Pictures: Kloster Eberbach: Overnight-Stay, Dinner, Guided Tour and Aperitif in the Steinberg Vineyard - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Kloster Eberbach, one of Europe's best-preserved and important medieval monasteries, lies in a valley near the town of Eltville in the Rheingau. Still a world-class winery today, the Eberbach Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery, founded in 1136 by Bernard of Clairvaux as the first Cistercian abbey on the eastern bank of the Rhine river. Its Romanesque and Gothic buildings are very impressive.

Kloster Eberbach was our base for 2 nights during the Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling.

We
- stayed 2 nights at the Hotel Kloster Eberbach,
- had dinner one evening at Kloster Eberbach Restaurant,
- did and in-depth tour of the Abbey, including a visit of the lay brother’s dormitory where every year the famous auction of premium German wines takes place, -
- visited briefly the new winemaking facilities of Kloster Eberbach and
- toured the famous Steinberg vineyard, where we also had a glass of wine at the Schwarzes Häuschen in the Steinberg vineyard of Kloster Eberbach.

Hotel Kloster Eberbach

Hotel Kloster Eberbach is a 3 superior star guesthouse in a part of a former monastery that dates back to the 16th century. This building served formerly as a mill and barn. In the course of the careful modernization of the hotel emphasis was placed upon maintaining its traditional monastic elements. The comfortably furnished double rooms offer a peaceful sleep, just as one expects it would have been like for centuries within the monastery walls.

Pictures: Hotel Kloster Eberbach

Dinner at Kloster Eberbach in the Klosterschänke

One night we had a winemaker dinner with Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps at Weingut Kaufmann in nearby Hattenheim and one night we had dinner at the Klosterschänke of Kloster Eberbach.

Pictures: Dinner at Kloster Eberbach

Guided Tour of Kloster Eberbach

The Cistercian monk Bernard of Clairvaux from Burgundy founded the winery when he establishing the Abbey. In medieval times Eberbach Abbey was the largest winery in all of Europe with 750 acres of vineyards. Today Eberbach Abbey is one of the five State-owned wineries (the State of Hesse is its proprietor) and with 500 acres the largest winery in Germany. The estate’s holdings in highly esteemed vineyards in the Hessische Bergstrasse and the Rheingau wine region are unparalleled.

Pictures: Tour of Kloster Eberbach

Vinothek Kloster Eberbach

Kloster Eberbach has a nice tasting room, where some of us bought some wine.

Pictures: 1959 Kloster Eberbach Cabinett Steinberger Riesling Beerenauslese

New Winemaking Facilities: Steinbergkeller

Following the tour of Kloster Eberbach, we drove a mile to the new winemaking facility of Kloster Eberbach, the Steinbergkeller, and visited the famous Steinberg Vineyard.

The Steinbergkeller is the new and central winemaking facility of the Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach. The total vineyard area of the Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbachcomes to more than 200 hectares, of which 85% are planted with Riesling, 10% with Pinot Noir and 5% with other varieties. Owner is the Land Hessen. It is located just next to the Steinberg Vineyard.

Pictures: At the Steinbergkeller

Aperitif at the Schwarzes Häuschen in the Steinberg Vineyard of Kloster Eberbach

The Steinberg is a 32.4 hectares (80 acres) wall-enclosed vineyard in walking distance of the Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau. It is one of the most famous German vineyards.

The favorite site of the monks, they built a 4 meter (13ft) wall around the vineyard to keep out thieves. This and its Cistercian heritage give Steinberg a distinct similarity to the famed Clos De Vougeot in Bourgogne in neigbouring France. The name Steinberg is German for "stony hill" after Stein = stone and Berg = mountain or hill.

The Steinberg is one of handful single vineyard sites in Germany which for reasons of historical significance have dispensation from having to include a village name together with the vineyard's name, so the wines from the Steinberg are simply labelled Steinberger.

The Schwarzes Häuschen is a little booth with benches and tables right in the middle of the Steinberg Vineyard where you can buy wine from the Steinberg and little snacks during the season. We spent about an hour there.

