Austrian Wines and Winemakers at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium in Germany (Rheingau)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Dorli Muhr, Wein + Partners, at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium

The 2nd International Riesling Symposium took place on May 26 and 27, 2014, at Schloss Rheinhartshausen in the Rheingau. Riesling experts from around the world - top winemakers, representatives from the trade and restaurant sector, and journalists – gathered to celebrate, discuss and taste the arguably most noble white grape in the world - Riesling.

I have already provided an overview about the 2nd International Riesling Symposium event: 
The 2nd International Riesling Symposium in the Rheingau, Germany

This posting focuses on Austria, more specifically, the Austrian wines that were presented and the Austrian winemakers participating in the 2nd International Riesling Symposium. See below for more postings on the 2nd International Riesling Symposium.

Pictures: Emmerich Knoll, Franz Hirtzberger, Willi Klinger, Dorli Muhr, Gerhard Elze, Fred Loimer

Riesling in the World

There are about 47000 hectares planted with Riesling worldwide. Germany – with 22500 hectares – accounts for about half of the total. The second and third largest Riesling producer are the US (mainly Washington State and Finger Lakes Region) with 4800 hectares and Australia with 4100 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Alsace, Ukraine and Austria follow with 3500 hectares, 2700 hectares and 1900 hectares, respectively.

Pictures: Dorli Muhr with Fred Loimer, Willi Klinger, Emmerich Knoll

Overall, Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine. In terms of quality wines, Riesling is usually included in the top three white wine varieties, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Riesling is highly terroir-expressive, meaning that the character of Riesling wines is clearly influenced by the wine’s place of origin.

Austrian Winemakers at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium

Weingut Bruendelmayer
Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg
Weingut Franz Hirtzberger
Weingut Jurtschitsch
Weingut Emmerich Knoll
Weingut Fred Loimer
Weingut F.X. Pichler

Austrian Wines at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium 

Austrian wines were shown in 2 of the 4 major tastings: (1) Riesling from Danube, Rhine, Nahe, and Moselle: the European Riesling Route - A Tasting at the 2014 International Riesling Symposium, Germany, Moderated by Cornelius and Fabian Lange, and (2) Riesling and Aging Potential. A Tasting at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium, led by Caro Maurer, MW, Germany.

Riesling from Danube, Rhine, Nahe, and Moselle: the European Riesling Route - A Tasting at the 2014 International Riesling Symposium, Germany, Moderated by Cornelius and Fabian Lange

Picture: Wilhelm Weil and Caro Maurer, MW, at the Riesling and Aging Potential Tasting, 2nd International Riesling Symposium

Weingut F.X. Pichler Wachau
2009 Duernstein Kellerberg Smaragd

See:
Vintage 2011 Tasting with Lucas Pichler, Weingut F.X. Pichler, with Dirk Wuertz at his Koenigsmuehle in Rheinhessen, Austria/Germany

Picture: Lucas Pichler, Weingut F.X. Pichler with Nigel Greening, Felton Road, and Annette Schiller, Ombiasy PR and WineTours

Weingut Hirtzberger Wachau
2009 Spitz Singerriedel Smaragd

Picture: Emmerich Knoll and Franz Hirtzberger

Weingut Knoll
2009 Duernstein Schuett Smaragd

Picture: Emmerich Knoll, Weingut Knoll, and Christian G.E. Schiller

Cornelius and Fabian Lange: A baroque, opulent style, with botrytis influence, is a common feature of these 7 wines. The Hirtzberger wine is a super-sized Riesling, the Knoll is peppery, the Weinbach is punchy and a bit bitter, which we like.

See:
Austria at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA  

Weingut Bründelmayer Kamptal
2010 Zoebinger Heiligenstein Alte Reben Erste Lage

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Willi Bründelmayer, Weingut Bründelmayer

Weingut Loimer Kamptal
2010 Langenlois Seeberg Erste Lage Kamptal DAC Reserve

Pictures: Fred Loimer, Weingut Loimer

Cornelius and Fabian Lange: We find a lot of modern ideas in the Bründelmayer Riesling and more traditional ideas in the van Volxem Riesling, both wines are brilliant, the Bründelmayer Riesling is like a new-borne baby fresh in your hand, with the van Volxem, we have super slate sensations, a soft appearance, notes of litchis, roses, an amazing wine, the most interesting wine is the von Winning Riesling, we find a lot of acidity, but we also find oak, which is well integrated, a most-interesting interpretation of Riesling, the Loimer Riesling is pure freshness, pure acidity, a razor sharp interpretation.

