Celebrating the Arrival of the Finger Lakes 2010 Riesling in Washington DC, USA

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller, Lindsay Morris and Joelle Schiller Tasting Six 2010 Finger Lakes Rieslings in Washington DC

The Finger Lakes region in upstate New York in the USA is one of the world's leading Riesling producers. 30 Finger Lakes wineries teamed up to jointly debut their 2010 Rieslings this week with events around the New York State and online. In this context, I was provided with six 2010 Finger Lakes Rieslings, which I tasted with fellow wine blogger Lindsay Morriss from Rhode Island.

Riesling Hour

The main event of the 2010 Finger Lakes Riesling Launch is Riesling Hour on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, an event were people will connect via social media. People will taste 2010 Finger Lakes Rieslings at various sites or in their homes, connecting with each other by Facebook and/or Twitter, using the hash tag #FLXwine. For more information, go to www.rieslinghour.com, email info@FingerLakesWineCountry.com or call (800) 813-2958. The idea sprang out of the online Riesling Hour in May 2011, in which I also participated.

Riesling in the World

Worldwide, there are about 34.000 hectares planted with Riesling. Germany – with 22.400 hectares – accounts for 2/3 of the total. The second largest Riesling producer is Australia, with 4500 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Austria, the US with Washington State and New York State as well as New Zealand make up the remainder. But overall Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for only less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine.

Finger Lakes AVA

The Finger Lakes AVA in upstate New York encompasses seven glacial lakes, although the majority of plantings are around Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes. Most vineyards are planted on hillsides overlooking the lakes. These deep lakes help to moderate the climate, as stored heat is released from the lakes during the winter, keeping the weather mild during summer extends the growing season. This cool-climate region is often compared to the wine-growing region of Germany, and like Germany, has had special success with Riesling.

Pictures: New York State and Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes include 4,452 hectares of vineyards, making it New York State's largest wine growing region. New York State is with Washington State the second largest wine producer in the US, with a bit more than 10.000 hectares. Of this, 400 hectares are accounted for by Riesling.

The 2010 Vintage

The 2010 Finger Lakes harvest was the warmest growing season in nearly 40 years and the wettest since 1973. Combined with an early bud break in April and adequate rainfall throughout the summer and fall, the wines from the vintage are varied in style, but with a general slant toward lower acid and intense fruit. Some vineyards harvested early while others chose to let their fruit hang through the end of October resulting in rather high Brix.

Lindsay Morriss

If you follow German wines in the American wine blogger scene, you inevitably come across the wine blog Lindsay du Vin. The author is Lindsay Morriss, an energetic and very charming young women from Rhode Island, who graduated with a MBA from INSEEC in Bordeaux. Her MBA thesis was on how to improve the profile of German wine in the United States. When the case with the 6 wines from the Finger Lakes arrived last Friday, Lindsay Morris happened to be in Washington DC at my house. The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) had invited her to provide a summary of her findings and to lead a tasting of wines from Weingut Georg Albrecht Schneider in Nierstein, Germany, where she had interned.

Picture: Lindsay Morriss

The Tasting

Lindsay’s presentation and tasting at the The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) was on Friday, September 16. The following day, we toured Virginia and visited 3 wineries during the day, arranged by Wine Blogger Allan Liska (his CellarBlog is among the top 20 wine blogs in the US – Wikio ranking). In the evening, after the tour, Lindsay and I tasted the six 2010 Finger Lakes Rieslings. Unfortunately, Allan could not join us. Three of the Rieslings were dry and three were medium-dry.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller, Lindsay Morris and Joelle Schiller Tasting Six 2010 Finger Lakes Rieslings in Washington DC

As my one year old granddaughter Lorelei (as well as my daughter in law Joelle Schiller) joined us for the tasting, I decided to also open a crisp and dry 2009 Riesling trocken from the Winzergenossenschaft Loreley, Mittelrhein, Germany as benchmark and reference.

Picture: Lorelei Schiller with 2009 Riesling trocken from the Winzergenossenschaft Loreley, Mittelrhein, Germany

Picture: The Dry Rieslings we tasted

Hosmer Winery: Dry Riesling 2010

The Winery: Cameron and Maren Hosmer established the winery in 1985. The 60 acres of vineyards include European and European-American hybrid grapes. The Hosmer Winery is founded on the principle that great wine starts in the vineyard.

In addition to the vineyards on Cayuga Lake’s western shore, Cameron and Maren are also stewards to 160 acres of forest, lakeshore and meadow. Part of the proceeds of the sale of wine is dedicated to the protection and management of these areas.

