Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Owners/Winemakers Owners Sarah O’Herron and Ed Boyce in Baltimore, Maryland
Blue crabs are iconic in Maryland. Few food and wine aficiniados, however, would point to premium wines, when talking about Maryland; instead, Maryland has the reputation of being a mediocre wine producer. But Maryland winemakers are very successfully changing that. Increasingly, winemakers in Maryland are moving away from fruit wines and non-European grape varieties that have long plagued the East Coast to produce wines that can compete with the best wines in the world.
As Drew Baker of the brand-new Old Westminster Winery explained to Frank Morgan, a popular wine blogger, “Maryland has great potential and I believe that the quality bar is rising quickly. Soon, poorly made wines will be the exception in an otherwise great region.” Old Westminster Winery, led by the three siblings Drew, Lisa, and Ashli, who manage the vineyard, winemaking, and marketing, respectively, has not yet released any wine, but is already generating a buzz. Other promising newcomers include Black Ankle, Slack, Sugar Loaf Mountain and Port of Leonardtown. Add to that the Maryland classics Boordy, Basignani and Elk Run, which are in the process of changing gears.
See also:
At the Fifth Annual Drink Local Wine Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Grand Tasting of Maryland Wines and Twitter Taste-off - Drink Local Wine Conference 2013 in Maryland, USA
Touring Wine Country Maryland, USA
Maryland Crabs and Wine
Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA
This is one posting in a series of 3 profiles of Maryland wineries:
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Boordy Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Black Ankle Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Black Ankle Vineyards
Black Ankle sets the new standard for what is going on in Maryland wine. Black Ankle has won numerous awards for their wines, including recent Maryland Governor’s Cup Awards.
Picture: Black Ankle Vineyards
Owners Sarah O’Herron and Ed Boyce (both former management consultants) planted their first vines in 2003 after a lengthy search looking for farms with the worst soil. They succeeded, buying a 142-acre farm on Black Ankle Road in the rolling hills of Carroll County near Mt. Airy.
Ed and Sarah explained that the meager 1 1/2 feet of soil is 60 percent rock with a solid layer of rock below. Although this soil environment would be a nightmare for a farmer planting traditional agricultural crops, it proved perfect for their vision of a world-class vineyard growing vinifera grapes.
Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Owners Sarah O’Herron and Ed Boyce, Black Ankle Vineyards
Currently, Black Ankle has 42 producing acres. Since Ed and Sarah purchased the property, they have made and applied compost in place of chemical fertilizers and they have never used herbicides of any kind. “Although we are not yet able to farm 100% organically, we are optimistic that with more research and ingenuity we will get there before too long,” say Ed and Sarah. “We have also made the decision to farm with the principles of Biodynamics. Black Ankle’s barrel room holds 300 French oak barrels. It is constructed with hay-bale walls coated with a plaster made from the farm’s earth and wood harvested from their acreage.
Pictures: Black Ankle Owners Sarah O’Herron and Ed Boyce, with Annette Schiller from wine tours by ombiasy in Baltimore
The business has been a bit of a juggling act for Ed and Sarah, who have kept their house in Silver Spring and, except at harvest time, alternate days at Black Ankle with working from home. They have five children, one in college and four at home.
The Wines
I visited Black Ankle Vineyards earlier this year with Aaron Nix-Gomez (Hogshead) and other wine writers and tasted some wines:
2012 Black Ankle Vineyards, Gruener Veltliner – (Barrel Sample)
We were greeted by a glass of a excellent 2012 Gruener Veltliner that complemented seasonal tartines.
Hogsheadwine: “The nose revealed white fruit then some weight yellow fruit aromas. In the mouth the floral fruit had both good acidity and mouthfeel. There were flavors of honeysuckle in this wine with good length and round aftertaste. Nice.”
2011 Black Ankle Vineyards, Bedlam
With grilled Chesapeake oysters we sipped the floral 2011 Bedlam, a blend of Chardonnay, Albarino, Muscat, Viognier and Gruener Veltliner.
Hogsheadwine: “There was a fresh, bright nose with herbs and the slight texture of white fruit. In the mouth the flavors were of drier white fruit which was tart and mixed with acidity that made my tongue salivate on the sides. There was a yeasty note in the middle.”
2010 Black Ankle Vineyards, Rollings Hills
This wine is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 8% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot which was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. Alcohol 13.6%.
Hogsheadwine: “The nose was of light red berries. In the mouth there were berry flavors and a hint of something bright. The flavors had density with acidity at the back of the mouth. There were some grapey tannins along with fine-grained tannins in the structure. There was a cool finish.”
2010 Black Ankle Vineyards, Leaf Stone Syrah
This wine was aged for 18 months in 65% new French oak. Alcohol 14.6%.
Hogsheadwine: “The beautiful nose had depth with floral fruit that smelled proper and was evocative of the Northern Rhone. The flavors were young and tight but still enjoyable. There was some grainy texture to the fruit and a creamy feel to the blue, grapey, and red flavors. There was a touch of lipstick in the finish. The acidity was well-integrated along with a deft touch of ripe oak tannins. Nice.”
NV Black Ankle Vineyards, Terra Dulce II
A fortified wine, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Verdot, Pinot Noir, Viognier, Chardonnay, Albarino, Gruener Veltliner, and Muscat.
Hogsheadwine: “The color was a tawny garnet. There was tangy red fruit in this fortified wine. Herbs and acidity came out at first with the red fruit. Then tea, tobacco, and more tobacco. It was a little spirity at this point and could use some age for integration.”
schiller-wine: Related Postings
At the Fifth Annual Drink Local Wine Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Grand Tasting of Maryland Wines and Twitter Taste-off - Drink Local Wine Conference 2013 in Maryland, USA
Touring Wine Country Maryland, USA
Wine and Crab Cakes: Amy Brandwein from Casa Nonna and Chris Clime from PassionFish win the 6th Annual Crab Cake Competition in Washington DC, USA
Maryland Crabs and Wine
Schiller's World of Seafood
Chef Spike Gjerde's Farm-to-Table Food of Woodberry Kitchen and Sarah O’Herron's and Ed Boyce's Premium Organic Wines of Black Ankle Vineyards, Maryland, USA
Boordy Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Bollinger Chef de Cave Mathieu Kauffmann Moves to Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in the Pfalz, Germany
Picture: Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl
Bollinger's Chef de Cave Mathieu Kauffmann will move to the equally prestigious Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in the Pfalz in Germany in time to work on this year’s vintage. Incoming Managing Director Marian Kopp told Meininger’s Drink Business: “I needed someone with an understanding of terroir wines, he previously worked at Salwey in Baden which is an estate very well known for Pinot Noir and he had the experience from Champagne.”
Mathieu Kauffmann started his sparkling wine career in 1992 in his native Alsace where he headed up the Crémant production of the Cave d’Eguisheim. In February 2001 he joined the winemaking team at Bollinger and became Chef de Cave three years later.
Photo: Mathieu Kauffmann (Photo: Bollinger)
Apparently, Mathieu Kauffmann will be particularly involved in upping the quality of von Buhl’s Sekt, a small but increasingly important part of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl portfolio. Marian Kopp: “Germany is a huge sparkling wine market. Quite a few estates are launching and have been launching sparkling wines and von Buhl has been something of a leader."
Sekt in Germany
Germany is one of the largest sparkling wine markets in the world. One out of four bottles of sparkling wine is consumed in Germany. Sparkling wine produced in Germany is called Sekt.
Sekt is made in all German wine regions, both in the méthode traditionnelle and charmat method. There are three groups of Sekt makers: (i) large and (ii) smaller Sekt houses, who only make Sekt and (iii) winemakers, who make predominantly wine, but complement their wine selection by a few Sekts.
There is a dozen or so large Sekt houses. They produce more than 2.000.000 bottles each annually. Most of these large Sekt houses were established in the 1800s. At that time, there was only one method known to produce Sekt, the méthode traditionnelle. But in contrast to the champagne houses, the large Sekt houses have all moved to the charmat method as main method of the second fermentation after World War II. Like the champagne houses, Sekt houses do not own vineyards, but purchase the base wine from winemakers.
The smaller Sekt houses, like the large Sekt houses, do not own vineyards, but also buy the base wine from winemakers. They also tend to have a long history and often links to the champagne region, beautiful facilities and old cellars for the second fermentation and storage. The big difference is that they typically have not gone the route of tank fermentation but continue to ferment in the méthode traditionnelle.
Finally, increasingly, there is a number of top quality winemakers (like Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl), who, in addition, to their still wines, have started to include Sekts in their portfolio. These Sekts are typically vintage Sekts, from a specified vineyard, made of specific grapes, often Riesling, in the méthode champenoise and with little or not dosage (brut or extra but).
See also:
German Wine Basics: Sekt
Bollinger
Bollinger is one of the many Champagne Houses that have German roots.
Veuve Clicquot's cellar master, the German Anton Mueller, who invented twith Madame Clicquor he remuage technique, married into the Ruinart family. With the Ruinart daughter, Anton Mueller created his own Champagne House, Ruinart-Mueller, which does not exist anymore. While at the helm of Ruinart-Mueller, his compatriot Joseph-Jacob Bollinger was one of his employees, before leaving Ruinart-Mueller and setting up his own Champagne House.
Joseph-Jacob Bollinger joined Mueller-Ruinart in 1822 to sell their Champagne in the Kingdoms of Bavaria, Hanover, Wuerttemberg and the Netherlands. In 1829, with his Mueller-Ruinart colleague Paul Renaudin de Villermont and with Athanase Hennequin de Villermont, Joseph-Jacob Bollinger (he took the name of Jacques Bollinger when he was naturalised French in 1854) formed the Renaudin-Bollinger Champagne House which would become the famous Bollinger Champagne House.
Picture: Bollinger Champagne
See also:
French Champagne Houses and German Roots
German Wine Makers in the World: Anton Mueller Invented the Remuage Technique Revolutionizing Sparkling Wine Drinking, 1800s, France
Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim
The Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl is a large – by German standards - and famous estate in the Pfalz region. It produces mainly Riesling wines and is a member of the VDP.
Picture: Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl
Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl is currently in a transition phase. It is owned by the entrepreneur Achim Niederberger (who also owns Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan and Weingut von Winningen (Dr. Deinhard) in Deidesheim) and has since 1989 been leased to an operating company, Reichsrat von Buhl GmbH, owned partly by two Japanese businessmen. The lease is coming to an end. Marion Kopp will be the new Managing Director and Mathieu Kaufmann the winemaker.
62 hectares, 420.000 bottles, 88% Riesling, 8% Spaetburgunder.