Pictures: A Glass of Wine in the Steinberg Vineyard

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling - Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Joachim Flick in Hochheim, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Wegeler in Oestrich-Winkel, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Rheingau, with Jan Christensen - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Kloster Eberbach: Overnight-Stay, Dinner, Guided Tour and Aperitif in the Steinberg Vineyard - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Wining in the Steinberg Vineyard– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau: Lunch, Tour of the Abbey, the Steinberg and the Steinbergkeller, with Tasting - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch, Cellar visit and tasting at winery Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau, with Baron Knyphausen and winemaker Arne Willkens 

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tasting and dining at winery Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Owners and winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps

Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar tour, vineyard tour, and tasting in the vineyard at winery Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai

Lunch at restaurant Altes Haus in Bacharach

Tasting and vineyard drive at winery Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger 

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ratzenberger, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided tour of Eltz Castle

Tasting at winery Reinhold Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen

Tasting at winery Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm

Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Wine-pairing dinner at winery Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle

Tasting at winery Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Middle Mosel, with Ernst Loosen

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef: Visit of the famous Berncasteler Doctor Cellar and Tour and Tasting at  Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef, with Ownwe Matthias Willkomm

The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Lunch at Restaurant Juffer Flair of Weingut Christian Steinmetz in Brauneberg

Tasting at winery Haart in Piesport, Mosel, with Johannes Haart

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Cellar tour and tasting at winery Peter Lauer in Ayl, Upper Mosel, Saar Valley, with Katharina Lauer and Peter Lauer

Lunch at Weinrestaurant Ayler Kupp at winery Peter Lauer

Tasting at winery H. Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe, with Anne Dönnhoff 

Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Visit and tasting at winery Dr. Crusius, Traisen, Nahe, with Peter and Judith Crusius.

Vineyard tour, cellar tour and tasting at winery Kruger-Rumpf, Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Stefan and Georg Rumpf

Tour, Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Weingut Kruger Rumpf, Nahe, with Stefan, Cornelia and Georg Rumpf– Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard tour and tasting at winery Bischel in Appenheim, Rheinhessen, with Christian Runkel, Owner and Winemaker

Winery visit and lunch at winery Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin Guntrum

Guntrum is Back (Stuart Pigott/ James Suckling): Wine Pairing Lunch and Tour at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Owners Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Mainlust “Desche Otto” – an Ultra Traditional Apple Wine Tavern, with an Innovative Twist, off the Beaten Track in Schwanheim, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Picture: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

The Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim took place from 19 to 23 June. 37 members of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim participated in it. The tour was organized and led by Annette Schiller, a founder of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim and founder, owner and CEO of ombiasy WineTours. Unlike Annette's ombiasy tours, this tour was in German (and not in English) and a large group (and not a small group of a maximum of 10 people).

We visited 7 wineries including Domaine Pfister in Dahlenheim.

Owner and Winemaker Mélanie Pfister was our host.

We toured the winemaking facilities and sat down for a tasting in the tasting room with Melanie Pfister.

Domaine Pfister wines are widely available in the USA through Vintage 59 Imports.

Interestingly, since our last visit with ombiasy WineTours, Melanie has completely revamped her wine portfolio. Generally, the grape varieties have been moved to the backburner and the terroir principle to the fore. Also, the design of the label has been changed completely.

See also: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister in Dahlenheim, Alsace, with Melanie Pfister - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Welcome

Mélanie Pfister is one of the upcoming stars in Alsace, although her family has been cultivating vines in Dahlenheim (Bas-Rhin) since 1780. The village in the north of Alsace has a 1,000-year winemaking tradition, and its single vineyards such as Silberberg and the–today Grand Cru–Engelberg had a high reputation already in the 9th and 11th century. Mélanie’s dry, terroir-driven, well-structured and balanced wines are very elegant, digestible and gastronomic. - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate, June 2017

Pictures: Domaine Pfister

Mélanie Pfister is the 8th generation and the first woman to head the Domaine Pfister. She trained in Bordeaux and studied oenology in Dijon before she retuned home to Dahlenberg. She intends to apply her knowledge and diverse experiences to continue to produce outstanding wines and to pursue the ongoing quest for perfection. Because of the proximity to Strasbourg – only 20 km west – the village of Dahlenheim has an exceptional wine-producing heritage. It served, first and foremost, as a veritable wine-cellar for Strasbourg's ecclesiastic institutions: the Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg as well as the Abbayes in the area, some of them also produced wine. The monks also travelled and brought back new vine varieties to Dahlenheim. In the 13-hundreds it was recorded that “noble wine” was produced. As early as 1780, the name Nicolas Pfister was recorded. He lived as a “bourgeois wine-grower” in Dahlenheim using the farm buildings that are still in place today.

