street
Telephone: (415) 703-0403

Nopasf

A gathering place north of the Panhandle, serving urban rustic food and specializing in organic wood-fired cuisine. With a large community table and bar.

560 Divisadero at Hayes

Pause

A second wine bar by the owner of Yield, just next to the Zuni Café. Like Yield, the focus is on “green” wine.

1666 Market Street

RN 74/Michael Minna

RN74 is a San Francisco urban wine bar and restaurant featuring modern interpretations of refined American and regional French cuisine with an extensive wine list highlighting the Burgundy region of France.

Happy Hour to 6 and after 10
301 Mission St

Slanted Door

The Slanted Door is a Vietnamese restaurant that blends Vietnamese cooking technique with local ingredients. Relaxed atmosphere; Riesling-driven wine list.

San Francisco Ferry Building, Embarcadero

Spruce

A fine dining restaurant. As a German and lover of German Riesling, of particular note is the outstanding selection of over 160 German Rieslings. They pair beautifully with Chef Sullivan’s house made charcuterie. As a minus, I am a fan of the dry Rieslings; Spruce offers not more than a handful of those. The wine list is dominated by sweet German Rieslings.

I have referred to Spruce in a posting on schiller-wine: The Focus on Dry German Riesling – Daniel Hubbard Presents the German DSWE Portfolio to the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)

3640 Sacramento Street

Swan's Oyster Depot

Opened in 1912, Swan's is essentially a fish market with a long marble bar and 20 stools. You'll have to wait in line for a while to get in, but it's worth it.

Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
1517 Polk (at California)

Terroir

A wine bar that serves only Old World “natural” wines, mainly French and Italian. I have written about Terroir on schiller-wine: The Natural Wines of Terroir in San Francisco

1116 Folsom Street

Yield

Yield is a small, intimate wine bar located in the heart of San Francisco's historic Dogpatch Neighborhood serving only “green” wines.

2490 Third Street (between 20th and 22nd)
Telephone: (415) 401-8984

Zuni Cafe

Zuni Cafe always has a large selection of oysters. An oyster menu lists the species and the place name of each oyster in meticulous detail.

Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Sunday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
1658 Market (at Franklin)

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Visiting Patrick Reuter and his Dominio IV Winery in McMinnville, Oregon, US

2011-12-28T11:46:00.000-05:00

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Patrick Reuter in McMinnville

With a production of about 5000 cases, Dominio IV is one of the smaller wineries in Oregon. It is family run by: Leigh Bartholomew - vineyard manager and owner; husband Patrick Reuter – winemaker and owner; and parents Liz and Glenn Bartholomew - vineyard owners. The winery is based in McMinnville, south of Portland, while the estate vineyard is in the Columbia Gorge, east of Portland, near The Dalles.

Earlier this year, on my California, Oregon and Washington State tour, we started out in the morning in Walla Walla in Washington State, drove by – but unfortunately did not have the time to stop – Dominio IV’s blab la vineyard in the Gorge and arrived just in time for a winery tour and tasting in McMinnville, south of Portland, Oregon.

I had met Liz and Glenn Bartholomew earlier this year in Washington DC, where they poured Dominio IV wines: Meeting Glenn and Liz Bartholomew from Oregon and Tasting Their Dominio IV Wines

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Liz and Glenn Bartholomew in Washington DC

Oregon

About two-thirds of Oregon’s wineries and vineyards are in the Willamette Valley. Buffered from Pacific storms on the west by the Coast Range, the valley follows the Willamette River north to south for more than a hundred miles from the Columbia River near Portland to just south of Eugene. But Oregon is not only about Willamette Valley. Oregon’s vineyards span the whole State, rising up and falling over the rolling hills and gentle valleys of more than 12,000 acres (4,858 hectares) of wine grapes. Oregon’s major wine regions are the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley, Umpqua Valley, and the Columbia Gorge. Some regions straddle the border between Oregon and the States of Washington and Idaho.

Picture: The Wine Regions of Oregon

Wine was made in Oregon in the 19th century already, when Italian and Swiss immigrants planted wine grapes and started bottling wine. Oregon's wine industry was suppressed during Prohibition. It wasn’t until1961, when Richard Sommer set up shop in southern Oregon and planted Riesling, that the modern Oregon wine industry was borne. Other pioneers include David Adelsheim, Dick Ponzi and Bill Sokol-Blosser. Then the French also came with Domaine Drouhin bringing European sophistication to Oregon. In the past 40 years, Oregon has become one of the country’s top three wine States, with 350 wineries producing an average of 5,000 cases each a year. Most of it is Pinot Noir, but there’s also Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and modest amounts of Riesling and Merlot.