Technical notes: Brix at harvest: 20.1, 11.7% alcohol, 5 grams per liter remaining sugar, 524 cases.

Tasting notes: Pale yellow with green tinges in the glass; green apple, grapefruit and pear on the nose, very crisp and refreshing on the palate, full of lime and orange blossom flavors, with some hints of wet earth, good finish.

Anthony Road Wine Company: Dry Riesling 2010

Winery: The Anthony Road Wine Company, a top winemaker in the Finger Lakes region, caught international attention recently with their 2006 Finger Lakes Riesling Trockenbeeren, when it was awarded one of the 7 Trophies of Excellence of the Riesling Du Monde Competition 2010 in France. I have written about it here.

Ann and John Martini opened the winery in 1990. It is on the west shore of Seneca Lake in the town of Torrey, about 10 miles south of Geneva. The winemaker, Johannes Reinhardt, is a German native, born in at little village of Franconia, 80 miles east of Frankfort. Johannes grew up in a family that has been in the wine business since 1438. He has been in the vineyards and wine cellars all his life. He joined Anthony Road in 2000.

Technical notes: Brix at harvest: 22.1, 12.6% alcohol, 7 grams residual sugar per liter, 412 cases.

Tasting notes: Pale lemon in the glass, subtle notes of lemon blossom and pineapples on the nose, flavors of lemon and lime citrus on the palate, with hints pineapple, noticeable creamy texture with a lingering finish.

Ravines Wine Cellars: Dry Riesling 2010

Ravines Wine Cellars is a boutique winery on Lake Keuka. It is the dream and passion of Morten and Lisa Hallgren, a European Winemaker/Oenologist and his Chef/Foodie wife. Together they have created a small, distinctive winery crafting elegant and food friendly wines using Old World winemaking traditions with New World innovation. Morten was raised in the Provence region of the South of France. The Hallgren family owned and operated Domaine de Castel Roubine, a 270 acre estate with 170 acres of vineyards.

Morton received an advanced degree in both Enology and Viticulture at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie in Montpellier, one of the world’s top winemaking schools, and spent his first harvest in Bordeaux, at Chateau Cos d’Estournel. Before founding Ravines, Morton was the chief winemaker for Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars for six years.

In 2000 the Hallgrens purchased a 17 acre parcel of land on a glacier-carved hillside on the Eastern slopes of Keuka Lake. This land is located at the widest part of the lake which allows grapevines to receive maximum benefit from its temperature-moderating effects, it has a good slope which keeps the mineral rich soils well-drained, and is situated between two deep ravines, which drain cold air from the land during the winter. These ravines are the namesake of the winery.

Technical notes: 4 grams residual sugar per liter, 12.5% alcohol.

Tasting notes: pale yellow in the glass, notes of yellow, but also red fruits (strawberries) on the nose, creamy texture with hints of guava, pineapple and peach, very harmonious, good finish.

Picture: The semi-dry Riesling we tasted

Standing Stone Vineyard: 2010 Medium-Dry Riesling

"We decided to enter the wine business because we believe that the Finger Lakes region can grow wines that are among the best in the world." Say Tom & Marti Macinski, Owners of Standing Stone Vineyards. In 1991, they purchased vineyards on the east side of Seneca Lake. The first crush, in 1993, yielded only 800 cases. Today, Standing Stone Vineyard produces 8000 cases. The white wines are made in stainless steel tanks, allowing temperature control of fermentation and cellaring, and the red wines and Chardonnay are made in oak barrels - primarily American Oak.

Technical notes: Harvested at 22.3 Brix, 11.7% alcohol, 15 grams residual sugar per liter.

Tasting notes: Light yellow in the glass, restrained nose with some green apple notes, lively on the palate with tropical fruits, pleasant finish.

Though it says “medium dry” on the label, I would put the wine in the “dry” category. This impression is confirmed when you look at the technical data: 15 grams residual sugar per liter.

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars: 2010 Semi- Dry Riesling

Mark Wagner founded Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars. Mark's family has been in the Seneca Lake grape business since the time of his great grandfather, and since the 1940s has produced vitis labrusca and French-American hybrid grapes for sale to big wine producers. As estate wineries emerged in the wake of the Farm Winery Act of 1976, Mark took over the family business in 1978 and shifted the emphasis of the family farm to cultivating premium vitis vinifera grapes to supply the budding new wineries. Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars was the logical culmination of generations of grape-growing knowledge and decades of Mark's viticultural experience. The winery opened in 1992.

