Thursday, May 28, 2020

Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours: A Mental Tour in Times of Covid-19, Day 2 - Weingut Wittmann and Weingut Knipser

Picture: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen, Rheinhessen, with Philipp Wittmann - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

The Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours was fully booked but had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Starting on May 15, Annette issued short posts on facebook briefly describing what we would have done on that day had the tour taken place, using pictures from previous tours.

I am re-posting these short daily accounts along with a general introduction to the tour here on my blog.

Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours

Germany is so closely identified with Riesling (and yes, it is the largest producer of Riesling world-wide) that you may be surprised to learn that the country is also very strong regarding the Burgundy grapes. It is the third-largest producer of Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), the largest producer of Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), and the second largest producer of Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder) in the world. Join us as we discover the southern German wine regions that produce bone dry, opulent Rieslings, outstanding Pinot Noirs and whites from Burgundy grapes. We will step across the Rhine River to compare the wines of the Eastern (German) and Western (French) Rhine valley and we will get a feel for the beautiful, quaint Alsace region with its incredible picturesque wine villages dotted with half-timbered century old buildings. Enjoy the Pfalz, the second largest German wine region by growing area and only topped by Rheinhessen, which it borders to the north. From there, the Pfalz stretches to the French border 53 miles to the south and borders Alsace. In this region French and German vineyards melt into one another and some wineries on the French side own vineyards in Germany and vice versa.

For detailed information on the tour schedule, please check: https://ombiasypr.com/index.php/wine-tours/germany-south/germany-south-alsace-itinerary
For pricing and registration, please go to: https://ombiasypr.com/index.php/wine-tours/germany-south/germany-south-alsace-registration

Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours: Day 2

Since the Pandemic forced me to cancel the tour I will go on the journey mentally and I will share this tour with you. Sold-out: Alsace + Germany/South Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Today is Day 02 of the tour.

After a good night sleep at the Hilton Hotel in Mainz we head out to explore the southern part of the Rheinhessen region. Rheinhessen is with 65,000 acres under vine Germany's largest wine region. We travel through rolling hills covered with vineyards as far as the eye can see. Our first visit today will be Weingut Wittmann, a family estate since 1663 focusing on Riesling. Philipp Wittmann converted to biodynamic viticulture in 2004. His Rieslings grow on limestone and produce beautiful wines with tension, depth, and an incredible intensity. 

After touring the cellars and a thorough tasting our stomachs start to growl and we continue south to Bissersheim to have lunch at Knipser's Halbstück, a wonderful restaurant part of Weingut Knipser. Of course, after lunch we visit the winery just five minutes down the road. Here we have the chance to taste Riesling and wines from the Burgundy grapes. The Grand Cru Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) is phenomenal. Knipsers are also known for their non-traditional grape plantings such as Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot, and for producing cuvées in a "Bordeaux" style.cc Christian Schiller

Pictures: Weingut Wittmann and Weingut Knipser

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: Upcoming ombiasy Wine Tours 2020 - (1) Alsace and Germany South, (2) Rhône Valley, (3) Bordeaux and (4) Germany: Christmas Market, Wine, Concert Tour

Reminder: Rhône Valley Tour by ombiasy WineTours in June 2020

Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2019) 

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen, Rheinhessen, with Philipp Wittmann - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Monday, May 25, 2020

Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours: A Mental Tour in Times of Covid-19, Day 1 - Weingut Wagner-Stempel and Weingut Dönnhoff

Picture:  Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wagner-Stempel in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen, with Winemaker Oliver Müller and Owner Cathrin Wagner - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

The Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours was fully booked but had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Starting on May 15, Annette issued short posts on facebook briefly describing what we would have done on that day had the tour taken place, using pictures from previous tours.

I am re-posting these short daily accounts along with a general introduction to the tour here on my blog.

Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours

Germany is so closely identified with Riesling (and yes, it is the largest producer of Riesling world-wide) that you may be surprised to learn that the country is also very strong regarding the Burgundy grapes. It is the third-largest producer of Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), the largest producer of Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), and the second largest producer of Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder) in the world. Join us as we discover the southern German wine regions that produce bone dry, opulent Rieslings, outstanding Pinot Noirs and whites from Burgundy grapes. We will step across the Rhine River to compare the wines of the Eastern (German) and Western (French) Rhine valley and we will get a feel for the beautiful, quaint Alsace region with its incredible picturesque wine villages dotted with half-timbered century old buildings. Enjoy the Pfalz, the second largest German wine region by growing area and only topped by Rheinhessen, which it borders to the north. From there, the Pfalz stretches to the French border 53 miles to the south and borders Alsace. In this region French and German vineyards melt into one another and some wineries on the French side own vineyards in Germany and vice versa.