Pictures: Cellar Tour with Mélanie Pfister

Domaine Pfister (Vintage 59 Imports)

Vintage 59 Imports: Domaine Pfister began life in 1780 during our Revolutionary War. That seems a long time ago, until you learn that Pfister’s village of Dahlenheim was favorably noted for wine production in the distant year of 884. A written record has survived, detailing how the village supplied wine to the Abbey of Saint Michel de Honan during that era. Dahlenheim was an important center of wine production throughout the Middle Ages as well. It’s located due west of Strasbourg in the northern reaches of the Bas Rhin, (legally, the Bas Rhin is a separate department from the Haut Rhin, and means, simply, lower down the Rhine River—keeping in mind that the Rhine flows north to the Baltic).

This is Riesling country. Up here the Vosges Mountains are not nearly so toweringly majestic, nor, correspondingly, so protective. The vineyards are not as shielded from cold weather as further south in the Haut Rhin, and this cooler climate, along with the abundance of limestone and thinner, less sandy soils, favors Riesling and makes for particularly elegant, mineral renditions of the wine. Mélanie Pfister makes two Rieslings, both entirely dry. One is tantalizingly full, rich, and earthy, while the other, the Grand Cru, makes you sit up with its petrol, its white flowers, and its bounding, razor sharp minerality.

If you like wines marked above all by purity of fruit, elegance, and character (to say nothing of reasonable pricing), you have come to the right place. Domaine Pfister farms forty parcels totaling ten hectares (twenty-five acres) of vines, twenty-five percent of which is in Riesling. Mélanie “officially” took over from her father with the 2006 vintage, but dad is far from retiring. He very proudly has got his daughter’s back, and works the vines as hard as he ever did. He just no longer sweats the cellar work.

Leading up to that transition, Mélanie did internships at the following estates: Zind-Humbrecht (Alsace), Méo-Camuzet (Burgundy), Château Cheval Blanc (Saint Emilion), Château d’Yquem (Sauternes) and Craggy Range (New Zealand). It’s worth considering that most aspiring winemakers would take it as a fine feather in the cap to be accepted into any one of those training programs, and Mélanie got into all of them. In 2005, she made the first Cuvée 8, a blended wine that she had long envisioned and so named because she is the eighth generation Pfister to make wine at the domain. Following the transition, the next big step she took came after the harvest in 2010, when she broke ground on a new cellar. She knows how she wants to make and handle her wine, and beginning with the 2011 vintage she has been able to do just that.

At the beginning of 2018 Mélanie and her father decided to embark 100% into organic viticulture. Certification takes three years and is expected with vintage 2021.

Apart from her upper tier Pinot Noir “Rahn” and Pinot Gris “Silberberg,” all of Mélanie’s wines are made and aged in tank, and the élevage is an extended one on the lees (bottling typically happens for the whites just before the next harvest). Indigenous yeast is preferred, but she reserves the right to use non-aromatic cultured yeasts in more problematic years when the risks of off-flavors are greater. The wines are normally fermented dry and bottled with a minimum addition of sulfur. Normally, 15 different wines are made each year with an overall production of roughly 5,000 cases.

Pictures: Tasting with Mélanie Pfister

New Names and Labels for the Wines

Mélanie and I did not have the time to talk about it more thoroghly during the visit but she radically changed the way she names he wines. The key word used to be the grape variety on the label. The grape variety has moved to the backburner and the lieu-dit (single vineyard) where the grape comes from has moved to the fore. In fact, what you find on the label is not the full lieu-dit name but an abbreviation.

Pictures: Old and new Wine Names

To give an example: Mélanie used to have a Riesling that she called Riesling Tradition. It came from the "Auf dem Berg" lieu-dit but this was not shown on the label. The same wine is now sold as "berg" (because the wine is from the "Auf dem Berg" lieu-dit).

Or, Mélanie Pfister used to sell a sparkling wine under the name Crémant Rosé. All the grapes (all Pinot Noir) come from the "Rittweg" lieu-dit. This sparkling wine is now marketed under the "ritt" name.