Technical notes: 12.4% alcohol, 21 grams residual sugar per liter.

Tasting notes: light yellow in the glass, aromas of tangerine, honeydew melon and apricot on the nose, beautifully balanced, smooth creamy texture, hints of raspberries and honey on the palate, nice finish.

Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars: Semi-Dry Riesling 2010

Dr. Konstantin Frank (1897-1985) ignited the so-called vitis vinifera revolution, which changed the course of wine growing in the Finger Lakes and the North-East of the US. Dr. Frank’s vision, knowledge and determination are credited with elevating the New York wine industry from a state of happy mediocrity to a level that today commands world attention.

He was born in the Russian Empire into a family with German roots. The Germans came in waves from the West to Russia and settled there from the 16th century onwards. At the time Konstantin Frank was born, Odessa belonged to the Russian Empire. When he left for the US, it was part of the Soviet Union. Now, after his death, it has become Ukraine. I met Dr. Konstantin Frank's grandson, Fred, who now owns and runs the estate last year; we communicated in German. Fred got his wine growing and wine making training at the wine college in Geisenheim in the Rheingau, Germany.

Dr. Frank Wines had featured at the State Luncheon for Chancellor Merkel when she was in Washington, D.C. earlier this year. When I lead a tasting of US-American Wines in Hochheim, Germany last year, I included a Dr. Frank Wine. I have also written about Konstantin Frank in the context of my German/American winemakers series.

Technical notes: 11.5% alcohol, 27 grams remaining sugar per liter.

Tasting notes: Light golden in the glass, beautiful earthiness on the nose, coupled with orange blossom and lavender, vibrant mouth feel with flavors of rose petals and sweet red tree fruit, zesty fruit finish.

30 Participating Wineries

Anthony Road
Atwater Estate
Billsboro Winery
Casa Larga
Damiani
Dr. Konstantin Frank
Fox Run
Fulkerson
Glenora Wine Cellars
Heron Hill
Hosmer
Hunt Country
Keuka Lake
Keuka Spring
Knapp
Lakewood
Lamoreaux Landing
Lucas
McGregor
Ravines
Red Newt Cellars Winery
Rooster Hill
Seneca Shore
Sheldrake Point
Standing Stone
Swedish Hill
Thirsty Owl
Wagner
Zugibe

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New Hampshire, USA: Cheese ….and Lobsters and Oysters … and Wine!

Picture: New England Map with New Hampshire and Christian G.E.Schiller in front of typical New England house, with dog Oscar and cat Peace.

New Hampshire, USA: Cheese ….and Lobsters and Oysters … and Wine!

New Hampshire is one of the most, if not the most Libertarian State in the US. It is on the East Coast, part of New England. I am always amazed, when I go there to visit my daughter Dorothea and her husband Christian to see the license plates on the car with the motto.

Picture: New Hampshire License Plate

Cheese

Of course, there is cheese in New Hampshire.

When you talk in Paris with a Frenchman about cheese made in the US and tell him that there are now excellent such cheeses made by very devoted and knowledgeable cheese makers, he will not believe you. But there is a rapidly expanding production of great artisanal cheeses in the US, though starting from a very low level. Cheese will probably never play the role in an American household it plays in a French household. The typical French grew up in a household where in the evening his or her mother would serve a four courses meal---crudites as starter, main plate, cheese and dessert, with a glass of wine of course, or two. The French have it in the Jeans. He or she knows so much about good food, including cheese. In the US, it is very different. Cheese is eaten as topping for Pizza or for the cheeseburger or similar food. But America is changing. Some Americans have started to show serious interest for high-quality cheese and artisanal cheese makers are springing up across the country.

And this cheese explosion is going east now to Europe. I was at the Borough’s market in London a few months ago and I was surprised finding Neal’s Yard Dairy to sell Roque River cheese from Oregon and the Pleasant Ridge cheese from Wisconsin.

Lobster

Then, there is seafood.

New Hampshire only has a small stretch of the coast and I am not sure it produces its own seafood in meaningful amounts, but seafood is readily available in Concord. I always have at least once a lobster, a New England clam chowder and Oysters.

Interestingly, in North America, lobster did not achieve popularity until the 19th century, when New Yorkers and Bostonians developed a taste for it. Prior to this time, lobster was considered a mark of poverty or as a food for servants. The lobster industry became global, once the transportation industry could deliver live lobsters to urban centers. Fresh Maine lobster became a delicacy exported all over the world, in particular to Europe and to Japan.

The European lobster is more expensive and rare than the American lobster. It has been on the menu of the royal and aristocratic families and the rich and famous, in particular of France, for many centuries.

