If you are a fan of Riesling – fruity sweet, noble sweet and dry - and like good food, and have not yet been to one of the 26 Riesling Gala events at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau, you should mark your calendar and make an early reservation for the next Riesling Gala in November 2017. Tickets are for a bit more than Euro 200 and available from the VDP Rheingau and its participating members. What you will get is an amazing event in a breathtaking historic setting that starts at 11 am with a reception, goes on with a 6 course seated luncheon until 6 pm and ends with an after-party with more wine, also at the historic Kloster Eberbach.
See also:
Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau: Tour and Wine Tasting - Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
All of the pictures in this posting are mine, with the exclusions of a few pictures I took from the facebook pages of Guiseppe Lauria, Weingut Robert Weil, Weingut Leitz, Weingut Dr. Loosen, Weingut Robert Weil and Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn.
For last years' Riesling Gala, see here:
Riesling Gala 2015 at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau, Germany
Riesling Gala 2014 at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau, Germany
Rheingau Riesling Gala 2013 at Kloster Eberbach, Germany
Glorious Rheingau Days
The Rheingau Riesling Gala is the grand finale and the highlight of the Glorious Rheingau Days, an annual celebration of the Rheingau Riesling, this year for the 29th times. Over 10 days or so, VDP members of the Rheingau present their wines at winemaker dinners and similar events at the Rheingau’s top restaurants or other interesting places.
The Rheingau Riesling Gala takes place in the Laiendormitorium of Kloster Eberbach. It is a culinary and social event in which wine enthusiasts meet in the historic setting of the Laiendormitorium of Kloster Eberbach (the largest room of the Romanesque period north of the Alps) in order to celebrate the noblest of all grapes, the Riesling.
From 11 am to 6 pm, VDP producers of the Rheingau, their guest winemakers from other regions and their 600 guests enjoyed a 6 courses dinner, each course prepared by a different top chef, almost all of them Michelin-starred.
The wines served differed, depending on who was hosting you and who his or her guest winemaker was. This year, my wife Annette and I were the guests of Wilhelm Weil, whose guest winemaker was Ernst Loosen from the Mosel. So, we enjoyed the superb wines of Weingut Robert Weil and Weingut Dr. Loosen. Please note that Robert Weil wines are part of the portfolio of Loosen Bros. USA, the US wine import company of Ernst and Thomas Loosen.
The Rheingau
It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. It is a quietly beautiful region, rich in tradition. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.
The third President of the USA - and notable bon viveur - Thomas Jefferson visited the Rheingau in 1788 and wrote that the wine of the "Abbaye of Johnsberg is the best made on the Rhine without comparison … That of the year 1775 is the best." He also referred to the Rheingau’s Riesling as the "small and delicate Rhysslin which grows only from Hochheim to Rudesheim". Impressed by the quality of the Rheingau Riesling wines, he bought 100 grapevines to take back to his estate in Virginia.
The Rheingau enjoys a distinctly continental climate with cold winters and warm, but not hot, summers. The Rheingau is dominated by Riesling, accounting for 4/5 of the vineyard area. Wilhelm Weil, our host, produces only Riesling wines.
See also:
VDP.Rheingau Rhine River Boat Trip with Pre-release Presentation of the 2015 Grosses Gewächs (GG) Wines
The Rheingau and its Terroirs: Tasting with Rheingau’s Elite Winemakers, Germany
Extraordinary Views of the Rheingau Vineyards - A Spectecular Helicopter Flight over the Rheingau with Rheingau Winemakers, Germany
Reception
The event started with an outside reception, where Rheingau Charta Rieslings were served.
Gala Luncheon
6 courses in 6 hours, i.e. every hour one course with 2 wines, from Weingut Weil and Weingut Dr. Loosen at our table.
After each course, you had a bit of time to walk around, talk with other guests and try the wines of other winemakers:
Weingut Diefenhardt/ Weingut Georg Breuer
Weingut Allendorf/ Weingut Horst Sauer (Franken)
Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn/ Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier (Rheinhessen)/ Weingut Kühling-Gillot (Rheinhessen)
Weingut Lang - Urban Kaufmann/ Weingut Aldinger (Württemberg)
Weingut Balthasar Ress/ Weingut Achim von Oetinger/ Weingut von Othegraven (Mosel)
Weingut Georg Müller Stiftung/ Weingut von Hövel (Mosel)
Weingut Leitz/ Weingut Jakob Jung/ Weingut Dönnhoff (Nahe)
Weingut Barth/ Weingut Emrich-Schönleber (Nahe)
Weingut Schloss Vollrads/ Bischöfliches Weingut Trier (Mosel)
Weingut Johannishof/ Weingut Ruck (Franken)
Weingut Johannisberg/ Weingut G.H. von Mumm/ Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt (Mosel)
Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach/ Weingut Schloss Wackerberg (Sachsen)
Welcome Greetings by Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil
Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil and President of the VDP Rheingau, welcomed the guests, with all participating winemakers and the Rheingau Wine Queens.