The Sélection des Grains Nobles wines all carry the name "noble" and the Vendanges Tardives wines carry the name "dive" on the label.

Not only did Mélanie Pfister change what she puts on the label, also the design of the labels has changed drastically.The new labels look very modern with only lower case letters being used.

In all, Mélanie Pfister groups her wines into 5 categories:

Les Crémants
Les Vins due Grand Cru Engelberg
Les Vins de Terroirs
Les Vins de Vendanges Tardives
Les Vins de Sélection des Grains Nobles

The Wines we Tasted

We tasted 8 wines.


2015 domaine mélanie pfister, breit, crémants blanc de blancs, extra-brut - Previously: Crémant Blanc de Blancs

Vintage 59 Imports: Chardonnay with 25% Pinot Blanc and 25% Pinot Auxerrois The appellation rules for this wine were promulgated in 1976, and Mélanie’s father started making crémant in the early 1980s. From the first, he worked with a long aging period. Today, the Pfisters consistently make an unusually elegant, perfumed, top-end crémant. The wine rests on its lees for a minimum of twenty-four months (most French crémant, regardless of origin, ages on its lees for about nine months or so). There are three to four disgorgements of a given year’s production, and what you’re drinking could have aged as long as thirty-six months on its lees. This is a single-vintage wine without any older reserve wine, but the vintage is kept discreetly on the back label rather than printed on the front because of the multiple disgorgements. The final sentence in the back label text gives the exact number of months of aging on the lees. Production averages 800 cases annually; dosage is 3-4 grams per liter, making this an extra brut.


2017 domaine mélanie pfister, paar, pinot blanc/ auxerrois - Previously: Pinot Blanc


2017 domaine mélanie pfister, berg, riesling - Previously: Riesling Tradition

Vintage 59 Imports: Riesling Tradition: Riesling Prior to 2011, this was labeled Riesling Silberberg. The vineyard source hasn’t changed, but the administrative burden has—lieux-dits require more paperwork. Thus the wine has been renamed Tradition, but it remains a wine with full, earthy stone fruit and dry, crisp length rising far above its "entry" class. The Silberberg hillsides are a variation of France’s famous argile-calcaire mix, or clay-limestone mix. The clay gives Riesling body while the calcareous limestone gives finesse, focus, and length. Riesling from this terroir differs from Riesling growing in Alsace’s granitic soils or pink sandstone (grès) soils by virtue of its structured ability (and need) to age. Unlike clay soils, granite and sandstone soils drain quickly, and its wine tends to be expressive right out of the gate. Or, as Mélanie once said, comparing Riesling from granite terroirs with Riesling from limestone: "Granite is always more explosive, very delicate, while limestone needs time to show its great potential and length." The Pfisters farm six plots of Riesling in Silberberg, totaling 3.18 acres. Production averages 900 cases annually.


2015 domaine mélanie pfister, engelberg, grand cru engelberg riesling - Previously: Engelberg Grand Cru Riesling

Vintage 59 Imports: Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg: Riesling Engelberg means Angel’s Hill. This was the south-facing hillside vineyard that was written about in 884 and praised for its wine. The hillside’s topsoil is very thin and marly, sitting on a mound of hard limestone mother rock into whose cracks the vines root. The purity of this limestone was such that a quarry was established in the middle of the slope and produced lime into the 20th century. The vineyard was granted Grand Cru status in 1985. It is the third most northern grand cru in Alsace (the northernmost is Steinklotz, in Marlenheim, while the second most northern is the Altenberg of Bergbieten, which is just about on the same latitude as Engelberg). The Pfisters farm just under two acres here, all located in the prime mid-slope zone of this exceptional grand cru. Production averages 300 cases annually.


2016 domaine mélanie pfister, mel, 4 cépages nobles - Previously: Cuvée 8

Vintage 59 Imports: Cuvée 8: The noble varieties of Alsace: Riesling, followed by Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat Each year the percentages vary according to what variety does best, but the order is preserved. Accordingly, the wine is intended to reflect the best of a given year and to be flagship wine of Alsace. The varieties are picked separately and fermented individually before being blended. Save for the Muscat, all come from the Silberberg terroir. Production averages 500 cases annually.


