Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller at the Rieslingfeier 2017 in New York City with Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, Mosel
Rieslingfeier is an annual event in New York City that celebrates Riesling, in particular German Riesling. The cornerstone event is the Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner. Inspired by Daniel Johnnes’ famous Burgundy fête “La Paulée” it is very likely the greatest German wine BYOB dinner in the world, with both winemakers and guests bringing special bottles from their cellars to share.
Rieslingfeier is orchestrated by Stephen Bitterolf of the vom Boden wine importing company.
Pictures: New York Impressions
This year, Rieslingfeier took place on Friday, February 17 and Saturday February 18. 13 top German wine producers and (for the first time) 2 top Austrian winemakers were in attendance.
Almost all of the photos are mine. I used a few photos from other participants, which they put on facebook.
For last year's Rieslingfeier, see:
A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA
The 11 Winemakers: Rieslingfeier 2015 in New York City, USA
Riesling Crawl in New York City – Or, Where to Buy German Wine in Manhattan: Schiller's Favorite Wine Stores, USA
The Gala Dinner of the Rieslingfeier 2015 in New York City, USA
Joining
Annette Schiller, who organizes wines tours (ombiasyPR and WineTours), and Christian Schiller, who blogs on schiller-wine, joined the 2017 celebration of German Riesling. We were happy to meet the participating German elite winemakers. Many of them we know personally. Some of them we call our friends.
See: Announcement: ombiasy WineTours 2017 to Germany, Bordeaux and Burgundy with Annette and Christian Schiller
Pictures: Christian Schiller and Caroline Diel with Anouk at Schlossgut Diel. See: Tasting with Sylvain Taurisson Diel at Schlossgut Diel, Nahe – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Pictures: With Johannes Leitz at Weingut Leitz. See: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Leitz in Rüdesheim, with Johannes Leitz – Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Picture: With Johannes Selbach at Weingut Selbach-Oster in Zeltingen, Mosel. See: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Selbach-Oster in Zeltingen, Mosel, with Johannes Selbach – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Picture: At Weingut von Winning in Deidesheim, Pfalz. See: Tour and Tasting at Weingut von Winning in Deidesheim, Pfalz – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany
Pictures: At Weingut Clemens Busch with Rita and Clemens Busch. See:Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Clemens Busch – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Picture: Tasting at Weingut Schloss Lieser in Lieser with Owner/ Winemaker Thomas Haag. See: Tasting at Weingut Schloss Lieser in Lieser with Owner/ Winemaker Thomas Haag – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016
Picture: Thomas Haag, Weingut Schloss Lieser, and Christian Schiller in Mainz
Picture: Annette Schiller and Helmut Dönnhoff at Weingut Dönnhoff. See: Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Official Rieslingfeier and Rieslingfeier Side Events
There were 2 kinds of events. First, there was the official Rieslingfeier program: The official program comprised 3 major blocks: (1) A series of 4 seminars on Friday; (2) the Grändtasting on Saturday during the day and the (3) Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner on Saturday evening.
Second, there were Rieslingfeier side events, including winemaker dinners and tastings. A very special side event was a BYOB dinner on Friday evening at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, with many Rieslingfeier winemakers participating, organized by a Riesling fanatic based in New York. Finally, Annette and I did a few things unrelated to the Rieslingfeier, which I am also ncluding in the Rieslingfeier Side Events part of this posting.
Official Rieslingfeier 2017 Events
Friday February 17
Seminars
The kick-off was Friday, February 17 at Cork Restaurant with of a series of 4 seminars.
10:30am-11:30am: “Speaking German” – German wines in the contemporary landscape
Growers: Caroline Diel, Cornelius Dönnhoff and Johannes Leitz
Moderators: Eduardo Porto Carreiro (Untitled), and Raj Vaidya (Restaurant Daniel)
“Speaking German” was an industry-only tasting/discussion focusing on the challenges, and rewards, of German wines, with a focus on restaurant and retail practices. The 3 producers each poured a GG and a Kabinett wine. This was a free, industry-only seminar.