See:
Austria at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA  

Riesling and Aging Potential. A Tasting at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium, led by Caro Maurer, MW, Germany

Picture: Caro Maurer, MW

Weingut Jurtschitsch Kamptal
2003 Zöbinger Heiligenstein

Caro Maurer: 2003 was a hot and dry year, has prevented noble rot from developing, Alwin Jurtschitsch, the young winemaker, met his wife Stefanie Jurtschitsch (nee Hasselbach – Weingut Gunderloch), also a winemaker, in that year, fermented and aged in stainless steel, a very typical Kamptal wine, exotic in the nose, it shows an elegant leanness, despite the high alcohol content, which is amazing, still a very young wine.

See:
The Wines of Stefanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Weingut Jurtschitsch, Kamptal, Austria
"Wurzelwerk" Goes America: 3 Vineyards, 3 Winemakers and 9 Wines

Schloss Gobelsburg Kamptal
2002 Kammerner Gaisberg Alte Reben

Caro Maurer: Same vintage, different country, the wine is more on the floral side than on the fruity side, has some aging notes, very dry, a complex wine.

Postings about the 2014 International Riesling Symposium on schiller-wine

This posting is part of a series about the 2nd International Riesling Symposium in the Rheingau, Germany. Here is a list of the Postings already published and those still coming.

The 2nd International Riesling Symposium in the Rheingau, Germany
A Tour through the Rheingau - Visit of 3 Prestigious, Historic Rheingau Wineries: Weingut Robert Weil, Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach and Schloss Johannisberg, Germany
Rieslings from the New World – More Traditional than Rieslings from the Old World? A Tasting at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium, led by Stuart Pigott, Germany
The Grand Cru Couple from VDP.Grosse Lage – Riesling Grosses Gewächs and Riesling Spätlese. A Tasting at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium, led by Giuseppe Lauria, Germany
Riesling from Danube, Rhine, Nahe, and Moselle: the European Riesling Route - A Tasting at the 2014 International Riesling Symposium, Germany, Moderated by Cornelius and Fabian Lange
Riesling and Aging Potential. A Tasting at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium, led by Caro Maurer, MW, Germany

Wines and Winemakers from Australia and New Zealand at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium, Rheingau, Germany
Austrian Wines and Winemakers at the 2nd International Riesling Symposium in Germany (Rheingau)
German Riesling Producers at the 2. International Riesling Symposium in the Rheingau, Germany
American and Canadian Riesling Producers at the 2. International Riesling Symposium in the Rheingau, Germany

schiller-wine: Related Postings

3 Wine Tours by ombiasy Coming up in 2014: Germany-North, Germany-South and Bordeaux

New Developments in German Wine - Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society in Philadelphia, USA 

The 2nd International Riesling Symposium in the Rheingau, Germany

1st International Riesling Symposium, Rheingau, Germany

Aging Potential of Riesling – A Wine Tasting at the 1st International Riesling Symposium in Germany Led by Jancis Robinson

The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

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

Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA

Top 10 Riesling Producers in the World – Snooth 2012

Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany

Vintage 2011 Tasting with Lucas Pichler, Weingut F.X. Pichler, with Dirk Wuertz at his Koenigsmuehle in Rheinhessen, Austria/Germany 

Austria at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

The Wines of Stefanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Weingut Jurtschitsch, Kamptal, Austria

"Wurzelwerk" Goes America: 3 Vineyards, 3 Winemakers and 9 Wines

Wining and Dining with a Princess: Wine Pairing Dinner with the German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner at Restaurant 2941 in Northern Virginia, USA

Picture: German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner and her Guests at Restaurant 2941, 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA

Wine Majesties have a long tradition in Germany. Basically all wine villages, wine regions and the country as a whole have wine queens and wine princesses. Of course, the crème de la crème are the national wine majesties, the German Wine Queen and the two German Wine Princesses.

