schiller-wine

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Producer Spotlight: Eva Steininger, Weingut Steininger, Kamptal, Austria, Presents Grüner, Riesling, Rosé & Bubbles at Chain Bridge Cellars in McLean, Virginia

Eva Steininger of Weingut Steininger in Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria was in the Washington DC area for a week or so and Annette and I were able to catch her at Chain Bridge Cellars in McLean, which is a few blocks away from where we live in the USA. We saw Eva the last time during Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours.

Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours took place from Sunday, May 28 - Thursday, June 08, 2023. We toured Austria for 12 days, starting and ending in Vienna: Wien, Wagram, Carnuntum, Burgenland, Steiermark, Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Traisental, Wien.

We stayed one night at Loisium Langenlois Wine & Spa Resort. When we arrived in the late afternoon at the hotel coming from Graz and the Steiermark, Eva Steininger and Klaus Wittauer, who happened to be in Lagenlois at the same time, surpised us with a Sekt Reception with Steininger Sekt in the entrance hall of the Loisium Langenlois Wine & Spa Resort.

After the surpise Sekt Reception, we went to a:

Wine-pairing Dinner at Heurigenhof Bründlmayer (14.5/20 Points Gault Millau) - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

We visited Weingut Steininger the following day in the morning. Brigitta Steininger was our host. She showed us the ancient wine making cellar and led a seated tasting of still and sparkling wines.

We were now in Grüner Veltliner country, the flagship white grape variety in the northern part of Austria’s wine landscape, Niederösterreich – Lower Austria.

See: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steininger, Kamptal, with Brigitta Steininger - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Invitation Chain Bridge Cellars: Eva Steininger Presents Grüner, Riesling, Rosé & Bubbles

You buy a lot of Austrian wine from us and more of it comes from the Steininger Family than any other producer. Why? Because founding husband/wife team Karl and Brigita and daughter Eva Steininger and her husband, Peter, grow and make terrific wine and the price it very competitively indeed! As you’ll taste for yourself when you join us on Tuesday, May 7, from 5-7:30 and let Eva tell you her family’s story and share six terrific wines.

Karl and Brigita started their winery in 1989 in Langenlois in Austria’s Kamptal region. Their passion is sparkling wines (they make more than a dozen!) and you’ll get to taste one of our favorites, a unique Sauvignon Blanc fizz. They farm with care, pick by hand, and skillfully use a mixture of stainless steel and large Austrian oak casks to create vivid, delicious, wines.

While you meet and chat with Eva, you’ll taste:

Steininger Sauvignon Blanc Sekt
Steininger Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2023
Steininger Grüner Veltliner Kamptal 2023
Steininger Grüner Veltiner Loisium 2022
Steininger Grüner Veltliner Grand Grü 2022
Steininger Riesling Reid Steinhaus 2022

It’s a delicious line-up! As usual there’s no charge for our Producer Spotlight tastings held upstairs around the tasting table, but we do ask that you reserve one of the five 30 minute sessions from 5pm to 7:30pm so we can make sure everyone has plenty of time to enjoy and appreciate the wines. Come meet Eva and enjoy some classic and classy Austrian wines!

Arriving

Tasting

At Loisium Wine & Spa Resort Langenlois, Kamptal: Impromptu Steininger Sekt Reception with Eva Steininger and Klaus Wittauer - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

See: At Loisium Wine & Spa Resort Langenlois, Kamptal: Impromptu Steininger Sekt Reception with Eva Steininger and Klaus Wittauer - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steininger, Kamptal, with Brigitta Steininger - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

We visited Weingut Steininger the following day in the morning. Brigitta Steininger was our host. She showed us the ancient wine making cellar and led a seated tasting of still and sparkling wines.

We were now in Grüner Veltliner country, the flagship white grape variety in the northern part of Austria’s wine landscape, Niederösterreich – Lower Austria.

See: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steininger, Kamptal, with Brigitta Steininger - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

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Springtime for Riesling & Germany: May 2024 Terroir by the Glass Special Monthly Offer - with 8 Sparkling, Dry and Fruity-sweet Rieslings from Germany - at La Fromagerie Cheese and Wine Bistro in Alexandria, Virginia

"Springtime for Riesling & Germany" is the theme of the May 2024 "Terroir by the Glass" special monthly offer of La Fromagerie, a wine and cheese bistro in Alexandria, Virginia, on Upper King Street, comprising 8 excellent wines from Germany, with the line up (1 sparkling, 4 bone dry and 3 fruity-sweet wine(s)) put together by Ben Kuna, Owner/ General Manager of the sister Le Vintage Wine Shop, which is right next door.

Annette and I went to La Fromagerie in early May for the Springtime for Riesling & Germany and combined it with the Sunday afternoon tasting of German wines at Le Vintage Wine Shop. While the La Fromagerie line-up was Riesling only - sparkling, dry and sweet - except for one, none of the wines at Le Vintage Wine Shop were Rieslings (all from the portfolio of the German Wine Collection, a leading importer of premium German wines).

La Fromagerie

Chef/Owner Sebastien Tavel: The perfect place to enjoy lovingly prepared dishes, cheese and meat boards, natural wine and craft beer in a relaxed atmosphere. We offer an always changing wine list of over 40 wines available by the glass, bottle or flight.