For detailed information on the tour schedule, please check: https://ombiasypr.com/index.php/wine-tours/germany-south/germany-south-alsace-itinerary
For pricing and registration, please go to: https://ombiasypr.com/index.php/wine-tours/germany-south/germany-south-alsace-registration

Germany/ South and Alsace Tour 2020 by ombiasy WineTours: Day 1 

Annette Schiller: Since the pandemic forced me to cancel the tour I will go on the journey mentally and I will share this tour with you. Sold-out: Alsace + Germany/South Tour by ombiasy WineTours.

Today is Day 01 of the tour.

The group would have met in the Hotel Hilton in the beautiful city of Mainz, one of the Wine Capitals of the world. The afternoon would have taken us to two of the outstanding wineries in the Rheinhessen and Nahe wine region: Weingut Wagner-Stempel and Weingut Dönnhoff. All pictures were taken by Christian Schiller on previous visits. I really, really miss being able to travel with you. To plan and implement the tours is soooo much work but also soooo much pleasure for me.

Pictures: In Mainz, at Weingut Wagner-Stempel and at Weingut Dönnhoff

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: Upcoming ombiasy Wine Tours 2020 - (1) Alsace and Germany South, (2) Rhône Valley, (3) Bordeaux and (4) Germany: Christmas Market, Wine, Concert Tour

Reminder: Rhône Valley Tour by ombiasy WineTours in June 2020

Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2019)

Visting at Weingut Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe. with Anne Dönnhoff - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wagner-Stempel in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen, with Winemaker Oliver Müller and Owner Cathrin Wagner - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

LiquidLife at Home with Carolin Spanier of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot, and TV Chef Frank Brunswig, Germany

Picture: LiquidLife at Home with Carolin and H.O. Spanier of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot, and TV Chef Frank Brunswig, Germany

Annette and I enjoyed very much LiquidLife at Home with Carolin Spainer of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot, and TV Chef Frank Brunswig on Thursday, May 7, 2020, an online event where Chef Frank Brunswig was cooking and Carolin Spanier presenting her wines in Hohen-Sülzen, Rheinhessen, while Annette and I were in the kitchen at our home in Frankfurt, connected via facebook. It was the first LiquidLife at Home event. It went very well. Congratulations!

Picture: LiquidLife at Home with Carolin Spainer of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot, and TV Chef Frank Brunswig, Germany

Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot are among Germany's estates that have reached world-class status. They are owned and run by the winermaker couple H.O.Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot.

Picture: VDP.Rheinhessen Invited to a Gala Dinner: The World Class Wines of the VDP.Rheinhessen Winemakers and the World Class Food of Philipp Stein (1 Star Michelin, Favorite), with Klaus Peter Keller, Philipp Wittmann, H.O.Spanier, Carolin Gillot-Spanier and Other Rheinhessen Stars

Pictures: Christian Schiller with H. O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot at a Tasting in Bodenheim. See: The Wine Maker Couple H.O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, with Roland Gillot, Lead Wine Tasting of Kuehling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot, Germany

Carolin has been hosting LquidLife since 2015, typically in Bodenheim, in the posh tasting room/ restaurant/ event location of Weingut Kühling-Gillot, where she grew up and which she took over from her parents after her studies in Geisenheim.

Carolin Spanier: Wine is a rare feeling of joy capable of bringing high culture and uninhibited joy into harmony. At our winegrowing estate, we speak to the whole person, starting with our architectonic concept and our wines but ultimately winning hearts and minds through our boundless warmth. As Goethe wrote: Here I am a man, here dare it to be! Our LiquidLife in Bodenheim offers a range of high-end connoisseur events, bringing a metropolitan flair to our humble Rheinhessen stage. Star chefs and sommeliers from well-known wine bars in Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna come here to Bodenheim to cook and delight you. All the class, but none of the big city pomp and circumstance. Rather: Immaculate yet relaxed. Honest but never brash.