One of the two reigning German Wine Princesses, Sabine Wagner, came to the US for an East Coast Tour (Northern Virginia, Philadelphia and Washington DC) with a series of 6 events between June 25 and June 30, 2014. The trip was organized by Annette Schiller (Ombiasy PR and WineTours) and supported by the German Wine Institute (Mainz, Germany) and the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter).

Picture: Arriving at Restaurant 2941

I have already provided an overview about the East Coast Tour of German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner. This posting focuses on one special event, the German Wine Pairing event at 2941 Restaurant, one of the top restaurants in Virginia, with wines from Dr. Loosen, Doennhoff, Schnaitmann, Becker and Kruger-Rumpf. We were a group of 30 German wine lovers.

US East Coast Tour of German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner

Annette Schiller: This was a fabulous week for German wine. Many of you participated in one or several of the events with Sabine Wagner, the reigning German wine princess. Sent by the German Wine Institute as ambassador for German wine she was here to promote German wine. Ombiasy PR and WineTours  organized tastings, wine pairing dinners, classes, and a BYOW party at our house. I think we all learned a lot from Sabine’s presentations on German wine in general, on the new classification for German wine, and on the rigorous knowledge competition throughout several years to become the National Ambassador for German wine. Sabine showed us wines from entry level to ultra-premium level, and from bone dry to sweet. It was a showcase of what serious German winemakers are capable of producing.

Picture: Dinner and Lecture

Wining and Dining with a Princess: Wine Pairing Dinner with Chef Bertrand Chemel and the German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner

Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Restaurant 2941, 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042

Restaurant 2941: 2941 is one of the most celebrated restaurants in the metropolitan area. The restaurant is nestled in the heart of Falls Church, VA, surrounded by lush landscaping, koi ponds, waterfalls, world-class artwork, and a lakeside view. Named by Washingtonian Magazine in 2014 as a 100 Very Best Restaurant.

See also:
Dining with Côte de Beaune Winemaker Pascal Maillard, Domaine Maillard Père et Fils, at Restaurant 2941 in Virginia, USA

Annette Schiller, Ombiasy PR and WineTours announcement: Wine pairing dinner with German and Austrian wines at restaurant 2941 in Falls Church, VA. Chef Bertrand Chemel will surprise us with a fantastic menu matching the wines selected. Bertrand Chemel is an extraordinary chef and I am very sure that he would have earned a Michelin-star if there would be a Michelin guide for this area. The setting of this restaurant is also very beautiful, very serene and perfectly interwoven with its surrounding nature. I am very proud to team up with him to make this dinner happen.

The Event

Canapés

yellowfin tuna tartare serve in a sesame cone
mini burger, tomato, lettuce, brioche buns
crispy shrimp, yuzu aioli

Dr. L, Sekt Riesling, Mosel, Germany (N.V.)

Slow Cook Salmon & Lobster Roll
avocado, tobiko wasabi, haricots vert

Donnhoff, Trocken, Riesling, Nahe, Germany (2012)

Saucisson A l’Ail En Brioche
Dijon mustard jus

Schnaitmann, Lemberger Trocken, Baden, Germany (2012)

Orecchiette
braised rabbit leg, English peas, fennel, herbs

Becker Family, Pinot Noir, Pfalz, Germany (2010)

Pheasant Duo
Thai yellow curry, roasted artichoke, lemongrass

Kruger-Rumpf, Dautenpflanzer, Riesling, Grosses Gewaches, Nahe, Germany (2012)

Dessert

Beesting
honey, caramelized almond, berries

Thanks Chef Bertrand Chemel

Pictures: German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner, Annette Schiller, ombiasy PR and WineTours and Chef  Bertrand Chemel

Good Night

Picture: Leaving Restaurant 2941

Postings on schiller-wine about the US East Coast Tour of German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner

This posting is part of a series of postings covering the US East Coast tour of German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner.