I like my lobster simple steamed with drawn butter. As for the wine, I try to go local: Finger Lakes, Long Island or New Hampshire wine (see below) … or a dry German Riesling that is crisp, fresh and high in acidity.

Oysters

Then, I always have my Oysters.

Oysters have been a favorite of food lovers throughout the centuries. And they have always been linked with love. Casanova reportedly started an evening eating 12 dozen oysters. Oysters were cultivated long before the Christian era. The Greeks served them and the Romans were in particular enthusiastic about those from the shores of the English Channel.

I like them best au natural, or with fresh lemon juice. There are also two classic sauces to be served with raw oysters. The first is a mignonette sauce with shallots and vinegar and the second is a chili sauce.

I have not seen in Concord any oysters from New Hampshire, but occasionally, you find some from Maine, though most are from Long Island or are brought up from Virginia. In most people’s minds, Maine is a lobster country. But the same frigid ocean, terminal moraine, and unpolluted coastline that grows such delicious lobsters also makes for beautiful oysters, with the Damariscotta River estuary standing out. Maine oysters grow slowly. A Maine oyster needs three years minimum.

The best oyster wines are dry, crisp, clean-finishing white wines. I try to go local: Finger Lakes, Long Island or New Hampshire wine (see below) … or a dry German Riesling that is crisp, fresh and high in acidity.

Wine

Wine in New Hampshire? Yes, there is wine in all 50 States.

Wine is now produced in all fifty States, with California leading the way followed by Washington State, Oregon and New York State and Virginia. However, some States outside the Northwest do not grow popular vitis vinifera grapes such as cabernet sauvignon very easily, and some wineries in the smaller wine-producing States buy juice or grapes from other States.

The United States is the 4th largest wine producing country in the world after France, Italy, and Spain. North Dakota was the last to join, in 2002. Alaska’s wine is made from grapes from other states. New Hampshire is a relative new kid on the block, joining the list of states that began pioneering winemaking in the early 90's.

For reviews of wines from all 50 States go to here. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1837245,00.html

One thing that is not well known in Europe is the struggle in America in the past centuries to find the appropriate grapes for winemaking. In the original charter of the thirteen colonies was a royal commission to pursue three luxury items that England was unable to provide for itself: wine, silk, and olive oil. Every colony made attempts to satisfy the requirements of its charter, but made only limited progress. The problem was that on the one hand there were the native American grapes. All these native American grapes were cold tolerant and disease and pest resistant, but not well suited for wine making, due to their coarseness, high tannins, and "foxy" flavors. On the other hand, the vitis vinifera which settlers brought from Europe, were well suited for wine making, but uniformly did not survive long enough to produce a crop.

Despite many years of failure, the early Americans persisted in their efforts. And they had some success. First, they planted several different native varietals in the same vineyard and over time some natural mutations occurred; the results from some of these hybrids were far better than any of the unadulterated natives. A big step forward was made in 1740 when a natural cross pollination occurred between a native American grape and a European vitis vinifera. Other successful crossings followed.

Today, European vinifera grapes dominate wine production in California, Oregon, Washington State, New York State and Virginia.

There are now twelve commercial wineries and vineyards in the State of New Hampshire. French hybrids are found to grow best in the cool New England climate, including Seyval Blanc, Vignoles, and Vidal, as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.





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German American Wines: (1) NV Two Worlds Pinot Noir, (2) Poet's Leap Riesling and (3) Herrmann J. Wiemer and his Finger Lakes Rieslings

I was born and grew up in Germany. For the past 26 years, I have lived in the US, on and off, in the greater Washington DC area. Over this period, I have discovered wonderful American wine, both from the East and the West Coast. I have continued to drink German wines, although at times, I have been disappointed by what I found in the shelves of the American retailers. And I have discovered a number of German/American wines. These have taken different forms:

First, the most extreme, I believe, is blending of grapes grown in America with grapes grown in Germany. It seems unusual, but it happens.

The second form is a joint venture of an American and a German wine maker, using American grapes.

Third, there are a number of winemakers in the US who make their wine in the US with American grapes, but who have learned how to make wine in Germany. They came to the US some years ago, are settled in the US and produce American wines, but you can see the German roots in the wines.

This is the second article in a series. For each of the three categories, I will discuss one wine or winemaker. You can find the first posting here.