2016 domaine mélanie pfister, furd, pinot gris - Previously: Pinot Gris Tradition

Vintage 59 Imports: Pinot Gris Tradition: Pinot Gris Of all the wines listed on this page, this is the richest in terms of sweetness, but the impression is one of concentration and elegance—a Pfister hallmark—rather than sweetness. This comes from 3.26 acres of vines, growing on a steep hillside with relatively rich, deep soil. Production averages 750 cases annually.


2017 domaine mélanie pfister, lenz, gewurztraminer - Previously: Gewurtztraminer Tradition


2015 domaine mélanie pfister, dive, gewurztraminer oberer hund - Previously: Gewurtztraminer Vendanges Tardives


Bye-bye

Thanks  Mélanie for a most enjoyable visit.  Judging from the amount of wine that was bought, Domaine Pfister was among the favorite estates of the tour, along with Domaine Dirler-Cadé and Weingut Hunn.

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings

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Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister in Dahlenheim, Alsace, with Melanie Pfister - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

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Dinner at A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

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Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel et Fils in Riquewihr, with Marc-André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé  - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Restaurant Gastronomique Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

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schiller-wine: Related Postings

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The World Class Wines of Alsace

In the world class white wine region Alsace

Pictures: Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, Hanspeter Ziereisen, Weingut Ziereisen and Annette Schiller. 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. Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany. Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling. 2 Cellar Tours and 1 Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Annette and I attended Véritable 2019.

Véritable is a very special wine trade fair.

It takes place at the historic Weingut Aloisiushof, owned and run by the Kiefer family, right in the middle of St. Martin, a charming wine village in the Pfalz.

It is rather intimite event with about 100 hand-selected producers from all over Europe, but mainly Germany, presenting their wines.

Overwhelmingly elite producers are presenting their wines and it is not some sales representave who is pouring the wine, but typically the owners themselves. For instance, the Weingut Dr. Loosen wines were poured by Ernst Loosen himself. I saw Nic Weiss, Steffen Christmann, Sebastian Fürst, Guenther Künstler, Edel and Hanspeter Ziereisen, Anne Trimbach, Remy Grasser, Markus Schneider, Volker Raumland, Goerg Prieler, Lucas and Johanna Picjler, to name a few others, behind their table pouring the wines.

Picture: Véritable 2019 Catalogue

Among the people tasting the wines, you find restaurant owners, sommeliers, journalists, bloggers and wine retailers. They all pay Euro 50 for lunch finger food, coffee, water and the dinner party. If you want to participate, you have apply and wait for a confirmation by the organizer before you can pay and participate.

Véritable is a half-day event, but there are always side events including this year a welcome party at the Deidesheimer Hof the evening before and a special lecture by Fritz Keller from Weingut Franz Keller.

Picture: Long Waiting Line

The invitation was sent out by Uwe Warnecke (Initiator) and Philipp Kiefer (Gastgeber).

Uwe Warnecke - friends call him Crazy Uwe - was for many years Maître d’Hôtel and Sommelier at the Deidesheimer Hof and has excellent contacts in the wine world. He is the mastermind behind Véritable. He selects the wine producers as well as the visitors.

Weingut Aloisiushof was founded in 1950 by Alois and Rita Kiefer. Today, it is owned and run by the families of the 3 sons of the founders. Philipp Kiefer joined the winery a few years ago and is now in charge of the cellar. Philipp Kiefer and Uwe Warnecke had the idea of organizing véritable.

Picture: Frank and Gerlinde John, Weingut John, Pfalz

See also:

Revamped Weingarten in Bockenheim, with Michelin-starred Chef Jan Hofmann - A Place to Watch in Frankfurt, Germany

Pictures: Joachim Heger, Weingut Dr. Heger, Sebastian Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Stephan Knipser, Werner Knipser, Weingut Knipser, Annette Schiller

See also:

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Dr. Heger in Ihringen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Visit: Weingut Dr. Heger in Baden – Germany-South Wine Tours by ombiasy (2014)

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting (from Barrel and from Bottle) at Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken, with Sebastian Fürst - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken – Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Pictures: Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen with son, Weingut Ziereisen and Annette and Christian Schiller

See also:

2 Cellar Tours and 1 Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Picture: Hans-Joachim and Ruth Zilliken, Weingut Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken

See also:

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken with Hanno Zilliken - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Picture: Christian Dautel, Weingut Dautel, and Annette Schiller