Pictures: A LiquidLife Event in Bodenheim at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot. See: The Wine Maker Couple H.O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, with Roland Gillot, Lead Wine Tasting of Kuehling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot, Germany

Annette and I have been to a number of LiquidLife events in Bodenheim already. The LiquidLife at Home event with TV Chef Frank Brunswig took place in Hohen-Sülzen at Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier, where Carolin lives with her husband H.O. Spanier and their children. Most of the events of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot take place in Bodenheim, but some also in Hohen-Sülzen. In fact, for our last ombiasy WineTours visit, Carolin asked us to join her at her home Hohen-Sülzen. The outlay of the villa allows for receiving guests in an intimite way, which is more difficult in the event location in Bodenheim. See: Tasting the Wines of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot at the Spanier Family Home in Hohen-Sülzen and Touring the Winery with Carolin Spanier-Gillot - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Tasting the Wines of  Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Hohen-Sülzen, with Carolin Spanier-Gillot. See: Tasting the Wines of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot at the Spanier Family Home in Hohen-Sülzen and Touring the Winery with Carolin Spanier-Gillot - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

LiquidLife at Home mit TV Chef Frank Brunswig

Buying

We picked up the wines at Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim a couple of days before the event. Alternatively they offered to send us the wines by DHL.

Picture: Picking up the Wines

From Bodenheim, we went to the Tuesday market in Mainz to buy the ingredients for the 2 courses, Chef Frank Brunswig had communicated to Annette.

Picture: At the Market in Mainz

The Baerlauch, we picked up in the forrest during our daily bike tours.

Picture: Collecting Baerlauch on a Bike Tour

Chef Brunswig had also given instructions in terms of preparatory work and arranging the ingedients in the kitchen. I had put the wines in the fridge to cool them down.

Pictures: The Wines

Finally, I had put the computer in the kitchen so Annette could hear and see what Chef Frank Brunswig was doing.

Cooking

At 6:30 pm the show started. Chef Brunswig cooked for 90 minutes. Annette followed his instructions in our kitchen. At the same time, Carolin presented the 3 wines and we tasted them briefly. One also could comment and ask questions via the comment function, what I did..

Pictures: Cooking

Dinner

After the show, Annette and I moved to the dining room and enjoyed the meal in tranquility.

Pictures: Dinner

We started with the 2009 Battenfeld-Spanier, Blanc de Blanc, Extra Brut, Sekt

Annette Schiller: An absolutely phenomenal "Champagne" - yes I know, legally I can not say "Champagne", but this German Sekt (9 years on lees) has all the characteristics of a fabulous Ch.......... The bubbles are ultra fine and delicate, hmmmm this is sooo good. .

Picture: 2009 Battenfeld-Spanier, Blanc de Blanc, Extra Brut, Sekt

Salad

2019 Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier, Grüner Sylvaner

Asparagus Salad with Pears, strawberries and Baerlauch Pancake

Pictures: Asparagus Salad

Main Course

Cod, Mousse of Carrots, Potato Chips, Green Asparagus in Tempura Dough. Annette Schiller: Instead of the prescribed pastinaken I used carrots (did not find any pastinaken on the market in Mainz).

Pictures: Cod with Mousse of Carrots

Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot

Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot are among Germany's wineries that have reached world-class status. They are owned and run by the winermaker couple H.O.Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot.

It was only in 1993 that H.O. Spanier founded Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier in Hohen-Sülzen at the southernmost tip of the Rheinhessen Wonnegau region. Weingut Kühling-Gillot can look back to a longer history. It is located in the north of the Rheinhessen region, close to Mainz. Carolin took over the winery from her parents after she finished her studies at Geisenheim University.

Since their marriage, Carolin and H.O. have reorganized and streamlined the operations of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot two wineries quite a bit.

There is no wine made in Bodenheim at Weingut Kühling-Gillot any more. The winemaking facilities of both Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot are in Hohen-Sülzen.

H.O. takes the lead in terms of winemaking for both wineries and Carolin is more active on the administrative and marketing side of both wineries.

Carolin and H.O. have constructed a lovely tasting room in Bodenheim at Weingut Kühling-Gillot which is the central place for selling and marketing the wines of both Weingut Kühling-Gillot and Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier. You cannot buy wine of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier in Hohen-Sülzen, but only in Bodenheim.

