The 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle: Impressions from the Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington State, USA

Picture: Clemens Busch from Weingut Clemens Busch in Germany, Christian G.E. Schiller and Hermann Wiemer, founder of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards in the Finger Lakes Region in New York State. For Weingut Clemens Busch, see: With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany. For Hermann J. Wiemer, see: German Winemakers in the World: Hermann J. Wiemer, Finger Lakes, USA

The world of Riesling returned to Seattle in Washington State. The attraction was the 4th Riesling Rendezvous, a gathering of Riesling producers and enthusiasts from around the world. Riesling Rendezvous is sponsored by Chateau Ste. Michelle, the Washington State giant wine producer and Weingut Dr. Loosen, one of Germany’s top Riesling producers from the Mosel Valley. The famous Eroica Riesling from Washington State is a joint venture of Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen. Riesling Rendezvous is the largest international gathering of Riesling producers and enthusiasts in the world.

This posting is part of a series of a dozen or so postings on the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle. I have posted sofar:

The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA
Coming Up in July: 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA 
The German Winemakers at the Forthcoming 4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA  

Pictures: Co-host Ernst Loosen giving last minute instructions. For more on Ernst Loosen, see: Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA

The 4th Riesling Rendezvous featured 2 ½ days of tasting, discussing and learning about Riesling. It kicked off Sunday, July 14, in the late afternoon with the Grand Tasting on Chateau Ste. Michelle’s winery grounds in Woodinville, about 15 miles from downtown Seattle.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and US wine-author John Haeger, who lead one of the 2 International Riesling Tastings

Picture: Loosen Bros. CEO Kirk Wille and Spouse, see also: Ernie and his Friends - The Loosen Bros. USA Portfolio Tour 2012

Picture: UK-based Wine Journalist Tim Atkin, who lead one of the 2 International Riesling Tastings. See also: The Tim Atkin Pinot Noir Taste-Off of October 2011: Germany Versus the Rest of the World - German Red Wines Show Strong Performance

Picture: Riesling Giant Stuart Pigott, see more: Late Night German Riesling Tasting with Riesling Gurus Paul Grieco and Stuart Pigott in Washington DC on the 2013 Riesling Road Trip, USA

Picture: Wine Blogger Mike Veseth and his Wife. Mike is professor emeritus of International Political Economy at the University of Puget Sound. He is the author of many books.

Picture: Stuart Pigott and Helmut Doennhoff, see also: Top 10 Riesling Producers in the World – Snooth 2012

About 700 consumers, media, and producers attended. Riesling-friendly food was provided by popular Seattle food trucks Marination Mobile, Snout and Co and Barking Frog Mobile Kitchen, as well as appetizers by Chateau Ste Michelle culinary Director John Sarich. Guests also enjoyed live music by The Josh Rawlings Trio.

Pictures: Music and Food at the Grand Tasting

Producers at the Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville

Almost 70 Riesling producers from seven countries - United States, Germany, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Slovakia and Austria - presented their wines. From within the United States, wineries from seven states participated: Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, California, New York, New Jersey and Michigan.

Australia

Frankland Estate
Jim Barry Wines
Mitchell Wines
Pikes

Pictures: The Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle

Austria

Domäne Wachau
Emmerich Knoll - Weingut Knoll
Loimer
Markus Huber

Pictures: From top to bottom: Fred Loimer, Weingut Loimer, Markus Huber, Weingut Huber, Emmerich Knoll, Weingut Knoll, Heinz Frischgruber, Domäne Wachau, see also: Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Canada

Cave Spring Cellars
Mission Hill Family Estate
Tantalus Vineyards
Thirty Bench Winemakers

Picture: Canada, Australia, New Zealand

Germany

A. Christmann
Battenfeld Spanier
Clemens Busch
Dönnhoff
Dr. Loosen
Fritz Haag
Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan
Leitz
Maximin Grünhaus
Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt
Robert Weil

The German wine estates were all represented by their owner/winemaker/GM, except for Weingut Battenfeld Spanier and Weingut Leitz, which were represented by the importers as H.O.Spanier and Johannes Leitz, who had been scheduled to participate, had to change their plans in the last minute.

Picture: Carl von Schubert, Weingut Maximin Gruenhaus - Schlosskellerei C. von Schubert, see also: Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA.

Picture: Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, see also: Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA

Picture: The German Tent

Picture: Helmut Doennhoff, Weingut Doennhoff, see also: Top 10 Riesling Producers in the World – Snooth 2012

Picture: Steffen Christmann, Weingut A. Christmann and Fred Loimer, Weingut Loimer

Picture: Annegret Reh-Gartner, Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, see also: The German Winemakers at the Forthcoming 4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA 

Picture: Helmut Doennhoff and Carl von Schubert

Picture: Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag, see also: The German Winemakers at the Forthcoming 4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA

Picture: Helmut Doennhoff, Weingut Doennhoff, see also: Top 10 Riesling Producers in the World – Snooth 2012

Picture: Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, see also: With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Picture: Helmut Doennhoff and Wife

Picture: Gunther Haug (right) and Felix Korb (left) , Geheimer Rat von Bassermann Jordan, see also: The German Winemakers at the Forthcoming 4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA 