Pictures: “Speaking German” – German wines in the contemporary landscape
12:00-1:00pm: Different Strokes for Different Slopes: Germany and Austria
Growers: Leo Alzinger, Clemens Busch, Eva Fricke and Franz Hirtzberger
Moderator: David Schildknecht, Vinous Media
Steep slope, riverside viticulture: Riesling lovers inevitably celebrate it, and few growers have more formidably mastered it than these four. But terraces of slate overlooking the Mosel or Rhine and those of Urgestein along the Danube differ dramatically from one another. The seminar explored how the techniques and styles of these estates and their respective regions have adapted to their terroirs, and challenge their proprietors to explain: “What’s so special about steep slopes, terraces or river exposure?” $35.00
Picture: Different Strokes for Different Slopes: Germany and Austria
1:30-2:30pm: GIANTS: 2005 vs. 2015
Growers: Thomas Haag (Schloss Lieser), Egon Müller IV, Johannes Selbach and Daniel Vollenweider
Moderator: Stephen Bitterolf, Rieslingfeier Founder
The vintages 2005 and 2015 are perhaps the two most critically acclaimed German vintages of this young century. While both vintages came to the market with big scores and big expectations, this tasting offered a chance to compare the vintages, side by side. How do these two giants compare? This tasting focused on Mosel estates, with each grower presenting the same bottling from the two different vintages. $50.00
Picture: Thomas Haag and his Son Arriving at the Seminar
3:00-4:00pm: Radikals: business as not usual
Growers: Hans-Joseph Becker, Jochen Beurer, Andreas Hütwohl (Von Winning) and Johannes Weber (Hofgut Falkenstein)
Moderator: Paul Grieco (Terroir)
This seminar focused on the radicals of German winemaking, growers who have gone against the grain by either pushing beyond the historical boundaries of their region, or, in fact, returning to traditions long forgotten. Four unique estates, each representing a unique terroir of Germany: Rheingau, Swabia, Pfalz and Saar. Think you know German wine? To quote the bard: “There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” $35.00
Pictures: Radikals: business as not usual
Saturday, February 18
Rieslingfeier Gränd Tasting
All the Rieslingfeier growers were be in attendance for this walk-around tasting. The event largely focused on wines from the 2015 vintage.
Pictures: Stephen Bitterolf at the Gränd Tasting
Pictures: Annette Schiller, Eva Becker, Hajo Becker, Stephen Bitterolf
Picture: Egon Müller
Picture: Thomas Haag and Evan Springarn, David Bowler Wine
Picture: Johannes Selbach
Picture: Andreas Hütwohl of Weingut Von Winning, Pfalz, with Annette Schiller
Picture: Clemens Busch
Picture: Eva Fricke, Annette Schiller, Christian Schiller
Picture: Jochen Beurer
Picture: Caroline and Sylvain Diel
Picture: Cornelius Dönnhoff
Picture: Johannes Leitz
Picture: Johannes Weber of Hofgut Falkenstein, Mosel
Picture: Daniel Vollenweider of Weingut Vollenweider, Mosel, with Xiao Peng
Picture: Rieslingfeier Gränd Tasting
5th Annual Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner
Saturday, February 18th, 2017 | 7pm
Reynard | Wythe Hotel
80 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Picture: Wythe Hotel
The arguably most spectacular Riesling Party of North America took place at the trendy Reynard in the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, on Saturday, February 18. About 130 wine freaks made the pilgrimage from across the country to NYC to be with 13 top German producers and 2 Austrian producers, leading wine and food journalists, importers, and sommeliers to enjoy a casual dinner and Riesling rarities.
Picture: Hajo Becker
There were 14 tables with 1 winemaker and 10 guests at each table. There was one table with 2 winemakers at the same table.
The five course meal was customized by Reynard’s Chef Sean Rembold to pair with dry and off-dry Riesling.
The wine service was presided over by Rieslingfeier Chef Sommelier Raj Vaidya along with a group of the country's top sommeliers.
Picture: Rieslingfeier Chef Sommelier Raj Vaidya
My wife Annette Schiller and I were sitting with Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch from the Mosel. At each table, about 20 wines were served. At my table, were pouring the wines.
All the wines were outstanding, but some of them were out of this world. You could walk to other tables and taste the wines poured there. Guests and winemakers also walked around and shared the wines with other people.
The evening began at 7pm with a Weingut Dreissigacker Sekt reception. Dinner started at 8:00pm sharp and ended at around midnight. Some of us went to the rooftop bar of the Wythe Hotel to end the evening with a gorgious view of Manhattan.
Attending German star winemaker Johannes Leitz called it a „slaughterhouse event“.
Reception with Dreissigacker Sekt
The evening began at 7pm with a Weingut Dreissigacker Sekt reception.
Picture: Weingut Dreissigacker 2013 Riesling Brut Sekt
Picture: Sekt Reception
Picture: Annette Schiller and Daniel Vollenweider of Weingut Vollenweider, Mosel
Picture: Clemens Busch and David Schildknecht
Picture Johannes Selbach and Valerie Masten of Skurnik Wines with Husband Jon Bonné
Picture: Eva and Hajo Becker
Picture: Caroline Diel, Schlossgut Diel, and Andreas Hütwohl, Weingut Von Winning
Picture: Egon Müller and Cornelius Dönnhoff
Picture: Pascaline Lepeletier, Rouge Tomate, and Jochen Beurer
14 Tables
There were 14 tables with one winemaker and 10 guests or so sitting at one table. (There was one table with 2 winemakers).