Chef/Owner Sebastien Tavel - a native of Lyon - bases his cuisine fare around fresh seasonal food available from local farmers, particularly the heirloom and forageable produce that help support the biodiversity of our area.

La Fromagerie brings a "farm to table" approach by purchasing directly from farmers or trusted suppliers. We believe in sustainable and responsible methods of farming, and are proud to support American artisan cheese making.

La Fromagerie's extensive wine program focuses on natural, sustainable methods of production with an emphasis on organice and biodynamic practices when possible. We feature over 40 wines by the glass.

May 2024 Terroir by the Glass Offer: Springtime for Riesling&Germany

The theme of this month's "Terroir by the Glass" special offer of La Fromagerie is "Springtime for Riesling & Germany", comprising 8 excellent and carefully selected wines from Germany.

The line-up comprises a Weingut Günther Steinmetz Sekt Brut, 4 Trocken wines, all from relatively unknown winemakers in Wuerttemberg, Baden, Rheinhessen, Rheingau and 3 fruity-sweet wines, Kabinett, Spaetlese, Auslese, from the #worldclass producers Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht, Weingut Emrich-Schönleber and Weingut Clemens Busch.

The outstanding line-up of German Rieslings was put together by Ben Kuna, Owner and General Manager of the sister Le Vintage Wine Shop, which is right next door on Upper King Street.

Auslese: Weingut Clemens Busch

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)

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Christian Schiller and Clemens Busch at Panda Gourmet, Washington DC. See: Wine-pairing Dinner with Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, Mosel, at Panda Gourmet in Washington DC, USA

Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller at the Rieslingfeier 2017 in New York City with Clemens Busch. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Clemens Busch and Christian Schiller in Washington DC, USA in 2014. See: German Star Winemaker Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch in the Mosel Valley, in Washington DC, USA

Picture: Gernot Kollmann, Weingut Immich-Batterieberg, Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, Dominik Sona and Franzi Schmitt, Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht and Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, at Bart Vandaele's BToo in Washington DC. See: Post-Rieslingfeier and Pre-Big Glou Dinner with 3 Top Winemakers from Germany at BToo in Washington DC: Clemens Busch, Immich-Batterieberg and Koehler-Ruprecht, USA

Picture: In Seattle, Washington State, in 2013, during the 4th Riesling Rendezvous: Clemens Busch, Christian Schiller and Hermann Wiemer, founder of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards in the Finger Lakes Region in New York State. See: The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

Dinner

La Fromagerie is a quaint, top-notch restaurant in terms of the food and wine selection. However, if you want table cloths and an elegant restaurant flaire then this is not your place. Simple wooden tables and chairs. And outstanding food and wines. The source farms are listed. "La Fromagerie brings a "farm to table" approach by purchasing directly from farmers or trusted suppliers. We believe in sustainable and responsible methods of farming, and are proud to support American artisan cheese making."

Sebastien Tavel started out with a wine and cheese shop in 2009. From there he took it to what he calls a wine and chees bistro with a French accent, coupled with a wine store next door. The bistro and the wine store are a pair. Both are dedicated to sustainable, biodynamic, natural producers.

Le Vintage Wine Shop

Ben Kuna, Owner and Manager: Le Vintage is a wine and beer shop owned and run by Sommeliers with the intent of making the entire world of wine accessible to everyone while supporting growers who are engaged in ethically and ecologically responsible farming and business practices.

We select our wines based on three criteria:

- Farming: Must be sustainable at minimum; preference for biodynamic, bioregenerative, and holistic practices. Unless it is impossible, wines must be fermented using native yeasts.

- Distribution: We only purchase from locally owned wholesalers, no national distributors

- Quality: We taste everything and must agree that it’s good enough for our customers

Our beers are selected with an eye to balancing classic examples with domestic artisan beers. As much as possible, we adhere to the same farming and business criteria we apply to our wine selections.

Cheeses and charcuterie from domestic, local when possible, artisan producers are curated and constantly rotated based on availability. We are actively seeking local, artisan makers for accoutrements, meats and cheeses.

German Wine Tasting

Ben Kuna presented 5 German wines - 4 white wines (all dry, from Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Franken) and 1 red wine from the Pfalz. The wines belong to the portfolio of The German Wine Collection (formerly Rudi Wiest) in California, a leading importer of premium German wines.

What we Bought: Landwein and Ultra-premium Sekt

We bought 4 wines, including two classified as "Landwein" and a high-end Sekt of Weingut Frank John in the Pfalz (vintage 2017, degorgement date on the lable, August 2021, 36 months on the lees).

Even in Germany, the Weingut Florian Fauth 2021, the Weingut 2 Naturkinder 2019 Fledermaus Deutscher Landwein and the Weingut roterfaden 2019 Schwäbischer Landwein are rare and difficult to get. With his selection, Ben Kuna is focusing on this kind of wines. They are a hard sell in a neighborhood like McLean, were Annette and I live, but in Aleandria there is a lot of interest in non-mainstream wines.

Tasting in the Courtyard and Cellar Tour with Frank John at Weingut Frank John in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Pfalz - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

Frank John is a very small, family owned and run wine manufactury, producing ultra-premium wines according to biodynamic principles.

See: Tasting in the Courtyard and Cellar Tour with Frank John at Weingut Frank John in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Pfalz - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours