Concours Mondial du Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Picture: Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2010

Concours Mondial du Sauvignon Blanc 2010

The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – together with the ODG Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur – launched the first Concours Mondial du Sauvignon during the Bordeaux Fete le Vin wine fair earlier this year.

Over 40 tasters from ten countries took part. 512 wines were presented for this first edition, from France, South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece and Brazil. France dominated both awards and entries – with over 300 entries and 90 awards. Chile was the next most successful, with 61 entries and 21 medals.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc originates from the Bordeaux and Loire regions in France. It is now planted in many of the world's wine regions.

In France, Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the maritime climate of Bordeaux (especially in Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves and Pessac-Leognan as a dry wine, and in Sauternes as a sweet wine) as well as the continental climate of the Loire Valley (as Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre, and Sauvignon de Touraine).

Along with Sémillon, Muscadelle and Ugni blanc, Sauvignon Blanc is one of only four white grapes allowed in the production of white Bordeaux AOC In the Sauternes region, the grape is blended with Sémillon to make the noble sweet Sauternes. The composition varies from producer and can range from 5-50% of Sauvignon Blanc, with the Château d'Yquem using 20%.

In Australia, particularly the Margaret River region, the grape is often blended with Sémillon. In the 1990s, Sauvignon Blanc wines from the maritime climatic regions of New Zealand, particularly the South Island, became popular on the wine market. In North America, California is the leading producer of Sauvignon Blanc with plantings also found in Washington State. In California wine produced from the Sauvignon Blanc grape is also known as Fumé Blanc. This California wine was first made by the Robert Mondavi Winery in 1968. Fume Blanc as an allusion to the French Pouilly-Fumé. Sauvignon Blanc is also beginning to gain prominence in areas like South Africa's Stellenbosch and Durbanville and Italy's Collio areas.

Around 80,000ha of Sauvignon Blanc are estimated to be planted worldwide, with the largest concentrations in France and New Zealand.

Special Trophies

Here are the winners of a Special Trophy.

Casa Marín Sauvignon Blanc
Cipresses Vineyard 2009 Chile
Valle de San Antonio y Leyda
Vina Casa Marín (Producer) +56 22 34 95 81
www.casamarin.cl

Château Penin 2009 France
Bordeaux Blanc
Château Penin (Producer) +33 5 57 24 46 98
www.chateaupenin.fr

Ghirlandaia 2009 Italy
Toscana
Toscana IGT
Azienda Agricola Trequanda S.R.L. (Producer) +39 0577 66 20 01
www.azienda-trequanda.it

Michel Laurent 2009
France
Val de Loire
Sancerre Blanc
Joseph Verdier SA (Producer) +33 2 41 40 22 50
www.joseph-verdier.fr

Rose de Sigoulès 2009
France
Sud-Ouest
Bergerac sec
Les Vignerons de Sigoulès (Producer) +33 5 53 61 55 00
www.vigneronsdesigoules.com

Tokara Director's Reserve White 2008
South Africa
Western Cape
Stellenbosch Tokara (Producer) +27 21 808 59 00
www.tokara.com

Aufricht Estate at Lake Constance in Baden, Germany, Wins Gold Medal

The Aufricht Estate at Lake Constance in Baden, Germany, did not make it to the Special Trophy group, but won a Gold Medal. I visited the Aufricht Estate a few months ago.

In Baden, the wine industry is dominated by wine co-operatives; they account for 85% of the region's production. Private winemakers are the exception. One of these exceptions is the Aufricht Estate. They started out as a member of a wine co-operative and became independent about 20 years ago, after the brothers Robert and Manfred Aufricht had taken over from their parents.

Manfred, the younger of the two brothers, explained that all grapes are selectively hand-picked. For over ten years now the Aufrichts follow environmentally-friendly winemaking principles.