Pictures: Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Weil, and his Wines, see also: Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

New Zealand

Framingham Wines Ltd.
Villa Maria Estate

Slovakia

Elesko Winery

United States

California

MadroñaVineyards
Municipal Winemakers
Trefethen Family Vineyards

Picture: Winemaker Zeke Neeley, Trefethen Family Vineyards, and Christian G.E. Schiller in Woodinville

Michigan

Black Star Farms
Chateau Grand Traverse
Shady Lane Cellars
New Jersey
Alba Vineyard

New York

Anthony Road Wine Company
Fox Run Vineyards
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
Red Newt Cellars, Inc.
Sheldrake Point Winery

Picture: Dave Breeden, Sheldrake Point Winery, see also: Celebrating the Release of the Finger Lakes 2011 Riesling in Washington DC, USA

Picture: Fred Merwarth (Winemaker, Vineyard Manager and Co-Owner), Hermann J. Wiemer Vienyards, see also: German Winemakers in the World: Hermann J. Wiemer, Finger Lakes, USA

Pictures: Winemaker Johannes Reinhardt, Anthony Road Wine Company and Kemmeter Wines, see also: The Wines and the Food at President Obama’s Inauguration Luncheon, January 21, 2013, USA

Oregon

Bridgeview Vineyards
Brooks
Chehalem
Trisaetum
Tunkalilla Vineyard

Washington

Anew
Charles Smith Wines
Chateau Ste. Michelle
Efeste
Gard Vintners
The Hogue Cellars
Mercer Estates Winery
Pacific Rim
Snoqualmie
Tulip Valley Winery
The Woodhouse Wine

Picture: Charles Smith, Charles Smith Wines

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winemaker Bob Bertheau and Chateau Ste. Michelle CEO Ted Baseler, see also: German American Wines: (1) Pacific Rim Riesling (2) Eroica and (3) Woelffer's Schillerwein

Picture: Pacific Rim Head Winemaker Nicolas Quille and Winemaker Steven Sealock, see also: Visiting Winemaker Steven Sealock at Pacific Rim Winemakers in Washington State, USA and see: Oregon Pinot Gris Symposium at Oak Knoll Winery in Hillsboro

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Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013

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Wine Blogger Christian G.E. Schiller from schiller-wine Featured Guest of #SommChat on Twitter

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

German American Wines: (1) Pacific Rim Riesling (2) Eroica and (3) Woelffer's Schillerwein

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Wine Consumption: Do Germans Drink Sweet or Dry Wine?

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Steffen Christmann, Weingut A. Christmann, in Seattle, USA. Weingut A. Christmann belongs to the group of winemakers that make exclusively dry wines.

See:
The German Winemakers at the Forthcoming 4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA

When you travel outside of Germany and check the wine lists of restaurants and retail stores in terms of German wines, you easily get the impression that Germans are hooked on sweet wine. It is the fruity-sweet Riesling style that is so popular in the world and that many equate with German wine and the German’s preference for wine. But this is faulty. Germany drinks dry. Like the rest of the world. Let us take a look.

The Germans consume about 20 mio hectoliters of wine every year. 14 mio hectoliters of total consumption are imported, red and white wine mainly from Spain, France and Italy. All the imported wines are dry.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, in Kiedrich. Weingut Weil belongs to the group of winemakers that make both dry and fruity-sweet wines, in addition to noble-sweet wines.

See:
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

The balance is wine made in Germany. The Germans consume about 6 mio hectoliters of German wine, while Germany produces roughly 9 mio hectoliters annually, with 3 mio hectoliters being exported.

1/3 of the German wine production of 9 mio hectoliters is red wine and very little of it is exported. The German red wine is generally dry. Thus, half of the 6 mio hectoliters German wine consumed by the Germans is red wine and it is dry.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Dr. Manfred Pruem, Weingut J.J. Pruem at Schloss Johannisberg. Weingut J.J. Pruem belongs to the small group of winemakers that make no dry wine, all of them, I believe, based in the Mosel Valley.

See:
JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

This leaves us with 3 mio hectoliters of white wine. My guess is that 2/3 of the 3 mio hectoliters of white German wine consumed in Germany is dry and 1/3 sweet. Thus: 2 mio hectoliters of the total consumption of German white wine is dry and 1 mio hectoliters is sweet.

Conclusion: Only 1 mio hectoliters of the wine consumed in Germany is sweet. That is 5% of total consumption. Not more than 1 out of 20 bottles of wine consumed in Germany is sweet.

So, 95% of the wine consumed in Germany is dry and sweet-style wines are niche wines in Germany. This is pretty much in line with the consumption patterns in the rest of the world. But the delicious low alcohol, fruity-sweet Rieslings that German winemakers are able to produce, are unique in the world and popular everywhere.

This back-of-the-evenvelope calculation is pretty much in line with a statement VDP President Steffen Christmann made at the recent 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State: "If you take the German white wines that cost Euro 15 plus, 95% of the production is dry."

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One of the Fathers of the German Red Wine Revolution: Weingut Huber in Baden

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Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

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