German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner on US East Coast Tour, US/Germany

Wining and Dining with a Princess: German Wine Pairing Dinner with the German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner at Restaurant 2941 in Northern Virginia, US

German Wine Tastings with the German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner at the German Wine Society (Philadelphia Chapter), US

German Wine Tastings with the German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), US

The German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, US

Riesling Summer at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA

A German Riesling Pairing Event at Evo Bistro in McLean, Virginia - A Royal Wine Visit from Princess Sabine Wagner, US

schiller-wine: Related Postings

3 Wine Tours by ombiasy Coming up in 2014: Germany-North, Germany-South and Bordeaux

New Developments in German Wine - Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society in Washington DC, USA

New Developments in German Wine - Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society in Philadelphia, USA 

A Date with the German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner at Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz, Germany

Summer of Riesling with Annette and Christian Schiller in Washington DC, USA

Winemaker Dinner with Château LAFON-ROCHET Wines and Winemaker Anaïs Maillet at Chef Bart Vandaele’s Hipp B Too Restaurant in Washington DC, US/France

"Wurzelwerk" Goes America: 3 Vineyards, 3 Winemakers and 9 Wines

Weingut von Hoevel – The New Generation: Max von Kunow in Washington DC, US  

The Annual “New German Vintage” Tasting of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) led by Phil Bernstein - 2012 Vintage, Germany/USA

Dining with Côte de Beaune Winemaker Pascal Maillard, Domaine Maillard Père et Fils, at Restaurant 2941 in Virginia, USA

The 100 Most Influential Wine Peeps on Social Media (Mid-2014)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and UK-based Wine Journalist Tim Atkin in Seattle, USA

The Wine Wankers, based in Australia, issued a new list with “100 Most Influential Wine Peeps on Social Media”. Initially, they had limited the list to the top 50 but eventually expanded it to 100.

Starting point for the exercise were the lists produced by VinePair and The Wine Hub. The Wine Wankers: After reviewing these two lists I decided to create a couple of lists of my own using the well accepted influence rankings of Klout and also the rankings of the second most widely accepted agency, that being Kred. My two lists not only include individuals, they also include wine entities and organisations involved in wine media. So, here are the 75 most influential wine entities on the net as at mid July 2014. .... Now the top 100  I’ve had many responses to this post and based on the feedback the list has become the top 100.  Unless there’s been a major omission there will not be any further change and the list will remain at 100… it’s a good number for the list and I think it is now very comprehensive.  I was pointed to two further sources, the Wikipedia list of wine personalities and the Vintank most important blogger list.  I researched the two links (and the associated comments) and discovered that although some people made the cut there were many that didn’t.  It just proves again that internet and social media influence is a new world of wine and many well known wine identities don’t have a strong enough presence to make the lists.  Maybe they don’t care, and so be it.

Germans on the Lists

Three Germans are on the list: Mario Scheuermann, Ralf Kaiser and Christian Schiller (Klout Ranking) or, Christian Schiller, Ralf Kaiser and Mario Scheuermann (Kred Ranking)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Ralf Kaiser in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany

Klout and Kred Rankings

So, here are the 100 most influential wine entities on the net as at mid July 2014.