Pictures: Christian G.E.Schiller with Manfred Aufricht at the Aufricht Estate at Lake Constance in Baden, Germany

The Estate is located on the same latitude as Burgundy, on Lake Constance between Meersburg and Hagnau. The lake’s water reflects the sun like a mirror. The roots of the vines get their "food" from the glacial moraine of granite, limestone and gneiss of the Alps.

The vineyard area totals 24 hectares, with holdings in the Fohrenberg and Sängerhalde sites. The Aufricht brothers grow Pinot Noir, Lemberger, Pinot Madeleine and Regent, and Pinot Gris, Auxerrois,Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The Aufricht brothers were the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc again in the Lake Constance region. The top red wines are matured in barriques for several years. Bottle-fermented sparkling wines are also produced.

The wine list contains about 30 wines. Half of them are white wines, starting from Euro 7.40 and going up to Euro 17.40. The red wines start at Euro 7.90; most red wines do not go beyond Euro 10. One of the two exceptions is a 2007 Pinot Noir for Euro 30.50, which is the most expensive wine in the portfolio. Lake Constance wines are, in general, no bargain wines – but still very good deals by American standards.

The last years brought Robert and Manfred Aufricht worldwide recognition and honors. The Aufricht Estate has now 2 Grapes (out of 5) in the Gault Millau Wine Guide.

Weingut Aufricht Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Germany
Baden
Weingut Aufricht (Producer) +49 75 32 124 27
www.aufricht.de

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Germany's Grosses Gewaechs Wines - Premiere 2010 in Berlin

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Georg Prinz zur Lippe, Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, Prinz zur Lippe, in Sachsen, Germany

Germany’s Prädikat Wine Estates – the members of the VDP (Verband Deutscher Praedikatsweingueter) - celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the VDP in 2010 in Germany’s Capital Berlin during September 4 to 6, 2010. I was happy and proud to participate. Among the side-events, the presentation of the new Grosses Gewaechs wines was one of the highlights.

I have given a run-down of the whole series of events here and have reported in more detail on the event: 70 Galleries - 200 Winemakers - 1000 Wines here, on the official ceremony in the Berlin Cathedral here, on Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson, who participated in the events, here and on the bottle party at Wein Bar Rutz here.

Grosses Gewaechs Wines

The term Grosses Gewaechs was introduce a few years back by the VDP for use by its members only.

Grosses Gewaechs wines are always fully fermented, dry wines from Erste Lage vineyards of exceptional quality . The Grosses Gewaechs label is thought to resemble the Grand Cru designation in neighboring France. Here and there, these wines refer to a top dry wine from a top vineyard. About 150 sites have been officially deemed ‘premiers crus’ or Erste Lagen, capable of making a great growth, or Grosses Gewächs.

Picture: Stefan Maria Friedrich from Nomacorc, the Initiator of Relaunch F, a Project to support the Faberrebe in Rheinhessen.

As a rule Grosses Gewaechs wines are always sold as QbA wines – Qualitaetswein besonderer Anbaugebiete, although as a condition they must be at least at Spaetlese level in terms of sugar content at harvest. QbA wines, under German law, are allowed to be chaptalised, with the purpose of increasing the alcohol content of the wine. More generally, under the new classification system of the VDP, all dry wines are systematically labeled as QbA wines.

In addition to Grosses Gewaechs wines, there is also the concept of Erstes Gewaechs wines. These terms basically mean the same thing, but for some reasons the latter is used in the Rheingau and the former in all other wine regions. Importantly, in Hessen, Erstes Gewaechs is not a term reserved only for VDP winemakers, but all winemakers can produce an Erstes Gewaechs wine, if the wine meets the quality requirements.

The Presentation in Berlin

White Grosses Gewaechs wines are not allowed to be released before September 1 of the following year. Red Grosses Gewaechs wines are supposed to age at least another year and thus are released in the following year.

What you found on the tabels were thus 2009 white and 2008 red Grosses Gewaechs and Erstes Gewaechs wines.