Picture: Stephen Bitterolf Opening the Dinner
Picture: Weingut Selbach Oster Table
Picture: Weingut Egon Müller Table
Picture: Weingut Leitz Table
Picture: Weingut Hirtzberger Table
Picture: Weingut J.B. Becker Table
Picture: Weingut Schloss Lieser Thomas Haag Table
Picture: Hofgut Falkenstein Table
Picture: Weingut Vollenweider Table
Picture: Weingut Von Winning Table
Picture: Weingut Dönnhoff Table
Picture: Weingut Beurer Table
Picture: Weingut Eva Fricke Table
Picture: Schlossgut Diel Table
Picture:Weingut Alzinger Table
Picture: Weingut Clemens Busch Table
The Dinner
Picture: Eduardo Porto Carreiro (Untitled) and Taylor Parsons ((Whole Clusters) were the Somms at the Weingut Clemens Busch Table
Picture: The Menu
Picture: Fluke Crudo with Coriander, Caraway, Chili
Picture Clemens Busch and Pascaline Lepeletier, Rouge Tomate
Picture: Cornelius Dönnhoff Sharing his Wine with us
Picture: Beef Carpaccio, Spiced Butter, Pickled Collard Greens
Picture: 2010 Keller Kirchspiel
Picture: Taylor Parsons Pouring
Picture: Blackened Trout, Smoked Celery Root Puree, Fresh Lemon
Picture: Annette Schiller Sharing, with Andreas Hütwohl, Weingut von Winning, Valerie Masten, Skurnik Wines and Husband and Wine Writer Jon Bonné
Picture: Andreas Hütwohl, Weingut von Winning, Valerie Masten, Skurnik Wines and Husband and Wine Writer Jon Bonné
Picture: Annette Schiller Sharing with David Schildknecht
Picture: Annette Schiller Sharing with David Schildknecht
Picture: Sylvain Diel
Picture: Duck Breast, Harissa Spice, Lentils, Butter Cabbage
Picture: Our BYOB Wines - Weingut Schloss Proschwitz in Sachseb and Weingut Lützkendorf in Saale Unstrut, both GGs
Picture: Tables are Filling up with Bottles
Picture: Tables are Filling up with Bottles
Picture: Tables are Filling up with Bottles
Picture: Weingut Leitz Big Bottle
Picture: Tomme de Chevre and Muffato with Lemon Verbena Honey, Almonds
Picture: Evening is Coming to an End
Picture: Annette Schiller and Egon Müller
Picture: Hajo Becker and Pascaline Lepeletier, Rouge Tomate
Picture: Thomas Haag and Clemens Busch
Picture: Hajo Becker and Eva Fricke
Picture: Evening is Coming to an End
Picture: Weingut Keller TBA 2003
Picture: Weingut Leitz 1976
Picture: Annette Schiller and Stephen Bitterolf
Picture: Johannes Selbach Signing
Picture: Clemens Busch, Annette Schiller, Christian Schiller
Picture: Annette Schiller and Jochen Beurer
Picture: Christian Schiller, Annette Schiller and Jochen Beurer
Picture: The End
Picture: Hajo and Eva Becker with Annette Schiller
Picture: Rare Wines
Picture: Hajo Becker Taking a Final look
Picture: After Dinner Drinks at the Rooftop Bar with a Great View of Manhattan
Rieslingfeier Side Events
Wednesday, February 15
Pre-Rieslingfeier Event in Washington DC
For us, the Rieslingfeier started on Wednesday evening (February 15) in Washington DC at MacArthur Beverages. Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages had convinced Johannes Selbach to travel from Germany to New York via Washington DC and to show his new vintage to Phil‘s customers in Washington DC.
Pictures: Johannes Selbach of Weingut Selbach-Oster at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, with Phil Bernstein and Annette Schiller
Thursday, February 16
Annette and I travelled to New York via bus on Thursday. We had made reservations at the Metropolitan Opera. Before the opera, we joined Johannes Leitz at a tasting close by the opera.
Pictures: Tasting with Johannes Leitz, Weingut Leitz, in New York City
Pictures: Werther (Jules Massenet) at the Metropolitan Opera with Dinner during the Intermission (36 minutes)
Following the opera, we were torn between joining Clemens Busch at Rouge Tomate where Star Sommelier Pascaline Lepeletier had organized a winemaker dinner with Weingut Clemens Busch and Weingut Falkenhof that evening.