See also:
Winemaker Dinner at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, Germany
Rich History
Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl can look back to a rich history. It was founded in 1849 by Franz Peter Buhl. He subsequently added the vineyards inherited by his wife, a member of the Jordan dynasty. These latter vineyards came from the break-up of the original Jordan estate into three parts, with the other two parts giving rise to what is today known as Geheimer Rat Dr. von Weingut Bassermann-Jordan and Weingut von Winning (Dr. Deinhard), both owned by Achim Niederberger, the owner of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl.
Pictures: Wine Cellar
Franz Peter Buhl’s son Franz Armand inherited the estate. He was a member of the Reichstag and a friend of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Chancellor Bismarck’s famous quote "Dieses Ungeheuer schmeckt mir ungeheuer" this Ungeheuer tastes monstrously good, (Ungeheuer = monster) helped make the Forster Ungeheuer site world-famous. In 1885, he was awarded the title Reichsrat der bayerischen Krone, i.e. he became a member of the Privy Council of the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the title was incorporated in the name of the estate in 1912.
At that time, the von Buhl wines were among the most expensive in the world. Awards like
• The Gold Medal Paris 1867
• The Grande Medaille of Philadelphia 1876
• Grand Prix Paris 1900
• Grand Prix St. Louis 1904
• Grand Prix Brussels 1910
are testament to this highly successful era. Even at the official opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it was von Buhl Riesling in the glasses raised for the toast. This was the golden age for German Riesling, the wines fetching very high prices, ahead of even the most expensive wines from Bordeaux.
After Franz Armand Buhl, Franz Eberhard owned the estate. After the death of his widow in 1952, with no apparent heir to the family estate, the estate was bequeathed to family friend Georg Enoch von und zu Guttenberg, and it remained in the von Guttenberg family through three generations. In 1952 the estate passed to the famous conductor Enoch von und zu Guttenberg. The estate was scaled down more and more due to economic difficulties in its operation, until the entire property was left with only around 52 hectares of land under vine, albeit including the best vineyard sites in Deidesheim and Forst, such as Forster Kirchenstück, Pechstein, Jesuitengarten, Freundstück and the Deidesheim sites Leinhöhle, Herrgottsacker and Paradiesgarten.
In 1989, the von Guttenberg family leased the estate to an operating company, Reichsrat von Buhl GmbH. In 2005, the estate came under the control of Achim Neiderberger.
Wine Portfolio
Wines from the Weinhaus Reichsrat von Buhl: These are easy-drinking wines produced with grapes bought from other vintners.
Gutsweine: The lowest classification in the VDP. Interestingly, they are named after important persons in the history of the estate: von Buhl, Julie, Armand, Stuck, F.P.Buhl.
Dry Wines from Classified Sites
Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru Wines: Reiterpfad Ruppertsberg ("Rider's path") is the largest in the group of top vineyards at 87 ha of terraces lying to the west of Ruppertsberg, which runs into Deidesheim to the north. Paradiesgarten Deidesheim is a grand cru vineyard in Deidesheim. Ungeheuer Forst ("Monster") measures a slimmer 29 ha at slightly higher altitude, Pechstein Forst ("Bad luck stone") has 15 southeast-facing hectares rich in black basalt and almost a third of it is owned by von Buhl, as is Jesuitengarten Forst (7 ha in total). They also have about a quarter of holdings in Kirchenstück Forst ("Church lot"), which is one of the smallest vineyards at 3.7 ha and rated as one of the best in the Pfalz region with its heady mix of basalt, sandstone, limestone and clay soils.
Picture: 2010 Reichsrat von Bugl, Pechstein Grosses Gewaechs
Fruity and Noble Sweet Wines
Sparkling Wines
schiller-wine - Related Postings
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
Impressions from the Riesling and Co World Tour 2010 in New York
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
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
The Focus on Dry German Riesling – Daniel Hubbard Presents the German DSWE Portfolio to the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)
The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany
Winemaker Dinner at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, Germany
German Wine Basics: Sekt
Wine region: Champagne
German Wine Makers in the World: Eduard Werle - Owner of the Veuve Cliquot Champagne House
French Champagne Houses and German Roots
Barth Primus is Germany's First Sekt Made with an Erstes Gewaechs Base Wine
Visiting Rotkaeppchen-Mumm - the Second Largest Producer of Sparkling Wine in the World - in Freyburg (Saale-Unstrut), Germany
The Up and Coming Premium Sparklers of Franciacorta (#EWBC), Italy
German Wine Makers in the World: The Korbel Brothers from Bohemia Introduced "Champagne" to the US
German Wine Makers in the World: Anton Mueller Invented the Remuage Technique Revolutionizing Sparkling Wine Drinking, 1800s, France
German Wine Makers in the World: Eduard Werle --- Owner of the Veuve Cliquot Champagne house (France)
As Close as You Can Get to Champagne – Claude Thibaut and His Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar, USA
Bollinger's Chef de Cave Mathieu Kauffmann will move to the equally prestigious Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in the Pfalz in Germany in time to work on this year’s vintage. Incoming Managing Director Marian Kopp told Meininger’s Drink Business: “I needed someone with an understanding of terroir wines, he previously worked at Salwey in Baden which is an estate very well known for Pinot Noir and he had the experience from Champagne.”
Mathieu Kauffmann started his sparkling wine career in 1992 in his native Alsace where he headed up the Crémant production of the Cave d’Eguisheim. In February 2001 he joined the winemaking team at Bollinger and became Chef de Cave three years later.
Photo: Mathieu Kauffmann (Photo: Bollinger)
Apparently, Mathieu Kauffmann will be particularly involved in upping the quality of von Buhl’s Sekt, a small but increasingly important part of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl portfolio. Marian Kopp: “Germany is a huge sparkling wine market. Quite a few estates are launching and have been launching sparkling wines and von Buhl has been something of a leader."
Sekt in Germany
Germany is one of the largest sparkling wine markets in the world. One out of four bottles of sparkling wine is consumed in Germany. Sparkling wine produced in Germany is called Sekt.
Sekt is made in all German wine regions, both in the méthode traditionnelle and charmat method. There are three groups of Sekt makers: (i) large and (ii) smaller Sekt houses, who only make Sekt and (iii) winemakers, who make predominantly wine, but complement their wine selection by a few Sekts.
There is a dozen or so large Sekt houses. They produce more than 2.000.000 bottles each annually. Most of these large Sekt houses were established in the 1800s. At that time, there was only one method known to produce Sekt, the méthode traditionnelle. But in contrast to the champagne houses, the large Sekt houses have all moved to the charmat method as main method of the second fermentation after World War II. Like the champagne houses, Sekt houses do not own vineyards, but purchase the base wine from winemakers.
The smaller Sekt houses, like the large Sekt houses, do not own vineyards, but also buy the base wine from winemakers. They also tend to have a long history and often links to the champagne region, beautiful facilities and old cellars for the second fermentation and storage. The big difference is that they typically have not gone the route of tank fermentation but continue to ferment in the méthode traditionnelle.
Finally, increasingly, there is a number of top quality winemakers (like Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl), who, in addition, to their still wines, have started to include Sekts in their portfolio. These Sekts are typically vintage Sekts, from a specified vineyard, made of specific grapes, often Riesling, in the méthode champenoise and with little or not dosage (brut or extra but).
See also:
German Wine Basics: Sekt
Bollinger
Bollinger is one of the many Champagne Houses that have German roots.
Veuve Clicquot's cellar master, the German Anton Mueller, who invented twith Madame Clicquor he remuage technique, married into the Ruinart family. With the Ruinart daughter, Anton Mueller created his own Champagne House, Ruinart-Mueller, which does not exist anymore. While at the helm of Ruinart-Mueller, his compatriot Joseph-Jacob Bollinger was one of his employees, before leaving Ruinart-Mueller and setting up his own Champagne House.
Joseph-Jacob Bollinger joined Mueller-Ruinart in 1822 to sell their Champagne in the Kingdoms of Bavaria, Hanover, Wuerttemberg and the Netherlands. In 1829, with his Mueller-Ruinart colleague Paul Renaudin de Villermont and with Athanase Hennequin de Villermont, Joseph-Jacob Bollinger (he took the name of Jacques Bollinger when he was naturalised French in 1854) formed the Renaudin-Bollinger Champagne House which would become the famous Bollinger Champagne House.
Picture: Bollinger Champagne
See also:
French Champagne Houses and German Roots
German Wine Makers in the World: Anton Mueller Invented the Remuage Technique Revolutionizing Sparkling Wine Drinking, 1800s, France
Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim
The Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl is a large – by German standards - and famous estate in the Pfalz region. It produces mainly Riesling wines and is a member of the VDP.
Picture: Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl
Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl is currently in a transition phase. It is owned by the entrepreneur Achim Niederberger (who also owns Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan and Weingut von Winningen (Dr. Deinhard) in Deidesheim) and has since 1989 been leased to an operating company, Reichsrat von Buhl GmbH, owned partly by two Japanese businessmen. The lease is coming to an end. Marion Kopp will be the new Managing Director and Mathieu Kaufmann the winemaker.
62 hectares, 420.000 bottles, 88% Riesling, 8% Spaetburgunder.
See also:
Winemaker Dinner at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, Germany
Rich History
Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl can look back to a rich history. It was founded in 1849 by Franz Peter Buhl. He subsequently added the vineyards inherited by his wife, a member of the Jordan dynasty. These latter vineyards came from the break-up of the original Jordan estate into three parts, with the other two parts giving rise to what is today known as Geheimer Rat Dr. von Weingut Bassermann-Jordan and Weingut von Winning (Dr. Deinhard), both owned by Achim Niederberger, the owner of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl.
Pictures: Wine Cellar
Franz Peter Buhl’s son Franz Armand inherited the estate. He was a member of the Reichstag and a friend of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Chancellor Bismarck’s famous quote "Dieses Ungeheuer schmeckt mir ungeheuer" this Ungeheuer tastes monstrously good, (Ungeheuer = monster) helped make the Forster Ungeheuer site world-famous. In 1885, he was awarded the title Reichsrat der bayerischen Krone, i.e. he became a member of the Privy Council of the Kingdom of Bavaria, and the title was incorporated in the name of the estate in 1912.
At that time, the von Buhl wines were among the most expensive in the world. Awards like
• The Gold Medal Paris 1867
• The Grande Medaille of Philadelphia 1876
• Grand Prix Paris 1900
• Grand Prix St. Louis 1904
• Grand Prix Brussels 1910
are testament to this highly successful era. Even at the official opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it was von Buhl Riesling in the glasses raised for the toast. This was the golden age for German Riesling, the wines fetching very high prices, ahead of even the most expensive wines from Bordeaux.