The event was not comprehensive presentation of the new Grosses Gewaechs and Erstes Gewaechs wines, since those Erstes Gewaechs producers that are not members of the VDP were not present at the VDP presentation.

Not all wines presented were dry and carried the label Grosses Gewaechs. In particular in the Mosel area, winemakers like to leave their wines with a level of residual sugar that exceeds the norm of the Grosses Gewaechs wines. Accordingly, some of the wines I tasted were Erste Lage wines; however due to their level of remaining sugar they were not labeled as Grosses Gewaechs wine, but still presented with the other dry wines.

2009 White Grosses Gewaechs Wines

Rheingau

Lets us start with the Rheingau, home to some of the most famous, most well-heeled, classic estates, a region of which I am big fan of although the Rheingau winemakers are often being criticized of not being innovative enough.

My favorite village is Hochheim, just 30 minutes away from Frankfurt am Main by S-Bahn. Hochheim has 2 VDP members - Weingut Kuenstler and Weingut Domdechant Werner – and both presented a collection of Grosses Gewaechs wines that exceeded my expectations.

The number 1 winemaker of the Rheingau is Wilhelm Weil and the wines of Weingut Wilhelm Weil were again very convincing. This year, I spent a lot of time with my facebook friend Christian Ress from Weingut Balthasar Ress in Hattenheim, a renowned winery that produces consistently good Grosses Gewaechs wines and exports a lot of them to the US.

I was also intrigued by the wines of Weingut Allendorf; I had lost touch with Weingut Allendorf over the years, but I rediscovered it at the tasting in Berlin. Interestingly, Ulrich Allendorf has created a "Color Room" at his winery, where you can taste wines in different lighting - red, blue, green, etc - and appreciate how color impacts on how you perceive a wine.

Fred Prinz from Weingut Prinz in Hallgarten, winner of this year's Sauvignon Blanc Trophy Germany, present a strong selection of Erstes Gewaechs Riesling wines.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Christian Ress, Weingut Balthasar Ress in Hattenheim

Picture: Gunter Kuenstler from Weingut Kuenstler and Catharina Mauritz from Weingut Domdechant Werner in Hochheim

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Ulrich Allendorf from Weingut Allendorf in Oestrich-Winkel

Christian G.E. Schiller with Fred Prinz from Weingut Prinz in Hallgarten

Rheinhessen

Another wine region that is close to my heart is Rheinhessen. Kirchspiel and Morstein, until a few years ago were hardly known outside their own area, have been put definitively on the international map by the twin talents of Philipp Wittmann and Klaus-Peter Keller.

But I also found this year’s Grosses Gewaechs wines of Weingut Battenfeld Spanier, Weingut Grobe and Weingut Gebrueder Dr. Becker very promising.

Picture: H.O.Spanier from Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier with Hugh Johnson

Picture: Fritz groebe from Weingut K.F. Groebe and Lotte Pfeffer-Mueller from Weingut Brueder Dr. Becker

Sachsen

Sachsen, a small wine region in the former East Germany, does not yet play in the first league, but it is catching up. I am very pleased about this development as I was born in the capital of the State of Sachsen, Dresden. Dr. Georg Prince zur Lippe, who repurchased Weingut Schloss Proschwitz after reunification, continues to produce increasingly fascinating wines, including a Grosses Gewaechs wine.

Nahe

As has been evident now for many years, the Nahe is home to a reassuringly competitive winemaking ethos. Accordingly, Weingut Schaefer-Froehlich, Weingut Doenhoff and Weingut Emmerich-Schoenleber presented again a strong collection.

I also paid attention to Armin Diel from Schlossgut Diehl who also produces the Riesling Poet’s Leap in a joint venture with Long Shadows Vineyards in Washington State in the US. I liked Armin Diel’s range of Grosses Gewaechs wines very much.