Picture: Eva Fricke, Clemens Busch, Pascaline Lepeletier, Rouge Tomate, Paul Grieco, Terroir, Johannes Weber of Hofgut Falkenstein, Mosel, Lars Carlberg
We left the Met at 11:00 pm and felt that it was too late for Rouge Tomate, which usually closes at midnight. However, we were wrong. Somm Pascale Lepeltithe er told us the next day that guest and winemakers stayed until 2:00 pm.
Instead, we went to Williamsburg to Maison Premier, a well known for oysters and cocktails and open until 2:00 pm during the week and 4:00 pm during the weekend, for our project: On the Heels of Stuart Pigott. Leading German wine journalist Stuart Pigott used to live in Williamsburg for a few years. He just published an article in Der Feinschmecker, a leading German Gourmet Journal, in which he describes afew of his favorite New York spots, including Maison Premier, which is just around the corner from where Stuart used to live.
Pictures: On the Heels of Stuart Pigott - Maison Premier in Williamsburg
Friday, February 17
Lunch at The Lobster Place in Chelsea
Annette and I attended the first seminar only. We then went to the The Lobster Place in the Chelsea Market for a light lunch.
Pictures: Sushi at The Lobster Place
Happy Hour at Terroir
At 4:00 we met for Happy Hour drinks at Paul Greco‘s Terroir with German Wine Importer Justin Christoph an his wife.
Picture: Danielle King, Caroline Diel, Sylvain Diel, Justin Christoph, Christian Schiller
Picture: Annette Schiller and Paul Grieco
Picture: Valerie Masten of Skurnik Wines and Husband and Wine Journalist Jon Bonnéwith Sommelier/ Wine Consultant Sabra Lewis
BYOB Dinner with Rieslingfeier Producers in Chinatown
A very special side event was a BYOB dinner on Friday evening at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, with many Rieslingfeier winemakers participating, organized by a Riesling fanatic based in New York.
Picture: Stephen Bitterolf
Picture: Clemens Busch
Picture: Eva and Hajo Becker, Egon Müller, Daniel Vollenweider
Picture: Jochen Beurer and Annette Schiller
Picture: Annette Schiller, Thomas Haag with his Son (Weingut Schloss Lieser) and Stephen Bitterolf
Picture: Annette Schiller and Clemens Busch
Picture: Hajo Becker, Stephen Bitterolf, David Schildknecht, Daniel Vollenweider
Saturday
Between the Gränd Tasting (see above) during the day and the Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner in the evening (see above), we had a couple of hours to kill. We went to The Four Horsemen in Williamsburg, also a recommendation of Stuart Pigott. The Four Horsemen focusses on natural wines.
Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller at The Four Horsemen
Sunday
Lunch at Eatelly
Before hopping on the Vamoose bus to go back to Washington DC, we met with German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) Board Member Al Friedman for lunch at Eatelly (Flatiron).
Pictures: Lunch at Eatelly (Flatiron)
Stephen Bitterolf
Rieslingfeier was founded in 2012 by Stephen Bitterolf, a passionate advocate for Germany's culture of winemaking. He was the Wine Director at Crush Wine & Spirits in New York where he helped develop one of the largest German wine programs in the country before founding his own import company, vom Boden.
The Rieslingfeier 2017 Producers
Leo Alzinger of Weingut Alzinger, Wachau
Hajo and Eva Becker of Weingut J.B. Becker, Rheingau
Jochen Beurer of Weingut Beurer, Württemberg
Clemens Busch of Weingut Clemens Busch, Mosel
Caroline and Sylvain Diel of Schlossgut Diel, Nahe
Cornelius Dönnhoff of Weingut Dönnhoff, Nahe
Eva Fricke of Weingut Eva Fricke, Rheingau
Franz Hirtzberger of Weingut Hirtzberger, Wachau
Johannes Weber of Hofgut Falkenstein, Mosel
Johannes Leitz of Weingut Leitz, Rheingau
Egon Müller of Weingut Egon Müller-Scharzhof, Mosel
Thomas Haag and his son of Weingut Schloss Lieser, Mosel
Johannes Selbach of Weingut Selbach-Oster, Mosel
Daniel Vollenweider of Weingut Vollenweider, Mosel
Andreas Hütwohl of Weingut Von Winning, Pfalz
schiller-wine: Related Postings
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Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Heads up for the 2017 Tours - to Germany and France - by ombiasy WineTours
Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History
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A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA
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Riesling Crawl in New York City – Or, Where to Buy German Wine in Manhattan: Schiller's Favorite Wine Stores, USA
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Tasting at Weingut Schloss Lieser in Lieser with Owner/ Winemaker Thomas Haag – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016
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