Carolin and H.O. live with their children in Hohen-Sülzen in a posh villa just next to the winemakng facilities of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot.

Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier/ VDP

VDP: This estate is located in Hohen-Sülzen at the southernmost tip of the Wonnegau district, not far from Worms. The best vineyards are transversed by thick, underground beds of limestone from which the roots of the vines can absorb their final nutrients during the hot months of summer. Proprietor H.O. Spanier makes wine in an uncompromisingly natural manner. Thus, it comes as no surprise that he has cultivated his vines biodynamically since 2005. For Spanier, Riesling acts as a translator that interprets the influence of the southern Wonnegau’s extremely lime-rich soils in wine. “That’s what interests me: the spectrum of aromas of the stones and soil that lies beyond the fleeting sensation of fruit.”

Owner H.O. Spanier & Carolin Spanier-Gillot
Winemaker H.O. Spanier
VDP member since 2008
Hectares of vineyards 34
Bottle production 150 000
Grape varieties 70% Riesling, 18% Spätburgunder sowie Weissburgunder & Silvaner

Vineyards

KIRCHENSTÜCK, Hohen-Sülzen| VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
FRAUENBERG, Nieder-Flörsheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
ZELLERWEG AM SCHWARZEN HERRGOTT, Mölsheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Monsheim | aus VDP.ERSTEN LAGEN®
Mölsheim | aus VDP.ERSTEN LAGEN®
Hohen-Sülzen | aus VDP.ERSTEN LAGEN®

Pictures: Touring the Wine Cellar in Hohen-Sülzen with Carolin Spanier-Gillot. See: See: Tasting the Wines of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot at the Spanier Family Home in Hohen-Sülzen and Touring the Winery with Carolin Spanier-Gillot - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Weingut Kühling-Gillot/ VDP

This wine estate lies in Bodenheim, not far from the renowned “Roter Hang” (red slope) – the porous red mix of slaty clay and sandstone that rises from the earth like a boulder near Nackenheim, only to disappear a few kilometers southward in Nierstein. The nearly 300-million-year-old ribbon of primary rock that surfaces here brings forth very distinctive wines. Organic viticulture is a fundamental prerequisite. At Kühling-Gillot, the usual late harvest, painstaking selection, and spontaneous fermentation in large oak casks enable the red slate to be perceptible in the wines. In their youth, the wines are charming and smooth; with time, they reveal their origin.

Owner Carolin Spanier-Gillot und H.O. Spanier
Winemaker H.O. Spanier
VDP member since 1997
Hectares of vineyards 18
Bottle production 90 000
Grape varieties 73% Riesling, 15% Spätburgunder

Vineyards

ORBEL, Nierstein | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
PETTENTHAL, Nierstein | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
ÖLBERG, Nierstein | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
HIPPING, Nierstein | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
BURGWEG, Bodenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
KREUZ, Oppenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
ROTHENBERG, Nackenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
SACKTRÄGER, Oppenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Bodenheim | aus VDP.ERSTEN LAGEN®
Nierstein | aus VDP.ERSTEN LAGEN®

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: Upcoming ombiasy Wine Tours 2020 - (1) Alsace and Germany South, (2) Rhône Valley, (3) Bordeaux and (4) Germany: Christmas Market, Wine, Concert Tour

Reminder: Rhône Valley Tour by ombiasy WineTours in June 2020

Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2019)

VDP.Rheinhessen Invited to a Gala Dinner: The World Class Wines of the VDP.Rheinhessen Winemakers and the World Class Food of Philipp Stein (1 Star Michelin, Favorite), with Klaus Peter Keller, Philipp Wittmann, H.O.Spanier, Carolin Gillot-Spanier and Other Rheinhessen Stars

The Wine Maker Couple H.O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, with Roland Gillot, Lead Wine Tasting of Kuehling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot, Germany

Tasting the Wines of Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot at the Spanier Family Home in Hohen-Sülzen and Touring the Winery with Carolin Spanier-Gillot - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Winemaker of the Year - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: Carolin Gillot-Spanier and H.O. Spanier, Weingut Kühling-Gillot and Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier

Falstaff Winemaker of the Year 2015: Carolin Spanier Gillot, Weingut Kühling-Gillot and Weingut BattenfeldSpanier, Germany

Doepfner’s im Maingau Meets Frankfurt/Wein, with Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Chat Sauvage, Frankfurt am Main, Germany


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