After Franz Armand Buhl, Franz Eberhard owned the estate. After the death of his widow in 1952, with no apparent heir to the family estate, the estate was bequeathed to family friend Georg Enoch von und zu Guttenberg, and it remained in the von Guttenberg family through three generations. In 1952 the estate passed to the famous conductor Enoch von und zu Guttenberg. The estate was scaled down more and more due to economic difficulties in its operation, until the entire property was left with only around 52 hectares of land under vine, albeit including the best vineyard sites in Deidesheim and Forst, such as Forster Kirchenstück, Pechstein, Jesuitengarten, Freundstück and the Deidesheim sites Leinhöhle, Herrgottsacker and Paradiesgarten.
In 1989, the von Guttenberg family leased the estate to an operating company, Reichsrat von Buhl GmbH. In 2005, the estate came under the control of Achim Neiderberger.
Wine Portfolio
Wines from the Weinhaus Reichsrat von Buhl: These are easy-drinking wines produced with grapes bought from other vintners.
Gutsweine: The lowest classification in the VDP. Interestingly, they are named after important persons in the history of the estate: von Buhl, Julie, Armand, Stuck, F.P.Buhl.
Dry Wines from Classified Sites
Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru Wines: Reiterpfad Ruppertsberg ("Rider's path") is the largest in the group of top vineyards at 87 ha of terraces lying to the west of Ruppertsberg, which runs into Deidesheim to the north. Paradiesgarten Deidesheim is a grand cru vineyard in Deidesheim. Ungeheuer Forst ("Monster") measures a slimmer 29 ha at slightly higher altitude, Pechstein Forst ("Bad luck stone") has 15 southeast-facing hectares rich in black basalt and almost a third of it is owned by von Buhl, as is Jesuitengarten Forst (7 ha in total). They also have about a quarter of holdings in Kirchenstück Forst ("Church lot"), which is one of the smallest vineyards at 3.7 ha and rated as one of the best in the Pfalz region with its heady mix of basalt, sandstone, limestone and clay soils.
Picture: 2010 Reichsrat von Bugl, Pechstein Grosses Gewaechs
Fruity and Noble Sweet Wines
Sparkling Wines
schiller-wine - Related Postings
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
Impressions from the Riesling and Co World Tour 2010 in New York
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
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
The Focus on Dry German Riesling – Daniel Hubbard Presents the German DSWE Portfolio to the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)
The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany
Winemaker Dinner at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, Germany
German Wine Basics: Sekt
Wine region: Champagne
German Wine Makers in the World: Eduard Werle - Owner of the Veuve Cliquot Champagne House
French Champagne Houses and German Roots
Barth Primus is Germany's First Sekt Made with an Erstes Gewaechs Base Wine
Visiting Rotkaeppchen-Mumm - the Second Largest Producer of Sparkling Wine in the World - in Freyburg (Saale-Unstrut), Germany
The Up and Coming Premium Sparklers of Franciacorta (#EWBC), Italy
German Wine Makers in the World: The Korbel Brothers from Bohemia Introduced "Champagne" to the US
German Wine Makers in the World: Anton Mueller Invented the Remuage Technique Revolutionizing Sparkling Wine Drinking, 1800s, France
German Wine Makers in the World: Eduard Werle --- Owner of the Veuve Cliquot Champagne house (France)
As Close as You Can Get to Champagne – Claude Thibaut and His Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar, USA
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
The Label of 2010 Château Mouton-Rothschild Designed by Jeff Koons from New York City, Bordeaux
Pictures: Jeff Koons' 2010 Château Mouton Rothschild Label
Each year, the esteemed French wine house chooses a master artist to create a label. This year's offering, the 2010 vintage, features Jeff Koons, who is based in New York City.
Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac
The Château Mouton-Rothschild vineyard totals 84 hectares. In terms of red grapes, 80% is Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. There is also Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle, for the estate's white wine.
The wine is fermented in oak vats (they are one of the last châteaux in the Médoc to use them) and then aged in new oak casks.
Pictures: Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac
Wine Searcher Average Prices (in US$):
2011: 523
2010: 1095
2009: 1128
2005: 877
2000: 1573
Baron Philippe de Rothschild
The birth of Château Mouton-Rothschild took place in 1853, when Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild - from the English line of the Rothschild family - purchased the estate - which was called Château Brane-Mouton - and renamed it using his name. The estate was in English hands in the 15th century but returned to French hands after the 100 Years War.
It was under Baron Philippe de Rothschild - who was only 20 years old, when he gained control of the property - that winemaking and wineselling at Château Mouton-Rothschild – and in general in Bordeaux – changed drastically.
Picture: Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild (Source: New York Times)
The Baron was the first Bordeaux winemaker to insist on bottling all his wine at the estate. This new practice created a need for more storage at the property. In 1926, the Baron constructed the famous Grand Chai, the majestic 100-meter first year cellar, which has become a major attraction for visitors to Mouton.
The now famous series of labels designed by artists started in 1945.
In the 1930s, long before the idea of second wines had become standard practice, the Baron created a second wine for Mouton, Cadet de Mouton. It quickly became Mouton Cadet, first a blended wine, then a branded wine (again the first of its kind in Bordeaux) and is today the largest selling French branded wine in the world.
Finally, in 1973, Mouton was elevated to premier grand cru en 1855. The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 was largely based market prices. It was established by the negociants of Bordeaux. Despite the market prices for their wines equaling that of Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild was excluded from premier grand cru status, possibly because the estate was not in French ownership.
The Portfolio
Like Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild is now a mix of privately-owned chateaux, international joint ventures and commercial branded wines:
Château Mouton-Rothschild (grand vin)
Petit Mouton (second wine): 6,000 cases
Château d’Armailhac: In 1933, the Baron purchased a neighboring vineyard, Château Mouton d’Armailhacq. The property was renamed Château d’Armailhac in 1989 by his wife, the Baroness Philippine. Part of the reason for the purchase was, the estate came with a Bordeaux negociant firm which eventually became known as Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. 17,000 cases.
Château Clerc Milon: 13,000 cases
Mouton Cadet: Bordeaux’s oldest and largest branded wine, with 15 million bottles sold each year across 150 countries.
Opus One: In 1980, the Baron entered into a joint venture with Robert Mondavi to create Opus One Winery in Oakville, California, now co-owned with Constellation Brands. 25,000 cases.
Almaviva: In 1997, Château Mouton Rothschild teamed up with Concha y Toro of Chile to produce a quality Cabernet Sauvignon-based red wine in a new winery built in Chile's Maipo Valley. 10,000 cases.
Owner: Baronness Philippine - Married to French theater director and actor, Jacques Sereys in 1961 – now divorced. Three children, Camille, born in 1961, Philippe, born in 1963, and Julien, born in 1971. Her personal wealth is estimated at €190 million by Le Nouvel Economiste.
Picture: Baronness Philippine de Rothschild and Jeff Koons
Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac and Mayor Amschel Rothschild in Frankfurt am Main
The roots of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild – and the Rothschild empire in general – are in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Towards the end of the 18th century Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a money changer from Frankfurt am Main, born in 1744, had five sons and decided to install them in the five major European centers of the time.
* Amschel Mayer Rothschild (1773–1855): Frankfurt - died childless, passed to sons of Salomon and Calmann
* Salomon Mayer Rothschild (1774–1855): Vienna
* Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777–1836): London
* Calmann Mayer Rothschild (1788–1855): Naples
* Jakob (James) Mayer Rothschild (1792–1868): Paris
Picture: The House of the Rothschilds in Frankfurt am Main
The Rothschild brothers became one of the major forces in the far reaching changes that swept through Europe, while their father had not been allowed to purchase land outside of the Frankfurt am Main ghetto. During the 19th century, they were the bankers to monarchs and governments, bankers to Napoleon’s Europe and then in the industrial area the builders of the modern economy through their investment in railways.Baron Philippe, who died in 1988, belongs to the London branch of the large Rothschild family.
See:
(German) Winemakers in the World: The German Roots of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Empire
Labels Designed by Artists
The custom of having an artist design each year the label of the Mouton Rothschild wine goes back to the year 1924, when Chateau Mouton Rothschild was ready to release its first vintage bottled at the Chateau itself.
Until then, wineries sent their wine in casks to wine merchants in the city of Bordeaux, who then undertook the responsibility of stocking the casks for the two-year aging process, before bottling the wines. Although labels had been in use since the middle of the 19th century, they served merely to provide basic information about the wine contained in the bottle--or what, at any rate, was supposed to be in the bottle.
Rothschild commissioned for the occasion the popular poster designer Jean Carlu to design a label. Carlu's cubist-inspired label shocked the wine community--Philippe Rothschild was to scrap the label design only two years later--but nonetheless succeeded in calling worldwide attention to the new era of Rothschild wines. In the years leading up to the World War II, the Rothschild chateau continued to experiment with its wine labels.
France's capitulation to the Nazi invaders and the installation of the collaborative Vichy government nearly spelled disaster to the Rothschild wine business. The chateau itself was occupied by the Nazis and made a German headquarters, while the Vichy government placed operations of the vineyard under its agricultural department's control. Philippe Rothschild and his family were captured--Rothschild's wife was killed in a Nazi death camp--but Philippe Rothschild managed to escape, finally joining up to fight with the Free French army under General Charles de Gaulle.
Returning to his chateau after the war, Philippe Rothschild decided to allow his first post-war vintage to celebrate the Allied victory. Rothschild asked friend Philippe Julian to design a new label for the 1945 vintage. Based on Churchill's famed V-sign, the label sparked a new era for Mouton Rothschild.
Philippe Rothschild, who had already been among the pioneers in recognizing the marketing potential of a wine's label, now decided that the label for each year's vintage was to feature an original piece of artwork--commissioned from Rothschild's circle of friends, only some of whom were artists. Yet all received the same payment: five cases from that year's vintage, plus five cases chosen from the Rothschild cellars.
In 1955, the Rothschild label took on a still more serious role. That year's label featured a design from famed painted Georges Braque. From then on, the Rothschild labels were to become a showcase for the world's top contemporary artists, featuring, among others, drawing and paintings from Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Henry Moore, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and later artists such as Keith Haring, Balthus, and others.
Jeff Koon’s Label for the 2010 Vintage
Jeff Koons has combined the classical 'House of the Venus Marina III', a fresco from ancient Roman Pompeii, with a silver line drawing depicting a sailing boat and a sun.
Dubbed the Willy Wonka of art, New York-based Koons has spent the past 30 years dividing opinion with his avant-garde scupltures.
Pictures: Jeff Koons and his Art
His 'tulips' - a large steel and chromium bouquet of multi-coloured tulips - which was sold for US$33,682,500 at Christie's New York in November 2012, made him the world's most expensive living artist.