Picture: Armin Diel from Schlossgut Diel with Hugh Johnson

Pfalz

In the Pfalz, VDP President Steffen Christmann shined with the Mandelgarten and the Idig. These were for me perhaps the best wines of the presentation. But I was also intrigued by the Grosses Gewaechs wines of Weingut Georg Mosbacher in Forst, in particular by the Freundstück.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Juergen Dueringer and Sabine Mosbacher-Dueringer from Weingut Georg Mosbacher

Picture: Stuart Pigott and Jancis Robinson with Steffen Christmann of Weingut Christmann

Mosel

Traditionally the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany’s northernmost wine region, has been associated much more readily with delicate, low alcohol wines with some residual sweet fruitiness rather than with the more austere, dry style demanded by the letter of the Grosses Gewächs law. Thus, generally, the Mosel winemakers are a bit at the edge when it comes to the Grosses Gewaechs wines concept. In fact, many of the wines presented were Erste Lage wines but not Erstes Gewaechs wines, because they did not meet the Erstes Gewaechs requirements in terms of remaining sugar.

I was in particular impressed by the wines of Roman Niewodniczanski (Weingut Van Volxem in Wiltingen in the Saar valley) and Reinhard Loewenstein (Weingut Heymann-Loewenstein in Winningen in the Mosel valley). I liked the former’s Volz and the latter’s Laubach.

Picture: Roman Niewodniczanski (Weingut Van Volxem in Wiltingen)

Picture: Reinhard Loewenstein (Weingut Heymann-Loewenstein in Winningen) with Dagmar Ehrlich, Journalist.

Franken

In this region, way to the east of most German wine regions and distinguished by its squat green flagon-like wine bottles, Horst Sauer from Weingut Horst Sauer stood out, with really convincing racy, super-clean fruit, a nice lick of earthiness and great balance.

Picture: Horst Sauer from Weingut Horst Sauer

Red Grosses Gewaechs Wines

German red wines are increasingly appearing in the international wine market. Of course, given its location, they tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, in the international scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this has changed. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world. The share of red wines in terms of production has increased from 10 percent in the 1980s to about 35 percent now in Germany.

In Germany, the Pinot Noir is called Spätburgunder. It is to red wine what the Riesling is to white wine: the cream of the crop. In the US, Pinot Noir shows great promise in Oregon and California. The reputation that gets Pinot Noir so much attention, however, is owed to the wines of the Bourgogne in France, where it has probably been cultivated since at least the 4th century (first documented, however, in the 14th century).

Regardless of where it’s grown, Pinot Noir is not typically a value wine. That is so because Pinot Noir is such a delicate grape that it is difficult and expensive to grow and make into the spectacular wine it can be. It is sensitive to climate and soil, Pinot Noir needs warmth (but not intense heat) to thrive and does well in chalky soils. As the German name implies, it ripens late (spät).

I was very much convinced by the wines of Friedrich Becker from Weingut Becker in the Pfalz, Werner Naekel from Weingut Meyer-Naekel in the Ahr and Ludwig Kreuzberg from Weingut H.J. Kreuzberg in the Ahr. But there were other red wine producers eye to eye with my 3 favorites.

Picture: Friedrich Becker from Weingut Becker in the Pfalz, Werner Naekel from Weingut Meyer-Naekel in the Ahr and Ludwig Kreuzberg from Weingut H.J. Kreuzberg in the Ahr

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Fine Virginia Wines from Corcoran Vineyards

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Lori Corcoran

Fine Virginia Wines from Corcoran Vineyards

I went with the Virginia Wine Meet-Up Group to a tasting at Corcoran Vineyards.

Virginia

Virginia is the 5th largest wine industry in the US, with nearly 200 wineries and 2,500 acres of vineyards. Over the past 50 years, Virginia wines have experienced a tremendous development - to elegant and balanced, mostly European vinifera-based wines.

As far as white wines are concerned, the European vinifera grapes Chardonnay and Viognier are the leading varieties today. Increasingly they are made “naked” or with little oak only, with the objective of retaining natural acidity and freshness.

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

Picture: Virginia

The first ice wine was reportedly produced in Germany in 1794. Today, ice wines are highly prized wines that are made not only in Germany, but also in Austria and Canada as well as other countries, including the United States. Canada has experienced an amazing ice wine boom in the past decades. See about German and Canadian ice wine here.

In the context of ice wine, some wine regions, including Virginia, are pushing cryoextraction. This is an approach, which kind of simulates the frost in the vineyard in the wine cellar. It was developed by the French. Instead of waiting for mother nature to produce frosty temperatures in the vineyard, the winemaker subjects the grapes to frosty temperatures in the cellar and presses them while frozen.

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

Tannat, Uruguay’ signature grape from the South West of France, is showing up in more Virginia wines, usually as a blend. The only red French hybrid which has performed consistently well in Virginia is Chambourcin, which, with its bright cherry aromas and flavors, crisp acidity and low tannin, resembles the Gamay grape of Beaujolais. In Germany, a new grape variety, Regent, has been developed as a crossing of Diana and Chambourcin, which is exceptionally fungal-resistant and hailed to be the first “green” grape.

Finally, Virginia sparkling wine from Claude Thibault was served at President Obama’s first state dinner a few months ago. While respectable sparkling wines have been made in Virginia in the past, sparkling wines have been taken to a new level in Virginia by the work of Claude Thibault, a native of Champagne. Thibault now consults for a number other Virginia wineries and produces his own sparkler, NV Thibault-Janisson, made from 100 percent Chardonnay, which President Obama offered his guests at the state dinner.

Corcoran Vineyards

Corcoran Vineyards is owned and managed by the husband and wife team Jim and Lori Corcoran. It is located in the charming village of Waterford, just northwest of Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Lori graduated from San Jose State University back in 1989 with a degree in Administration of Justice. Her intent was to join the FBI. But she got sidetracked and decided to open a winery and become a winemaker instead. When not making wine, Lori is busy raising four kids on the farm and also volunteers whatever other free time she has to numerous worthy causes.

Pictures: Corcoran Tasting Room and Corky's Farm

The tasting room is housed in a 1750’s log cabin on the family's property . It is separate from the state of the art winery. In nice weather there are also picnic tables and plenty of lawn to throw a blanket.

In 2002, the Corcorans planted their first block of Chardonnay grapes on their farm – which is known as Corky's Farm. Today, Corcoran Vineyards produces 2,000 cases of wine annually.

Lori and Jim are very active in terms of social media: They have 2 twitter accounts (Lori started to tweet in 2008;Corcoran was one of the first Virginia wineries to do so), 2 Facebook accounts (Corcoran Vineyards & Corcoran Wines), both Lori and Jim are on LinkedIn and Lori also blogs (Off the Vine with Lori).

The Corcoran Vineyards Wine Portfolio

Here is Corcoran’s current line-up with winemaker notes.

Viognier

The Viognier grape is gaining a foothold in Virginia’s vineyards and wineries. Corcoran Vineyard’s 2008 Viognier is characterized by its aroma of honeysuckle blossoms and flavors of crisp white peaches with cantaloupe and honeydew melons. Tank fermentation & aging accentuates the fruit flavors and spicy finish. Our Viognier is 100% dry but is often perceived to have some sweetness because of the intense fruit character of this grape. The classic pairings for this wine are Maryland Crab Cakes or spiced shrimp. SOLD OUT!

2008 Chardonnay

The Chardonnay is a nice balance between stainless-steel and oak. The aroma offers hints of peaches and green apples. Traditional chardonnay lovers will notice the slight oak tannins while those who desire a stainless steel chardonnay will appreciate the crisp, fruit flavors. Perfect for your holiday appetizers and pumpkin pie.

Bottling Date: August 27, 2009
Alcohol Content: 12%
Residual Sugar: .5%

2007 Traminette

Traminette, a relative of Gewurztraminer, has plenty of spice and exotic fruit on the palate. Grapes from La Paz Vineyards produce this semi-sweet white with an unmistakable and intensely aromatic scent of roses. Look for flavors of lychee and mango with sweet honey and nutmeg on the finish. Try this wine on its own or with spicy Thai or Mexican cuisine. SOLD OUT.

Cases Produced: 78
Bottling Date: May 9, 2008
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 1.5%

2007 Chambourcin

Chambourcin is a French-American hybrid grape with deep blue/black skins that produces a lighter bodied wine with a distinctive vibrant purple color. The generous fruit flavors of black cherry and cranberry are the result of an early bottling after being lightly aged in American and French oak. This is the first year we have produced it as 100% Chambourcin. The aromas fill the senses with berries, nutmeg, and oak. This red would be nice with pork, turkey, or smoked salmon.

Alcohol Content: 13%
Residual Sugar: 0%

2007 Cabernet Franc

The Cabernet Franc grape has found a home in Virginia and does especially well in the Piedmont terroir of Northern Virginia. This Bordeaux grape is fruitier and lighter than its offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon. Our 100% Cabernet Franc wine is showing typical dark cherry and raspberry fruit flavors balanced with hints of spicy black pepper. With its mild tannins, this is excellent to pair with grilled beef and stronger tasting vegetables such as roasted eggplant.

Alcohol Content: 13%
Residual Sugar: 0%

2008 Malbec

Malbec is a Bordeaux varietal which usually takes a supporting role to the big Bordeaux reds like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. This nicely aged wine is showing rich aromas full of ripe black cherry jam and coffee with a touch of spice. Well balanced with a medium-body, it offers vanilla, plum, and chocolate flavors with a long, satisfying finish. This wine would be suitable for aging in your wine cellar or can be enjoyed now with full-flavored grilled beef or best paired with chocolate!
NEW RELEASE!

Alcohol Content: 13%
Residual Sugar: 0%

2007 Meritage

"Meritage" describes wines that are a strict blend of the grape varietals traditionally grown in the Bordeaux region of France. The blending of wine from this region is said to be the highest form of the winemaker’s art. Our 2007 Meritage is a carefully balanced blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with prevailing flavors of black cherry. This wine has a velvety smooth mouth feel and is accentuated by a good tannin structure, sufficient oak and a pleasingly long finish.

Alcohol Content: 13%
Residual Sugar: 0%

2007 Seyval Blanc

Seyval Blanc is a hybrid grape with citrus flavors and herbal characteristics on the nose. It has a moderate level of sweetness and flavors of fresh lemons and limes. The grape’s firm acidity balances well with the residual sugar for a tart, satisfying finish. We think you'll find it to be a lovely sipping wine. This wine is packaged in a 375 ml bottle - just enough to share a glass with a friend!

Bottling Date: May 9, 2008
Alcohol Content: 13%
Residual Sugar: 4%

Corcoran Vineyards
Virginia, US
www.corcoranvineyards.com

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Billy Wagner Invited to the 10th Bottle Party at Wein Bar Rutz in Berlin

Pictures: Billy Wagner at the 1oth Bottle Party at Rutz Wein Bar in Berlin

Germany’s Prädikat Wine Estates – the members of the VDP (Verband Deutscher Praedikatsweingueter) - celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the VDP in 2010 in Germany’s Capital Berlin during September 4 to 6, 2010. I was happy and proud to participate. There were a number of events with the official ceremony in the Berlin Cathedral at the center.

Among the side-events, one of the outstanding events was the “Hausbesetzung” dinner at Wein Bar Rutz on Saturday evening, September 4, 2010, followed by the 10th Bottle Party which started at 23:30. I participated in the latter. It was a fantastic party.

I have given a run-down of the whole series of events here and have reported in more detail on the event: 70 Galleries - 200 Winemakers - 1000 Wines here, on the official ceremony in the Berlin Cathedral here and on Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson, who participated in the events, here.

Rutz Wein Bar in Berlin

Rutz Wein Bar is not only a top wine bar—it is also a top restaurant and a top wine store.