	KLOUT RANKINGS					KRED RANKINGS
Rank	Wine Entity	Score			Rank	Wine Entity	Score1	Score2
1	Wine Spectator	87			1	Ken “alawine” Waggoner	951	10
2	Jancis Robinson	84			2	The Wine Wankers	922	9
3	Decanter Magazine	82			3	The Drinks Business Magazine	914	7
4	Tim Atkin	81			4	Jancis Robinson	905	7
	Jamie Goode	81			5	Rick Bakas	904	9
6	The Wine Wankers	80			6	Wine Spectator	904	5
	Reverse Wine Snob	80			7	Reverse Wine Snob	898	9
	Alder Yarrow	80			8	Randall Grahm	895	8
9	Snooth	78			9	Decanter Magazine	895	6
10	The Wine Hub	77			10	Cliff Brown	893	9
	Randall Grahm	77			11	Wine Enthusiast	890	7
12	Andre Ribeirinho	76			12	Wine Twits	889	8
13	Wine Folly	74			13	Tim Atkin	887	8
	Wine Harlots	74			14	Eric Asimov	885	7
15	Paul Mabray	72			15	Jamie Goode	882	8
	Marilena Barbera	72			16	Olly Smith	874	8
	Fabien Lainé	72			17	Wine Harlots	870	8
	Dusan Jelic	72			18	The Wine Hub	868	8
	Magnus Reuterdahl	72			19	1 Wine Dude	860	9
20	Ken “alawine” Waggoner	71			20	Palate Xposure	850	9
	Russ Beebe	71			21	Natalie MacLean	846	8
	Ilkka Sirén	71			22	Robert Joseph	842	8
23	Sip on This Juice	70			23	Wine Folly	840	8
	Ana Sofia Oliveira	70			24	Snooth	835	6
	Emmanuel Delmas	70			25	Andre Ribeirinho	823	8
	Vincent Pétré	70			26	Dusan Jelic	818	8
	Robert Joseph	70			27	Bruised Grape	816	9
	Robert McIntosh	70			28	Robert Parker Jnr	816	3
	The Drinks Business Magazine	70			29	Sip on This Juice	815	9
30	Grape Friend	69			30	Will Lyons	815	8
	Rick Bakas	69			31	Robert McIntosh	814	8
32	Julie Brosterman	67			32	Dr Vino	814	7
	John Corcoran	67			33	James Suckling	804	7
	Andrea Petrini	67			34	Paul Mabray	802	8
	Peter Handzus	67			35	Twe Sommelier	799	8
	Wine Sisterhood	67				Wine Library	799	8
	Jameson Fink	67			37	Emmanuel Delmas	798	8
	Meg Maker	67			38	Magnus Reuterdahl	796	9
	Jasmine Hirsch	67			39	Alder Yarrow	794	6
40	Clayton Bahr	66			40	Lenn Thompson	793	9
	Wine Twits	66			41	Marilena Barbera	793	8
	Simon Woolf	66			42	Meg Maker	792	8
	Elisabetta Tosi	66			43	Russ Beebe	788	8
	Eric Asimov	66				Evan Dawson	788	8
45	Wine Enthusiast	65			45	Oz Clarke	788	6
	1 Wine Dude	65			46	Wine Sisterhood	787	8
	Ryan Opaz	65				Enobytes Wine	787	8
	Wine Consumer Magazine	65			48	Michelle Williams	786	9
	Mario Scheuermann	65			49	Jameson Fink	786	8
	Giampiero Nadali	65			50	Erik Johnson	785	8
51	Wine Walkabout	64			51	David White	785	7
	Lynton Manuel	64			52	Marcy Gordon	784	8
	Twe Sommelier	64				Leslie Hartley-Sbrocco	784	8
	Gwendolyn Alley	64			54	Alice Feiring	784	7
	Ralf Kaiser	64			55	John Corcoran	784	5
	Wisequeen Donna Jackson	64			56	The Academic Wino	783	8
	David White	64			57	Vincent Pétré	782	8
	Debra Meiburg	64				Wine Compass	782	8
	Erik Johnson	64			59	Debra Meiburg	782	7
60	Robert Parker Jnr	63			60	The Drunken Cyclist	779	8
	The Drunken Cyclist	63			61	Tom Wark	777	6
	Travelling Corkscrew	63			62	Travelling Corkscrew	773	8
	The Academic Wino	63			63	Talia Baiocchi	773	7
	Adam Japko	63			64	Jason Solanki	772	8
	Natalie MacLean	63			65	Mark Oldman	772	7
	Christian Schiller	63			66	Andrea Gori	771	8
	Will Lyons	63			67	Grape Friend	771	7
	Olly Smith	63			68	Ryan Opaz	770	7
	Tom Wark	63			69	Wine Searcher	769	6
70	Wine Searcher	62			60	Adam Japko	768	7
	Dr Vino	62				Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan MW	768	7
	Andrea Gori	62			72	Hudson Valley Wine Goddess	767	8
	Cliff Brown	62				Ilkka Sirén	767	8
	Lenn Thompson	62				Clayton Bahr	767	8
	Mark Oldman	62				Peter Handzus	767	8
	Talia Baiocchi	62				Magnus Ericsson	767	8
	Peter Liem	62				50 States of Wine	766	8
78	Michelle Williams	61			78	Christian Schiller	763	8
	Frankie Cook	61			79	Fabien Lainé	763	7
	Wine Compass	61				Vinogger	763	7
	Hudson Valley Wine Goddess	61			81	Jasmine Hirsch	762	7
	50 States of Wine	61			82	Wine Walkabout	758	8
	Magnus Ericsson	61			83	Elisabetta Tosi	756	7
84	Oz Clarke	60			84	Richard Jennings	754	6
	Bruised Grape	60			85	Tristan Fairbanks	752	8
	Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan MW	60			86	Peter Liem	752	3
	Palate Xposure	60			87	Julie Brosterman	747	7
	Alice Feiring	60			88	Gwendolyn Alley	743	7
	Brett Jones	60				Frankie Cook	743	7
	James Suckling	60			90	Simon Woolf	742	7
	Enobytes Wine	60				Jeb Dunnuck	742	7
	Evan Dawson	60			92	Wisequeen Donna Jackson	739	8
	Leslie Hartley-Sbrocco	60			93	Brett Jones	735	6
	Richard Jennings	60			94	Ralf Kaiser	733	7
95	Vinogger	59			95	Mario Scheuermann	730	7
	Wine Library	59			96	Andrea Petrini	727	6
	Jeb Dunnuck	59			97	Giampiero Nadali	722	6
	Tristan Fairbanks	59			98	Wine Consumer Magazine	642	5
99	Jason Solanki	58			99	Ana Sofia Oliveira	632	5
100	Marcy Gordon	56			100	Lynton Manuel	609	4