In 1991, he married the Hungarian porn star and Italian politician La Cicciolina, a union which was dissolved shortly afterwards. His Made in Heaven series was a set of enormous canvasses, exhibited at Tate Modern, graphically depicting the couple consummating their marriage.
Robert Parker on 2010 Mouton Rothschild
"Only 49% of the production made it into the 2010 Mouton Rothschild, which has a strikingly beautiful label by Jeffrey Koons. This is a truly great wine, with a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) and the other 6% Merlot. At 13.9% natural alcohol, Mouton's director, Philippe Dhalluin, has clearly produced another 50- to 60-year wine that has a chance at perfection in about 15 years time, when I suspect this wine will be rounding into drinking condition. It is dense, rich and full-bodied, with the classic Mouton creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice and floral notes, but also some blueberry and hints of subtle espresso and mulberry. The wine has more minerality and precision than the rich, extravagantly opulent 2009, and while that may please some, others will have their patience tested as they wait and wait for this compelling Mouton Rothschild to hit full maturity." Score: 98+ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (205), March 2013
"The 2010 Mouton possesses the highest level of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) of any wine this estate has produced. Combined with 6% Merlot, the wine achieved 13.9% natural alcohol. Under director Philippe Dalhuin, the harvest was accomplished between September 28 and October 13, and only 49% of the crop made it into this powerful effort. Reminiscent of the 1986, it is a 50-60 year wine that is not meant for consumers looking for near-term gratification. This backward, tannic, full-bodied, exceptionally promising 2010 reveals enormous weight along with extravagant levels of precise, fresh boysenberry and creme de cassis fruit. The abundant minerality is due no doubt to the fresh acidity. In need of at least 15 years of cellaring, it will undoubtedly remain an infant at age 25 (as does the 1986)." Score: 97-100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics
The Saint Emilion 2012–2022 Classification, Bordeaux
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France
Plateau des Fruits de Mer and a Pessac-Leognan Wine in Bordeaux City, France
An Afternoon with Owner Henri Lurton at Château Brane-Cantenac, a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855, in Margaux, France
An Afternoon with Owner Michel Tesseron at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina
Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and the World Wide Wine Empire of Bernard Magrez, France
Tasting with Alfred Tesseron the last 10 Vintages of Château Pontet-Canet in Washington DC, USA/France
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites
Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA
The label of 2007 Chateau Mouton Rothschild designed by Bernar Venet
(German) Winemakers in the World: The German Roots of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Empire
The Emerging Wine Giant China - Mouton Cadet Bar Opening
The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France
Each year, the esteemed French wine house chooses a master artist to create a label. This year's offering, the 2010 vintage, features Jeff Koons, who is based in New York City.
Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac
The Château Mouton-Rothschild vineyard totals 84 hectares. In terms of red grapes, 80% is Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. There is also Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle, for the estate's white wine.
The wine is fermented in oak vats (they are one of the last châteaux in the Médoc to use them) and then aged in new oak casks.
Pictures: Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac
Wine Searcher Average Prices (in US$):
2011: 523
2010: 1095
2009: 1128
2005: 877
2000: 1573
Baron Philippe de Rothschild
The birth of Château Mouton-Rothschild took place in 1853, when Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild - from the English line of the Rothschild family - purchased the estate - which was called Château Brane-Mouton - and renamed it using his name. The estate was in English hands in the 15th century but returned to French hands after the 100 Years War.
It was under Baron Philippe de Rothschild - who was only 20 years old, when he gained control of the property - that winemaking and wineselling at Château Mouton-Rothschild – and in general in Bordeaux – changed drastically.
Picture: Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild (Source: New York Times)
The Baron was the first Bordeaux winemaker to insist on bottling all his wine at the estate. This new practice created a need for more storage at the property. In 1926, the Baron constructed the famous Grand Chai, the majestic 100-meter first year cellar, which has become a major attraction for visitors to Mouton.
The now famous series of labels designed by artists started in 1945.
In the 1930s, long before the idea of second wines had become standard practice, the Baron created a second wine for Mouton, Cadet de Mouton. It quickly became Mouton Cadet, first a blended wine, then a branded wine (again the first of its kind in Bordeaux) and is today the largest selling French branded wine in the world.
Finally, in 1973, Mouton was elevated to premier grand cru en 1855. The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 was largely based market prices. It was established by the negociants of Bordeaux. Despite the market prices for their wines equaling that of Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild was excluded from premier grand cru status, possibly because the estate was not in French ownership.
The Portfolio
Like Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild is now a mix of privately-owned chateaux, international joint ventures and commercial branded wines:
Château Mouton-Rothschild (grand vin)
Petit Mouton (second wine): 6,000 cases
Château d’Armailhac: In 1933, the Baron purchased a neighboring vineyard, Château Mouton d’Armailhacq. The property was renamed Château d’Armailhac in 1989 by his wife, the Baroness Philippine. Part of the reason for the purchase was, the estate came with a Bordeaux negociant firm which eventually became known as Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. 17,000 cases.
Château Clerc Milon: 13,000 cases
Mouton Cadet: Bordeaux’s oldest and largest branded wine, with 15 million bottles sold each year across 150 countries.
Opus One: In 1980, the Baron entered into a joint venture with Robert Mondavi to create Opus One Winery in Oakville, California, now co-owned with Constellation Brands. 25,000 cases.
Almaviva: In 1997, Château Mouton Rothschild teamed up with Concha y Toro of Chile to produce a quality Cabernet Sauvignon-based red wine in a new winery built in Chile's Maipo Valley. 10,000 cases.
Owner: Baronness Philippine - Married to French theater director and actor, Jacques Sereys in 1961 – now divorced. Three children, Camille, born in 1961, Philippe, born in 1963, and Julien, born in 1971. Her personal wealth is estimated at €190 million by Le Nouvel Economiste.
Picture: Baronness Philippine de Rothschild and Jeff Koons
Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac and Mayor Amschel Rothschild in Frankfurt am Main
The roots of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild – and the Rothschild empire in general – are in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Towards the end of the 18th century Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a money changer from Frankfurt am Main, born in 1744, had five sons and decided to install them in the five major European centers of the time.
* Amschel Mayer Rothschild (1773–1855): Frankfurt - died childless, passed to sons of Salomon and Calmann
* Salomon Mayer Rothschild (1774–1855): Vienna
* Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777–1836): London
* Calmann Mayer Rothschild (1788–1855): Naples
* Jakob (James) Mayer Rothschild (1792–1868): Paris
Picture: The House of the Rothschilds in Frankfurt am MainThe Rothschild brothers became one of the major forces in the far reaching changes that swept through Europe, while their father had not been allowed to purchase land outside of the Frankfurt am Main ghetto. During the 19th century, they were the bankers to monarchs and governments, bankers to Napoleon’s Europe and then in the industrial area the builders of the modern economy through their investment in railways.Baron Philippe, who died in 1988, belongs to the London branch of the large Rothschild family.
See:
(German) Winemakers in the World: The German Roots of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Empire
Labels Designed by Artists
The custom of having an artist design each year the label of the Mouton Rothschild wine goes back to the year 1924, when Chateau Mouton Rothschild was ready to release its first vintage bottled at the Chateau itself.
Until then, wineries sent their wine in casks to wine merchants in the city of Bordeaux, who then undertook the responsibility of stocking the casks for the two-year aging process, before bottling the wines. Although labels had been in use since the middle of the 19th century, they served merely to provide basic information about the wine contained in the bottle--or what, at any rate, was supposed to be in the bottle.
Rothschild commissioned for the occasion the popular poster designer Jean Carlu to design a label. Carlu's cubist-inspired label shocked the wine community--Philippe Rothschild was to scrap the label design only two years later--but nonetheless succeeded in calling worldwide attention to the new era of Rothschild wines. In the years leading up to the World War II, the Rothschild chateau continued to experiment with its wine labels.
France's capitulation to the Nazi invaders and the installation of the collaborative Vichy government nearly spelled disaster to the Rothschild wine business. The chateau itself was occupied by the Nazis and made a German headquarters, while the Vichy government placed operations of the vineyard under its agricultural department's control. Philippe Rothschild and his family were captured--Rothschild's wife was killed in a Nazi death camp--but Philippe Rothschild managed to escape, finally joining up to fight with the Free French army under General Charles de Gaulle.
Returning to his chateau after the war, Philippe Rothschild decided to allow his first post-war vintage to celebrate the Allied victory. Rothschild asked friend Philippe Julian to design a new label for the 1945 vintage. Based on Churchill's famed V-sign, the label sparked a new era for Mouton Rothschild.
Philippe Rothschild, who had already been among the pioneers in recognizing the marketing potential of a wine's label, now decided that the label for each year's vintage was to feature an original piece of artwork--commissioned from Rothschild's circle of friends, only some of whom were artists. Yet all received the same payment: five cases from that year's vintage, plus five cases chosen from the Rothschild cellars.
In 1955, the Rothschild label took on a still more serious role. That year's label featured a design from famed painted Georges Braque. From then on, the Rothschild labels were to become a showcase for the world's top contemporary artists, featuring, among others, drawing and paintings from Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Henry Moore, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and later artists such as Keith Haring, Balthus, and others.
Jeff Koon’s Label for the 2010 Vintage
Jeff Koons has combined the classical 'House of the Venus Marina III', a fresco from ancient Roman Pompeii, with a silver line drawing depicting a sailing boat and a sun.
Dubbed the Willy Wonka of art, New York-based Koons has spent the past 30 years dividing opinion with his avant-garde scupltures.
Pictures: Jeff Koons and his Art
His 'tulips' - a large steel and chromium bouquet of multi-coloured tulips - which was sold for US$33,682,500 at Christie's New York in November 2012, made him the world's most expensive living artist.
In 1991, he married the Hungarian porn star and Italian politician La Cicciolina, a union which was dissolved shortly afterwards. His Made in Heaven series was a set of enormous canvasses, exhibited at Tate Modern, graphically depicting the couple consummating their marriage.