NV Two Worlds Pinot Noir, Dr. Loosen and J. Christopher

Two Worlds is an intercontinental blend. Two Worlds is composed of 90 percent Spätburgunder and 10 percent Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.To make Two Worlds, Ernst Loosen, who in addition to the Dr. Loosen winery in the Mosel owns the J.L. Wolf estate in the Pfalz, gathered the must from his neighbors and shipped it to Jay Somers of J. Christopher in Oregon. Together, Loosen and Somers blended the Pfalz wine with some Oregon Pinot Noir.



In addition, the two wine makes have started to produce a boutique bottling of Oregon pinot noir called Appassionata after their passion for pinot. So far, they have produced four vintages of their boutique wine but released none.

Ernst Loosen is best known for Eroica which is a collaboration between him and Chateau Ste. Michelle, the huge Washington winemaker. Eroica was launched in 1999. Named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony, Eroica is supposed to reflect not only its variety and site, but also its heritage: bold and forward from its Washington roots, elegant and refined from German inspiration.

They make three kinds of the Eroica. The regular, dry Eroica, an ice wine and a Single Berry Selection. The latter is made in the traditional German Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) style, for which the Mosel valley is so famous, and is one of the few TBAs in North America. This wine is made in very limited quantities and has scored a 98 in the Wine Spectator.

Ernst Loosen is a star in the US. Only two German wines made it this year to the Top 100 wines of the Wine Spectator. One of them is Dr. Loosen’s Dr. L, a wine that is a big success in the US. However, it is completely unheard of in Germany and only produced for the export market. On the three Top 100 lists of the Wine Enthusiast, Dr. Loosen appears twice, with an Auslese from Mosel and with the joint venture wine Eroica from Washington State.

Poet's Leap Riesling Long Shadows and Diel Estate

Poet’s leap is a joint venture of a German and an American wine maker with the German wine maker in the lead. He does not reside in the US, but in Germany, in the Nahe region. He owns Schlossgut Diel in Germany.



Long Shadows has become, in a short time, one of the premier wineries in Washington State . It is an unusual set up. Former Stimson-Lane CEO Allen Shoup works with renowned winemakers from around the world for this venture. Each winemaker creates a single wine using Washington fruit. Add resident winemaker Gilles Nicault to shepherd all of the wines along.

The Poet’s Leap Riesling is made by Armin Diel, one of Germany’s most highly regarded Riesling producers. His family has owned the celebrated estate of Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in the Nahe river valley since 1802. Schlossgut Diel is international renowned for its white wines, predominately Rieslings, across a wide range of styles. Armin is also one of Germany’s leading wine writers. Armin and his wife Monika live in Burg Layen. Their daughter just completed her studies in oenology in Geisenheim – Germany’s UC Davis equivalent and is now co-managing the winery in the Nahe valley.

German winemaking in America - Wiemer and his Rieslings

According to the New York Times “Wiemer is considered by many to be one of the top Riesling producers in the United States.” He was born and raised in Germany, and arrived in the US in 1968. His first wine, a 1979 Finger Lakes dry Riesling, was released in 1980. Hermann Wiemer quickly became known for his German-style vinifera wines. He claims that he made the first dry Riesling in the US and said that many scoffed at him for making Riesling even though today it's the flagship wine grape variety of the region.



The Finger Lakes AVA in upstate New York encompasses seven glacial lakes, although the majority of plantings are around Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. Most vineyards are planted on hillsides overlooking the lakes. These deep lakes help to moderate the climate, as stored heat is released from the lakes during the winter, keeping the weather mild (relative to surrounding areas) and preventing early frosts. The reflection of the sun off the lakes during summer extends the growing season. This cool-climate region is often compared to the Mosel winegrowing region of Germany, and like that region, has had special success with Riesling.

Herrmann Wiemer has retired a few years ago. Today the winemaking process is managed by Hermann J Wiemer’s long-term winemaker Fred Merwarth who has worked closely with Hermann as one of his winemakers for the last 8 years. Hermann is still passionately and practically involved in the life of the winery, and Fred continues faithfully executing the Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard leg




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German American Wines: (1) Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, (2) Eroica, (3) Woelffer and his Schiller Wine

I was born and grew up in Germany. For the past 26 years, I have lived in the US, on and off, in the greater Washington DC area. Over this period, I have discovered wonderful American wines, both from the East and the West Coast. I have continued to drink German wines, although at times, I have been disappointed by what I found in the shelves of the American retailers. And I have discovered a number of German-American wines. These have taken different forms. I will discuss three forms. This is the first article in a series.

First, the most extreme, I believe, is blending of grapes grown in America with grapes grown in Germany. It seems unusual, but it happens.

The second form is a joint venture of an American and a German wine maker, using American grapes.