Oregon produces wine on a much smaller scale than its southern neighbor California. Oregon's biggest producer ships only 125,000 cases per year and most produce under 35,000 cases. The State features many small wineries which produce less than 5,000 cases per year. In contrast, E & J Gallo Winery, the US’ largest winery, produces about 70 million cases annually. The majority of wineries in Oregon operate their own vineyards, although some purchase grapes on the market.

Dominio IV

The husband and wife team Leigh and Patrick are the driving forces behind the winery, supported by Leigh’s parents Liz and Glenn. Leigh is in charge of the Dominio IV vineyards, but her main job is to be vineyard manager and co - general manager for Archery Summit, a producer of ultra-premium Pinot Noirs in Oregon. Leigh studied viticulture at the University of California at Davis and joined the team at Archery Summit in 2000. Patrick also studied at the University of California at Davis and is the winemaker of Dominio IV.

Pictures: Patrick Reuter

The estate vineyard is owned by Leigh’s parents Liz and Glenn; Glenn is retired from the US army. The winery is based in McMinnville, south of Portland, while the estate vineyard is in the Columbia Gorge, east of Portland, near The Dalles.

Three Sleeps Vineyard

“We grow most of our grapes ourselves in Mosier, Oregon to ensure that they are cultivated with biodynamic techniques that don't just sustain, but strengthen, the land. What we don't grow, we contract from sustainable wine growers in Oregon who share our farming values” said Patrick.

Picture: Columbia Valley

Biodynamic Farming

Dominio IV started farming biodynamically in 2001. “Biodynamic farming meets the organic standard including the prohibition of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, but goes much further. The integration of animals and animal feeds, perennial plants, flowers and trees, water features, and composting is emphasized. Three Sleeps Vineyard is one of a handful of Oregon sites to attain Biodynamic certification by Demeter” explained Patrick. The vineyard is planted to Tempranillo, Syrah, and Viognier. Dominio IV also makes Pinot Noir from fruit purchased from the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

McMinnville Winery

The Dominio IV winery resides in the thriving Granary District of McMinnville, Oregon. What was once a dilapidated, agricultural storage building has since been renovated into the perfect home for creating and enjoying wines.

They tore away the interior facades from previous remodels to reveal original walls composed of beautiful, local lumbers. Stacked, rough-cut two-by-eights glow with a natural warmth that makes the tasting room cozy and intimate: the ideal space to share stories and learn from Patrick or other pourers.

Pictures: Winery and Tasting Room

Beyond aesthetics, the winery's old woods provide insulation for the actual production of the Dominio IV wines. “Steady conditions ensure that in our processing, pressing, and storing rooms, we can accurately develop the best wines possible. Even the 250 oak casks, stacked like looming monuments, in our barrel room benefit from such constancy” said Patrick.

The Wines

Dominio is Latin for a feast or banquet, and power or strength. It is also Spanish for territory or dominion. “The IV refers to four people, four wines, four seasons and four vineyards of Dominio Wines” said Patrick.

The 4 wines from Dominio Wines are Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Syrah and Viognier. “Like our every changing moods, we present four wines for your pleasure. Each one entangles you in its own character. Tempranillo is often like the mathematician who sits in his forest lair, contemplative, complicated, and rich in conjecture. Syrah is the spice; she is the dance, and an evening of dangerous possibilities. Viognier is the evangelist announcing the benefits of a diet based solely on fruit and flower. And Pinot Noir is the amazement of a card trick, it is the feeling of a bath, it is magic at the ends of the fingertips” Patrick explained.

The Wines Patrick Poured

2008 Dominio IV Tempranillo/Syrah Blend “the technicolor bat"

The back label says: “By day, the Technicolor Bat waits while hawks and eagles take flight over the vineyard by day. With wings of licorice and brown sugar and eyes that glow spiced cinnamon and chocolate, this Bat is made to fly by night. Grown on a gentle east facing slope: Tempranillo (80%) Syrah (20%)”.

Picture: Dominio IV Wines

2007 Dominio IV Syrah/Tempranillo Blend "Spellbound"

Syrah 58% and Temprenillo 42%.

The back label says: “ You’re so pretty you’d make any mountain quiver. You’d make fire fly from the crater. If you walk across my camera I will flash the world your story. I will pay you more than money, not by pennies, dimes, nor quarters but with happy sons and daughter. To Leigh from Patrick via Woody Guthrie and Ingrid Bergman.”

2006 Dominio IV Tempranillo "Sketches of Spain"

The back label says: “The summer winds blow like Miles’ across the vineyard’s face. In the beat of the long days, you can find the sun buried within the vineyard’s skin. It grows fresh and green. Rolling in the breeze, it grows Tempranillo. Beneath the soil the roots drum up jazz notes staccato and velvet while whispering memories of Spain.”

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