See also:

Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Picture: Rémy Gresser, Domaine Rémy Gresser

See also:

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim

Picture: Volker Raumland, Sekthaus Raumland

See also:

Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Picture: Barbara Huber, Weingut Bernhard Huber

See also:

Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Pictures: Roman Niewodniczanski, Weingut Van Volxem, and Annette Schiller

See also:

Lunch, Tasting and Vineyard Walk at Weingut Van Volxem with Owner Roman Niewodniczanski – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Véritable 2019 - Producers

Bulgarien
Thracian Valley
Rossidi

Deutschland
Baden
Bernhard Huber
Dr. Heger
Franz Keller
Ziereisen

Franken
Rudolf Fürst

Hessische Bergstraße
Griesel & Compagnie

Mosel / Saar
Cantzheim
Clemens Busch
Daniel Twardowski
Dr. Loosen
Fio Wines
Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken
Fritz Haag
Grans-Fassian
Matthias Knebel
Maximin Grünhaus
Peter Mertes
Markus Molitor
Nik Weis St. Urbanshof
Schloss Lieser
Van Volxem
Vollenweider
von Othegraven

Nahe
Dönnhoff
Emrich-Schönleber
Schlossgut Diel

Pfalz
Aloisiushof
A. Christmann
Axel Neiss
Bernhard Koch
Dr. Bürklin-Wolf
Bassermann-Jordan
Frank John
Fußer
Immengarten Hof
Jülg
Kranz
Knipser
Krebs
Lukas Hammelmann
Reibold
Reichsrat von Buhl
Seckinger
Scheuermann
Markus Schneider
Müller-Catoir
Motzenbäcker
Ökonomierat Rebholz
Philipp Kuhn
Pinotimes
Stern
Thomas Hensel
von Winning
Völcker

Rheingau
Künstler
Robert Weil
Schloss Schönborn

Rheinhessen
Dreissigacker
BattenfeldSpanier & Kühling-Gillot
Sekthaus Raumland

Württemberg
Aldinger
Dautel

Frankreich
Bordeaux
Château Cheval Blanc
Château Figeac
Château Haut-Bailly
Château Lafleur
Château Latour

Burgund
Marchand-Tawse

Champagne
André Roger
Ayala
Billecart-Salmon

Elsass
Rémy Gresser
Trimbach

Loire
Bouvet Ladubay

Griechenland
Nemea
Philos Wines

Italien
Barolo
Luciano Sandrone

Bolgheri
Ornellaia

Maremma
Monteverro

Piemont
Gaja
Villa Sparina

Sizilien
Tasca d’Almerita

Toskana
Il Carnasciale
Isole e Olena
Nittardi

Venetien
Anselmi

Österreich
Kamptal
Schloß Gobelsburg
Bründlmayer

Leithaberg
Kollwentz-Römerhof
Prieler

Mittelburgenland
Gesellmann

Neusiedlersee
Heike & Gernot Heinrich
Umathum
Velich

Oberösterreich
Reisetbauer

Südsteiermark
Tement
Sattlerhof / Dr. Pischetsrieder

Wachau
Josef Jamek
F. X. Pichler
Franz Hirtzberger

Wagram
Bernhard Ott

Portugal
Douro
Dirk van der Niepoort

Schweiz
Graubünden
Gantenbein

Wiggertal
Bisang

Spanien
Bierzo
Raúl Pérez

Dominio de Valdepusa
Marqués de Griñón

Campo de Borja
Cuevas de Arom

Priorat
Mas d’en Gil

Ribera del Duero
Viñas del Jaro

Vi de la Terra Mallorca
Can Axartell

Südafrika
Stellenbosch
Kaapzicht

Van Nahmen

Gläser von Schott-Zwiesel und Zalto

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: July 1, 2019)

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

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

2 Cellar Tours and 1 Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Revamped Weingarten in Bockenheim, with Michelin-starred Chef Jan Hofmann - A Place to Watch in Frankfurt, Germany

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Dr. Heger in Ihringen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Visit: Weingut Dr. Heger in Baden – Germany-South Wine Tours by ombiasy (2014)

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting (from Barrel and from Bottle) at Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken, with Sebastian Fürst - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken – Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

2 Cellar Tours and 1 Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken with Hanno Zilliken - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim

Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Lunch, Tasting and Vineyard Walk at Weingut Van Volxem with Owner Roman Niewodniczanski – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Pictures: Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Baudry

Domaine de Cabasse is beautifully located near the village of Séguret which is perched on the hill. Domaine de Cabasse has rooms and a restaurant. It is surrounded by vineyards. The view up to the village of Séguret is breathtakingly beautiful.