Robert Parker on 2010 Mouton Rothschild
"Only 49% of the production made it into the 2010 Mouton Rothschild, which has a strikingly beautiful label by Jeffrey Koons. This is a truly great wine, with a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) and the other 6% Merlot. At 13.9% natural alcohol, Mouton's director, Philippe Dhalluin, has clearly produced another 50- to 60-year wine that has a chance at perfection in about 15 years time, when I suspect this wine will be rounding into drinking condition. It is dense, rich and full-bodied, with the classic Mouton creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice and floral notes, but also some blueberry and hints of subtle espresso and mulberry. The wine has more minerality and precision than the rich, extravagantly opulent 2009, and while that may please some, others will have their patience tested as they wait and wait for this compelling Mouton Rothschild to hit full maturity." Score: 98+ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (205), March 2013
"The 2010 Mouton possesses the highest level of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) of any wine this estate has produced. Combined with 6% Merlot, the wine achieved 13.9% natural alcohol. Under director Philippe Dalhuin, the harvest was accomplished between September 28 and October 13, and only 49% of the crop made it into this powerful effort. Reminiscent of the 1986, it is a 50-60 year wine that is not meant for consumers looking for near-term gratification. This backward, tannic, full-bodied, exceptionally promising 2010 reveals enormous weight along with extravagant levels of precise, fresh boysenberry and creme de cassis fruit. The abundant minerality is due no doubt to the fresh acidity. In need of at least 15 years of cellaring, it will undoubtedly remain an infant at age 25 (as does the 1986)." Score: 97-100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics
The Saint Emilion 2012–2022 Classification, Bordeaux
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France
Plateau des Fruits de Mer and a Pessac-Leognan Wine in Bordeaux City, France
An Afternoon with Owner Henri Lurton at Château Brane-Cantenac, a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855, in Margaux, France
An Afternoon with Owner Michel Tesseron at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina
Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and the World Wide Wine Empire of Bernard Magrez, France
Tasting with Alfred Tesseron the last 10 Vintages of Château Pontet-Canet in Washington DC, USA/France
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites
Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA
The label of 2007 Chateau Mouton Rothschild designed by Bernar Venet
(German) Winemakers in the World: The German Roots of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Empire
The Emerging Wine Giant China - Mouton Cadet Bar Opening
The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France
Monday, July 8, 2013
Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA
Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Paul Grieco at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City and the Night before with Stuart Pigott at the Riesling Road Trip Stop in Washington DC
Stuart Pigott’s and Paul Grieco’s Riesling Road Trip from June 19 to 27, 2013, began in LA and culminated in NYC with the Annual Riesling and Co tasting on June 27. The 2013 Riesling and Co tasting took place in the trendy Chelsea district. It was a trade show - no consumers.There were 33 tables. At a number of tables, the winemaker himself or herself, or the owner were present and poured the wines. At other tables, the wines were poured by the importer, representing the Weingut. In addition, the "wine bar on wheels" of the Riesling Road Trip had been parked in the tasting hall and you could enjoy there matured wines with Paul Grieco and Stuart Pigott.
Pictures: 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting at Cedarlake in New York City
This posting, following some background information and German wine and Riesling in particular, profiles my favorite winemakers and importers/distributors at the 2013 Riesling and Co tasting.
See for the 2010 Riesling and Co tasting in New York City:
Impressions from the Riesling & Co World Tour 2010 in New York
See for the 2013 Riesling Road Trip:
Late Night German Riesling Tasting with Riesling Gurus Paul Grieco and Stuart Pigott in Washington DC on the 2013 Riesling Road Trip, USA
Dry and Sweet Riesling
Many wine drinkers, in particular outside of Europe, when they see a Riesling in the shelves, have the association of a sweet-style wine. This is however misguided. Rieslings as a rule are dry wines. Of course, there are the famous sugar sweet Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein and Schilfwein wines from Austria and Germany, the Sélection de Grains Nobles from France, the icewines from Canada and other Rieslings, made from botrytized, dried or frozen grapes. The grapes that go into these wines have such a high sugar content that there is nothing you can do to make dry wines out of these grapes. They inevitably produce nobly sweet wines. But apart from these exceptions, which account for only a tiny share of total production, Riesling grapes in Germany, Austria, Alsace, the US and Australia have normal sugar content at the time of fermentation and tend to produce dry wines, when fully fermented.
However, modern cellar methods allow winemakers in Germany (and elsewhere) to produce wines with a bit of residual sugar with these grapes. There are principally two methods applied in Germany – but neither in Austria nor Alsace - for making these sweet-style Rieslings. First, you do not let the fermentation run its course and stop it; as a result, you get a deliciously sweet and low alcohol wine. Second, you let the wine fully ferment to a normal alcohol level and then add Suessreserve (sterilized juice) to achieve the desired degree of sweetness. These sweet-style wines have lost popularity in Germany, although there appears to be a comeback, but in any case remain very popular outside of Germany, for example in the US.
See more:
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine
Pictures: The 2013 Riesling Road Trip in Washington DC, USA, with the Wine Bar on Wheels
Riesling in the World and in Germany
Worldwide, there are about 34.000 hectares planted with Riesling. Germany – with 22.400 hectares – accounts for 2/3 of the total. The second largest Riesling producer is Australia, with 4500 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Austria, the US with Washington State and New York State as well as New Zealand make up the remainder. But overall Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for only less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine.
German Wine Classification Systems
Although many people think that there is only one wine classification system in Germany – the classification system of the Law of 1971 – this is not correct. True, the classification system of the Law of 1971 with its pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest (Qualitaetswein, Kabinett, Spaetlese, Auslese …) at the center is the standard classification system in Germany and the vast majority of winemakers in Germany use this approach. A large number of winemakers, however, have moved away from the standard, in particular the producers of premium and ultra-premium wines. Importantly, the powerful group of German elite winemakers – the VDP (Verband Deutscher Praedikatswein Produzenten) – has conceived its own classification system and is developing it further.
In sharp contrast with the standard classification system of the Law of 1971, the VDP classification system is based on the terroir principle. The pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest has moved to the backburner in the VDP system. Indeed, for dry wines the pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest has been completely eliminated in the VDP classification system.
Following Bourgogne, the classification system of the VDP comprises 4 quality layers:
• VDP.Grosse Lage (Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Erste Lage (Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Ortswein (Village level in Burgundy)
• VDP.Gutswein (Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)
See more:
Stepping up: From 3 … to 4 Quality Levels - The New Classification of the VDP, Germany
Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach
13 German Wine Regions
There are 13 German wine regions.
Five large regions - Rheinhessen 26000 hectares, Pfalz 23000 hectares, Baden 16000 hectares, Wuerttemberg 12000 hectares, Mosel 10000 hectares.
Three medium-size regions - Franken 6000 hectares, Nahe 4000 hectares, Rheingau 3000 hectares.
Five small regions - Saale Unstrut 700 hectares, Sachsen 500 hectares, Hessische Bergstrasse 500 hectares, Mittelrhein 500 hectares, Ahr 300 hectares.
Pictures: The 2013 Riesling Road Trip Bar in Wheels at Cedarlake in New York City
The German Wine Industry
Germany has 48.009 winemakers (Winzer) and a vineyard area of 102.000 hectares. Large wineries are rare to find, except for the wine co-operatives. In this concept, “winemaker” does not stand for making or even bottling wine, but stands for growing vines and producing grapes. In some areas of Germany, like Baden and Wuerttemberg, 80% of the so called winemakers deliver their grapes to a wine cooperative.
Almost 90% of the winemakers operate with less than 5 hectares of vineyard area. There are only about 6.000 wineries with more than 5 hectares of land. Excluding wine-cooperatives, there are only 10 wineries in Germany with more than 100 hectares of land.
Compared with an estimated vineyard area of 7.000.000 hectares in the world, Germany accounts for only a bit more than 1% of world production. The big 3 are Spain, France and Italy with a combined vineyard area of 3.000.000 hectares.
See more:
The Size and the Structure of the German Wine Industry
Pictures: At the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City
Schiller’s Favorites
Schloss Reinhartshausen - Rheingau
A famous Riesling producer in the Rheingau with a long history. Schloss Reinhartshausen has recently been sold to a mass-wine producer in the Pfalz and its VDP membership has been terminated. We will have to wait and see how things develop there.
See also:
Rhine Wine – The Weingut Schloss Rheinhartshausen Wines of the Mariannenaue Island in the Rhine River, Germany
Weingut Dr. Heger – Baden (21 ha)
Owner and winemaker Joachim Heger is the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2013 Winemaker of the Year. Joachim Heger also won the Eichelmann Best Red Wine Collection Award in 2013. Gerhard Eichelmann: “Year after year, Joachim Heger makes fascinating Pinot Noir wines, both from the Ihringer Winklerberg and the Achkarrer Schlossberg. In the last few years, they had even more finesse and have become even more complex, more Burgundian.”
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Joachim and Silvia Heger at Kloster Eberbach in Germany
See more:
Joachim Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger: Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013, Germany
Rudi Wiest – Importer, California
Rudi Wiest is among the leading importers of German wine into the US, with a focus on VDP producers and increasingly on dry wines.
Weingut Kruger Rumpf – Nahe (25 ha)
“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” says winemaker Georg Rumpf. 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.
The wines were presented by Stefan Rumpf.
Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller, Annette Schiller, wine tours by ombiasy and Stefan Rumpf in New York City
See:
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013
See:
Visiting Georg Rumpf and his VDP Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe Region, Germany
Wine Maker Dinner with Stefan Rumpf at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim, Germany
Winesellers/Vinnicombe - Importer
Valerie Lynch-Giroux from Winesellers presented the wines of the portfolio of Derek Vinnicombe, including Weingut G.A. Schneider, Weingut Fitz-Ritter, Weingut Dr. Fischer and Weingut Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben Mueller-Burggraf).
See:
3 German Winemakers – Dr. Fischer, Fitz-Ritter and G.A. Schneider – and the American Institute for Wine and Food (AIWF) at the L2 Lounge in Washington DC, USA
Wine Caravan from Germany Visiting the East Coast, US: Dr. Fischer, Fitz Ritter, Bolling-Lehnert, Schneider, Dr. Thanisch
Visit: Weingut Georg Albrecht Schneider in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany - for Upcoming German Wine Society Tasting in Washington DC, USA
Maximin Gruenhaus - Schlosskellerei C. von Schubert – Mosel (30 ha)
The historic Maximin Grünhaus estate lies at the foot of a long, steep south-facing slope on the left bank of the tiny Ruwer river, about two kilometers upstream from where it joins the Mosel. The estate belongs to the family of Carl von Schubert.
The wines were presented by Joachim von Schubert, son of Carl von Schubert. Dr. Loosen Bros. is importing the mostly fruity sweet and noble sweet Maximin Gruenhaus wines from the Ruwer Valley.
Picture: Joachim von Schubert at the Tasting
Weingut Dr. Loosen – Mosel (20)
Ernst Loosen is a winemaker based in Germany, who now makes 4 different wines in Germany and the USA: First, Mosel Valley Rieslings, mostly fruity-sweet that made him so famous in the world; second, Pinot Noirs and other wines from the Pfalz, all dry, where he owns Weingut J.L. Wolf; third, the J. Christopher Wines, a collaboration of Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers, mainly Pinot Noir, from Oregon and fourth, the Eroica wines, a collaboration between Dr. Loosen and Chateau Ste. Michelle, the giant wine producer, in Washington State.