Third, there are a number of winemakers in the US who make their wine in the US with American grapes, but who have learned how to make wine in Germany. They came to the US some years ago, are settled in the US and produce American wines, but you can see the German roots in the wines.

For each of the three categories, I will discuss one wine or winemaker.

German American Blend: NV Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, Pacific Rim Winemakers

Pacific Rim Winemakers is a new undertaking of Randall Grahm who made a name for himself with the easy-drinking wines of the Santa Cruz-based company, Bonny Doon Vineyard. I find the wines of Pacific Rim Winemakers excellent. They only make Riesling.

Pacific Rim Winemakers also sells a NV Pacific Rim Dry Riesling. This wine is an intercontinental blend, made of wine from the US and Germany. 80 percent of the grapes come from the Columbia valley in Washington State and 20 percent from the Mosel valley in Germany, selected by the German wine maker Johannes Selbach. Because it is a true German/American product, the label cannot show the vintage but has to say NV.

I had a bottle of the wine recently with my daughter Dorothea and my son Benjamin in Concord, New Hampshire. We ate Maine Lobster and T-Bone Steak and had the wine with the Lobster. It worked very well with Lobster. It may also work with Asian food. There is a geisha on the label that underscored the wine’s affinity for Asian foods.

Our tasting notes: Light straw-color with a greenish glint of brass; attack of petrol and green apple on the nose; oily texture, legs; hint of tropical fruit and spices on the palate; mouth-filling, dry and acidic; lasting finish.

Here are notes of the winemaker: To make our Dry Riesling, we pick our grapes relatively early (21-22.5 Brix). The Riesling juice is fermented at cold temperatures for 30 days and then aged in stainless steel tanks. We leave our dry wines sur lie (which means that we keep the wine on the yeast lees to increase the mouthfeel of the wine) post fermentation for five months and we stir the lees once or twice a week. We use no oak and no malolactic on this wine — it's as pure and unmanipulated as it gets. For our Dry Riesling, we blend 20% of German Riesling wine — selected by Johannes Selbach in the Mosel region — to 80% of our Columbia Valley Riesling. The German Riesling lends great depth and acidity, as well as low alcohol.

Joint venture of an American and German winemaker: Eroica

The Eroica is a collaboration between Chateau Ste. Michelle, the huge Washington winemaker, and Dr. Ernst Loosen, the eminent Riesling producer from the Mosel region of Germany. The wine is made at Chateau Ste. Michelle from grapes grown in the Columbia Valley.


Picture: Ludwig van Beethoven

Eroica was launched in 1999. Named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony, Eroica is supposed to reflect not only its variety and site, but also its heritage: bold and forward from its Washington roots, elegant and refined from German inspiration.

Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle pioneered European vinifera grape growing in Washington State and has been producing classic European varietal wines under the Ste. Michelle label since 1967. The Dr. Ernst Loosen Estate in the Mosel valley has produced fine Riesling for over two centuries. It is one of the top German wine estates.

They make three kinds of the Eroica. The regular, dry Eroica, an ice wine and a Single Berry Selection. The latter is made in the traditional German Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) style, for which the Mosel valley is so famous, and is one of the few TBAs in North America. This wine is made in very limited quantities and has scored a 98 in the Wine Spectator.

German winemaking in America: Woelffer Estate and Schiller Wine

The Woelffer Estate is one of the top wine estates on Long Island, New York State. It would not be what it is today without the two Germans Christian Woelffer, its founder, and Roman Roth, its wine maker. I have written about them in my German Winemakers in the World series. Among their wines, I found the

Grandioso Rose 2008—39% Chardonnay, 32% Cabernet Franc, 29% Merlot

This is a “Schiller”. Winemaker Roman Roth knows how to make Schiller from back home in Germany. Schiller is made by blending red and white grapes before fermentation. It looks like a Rose, but it is not, at least not in the French tradition. You can find Schiller only in the region of Württemberg in the south of Germany. The wine got its name from the verb “schillern”. The verb “schillern” means “to scintillate”. “Schiller” is thus a wine with a scintillating color, reflecting the fact that the wine is a blend of red and white grapes. In the past, Schiller used to be a Gemischter Satz wine, but to my knowledge nobody does it any more. Today, Schiller is a blend, but not a field blend. See my posting of August 12, 2009


Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller at Woelffer Estate

The Grandioso is a blend, but not a field blend, shinny pale in color, the aroma is full with fresh lime, papaya, and some raspberry notes, the mouth-feel is crisp, elegant and austere, lip-smacking acidity and beautiful yeast notes ensure a vibrant finish.