We spent 2 nights at Domaine de Cabasse in Séguret, Southern Rhône. We also had dinner there and  we enjoyed a tasting with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Baudry.

Domaine de Cabasse was founded in the 1950s. In 1991 a Swiss couple bought the domaine, then in 2012 Anne and Benoît Baudry from the Loire valley acquired the estate and opened the hotel and restaurant.

Hotel Domaine de Cabasse

Hôtel Domaine de Cabasse in Séguret is a 3 star hotel with pool and a very good restaurant in a wine domaine surrounded by vineyards.

Pictures: Hôtel Domaine de Cabasse in Séguret

Séguret

Séguret literally hugs the hillside topped by the ruins of its feudal château. Séguret is one of the official "most beautiful villages in France", and thoroughly deserves this distinction. You cannot withstand the charm of this medieval atmosphere and the historical treasures of this village.

The group had lunch there. See:  Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Pictures: Séguret

Tasting at Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône

Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Baudry was our host.

Benoît Baudry: With our 12 hectares of vineyards surrounding the hotel itself as a divine protection, we produce 8 cuvées that cover the appellations Gigondas and AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet and Séguret. 5 hectares Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet, 7 hectares Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret, 3 hectares in Cru Gigondas.

Located at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail, the vines benefit from an exceptional terroir. Soils derived from calcareous rocks decomposed with varying proportions of pebbles giving the grapevine only what it needs for a moderate and qualitative production.

The exposure of the slopes gives an optimal sunshine, the vine gives us then grapes bursting with sun and flavors.

Pictures: Tasting with Benoît Baudry

The Wines

Benoît Baudry poured 8 wines.


2017 Domaine de Cabasse, Les Primevères, Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée

The fine and fresh aromas of this wine remind us of spring. It is composed of Roussanne, White Grenache, Viognier and Clairette.

White Grenache 30%, Roussanne 25%, Viognier 25%, Clairette 20%


2017 Domaine de Cabasse, Le Rosé de Cabasse, Séguret Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée

A beautiful complexity for this rosé which deserves to be associated to our summer cooking.

Black Grenache 60%, Syrah 34%, Carignan 2%, Clairette 2%, Counoise 2%


2017 Domaine de Cabasse, Cuvée Marguerite, Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée

100% grenache noir, issu de nos plus jeunes plantiers. Cette vigne est tout à fait prometteuse.


2017 Domaine de Cabasse, Les Deux Anges, Séguret Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée

Expressive fruit, a pinch of spices and roundness together with supple tannins. A wine of pleasures for any occasion.

Blend : Black Grenache 70%, Syrah 27%, Carignan 3%
Vinification : stemmed grapes, 6 to 10 days maceration.
Aged : in barrels.

2017 Domaine de Cabasse, Garnacho, Séguret Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée

Structure and complexity of a traditional Séguret Côte du Rhône Villages. A beautiful expression of Grenache which marvelously matches the Provencal cooking.

Blend : Black Grenache 75%, Carignan 10%, Counoise 8%, Syrah 7%
Vinification : stemmed grapes, 14 to 18 days maceration
Aged : in traditional “foudres” during 6 up to 9 months
Bottled : 18 to 20 months after harvest

2017 Domaine de Cabasse, Cuvée Casa Basa, Séguret Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée

A well-balanced marriage between Syrah and Grenache, nice complementarity which perfectly shows up when aged in barrels.

Blend : Black Grenache 55%, Syrah 45%
Vinification : stemmed grapes, 14 to 18 days maceration
Aged : in French oak barrels from Allier during 12 months
Bottled : 18 to 20 months after harvest


2015 Famille Baudry, Cuvée Rasteau, Appellation Rasteau Contrôlée


2017 Domaine de Cabasse, Gigondas, Appellation Gigondas Contrôlée

A traditional approach and assemblage for this magnificent soil. Complex and structured, this Gigondas shows a wonderful balance, pure elegance.