Starter
Table Weingut Robert Weil/ Weingut Dr. Loosen (Mosel)
First Course
Marinierte Gänseleber mit Zwetschge und Brioche
Chef Jens Fischer, Restaurant Jungborn (1 Michelin Star)
2006 Weingut Robert Weil Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese VDP.Grosse Lage
1990 Weingut Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Sekt Brut
Table Weingut Leitz/ Weingut Jakob Jung/ Weingut Dönnhoff (Nahe)
Josi Leitz, Alex Jung and Anne Dönnhoff had 10 prominent winemakers from Germany and Austria as special guests had their table, who also showed their wines: Markus Schneider from Weingut Markus Schneider (Pfalz), Kilian Franzen from Weingut Franzen (Mosel), Philipp Wittmann from Weingut Wittmann (Rheinhessen), Jochen Dreissigacker from Weingut Dreissigacker (Rheinhessen), Friedrich Becker Jr. from Weingut Becker (Pfalz), Urban Stagard from Weingut Stagard (Austria), Brandy Producer Hans Reisetbauer (Austria), Walter Glatzer from Weingut Glatzer (Austria).
Second Course
Gaeng Daeng phuu - Norwegische Königskrabbe mit Chili und Lemongras-Curry, frischem grünen Pfeffer, Bitter-Aubergine, Mungobohnenchip und weissem Currypulver
Chef Terje Ommundson, Plah Restaurant in Norway
2002 Weingut Robert Weil Riesling Spätlese VDP.Gutswein
1998 Weingut Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese VDP.Grosse Lage
Table Weingut Lang - Urban Kaufmann/ Weingut Aldinger (Württemberg)
Table Weingut Georg Müller Stiftung/ Weingut von Hövel (Mosel)
Table Weingut Balthasar Ress/ Weingut Achim von Oetinger/ Weingut von Othegraven
Third Course
Kalbsbries mit Kopf und Karotte
Chef Hans Stefan Steinheuer, Zur Alten Post, 2 Michelin Stars
2013 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling
2013 Weingut Dr. Loosen Erdener Riesling Trocken GG
Table Allendorf/ Weingut Horst Sauer (Franken)
Fourth Course
Gebratener Cobia Peperoni - Vinaigrette Brunnenkresse - Miso - Sojaschaum
Chef Niels Henkel (Previously 2 Michelin Stars)
2012 Weingut Robert Weil Gräfenberg Kiedrich Riesling Trocken GG
2012 Weingut Dr. Loosen Himmelreich Graach Riesling GG
Table Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn/ Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier (Rheinhessen)/ Weingut Kühling-Gillot (Rheinhessen)
Fifth Course
Rücken vom Soonwald Reh auf Penannuss, Selleriepüree, Quarkschnitte
Chef Philipp Stein, Favorite (1 Michelin Star)
2011 Weingut Robert Weil Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken
2011 Weingut Dr. Loosen Prälat Riesling Trocken GG Reserve
Table Weingut Diefenhardt/ Weingut Georg Breuer
Table Weingut Schloss Vollrads/ Bischöfliches Weingut Trier
Sixth Course
Frankfurter Grüne Sosse mit Ei (erlikör)
Chef Matthias Schmidt, Villa Merton (2 Michelin Stars)
2009 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Auslese
1989 Weingut Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese
Table Weingut Barth/ Weingut Emrich-Schönleber (Nahe)
Table Weingut Schloss Johannisberg/ Weingut G.H. von Mumm/ Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt (Mosel)
Closing Ceremony
At the end of the luncheon, the chefs came to the stage again with their teams.
After-Party
The event ended with an after party, where one could taste all the wines that were poured during the luncheon … but also could go for a draft beer. I finsihed the 2016 Riesling Gala with a Curry Wurst.
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