This series of German American wines will continue.

Schiller Wine – Related Postings

Wine ratings: Two American/German wines - Eroica and Poet's Leap - on Top 100 wines list for Washington State 2009

German Wine Basics: Schillerwein – A German Speciality

Wine Tasting: Woelffer Wines from Long Island, New York State

Christian Woelffer and Roman Roth, USA

Wine region: Upcoming Long Island, New York State

Pictures: The wine regions of New York State, the wineries of Long Island on the North and South Forks and Christian G.E. Schiller in Long Island at Woelffer Estate, 2009

About 35 years ago, there was no meaningful wine industry on Long Island. In little over a quarter of a century, however, the Long Island wine industry has grown from one small vineyard to 3,000 acres of vines and over thirty wineries producing world-class wines. Located in New York State, on the East Coast of the United States, Long Island extends some 120 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The wineries are all located at the East End, on the North and South Forks. The heart of Island’s wine country is the town of Southold, where more than 20 of the 30plus wineries are located.

Wine lovers have come to realize that its maritime climate, geography and soil characteristics provide ideal conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality. People talk a lot about Bordeaux on Long Island and the Bordeaux comparison is not so far fetched. Some attribute it to the fact that the most planted grapes are the Bordeaux varieties Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Others attribute it to the Bordeaux-esque climate on Long Island. Three bodies of Gulf Stream-influenced water surround the two folks at the tip of Long Island. Long Island Sound is to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and in the middle, splitting the two forks, is Peconic Bay. All three create a very moderate climate and an extended growing season that is over a month longer than at the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.

The first winery on Long Island was founded by Louisa and Alex Hargrave in 1973. This is when it all started and the Hargrave couple can be considered as the parents of the wine industry in Long Island. Marco and Ann Marie Borghese bought the vineyards and the winery in 1999 and renamed it Castello de Borghese Vineyard and Winery. See my tasting notes on Borghese wines here.

I have visited the Borghese Estate and the Woelffer Estate.

Marco Borghese comes from the famous Borghese family in Italy, which includes many well known personalities, including Pope Paul V (he was Pope many centuries ago) and Marco’s cousin, well know from the popular TV romance US reality series “The Bachelor: Rome,” in which attractive and sexy women were competing for an eligible, handsome, and presumably rich bachelor, Marco’s cousin.

When the Borgheses bought the property from the Hargraves, they inherited an unenviable tradition of making Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir has become their flagship wine, although many consider Long Island to be a Merlot region. The vineyard has 84 acres under vine and produces around 10,000 cases per year.

The Woelffer Estate is one of the few Long Island wineries that is located in the Hamptons, while most Long Island wineries are cluttered on the North Fork. The rustic, Tuscan-style winery is set on a rise overlooking the vineyards to the east and the gently rolling Hamptons landscape to the west. The Woelffer Wine Estate, one of the top wine estates on Long Island, New York State, would not be what it is today without the two Germans Christian Woelffer, its founder, and Roman Roth, its wine maker. I have written about them in my German Winemakers in the World series.

The leading grape variety is Merlot. In 1990, the first merlot vines were planted in the Hamptons at Channing Daughters and soon thereafter at Woelffer Estate Vineyards. More new growers coming into the region saw and heard of the success of merlot in more established vineyards and committed to further plantings. Today merlot acreage on Long Island is approximately 700 acres, making up 30% of the overall vineyard acreage on Long Island.

Formed in 2005, the Long Island Merlot Alliance (LIMA) strives to develop quality standards in the production of Long Island Merlot and to establish Long Island as the leading region for Merlot in the New World. In 2009, the founding members Raphael, Pellegrini Vineyards, Sherwood House Vineyards and Woelffer Estate Vineyard welcomed Clovis Point, Castello di Borghese and McCall Vineyard to the group. Together, the members co-produce a 100% Merlot wine each year, named Merliance.

Schiller Wine - Related Postings

Wine Tasting Notes: Woelffer Wines from Long Island, New York State - Nov. 23, 2009

Wine Tasting: Castello di Borghese, Long Island, New York State - November 18, 2009

In the glass: 2005 Christian's cuvee, Woelffer Estate Vineyard, Long Island, US - November 11, 2009

German Winemakers in the World: Christian Woelffer and Roman Roth - November 13, 2009

Wine ratings: The 2009 New York State Favorites, Long Island, Finger Lakes, Niagara

Woelffer Wines from Long Island, New York State

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller at the Woelffer Estate

I tasted Woelffer wines at their Estate in the Hamptons of Long Island.