Pictures: Weinmakers Philip Wittmann (above) from Weingut Wittmann and H.O. Spanier (below) from Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier in the Crowd

Rutz Wein Bar has an extensive wine list, about 1000 or so wines, largely from Germany and other European countries. For example, Rutz offers about a dozen wines from one of my favorite winemaker, Weingut Kuenstler in the Rheingau. Wein Bar Rutz also has some excellent New World wines including about a dozen different vintages of Opus One. The oldest one—1985—goes for Euro 392 in the wine store, and Euro 410 at the wine bar. The nice thing is that you can consume all wines for the wine-store- price plus a corkage fee of Euro 18. There is also a broad selection of wines by the glass.

You can also eat at the bar from the exciting bar menu; I love the “Rinderroulade”—a German specialty.

The kitchen and the main part of the restaurant, including an outside deck, are on the second floor. The restaurant is one of the best in Berlin, with 1 Michelin star. Chef Marcus Mueller offers a number of multi-course menus at various price points. You can also eat a la carte for Euro 20 to 30 per course.

Picture: Marcus Mueller

10th Bottle Party

Another strong point of the Rutz is Billy Wagner, the very entertaining and knowledgeable sommelier. He had invited for a bottle party that started 30 minutes before midnight. The entrance fee was Euro 19 or alternatively a bottle of a Grosses/Erstes Gewaechs wine.


Pictures: Billy Wagner Serving Wine

The following winemakers had donated their grand cru wines and many of them were present at the bottle party: Weingut Reinhold Haart, Weingut Dr. Loosen, Weingut Clemens Busch, Weingut Karthäuserhofberg, Weingut St. Urbans-Hof, Weingut Forstmeister-Geltz Zilliken, Weingut van Volxem, Weingut H. Dönnhoff, Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich, Gut Hermannsberg,Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn, Winneburg'sche Domäne Schloss Johannisberg, Weingut Josef Leitz, Weingut Wittmann, Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier, Weingut St. Antony, Weingut Wagner-Stempel, Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht, Weingut Georg Mosbacher, Weingut Siener, Weingut A. Christmann, Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz, Weingut Jürgen Leiner, Weingut Zehnthof - Familie Luckert, Weingut Weltner, Weingut Hans Wirsching, Weingut Gerhard Aldinger, Weingut Seeger, Weingut Salwey, Weingut Adeneuer, Weinhaus Reichsrat von Buhl, Staatsweingut Weinsberg.

Picture: Johannes Graf von Schoenburg-Glauchgau from Weingut Schloss Westerhaus in Ingelheim with Annette Schiller

The place was packed at 23:30 and only a little bit less full at 2:00 in the morning, when we left. It was a great opportunity to network and make new friends as well as to catch up with old friends.


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The Torkel of Hagnau: Pressing Grapes in the Old Days

Pictures: The Torkel of Hagnau with Christian G.E.Schiller

I visited - with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim – the Wine Cooperative Hagnau, a little village at Lake Constanze in Germany. The wine tasting started at a Torkel, an old wine press.

The Torkel of Hagnau

The Torkel of Hagnau is hugh. It dates from the year 1747. This kind of wine press is called Torkel, which comes from the latin word torquere – to turn around. The Torkel in Hagnau looks ancient, but had been in use for some of the wines from Hagnau that people may still have in their cellars - until 1956. In those days, there were 26 Torkels in Hagnau.

Before winemakers started to use a Torkel, grapes had been stamped by feet to produce must. The Romans brought the tree presses to Germany. They were used over many hundred years, until the recent past.

Picture: View of Hagnau, from the Lake

Wine Region Baden

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

Picture: Truck of the Winzerverein Hagnau

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

1. Tauberfranken, in the northeastern outskirts of the region and neighbouring Franconia. The wines are similar to the wines of Franconia, and are sold in the round Bocksbeutel bottle.