Picture: Ernst Loosen and Annette Schiller, wine tours by ombiasy in Washington DC
See also:
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013
On Weingut Dr. Loosen, see:
Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World
The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA
A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon
Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA
Riesling from Germany and Pinot Noir from Oregon: A Winemaker Dinner with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and J.Christopher Wines, at Black Salt in Washington DC.
Weingut Robert Weil – Rheingau (80 ha)
Founded in 1875, Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich is the Rheingau’s #1 estate and one of Germany’s best. Today, Weingut Robert Weil is managed by Wilhelm Weil, who owns the winery jointly with Suntory from Japan. 80 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. Dr. Loosen Bros. is importing the Weil wines.
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, in Kiedrich
See also:
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
Weingut Selbach-Oster – Mosel (21 ha)
Weingut Selbach-Oster can trace wine-growing in the family back to the year 1661. The Selbach-Oster vineyards are located on some of the best vineyard land in the heart of the Mosel wine country called "Mittelmosel": Zeltingen (with Sonnenuhr, Schlossberg and Himmelreich), Wehlen (with Sonnenuhr), Graacher (with Domprobst and Himmelreich) and Bernkastel (with Badstube). In their cellars, they still use the traditional "Fuder" barrel made from old German oak to prevent woody flavors from masking the purity of fruit and soil flavor. A "Fuder" holds 1000 liters. They balance between stainless steel and a few fiberglass tanks with a maximum size of 3000 liters per unit, ensuring low temperatures during fermentation and with it, the preservation of freshness and delicacy of aroma.
Johannes Seelbach presented the mostly fruity-sweet Riesling wines.
Pictures: Johannes Seelbach and Paul Grieco at the Tasting
Weingut St. Urbanshof – Mosel (33 ha)
Weingut St. Urbans Hof was first established in 1947 by Nicolaus Weis who was awarded the prestigious title “Oekonomierat” (Chancellor of Agriculture) in 1969 and title became part of the winery name, St. Urbans Hof Oekonomierat Nic. Weis Weingut. Today, Nikolaus (Nik) Peter Weis is the third generation owner and manager of the estate which totals nearly 33 hectares making it the second largest family owned wine estate in the Mosel Saar Ruwer wine growing region.
Valckenberg - Importer
P.J. Valckenberg is: (1) an importer of German wines into the US, (2) an importer of old and new world wines into Germany, (3) a producer of sparkling and still wine in Germany, (4) a distributer of imported and own wines in Germany, and (5) an exporter of German wine to many countries.
The focus of Valckenberg’s US wine portfolio is on winemakers with a long tradition. It does not include any of the new generation of innovative, young winemakers, for example from Rheinhessen, but relies on well respected, top-level winemakers with a long tradition, sometimes going back several centuries.
See:
Meeting Valckenberg Owner Wilhelm Steifensand and Tasting his Wines
Weingut Weegmueller – Pfalz (15 ha)
Wine Blogger Heike Larson: “The womanly art of making wine. Or: Girls Rule! Certainly at this winery. Stefanie Weegmüller-Scherr, very down-to-earth and all big smiles, is the gifted winemaker of the estate. For 25 years now, she has been among the first women to set foot in the male-dominated winemaking industry. Her sister Gabriele is completing her by taking care of all marketing matters. She is the hospitality manager and I can witness, she does this well!"
Gabriele Weegmueller presented the exclusively dry wines, jointly with importer Greg Moore from the Moore Brothers.
Picture: Gabriele Weegmueller and Christian G.E. Schiller at the Tasting
Weingut von Winning – Pfalz (50 ha)
Deidesheim's heydays came at the beginning of the 19th century when estate owner Andreas Jordan was the first to produce high quality wines according to strict selection rules, and the first to introduce the Spätlese in Palatinate. When Andreas Jordan died in 1848, his enormous estate was split into three, a procedure which has become famous under the name "the Jordan Division." By it, the estates of Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan, Reichsrat von Buhl and Dr. Deinhard were formed, all of which became famous on their own. In 1848, the winery bore the owner's name, Dr. Deinhard. When the owner died, the winery was taken over by his daughter and her husband, Captain Leopold von Winning, with the resulting change in name. The early 20th century was a golden age for von Winning, which also became one of the founders of VDP (Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates. Later, with the owners changing once more, the winery became known as Dr. Deinhard again. Since 2007, the winery belongs to the group of Achim Niederberger and since 2009 carries again the name von Winning.
Weingut Gunderloch – Rheinhessen (23 ha)
It all started in 1890, when the banker Carl Gunderloch purchased the Gunderloch manor house in Nackenheim. Today, the Estate is still in the hands of the Gunderloch family.
When Carl Gunderlocho died in 1935, the estate passed first to Gunderloch's granddaughter Elizabeth Usinger and her husband. They remained at the helm until 1965, when their son Carl Otto took on the management of the estate. Today it is his eldest daughter, Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger and her husband, Fritz Hasselbach that are in charge. Fritz Hasselbach is a highly accredited winemaker and responsible for the wine. But there are already the next 2 Gunderloch generations waiting.
Fritz Hasselbach presented the 6 Weingut Gunderloch wines; 3 of them dry and 3 fruity-sweet.
Pictures: Annette Schiller, Christian G.E. Schiller and Fritz Hasselbach at the Tasting
See:
Visiting Agnes and Fritz Hasselbach at their Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany
Weingut Georg Breuer – Rheingau (33 ha)
Weingut Georg Breuer was founded in 1880 by Peter Breuer, partner of the German wine shipping firm Scholl & Hillebrand. Today, the estate is managed by Heinrich Breuer und Theresa Breuer, the daughter of the late Bernhard Breuer. Riesling dominates with some 26 hectares of vines; the other varieties are Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.
Co-author of authoritative books on Germany's wine regions and credited to a great degree with restoring Riesling's respectability in world markets, the late Bernhard Breuer was highly regarded internationally and worked tirelessly in defense of German viticultural integrity.
Teresa Breuer presented the mostly dry wines.
Pictures: Annette Schiller, Theresa Breuer and Christian G.E. Schiller at the Tasting in New York City
Weingut Eva Fricke – Rheingau (4.5 ha)
Eva Fricke is the Falstaff 2013 Newcomer of the Year. From 2004 to 2011, Eva Fricke was the Operations Manager at Weingut Josef Leitz. Eva Fricke, was born and grew up in Bremen in Northern Germany, produced her first own wine in 2006, from particularly steep slopes in Lorch. Since 2008 Eva Fricke lives and works at the Koetherhof in Kiedrich, where her winery is located.
In presenting the Falstaff Award to Eva, fellow winemaker Roman Niewodniczanski pulled his imaginary hat to Eva Fricke's performance, establishing from scratch one of the most exciting wineries in the region. He is "utterly blown away" by her Rieslings.
Picture: Eva Fricke and Christian G.E. Schiller in Ruedesheim, Germany
See:
Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011
Domaene Schloss Johannisberg – Rheingau (35 ha)
The outstanding position which Schloss Johannisberg has captured, not only for the Rheingau but for German wine in general, is apparent through its majestic setting on a hill high above the Rhine close to Rüdesheim. A view which fascinated Goethe: “… Johannisberg thrones over all”. The wine harvest was documented for the first time in 817. The Mainz Benedictine monks began to build a monastery, which was later consecrated to John the Baptist, in 1096. The grand Schloss originated in 1716 and was later gifted to the Metternich Winneburg house by Austrian Emperor Franz I. Von Harbsburg. A royalty of the harvest is still to be paid to the Harbsburg family till today, till 1940 in wine since than in money.
Schloss Johannisberg is the oldest Riesling-Estate of the world. The Spätlese (late harvest) wines were invented here in 1775 when a courier came back late from the owner and nobel rot had infected and concentrated the Riesling grapes.

Picture: Schloss Johannisberg
Weingut Leitz - Rheingau (40 ha)
Weingut Josef Leitz dates back to 1744 and - like so many wineries in Germany - has passed from one generation to the next for virtually 4 centuries. Johannes Leitz, the current owner and winemaker, took charge of the estate in 1985, when he was in his early 20s. At that time, Weingut Josef Leitz had 3 hectares of vines and was virtually unknown among German wine connoisseurs. Early on, Johannes Leitz connected with Washington DC based importer Therry Theise, with a view of expanding production by pushing exports. Today, Johannes Leitz has successfully grown to 40 hectares of vineyard area and 90% of the production is sold in the export markets, notably the US.
The Gault Millau Weinguide Germany 2011 picked Johannes Leitz for Winemaker of the Year. “In the beginning not even people in Ruedesheim knew him. Now, his Riesling wines are regarded as examples of outstanding Rheingau Rieslings not only in his home town, but also in London and New” said the editor of the 2011 WeinGuide Gault Millau Deutschland, Joel Payne.
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Joseph Leitz at the Tasting in New York City
See also:
Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011
Domdechant Werner – Rheingau (13.5 ha)
As a founding member of the "Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim" (Winebrotherhood Hochheim), the Domdechant Werner'sches Weingut in Hochheim is close to my heart. The Domdechant Werner Estate cultivates 13.5 ha of vines, 98% of which are planted with Riesling and 2% Spätburgunder. It produces wines of all styles, ranging from dry to lusciously sweet wines. Some 60-70% of the wines are exported to about 25 countries around the world, making the estate a "global player" on a small scale.
In 1780, the father of Dr. Franz Werner, the renowned Domdechant (dean) of the Cathedral of Mainz, acquired from the Count York the Hochheim wine estate. Domdechant Werner is credited with having saved the Cathedral from being demolished during the French Revolution and was responsible for its reconstruction. The Estate is now owned by Dr. Franz Werner Michel, the seventh generation of the founding family. The eighth (and possibly ninth) generation is now on the scene, as Dr. Michel's daughter, Catharina Mauritz, mother of three sons, has also become involved in the Estate's management.
Picture: Weingut Domdechant Werner
See also:
Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany
schiller-wine - Related Postings
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013
Impressions from the Riesling & Co World Tour 2010 in New York
Late Night German Riesling Tasting with Riesling Gurus Paul Grieco and Stuart Pigott in Washington DC on the 2013 Riesling Road Trip, USA
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine
Stepping up: From 3 … to 4 Quality Levels - The New Classification of the VDP, Germany
Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach
The Size and the Structure of the German Wine Industry
Rhine Wine – The Weingut Schloss Rheinhartshausen Wines of the Mariannenaue Island in the Rhine River, Germany
Joachim Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger: Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013, Germany
Visiting Georg Rumpf and his VDP Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe Region, Germany
Wine Maker Dinner with Stefan Rumpf at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim, Germany
Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World
The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA
A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon
Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA
Riesling from Germany and Pinot Noir from Oregon: A Winemaker Dinner with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and J.Christopher Wines, at Black Salt in Washington DC.