In little over a quarter of a century the Long Island wine industry has grown from one small vineyard to 3,000 acres of vines and over thirty wineries producing outstanding wines. Located in New York State, on the East Coast of the United States, Long Island extends some 120 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Its maritime climate, geography and soil characteristics provide ideal conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality.

The Woelffer Estate is one of the top wine estates on Long Island, New York State, and one of the few Long Island wineries that is located in the Hamptons, while most Long Island wineries are cluttered on the North Fork. The rustic, Tuscan-style winery is set on a rise overlooking the vineyards to the east and the gently rolling Hamptons landscape to the west. It would not be what it is today without the two Germans Christian Woelffer, its founder, and Roman Roth, its wine maker. I have written about them in my German Winemakers in the World series. See here.

Reflecting the vision of industry pioneer Christian Wölffer, who is no longer with us because of his untimely death last year, the former potato fields of what are now the vineyards of the Woelffer Estate have become an area that produces wine which are among those that set the quality benchmark of Long Island winemaking today.

Woelffer produces 16,000-20,000 cases each year. The 12,000-square-foot winery houses a tasting room and boutique; a state-of-the-art winemaking facility equipped with computerized stainless-steel tanks, laboratory, riddling rooms, bottling line, and a cellar to hold the wines before distribution; and in keeping with the European tradition, barrel rooms constructed of high-vaulted caves and a wine library. Guests may select from a range of wine flights and enjoy a cheese plate with a selection of artisanal cheeses. French doors open onto a stone terrace that is bordered with hydrangeas and overlooks the vineyard, offering one of the most picturesque views in Hamptons wine country.

Tasting Notes

Sparkling Brut Blanc de Blanc, 2006—100% Chardonnay, medium lemon colored sparkler, with an active light bead, clean, fragrant aromas of bright melon and pear with a floral note, very crisp, effervescent attack, creamy mousse, dry on the palate with modest green melon and apple fruit, robust finish

Chardonnay 2007---100% Chardonnay, 30% stainless steel fermented, the rest oak-barrel fermented, lemon in color, attack of tropical fruit on the nose, on the palate, it displays a honey leesy mouth feel with moderate acidity and a firm finish

Grandioso Rose 2008—39% Chardonnay, 32% Cabernet Franc, 29% Merlot

This is a “Schiller”. Winemaker Roman Roth knows how to make Schiller from back home in Germany. Schiller is made by blending red and white grapes before fermentation. It looks like a Rose, but it is not, at least not in the French tradition. You can find Schiller only in the region of Württemberg in the south of Germany. The wine got its name from the verb “schillern”. The verb “schillern” means “to scintillate”. “Schiller” is thus a wine with a scintillating color, reflecting the fact that the wine is a blend of red and white grapes. In the past, Schiller used to be a Gemischter Satz wine, but to my knowledge nobody does it any more. Today, Schiller is a blend, but not a field blend. See my posting of August 12, 2009

The Grandioso is a blend, but not a field blend, shinny pale in color, the aroma is full with fresh lime, papaya, and some raspberry notes, the mouth-feel is crisp, elegant and austere, lip-smacking acidity and beautiful yeast notes ensure a vibrant finish

Fatalis Fatum 2006 -- 42% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 27,5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Barbera, dark-red in the glass, attack of blueberries and strawberries aromas, full-bodied wine with layers of soft tannins and dark chocolate, intense and lasting finish

Merlot 2007—89% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, a typical right bank Bordeaux blend, dark-red in the glass, aromas of prunes and ripe cranberries, medium-bodied and balanced between fruit and tannin, long finish, Woelffer is member of the LIMA (Long Island Merlot Alliance), also comprising Borghese, Clovis Point, McCall, Pellegrini, and Raphael.

Cabernet Franc 2006---78% Cabernet Franc, 20%Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, another right-banl blend, dark-red in the glass, very aromatic wine, showing cassis, raspberry and vanilla hints, the mouth-feel is rich and vibrant, concentrated wine, but with a classic elegance that reflects the high portion of cabernet Franc, long finish

Estate Selection Merlot 2004---80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, very dark red color, aromas of figs, dried prunes with toasty oak, medium-bodied mouth-feel with dark chocolate and red cherries, long finish, a great wine with a considerable aging potential

I tasted also the Christian’s cuvee which I have described separately in my In the Glass Series. See here.

I also visited the Borghese Estate. The tasting notes are here.

Woelffer wines are available in Germany through the Bacchus-Vinothek in Rottweil