2. Badische Bergstrasse, the vineyards is a continuation of the small region Hessische Bergstrasse. This district is situated around the city of Heidelberg.

3. Kraichgau, just to the south of Badische Bergstrasse, and north-east of the city of Karlsruhe.

4. Ortenau, from Baden-Baden to just south of Offenburg is one of the more well-known districts.

5. Breisgau, from just south of Offenburg and to Freiburg. It has the highest average temperature and the number of sunshine hours of the region.

6. Kaiserstuhl, a cluster of hills of volcanic origin northwest of Freiburg with characteristic terraced vineyards.

7. Tuniberg is situated on flatter land just south of Kaiserstuhl and west of Freiburg.

8. Markgräflerland stretches from Freiburg to the Swiss border at Basel, and is known for its easy-drinking Gutedel wines.

9. Bodensee is situated in the southeastern outskirts of the region, on the northwestern shores of Lake Constance.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Karl Sonntag who was for many years the winemaker of the Winzerverein before he retired a few years ago.

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

Winzerverein Hagnau

Winzerverein Hagnau is the oldest Wine Cooperative in the Baden region. It was founded in 1881 by Pastor Dr. Heinrich Hansjakob.

The secularization of 1803, when Napoleon tried to reorganize Europe by expropriating the Church and giving the assets to dukes and margraves that were on good relations with him, had an important impact on the economic sitation of the Hagnau winemakers.

Before secularization, for about 110 years, the winemakers of Hagnau were under the rule of the Benedictine Abbey of Weingarten. The wine cellars of the Hagnauer Winzerverein date from these days. These were not bad days. Under the monastery’s rule, the winemakers received as a reward for their work half the wine yield and a field on which they could grow potatoes and vegetables for self-catering.

This changed dramatically after the secularization. The wine makers lost the field on which to grow food and had to bear all costs of wine production themselves, but were paid for their output. As it turned out, prices and revenues kept on falling. In view of the difficult situation of the smallholders, the pastor and civil rights activist of Hagnau, Dr. Heinrich Hansjakob, encouraged them to form a wine cooperative and market their wine themselves. On October 20, 1881, the first wine cooperative of Baden was founded in Hagnau at Lake Constance.

Picture: Dr. Heinrich Hansjakob, Founder of the Winzerverein Hagnau

It currently has over hundred members. In the regions of Baden and Wuerttemberg in Germany, being a member of a wine cooperative is the rule. Independent winemakers are the exception.

The vineyard area is 140 hectares. The grape distribution is as follows: 40 % Müller-Thurgau, 40 % Spätburgunder, 8 % Ruländer/Grauburgunder, 3 % Weißburgunder, 2 % Bacchus, 2 % Kerner, 5 % other, including Regent.


Pictures: In the Cellar of the Winzerverein Hagnau

On average, the yield is 9000 liter per hectar. On 10% of the vineyard area, the yield limitation is much stricter, 4500 liter per hectar, for the production of premium wines.

Wine Portfolio

The Hagnauer Winzerverein wine portfolio is broad, focusing on good quality day-to-day wines. The entry wine in the 0.75 liter bottle costs Euro 4.50. This is a tick higher than what you pay in the Pfalz or in Rheinhessen for comparable quality. However, most wines do not exceed Euro 10. One of those beyond Euro 10 is the 2007 Hagnauer Burgstall Spaetburgunder Rotwein Barrique trocken for Euro 14.90, the Haganuer Winzerverein’s best red wine.

Very popular are the Weissherbst wines, which are rosé wines from a single variety. They are often made in the off-dry style. Interestingly, the Winzerverein has a Weissherbst Eiswein in its wine portfolio, for Euro 19 in the 0.375 liter bottle.

The Winzerverein Hagnau also sells a sparkler, a 2009 Hagnauer Burgstall, Pinot, blanc de noir, brut, for Euro 10.

Winzerverein Hagnau
Hagnau, Lake Constanze, Germany
www.winzerverein-hagnau.de


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