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
Meeting Valckenberg Owner Wilhelm Steifensand and Tasting his Wines
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
3 German Winemakers – Dr. Fischer, Fitz-Ritter and G.A. Schneider – and the American Institute for Wine and Food (AIWF) at the L2 Lounge in Washington DC, USA
Wine Caravan from Germany Visiting the East Coast, US: Dr. Fischer, Fitz Ritter, Bolling-Lehnert, Schneider, Dr. Thanisch
Visit: Weingut Georg Albrecht Schneider in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany - for Upcoming German Wine Society Tasting in Washington DC, USA
Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany
Stuart Pigott’s and Paul Grieco’s Riesling Road Trip from June 19 to 27, 2013, began in LA and culminated in NYC with the Annual Riesling and Co tasting on June 27. The 2013 Riesling and Co tasting took place in the trendy Chelsea district. It was a trade show - no consumers.There were 33 tables. At a number of tables, the winemaker himself or herself, or the owner were present and poured the wines. At other tables, the wines were poured by the importer, representing the Weingut. In addition, the "wine bar on wheels" of the Riesling Road Trip had been parked in the tasting hall and you could enjoy there matured wines with Paul Grieco and Stuart Pigott.
Pictures: 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting at Cedarlake in New York City
This posting, following some background information and German wine and Riesling in particular, profiles my favorite winemakers and importers/distributors at the 2013 Riesling and Co tasting.
See for the 2010 Riesling and Co tasting in New York City:
Impressions from the Riesling & Co World Tour 2010 in New York
See for the 2013 Riesling Road Trip:
Late Night German Riesling Tasting with Riesling Gurus Paul Grieco and Stuart Pigott in Washington DC on the 2013 Riesling Road Trip, USA
Dry and Sweet Riesling
Many wine drinkers, in particular outside of Europe, when they see a Riesling in the shelves, have the association of a sweet-style wine. This is however misguided. Rieslings as a rule are dry wines. Of course, there are the famous sugar sweet Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein and Schilfwein wines from Austria and Germany, the Sélection de Grains Nobles from France, the icewines from Canada and other Rieslings, made from botrytized, dried or frozen grapes. The grapes that go into these wines have such a high sugar content that there is nothing you can do to make dry wines out of these grapes. They inevitably produce nobly sweet wines. But apart from these exceptions, which account for only a tiny share of total production, Riesling grapes in Germany, Austria, Alsace, the US and Australia have normal sugar content at the time of fermentation and tend to produce dry wines, when fully fermented.
However, modern cellar methods allow winemakers in Germany (and elsewhere) to produce wines with a bit of residual sugar with these grapes. There are principally two methods applied in Germany – but neither in Austria nor Alsace - for making these sweet-style Rieslings. First, you do not let the fermentation run its course and stop it; as a result, you get a deliciously sweet and low alcohol wine. Second, you let the wine fully ferment to a normal alcohol level and then add Suessreserve (sterilized juice) to achieve the desired degree of sweetness. These sweet-style wines have lost popularity in Germany, although there appears to be a comeback, but in any case remain very popular outside of Germany, for example in the US.
See more:
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine
Pictures: The 2013 Riesling Road Trip in Washington DC, USA, with the Wine Bar on Wheels
Riesling in the World and in Germany
Worldwide, there are about 34.000 hectares planted with Riesling. Germany – with 22.400 hectares – accounts for 2/3 of the total. The second largest Riesling producer is Australia, with 4500 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Austria, the US with Washington State and New York State as well as New Zealand make up the remainder. But overall Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for only less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine.
German Wine Classification Systems
Although many people think that there is only one wine classification system in Germany – the classification system of the Law of 1971 – this is not correct. True, the classification system of the Law of 1971 with its pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest (Qualitaetswein, Kabinett, Spaetlese, Auslese …) at the center is the standard classification system in Germany and the vast majority of winemakers in Germany use this approach. A large number of winemakers, however, have moved away from the standard, in particular the producers of premium and ultra-premium wines. Importantly, the powerful group of German elite winemakers – the VDP (Verband Deutscher Praedikatswein Produzenten) – has conceived its own classification system and is developing it further.
In sharp contrast with the standard classification system of the Law of 1971, the VDP classification system is based on the terroir principle. The pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest has moved to the backburner in the VDP system. Indeed, for dry wines the pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest has been completely eliminated in the VDP classification system.
Following Bourgogne, the classification system of the VDP comprises 4 quality layers:
• VDP.Grosse Lage (Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Erste Lage (Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Ortswein (Village level in Burgundy)
• VDP.Gutswein (Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)
See more:
Stepping up: From 3 … to 4 Quality Levels - The New Classification of the VDP, Germany
Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach
13 German Wine Regions
There are 13 German wine regions.
Five large regions - Rheinhessen 26000 hectares, Pfalz 23000 hectares, Baden 16000 hectares, Wuerttemberg 12000 hectares, Mosel 10000 hectares.
Three medium-size regions - Franken 6000 hectares, Nahe 4000 hectares, Rheingau 3000 hectares.
Five small regions - Saale Unstrut 700 hectares, Sachsen 500 hectares, Hessische Bergstrasse 500 hectares, Mittelrhein 500 hectares, Ahr 300 hectares.
Pictures: The 2013 Riesling Road Trip Bar in Wheels at Cedarlake in New York City
The German Wine Industry
Germany has 48.009 winemakers (Winzer) and a vineyard area of 102.000 hectares. Large wineries are rare to find, except for the wine co-operatives. In this concept, “winemaker” does not stand for making or even bottling wine, but stands for growing vines and producing grapes. In some areas of Germany, like Baden and Wuerttemberg, 80% of the so called winemakers deliver their grapes to a wine cooperative.
Almost 90% of the winemakers operate with less than 5 hectares of vineyard area. There are only about 6.000 wineries with more than 5 hectares of land. Excluding wine-cooperatives, there are only 10 wineries in Germany with more than 100 hectares of land.
Compared with an estimated vineyard area of 7.000.000 hectares in the world, Germany accounts for only a bit more than 1% of world production. The big 3 are Spain, France and Italy with a combined vineyard area of 3.000.000 hectares.
See more:
The Size and the Structure of the German Wine Industry
Pictures: At the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City
Schiller’s Favorites
Schloss Reinhartshausen - Rheingau
A famous Riesling producer in the Rheingau with a long history. Schloss Reinhartshausen has recently been sold to a mass-wine producer in the Pfalz and its VDP membership has been terminated. We will have to wait and see how things develop there.
See also:
Rhine Wine – The Weingut Schloss Rheinhartshausen Wines of the Mariannenaue Island in the Rhine River, Germany
Weingut Dr. Heger – Baden (21 ha)
Owner and winemaker Joachim Heger is the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2013 Winemaker of the Year. Joachim Heger also won the Eichelmann Best Red Wine Collection Award in 2013. Gerhard Eichelmann: “Year after year, Joachim Heger makes fascinating Pinot Noir wines, both from the Ihringer Winklerberg and the Achkarrer Schlossberg. In the last few years, they had even more finesse and have become even more complex, more Burgundian.”
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Joachim and Silvia Heger at Kloster Eberbach in Germany
See more:
Joachim Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger: Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013, Germany
Rudi Wiest – Importer, California
Rudi Wiest is among the leading importers of German wine into the US, with a focus on VDP producers and increasingly on dry wines.
Weingut Kruger Rumpf – Nahe (25 ha)
“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” says winemaker Georg Rumpf. 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.
The wines were presented by Stefan Rumpf.
Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller, Annette Schiller, wine tours by ombiasy and Stefan Rumpf in New York City
See:
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013
See:
Visiting Georg Rumpf and his VDP Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe Region, Germany
Wine Maker Dinner with Stefan Rumpf at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim, Germany
Winesellers/Vinnicombe - Importer
Valerie Lynch-Giroux from Winesellers presented the wines of the portfolio of Derek Vinnicombe, including Weingut G.A. Schneider, Weingut Fitz-Ritter, Weingut Dr. Fischer and Weingut Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben Mueller-Burggraf).
See:
3 German Winemakers – Dr. Fischer, Fitz-Ritter and G.A. Schneider – and the American Institute for Wine and Food (AIWF) at the L2 Lounge in Washington DC, USA
Wine Caravan from Germany Visiting the East Coast, US: Dr. Fischer, Fitz Ritter, Bolling-Lehnert, Schneider, Dr. Thanisch
Visit: Weingut Georg Albrecht Schneider in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany - for Upcoming German Wine Society Tasting in Washington DC, USA
Maximin Gruenhaus - Schlosskellerei C. von Schubert – Mosel (30 ha)
The historic Maximin Grünhaus estate lies at the foot of a long, steep south-facing slope on the left bank of the tiny Ruwer river, about two kilometers upstream from where it joins the Mosel. The estate belongs to the family of Carl von Schubert.
The wines were presented by Joachim von Schubert, son of Carl von Schubert. Dr. Loosen Bros. is importing the mostly fruity sweet and noble sweet Maximin Gruenhaus wines from the Ruwer Valley.
Picture: Joachim von Schubert at the Tasting
Weingut Dr. Loosen – Mosel (20)
Ernst Loosen is a winemaker based in Germany, who now makes 4 different wines in Germany and the USA: First, Mosel Valley Rieslings, mostly fruity-sweet that made him so famous in the world; second, Pinot Noirs and other wines from the Pfalz, all dry, where he owns Weingut J.L. Wolf; third, the J. Christopher Wines, a collaboration of Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers, mainly Pinot Noir, from Oregon and fourth, the Eroica wines, a collaboration between Dr. Loosen and Chateau Ste. Michelle, the giant wine producer, in Washington State.
Picture: Ernst Loosen and Annette Schiller, wine tours by ombiasy in Washington DC
See also:
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013
On Weingut Dr. Loosen, see:
Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World
The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA
A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon
Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA
Riesling from Germany and Pinot Noir from Oregon: A Winemaker Dinner with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and J.Christopher Wines, at Black Salt in Washington DC.
Weingut Robert Weil – Rheingau (80 ha)
Founded in 1875, Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich is the Rheingau’s #1 estate and one of Germany’s best. Today, Weingut Robert Weil is managed by Wilhelm Weil, who owns the winery jointly with Suntory from Japan. 80 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. Dr. Loosen Bros. is importing the Weil wines.