Klout and Kred

About Klout - Klout uses various networks to measure influence including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, Instagram, Bing, Google+, Tumblr, Foursquare, YouTube, Blogger, WordPress, Last.fm, Yammer and Flickr to derive a score out of 100. Apparently a score of 63 puts you in the top 1-5% of all entities rated.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Dr. Vino in Rioja, Spain

About Kred - Kred only measures social media influence derived from Twitter and Facebook. It has 2 scores, one out of 1000 measuring social media influence and one out of 12 measuring outreach, ie how “social” an entity really is. Apparently a score over 750 puts you in the top 1% and a score over 800 puts you in the top 0.1% of all entities on social media.

Here is the link to the posting of the Wine Wankers.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

2014 Wine Blog Awards Finalists

#Winechat at Capital Grille in Washington DC with Fellow Wine Bloggers and Virginia Wine Producers, USA

Social Media Wine Influencers and #Winelover-s (2013)

Germany's Wine Makers and twitter

Wine and Web 2.0 in Germany 

Schiller's List of Twitter Handles of German Wine Makers

Top 100 Global Wine Tweeters - 2013

Germany’s Top Winemakers and Social Media (2014)

Complete List of Wine Blogs in the World (April 2013)

Weingut Robert Weil, Kiedrich, Rheingau, Germany: Super Sommerfest/Summer Party 2014

Picture: Wilhelm Weil, Ralf Frenzel and Klaus Westrick - Sommerfest/Summer Party 2014 at Weingut Robert Weil, Kiedrich, Germany

This year, Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Rheingau, Germany, teamed up with Ralf Frenzel, Tre Torri Verlag and Fine Das Weinmagazin, and Klaus Westrick, XLS Solutions, for his traditional Sommerfest at Weingut Robert Weil. It was an outstanding event. My wife Annette Schiller and I stayed until 4:00 am in the morning with Wilhelm Weil and others.

The pictures in this posting were provided by Weingut Robert Weil, Dirk Würtz, Desiree Schröder, Barbara Fienhold and myself.

Picture: Invitation

30 top winemakers from Germany and other European countries were among the 500 guests.

I spotted from Germany: Armin and Caroline Diel (and their spouses), Schlossgut Diel, Nik Weis, Weingut St. Urbanshof, Sebastian Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag, the wife of Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen (Ernie was sick), Manfred and Katharina Prüm, Weingut J.J. Prüm, Michael Prinz zu Salm-Salm, Weingut Prinz Salm, Dirk Würtz, Weingut Balthasar Ress, Christian Witte, Domäne Schloss Johannisberg and Weingut G.H. von Mumm, Ludwig Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Urban Kaufmann, Hans Lang and Eva Raps, Weingut Hans Lang, Dieter Greiner, Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach, Hans Oliver Spanier and Caroline Spanier-Gillot, Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot, Fritz Gröbe and his wife, Weingut K.F. Gröbe, Klaus Peter Keller and his wife, Weingut Keller, Bernhard Prinz von Baden, Weingut Markgraf von Baden.

Pictures: Welcome with Weil Sekt

All the winemakers/owners from abroad came a day early to participate in a very special tasting orchestrated by Ralf Frenzel and the European Fine Wine Magazin (see the forthcoming article in the European Fine Wine Magazin).

Pictures: The Tasting with the Winemakers/Owners from abroad before the Sommerfest

The winemakers/owners from abroad included: Emelie Borie, Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste, Tommaso Cavalli, Tenuta Degli Dei, Didier Cuvelier, Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Veronique Dausse, Chateau Phelan Segur, Alejandro Fernandez, Pesquera, Martin Foradori, Weingut J. Hofstätter, Gaia Gaja, Angelo Gaja, Stephan Graf von Neipperg, Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, Tenuta San Leonardo, Axel Heinz, Orellaia, Franz Hirtzberger, Manuel Lozada, Numanthia, Michael Moosbrugger, Schloss Gobelsburg, Johanna Elisabth Pichler, Weingut F.X. Pichler, Walter Polz, Olympia Romba, Monteverro, Veronique Sanders, Chateau Haut-Bailly, Alexander van Beek, Chateau Giscours and Chateau du Terre.

Pictures: Armin Diel and wife (Schlossgut Diel), Didier Cuvelier (Leoville Poyferre), Annette Schiller (ombiasy PR and WineTours), Helmut Doennhoff and daughter (Weingut Doennhoff), Desiree Schroeder (Weingut Dr. Loosen), Alejandro Fernandez (Pesquera), Christian G.E. Schiller, Stephan Graf von Neipperg (Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere) and Guiseppe Lauria (Gault and Millau) with partner

Wilhelm Weil: Man kann nicht nur arbeiten ... feiern gehört auch dazu! Deshalb wird auf Weingut Robert Weil sowohl hart gearbeitet als auch hart gefeiert! Danke an alle Freunde, die bei unserem Sommerfest dabei waren! - Work hard, play hard. That's the philosophy at Weingut Robert Weil where we believe that celebration requires every bit the same passion and dedication as hard work. Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who helped make our summer festival such a huge success!

Picture: By Barbara Fienhold (BISS - Kulinarische Zeitung)

Annette Schiller, ombiasy PR and WineTours: Ja, this was fantastic: 27 wines: the best of the best from Germany, Bordeaux, Italy, US. This great picture above reflects the beauty of the place. This is one of my favorite spots in the Rheingau: sitting on the terrace of Weingut Weil, having a Turmberg, Riesling, Premier Cru, in the glass and looking out to the Turmberg. Life can't get any better!!!

Weingut Robert Weil

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

Pictures: The Food and the Wines

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

Pictures: Selfies with Nik Weis (Weingut St. Urbanshof), Guiseppe Lauria and Dirk Würtz (Weingut Balthasar Ress)

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

In 1988, the estate was sold by Robert Weil to the Japanese beverage group Suntory, and his son Wilhelm appointed as estate director.

Pictures: It is getting dark and Weingut Robert Weil

The vineyards are planted 100% with Riesling. The estate’s dedication to Riesling since 1875 has led numerous observers of the international wine world to regard Weingut Robert Weil as a worldwide symbol of German Riesling culture. A Riesling wine of the 1893 vintage, grown on the Gräfenberg site, made the estate famous. The imperial Habsburg court in Vienna purchased 800 bottles of this wine at a price of 16 gold Marks per bottle in 1900. The 1920 vintage of the Kiedricher Gräfenberg Trockenbeerenauslese is described as a Zeppelin wine, as it was served on board the LZ 127 „Graf Zeppelin” dirigible on its circumnavigation of the world in 1929. Robert Weil’s top botrytis wines are sold today at extremely high prices - they are among the most expensive in the world. The current world record (in 2006) is held by a 1999 Weil Trockenbeerenauslese, at DM 5.000 (EUR 2500).

Pictures: Dancing

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

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Christian G.E. Schiller's Review of the Book: Ralf Frenzel (ed.) - Riesling, Robert Weil. Tre Torri, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2013, in: Journal of Wine Economics, Volume 9, 2014, No. 1, Cambridge University Press

Weingut Robert Weil Goes Facebook, Germany

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

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

The 2nd International Riesling Symposium in the Rheingau, Germany

Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany

3 Wine Tours by ombiasy Coming up in 2014: Germany-North, Germany-South and Bordeaux