See also:
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
Weingut Selbach-Oster – Mosel (21 ha)
Weingut Selbach-Oster can trace wine-growing in the family back to the year 1661. The Selbach-Oster vineyards are located on some of the best vineyard land in the heart of the Mosel wine country called "Mittelmosel": Zeltingen (with Sonnenuhr, Schlossberg and Himmelreich), Wehlen (with Sonnenuhr), Graacher (with Domprobst and Himmelreich) and Bernkastel (with Badstube). In their cellars, they still use the traditional "Fuder" barrel made from old German oak to prevent woody flavors from masking the purity of fruit and soil flavor. A "Fuder" holds 1000 liters. They balance between stainless steel and a few fiberglass tanks with a maximum size of 3000 liters per unit, ensuring low temperatures during fermentation and with it, the preservation of freshness and delicacy of aroma.
Johannes Seelbach presented the mostly fruity-sweet Riesling wines.
Pictures: Johannes Seelbach and Paul Grieco at the Tasting
Weingut St. Urbanshof – Mosel (33 ha)
Weingut St. Urbans Hof was first established in 1947 by Nicolaus Weis who was awarded the prestigious title “Oekonomierat” (Chancellor of Agriculture) in 1969 and title became part of the winery name, St. Urbans Hof Oekonomierat Nic. Weis Weingut. Today, Nikolaus (Nik) Peter Weis is the third generation owner and manager of the estate which totals nearly 33 hectares making it the second largest family owned wine estate in the Mosel Saar Ruwer wine growing region.
Valckenberg - Importer
P.J. Valckenberg is: (1) an importer of German wines into the US, (2) an importer of old and new world wines into Germany, (3) a producer of sparkling and still wine in Germany, (4) a distributer of imported and own wines in Germany, and (5) an exporter of German wine to many countries.
The focus of Valckenberg’s US wine portfolio is on winemakers with a long tradition. It does not include any of the new generation of innovative, young winemakers, for example from Rheinhessen, but relies on well respected, top-level winemakers with a long tradition, sometimes going back several centuries.
See:
Meeting Valckenberg Owner Wilhelm Steifensand and Tasting his Wines
Weingut Weegmueller – Pfalz (15 ha)
Wine Blogger Heike Larson: “The womanly art of making wine. Or: Girls Rule! Certainly at this winery. Stefanie Weegmüller-Scherr, very down-to-earth and all big smiles, is the gifted winemaker of the estate. For 25 years now, she has been among the first women to set foot in the male-dominated winemaking industry. Her sister Gabriele is completing her by taking care of all marketing matters. She is the hospitality manager and I can witness, she does this well!"
Gabriele Weegmueller presented the exclusively dry wines, jointly with importer Greg Moore from the Moore Brothers.
Picture: Gabriele Weegmueller and Christian G.E. Schiller at the Tasting
Weingut von Winning – Pfalz (50 ha)
Deidesheim's heydays came at the beginning of the 19th century when estate owner Andreas Jordan was the first to produce high quality wines according to strict selection rules, and the first to introduce the Spätlese in Palatinate. When Andreas Jordan died in 1848, his enormous estate was split into three, a procedure which has become famous under the name "the Jordan Division." By it, the estates of Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan, Reichsrat von Buhl and Dr. Deinhard were formed, all of which became famous on their own. In 1848, the winery bore the owner's name, Dr. Deinhard. When the owner died, the winery was taken over by his daughter and her husband, Captain Leopold von Winning, with the resulting change in name. The early 20th century was a golden age for von Winning, which also became one of the founders of VDP (Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates. Later, with the owners changing once more, the winery became known as Dr. Deinhard again. Since 2007, the winery belongs to the group of Achim Niederberger and since 2009 carries again the name von Winning.
Weingut Gunderloch – Rheinhessen (23 ha)
It all started in 1890, when the banker Carl Gunderloch purchased the Gunderloch manor house in Nackenheim. Today, the Estate is still in the hands of the Gunderloch family.
When Carl Gunderlocho died in 1935, the estate passed first to Gunderloch's granddaughter Elizabeth Usinger and her husband. They remained at the helm until 1965, when their son Carl Otto took on the management of the estate. Today it is his eldest daughter, Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger and her husband, Fritz Hasselbach that are in charge. Fritz Hasselbach is a highly accredited winemaker and responsible for the wine. But there are already the next 2 Gunderloch generations waiting.
Fritz Hasselbach presented the 6 Weingut Gunderloch wines; 3 of them dry and 3 fruity-sweet.
Pictures: Annette Schiller, Christian G.E. Schiller and Fritz Hasselbach at the Tasting
See:
Visiting Agnes and Fritz Hasselbach at their Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany
Weingut Georg Breuer – Rheingau (33 ha)
Weingut Georg Breuer was founded in 1880 by Peter Breuer, partner of the German wine shipping firm Scholl & Hillebrand. Today, the estate is managed by Heinrich Breuer und Theresa Breuer, the daughter of the late Bernhard Breuer. Riesling dominates with some 26 hectares of vines; the other varieties are Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.
Co-author of authoritative books on Germany's wine regions and credited to a great degree with restoring Riesling's respectability in world markets, the late Bernhard Breuer was highly regarded internationally and worked tirelessly in defense of German viticultural integrity.
Teresa Breuer presented the mostly dry wines.
Pictures: Annette Schiller, Theresa Breuer and Christian G.E. Schiller at the Tasting in New York City
Weingut Eva Fricke – Rheingau (4.5 ha)
Eva Fricke is the Falstaff 2013 Newcomer of the Year. From 2004 to 2011, Eva Fricke was the Operations Manager at Weingut Josef Leitz. Eva Fricke, was born and grew up in Bremen in Northern Germany, produced her first own wine in 2006, from particularly steep slopes in Lorch. Since 2008 Eva Fricke lives and works at the Koetherhof in Kiedrich, where her winery is located.
In presenting the Falstaff Award to Eva, fellow winemaker Roman Niewodniczanski pulled his imaginary hat to Eva Fricke's performance, establishing from scratch one of the most exciting wineries in the region. He is "utterly blown away" by her Rieslings.
See:
Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011
Domaene Schloss Johannisberg – Rheingau (35 ha)
The outstanding position which Schloss Johannisberg has captured, not only for the Rheingau but for German wine in general, is apparent through its majestic setting on a hill high above the Rhine close to Rüdesheim. A view which fascinated Goethe: “… Johannisberg thrones over all”. The wine harvest was documented for the first time in 817. The Mainz Benedictine monks began to build a monastery, which was later consecrated to John the Baptist, in 1096. The grand Schloss originated in 1716 and was later gifted to the Metternich Winneburg house by Austrian Emperor Franz I. Von Harbsburg. A royalty of the harvest is still to be paid to the Harbsburg family till today, till 1940 in wine since than in money.
Schloss Johannisberg is the oldest Riesling-Estate of the world. The Spätlese (late harvest) wines were invented here in 1775 when a courier came back late from the owner and nobel rot had infected and concentrated the Riesling grapes.
Picture: Schloss Johannisberg
Weingut Leitz - Rheingau (40 ha)
Weingut Josef Leitz dates back to 1744 and - like so many wineries in Germany - has passed from one generation to the next for virtually 4 centuries. Johannes Leitz, the current owner and winemaker, took charge of the estate in 1985, when he was in his early 20s. At that time, Weingut Josef Leitz had 3 hectares of vines and was virtually unknown among German wine connoisseurs. Early on, Johannes Leitz connected with Washington DC based importer Therry Theise, with a view of expanding production by pushing exports. Today, Johannes Leitz has successfully grown to 40 hectares of vineyard area and 90% of the production is sold in the export markets, notably the US.
The Gault Millau Weinguide Germany 2011 picked Johannes Leitz for Winemaker of the Year. “In the beginning not even people in Ruedesheim knew him. Now, his Riesling wines are regarded as examples of outstanding Rheingau Rieslings not only in his home town, but also in London and New” said the editor of the 2011 WeinGuide Gault Millau Deutschland, Joel Payne.
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Joseph Leitz at the Tasting in New York City
See also:
Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011
Domdechant Werner – Rheingau (13.5 ha)
As a founding member of the "Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim" (Winebrotherhood Hochheim), the Domdechant Werner'sches Weingut in Hochheim is close to my heart. The Domdechant Werner Estate cultivates 13.5 ha of vines, 98% of which are planted with Riesling and 2% Spätburgunder. It produces wines of all styles, ranging from dry to lusciously sweet wines. Some 60-70% of the wines are exported to about 25 countries around the world, making the estate a "global player" on a small scale.
In 1780, the father of Dr. Franz Werner, the renowned Domdechant (dean) of the Cathedral of Mainz, acquired from the Count York the Hochheim wine estate. Domdechant Werner is credited with having saved the Cathedral from being demolished during the French Revolution and was responsible for its reconstruction. The Estate is now owned by Dr. Franz Werner Michel, the seventh generation of the founding family. The eighth (and possibly ninth) generation is now on the scene, as Dr. Michel's daughter, Catharina Mauritz, mother of three sons, has also become involved in the Estate's management.
Picture: Weingut Domdechant Werner
See also:
Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany
schiller-wine - Related Postings
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013
Impressions from the Riesling & Co World Tour 2010 in New York
Late Night German Riesling Tasting with Riesling Gurus Paul Grieco and Stuart Pigott in Washington DC on the 2013 Riesling Road Trip, USA
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine
Stepping up: From 3 … to 4 Quality Levels - The New Classification of the VDP, Germany
Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach
The Size and the Structure of the German Wine Industry
Rhine Wine – The Weingut Schloss Rheinhartshausen Wines of the Mariannenaue Island in the Rhine River, Germany
Joachim Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger: Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013, Germany
Visiting Georg Rumpf and his VDP Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe Region, Germany
Wine Maker Dinner with Stefan Rumpf at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim, Germany
Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World
The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA
A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon
Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA
Riesling from Germany and Pinot Noir from Oregon: A Winemaker Dinner with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and J.Christopher Wines, at Black Salt in Washington DC.
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
Meeting Valckenberg Owner Wilhelm Steifensand and Tasting his Wines
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
3 German Winemakers – Dr. Fischer, Fitz-Ritter and G.A. Schneider – and the American Institute for Wine and Food (AIWF) at the L2 Lounge in Washington DC, USA
Wine Caravan from Germany Visiting the East Coast, US: Dr. Fischer, Fitz Ritter, Bolling-Lehnert, Schneider, Dr. Thanisch
Visit: Weingut Georg Albrecht Schneider in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany - for Upcoming German Wine Society Tasting in Washington DC, USA
Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)