Blend : Black Grenache 80%, Mourvèdre and Syrah
Vinification : stemmed grapes, 15 to 20 days maceration.
Aged : in traditional “foudres ” during 9 months.


Dinner with Wines of Domaine de Cabasse at Hôtel Domaine de Cabasse

Following the tasting, the group had dinner at the restaurant of Domaine Cabasse, with wines of Domaine Cabasse.

Pictures: Dinner at Domaine Cabasse

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France (Already Released and Forthcoming Postings)

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Rhône Valley Tour December 2017: From Lyon to Avignon - Wine, Food, Culture, History

Understanding the Wines of the Rhône Valley: The Classification - AOC/ Vin de Pay/ Vin de France

The Rhône Wine Region in Southern France and its Wines: History, Classification, Northern and Southern Rhône

Cellar Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Éric Texier in Charney, with Laurence Texier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Drive at E. Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Maison Clusel-Roche in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Domaine Georges Vernay in Condrieu, Northern Rhône, with Owner Paul Ansellem-Vernay - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Hôtellerie Beau Rivage in Condrieu, with Chef Chef Ludovic Mounier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Maison Delas-Frères in Saint Jean de Muzols, Saint Joseph, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant La Grappe d’Or in Saint-Péray, with Chef Pierre Yves Jacques Sébastien - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Paul Jaboulet Aîné in Tain-l’Hermitage, Hermitage, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tasting at Domaine Laurent Habrard in Gervans, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Owner and Winemaker Laurent Habrad - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Combier in Pont de l’Isère, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Laurent Combier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at La Grand Table de Michel Chabran, 1-star Michelin, in Pont d l’Isère, Northern Rhône, with Chef Michel Chabran - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Les Bruyères in Beaumont-Monteux, Northern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker David Reynaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Martinelle in Lafare, Ventoux,  with Owner/ Winemaker Corinna Kruse Faravel - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Marcel Richaud in Cairanne, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Claire Richaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoit Baudry

Wine Dinner at Restaurant Hôtel Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône

Lunch at Restaurant Le Dolium in Beaumes-de Venise, Southern Rhône

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting of Wine and Olive Oil at Mas Saint Berthe, Les Baux de Provence, Southern Rhône, with Winemaker Christian Nief

Dinner at Restaurant Benvengudo, Les Baux de Provence, Southern Rhône

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pegau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Cellar Master Andreas Lenzenwöger

At Pont du Gard: Lunch at Restaurant Les Terrasses

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme

Cellar tour and tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet

Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château la Nerthe, Châteauneuf du Pape

Wine-pairing dinner at Restaurant Château des Fines Roches, with Chef Hugo Loridan-Fombonnet

New Year’s Eve at Château des Fines Roches in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France

Pictures: Visiting Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, with Georg and Stefan Rumpf. See: Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Terry Theise is one of the leading experts of German Wine in the US. Among the vast number of his followers, he has gained something like a cult status. He publishes a thick catalogue once a year with extensive comments. In addition to the compendium of exciting wine reviews, the Terry Theise’s annual catalogue is a very good introduction to German wine, both to the basics and to the current trends and issues.

If you want to learn more about Terry, the Washington Post carried an excellent article about him some time ago. See here.

2008 James Beard Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
2005 Food & Wine Magazine Importer of the Year

His wines are imported by Skurnik Wines, an importer and distributor of fine wines based in Syosset, New York. Terry also imports Austrian wine and Champagnes, including excellent grower Champagnes.

A few comments. First, today red wines account for 1/3 of the German wine output. While Terry has been focusing on the other 2/3 of the German wine output - white wines - for a long time, he has started to include reds in the portfolio as well. Second, there are no sparkling wines; for sparklers, you have to go to his excellent portfolio of Champagnes, including many Grower Champagnes. Third, his list does not include any noble-sweet wines (Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein). Fourth, as far as Germany is concerned, Terry has been known for liking sweet-style wines, although his portfolio increasingly includes also dry wines. In fact, the German portfolio has developed a huge selection of dry wines now. Fifth, as mentioned above, this is not a list based on a comprehensive review of German wine, but is limited to Terry Theise’s portfolio of winemakers, which is large and exceptional.

For previous years, see:

Therry Theise’s Best German Wines and Winemakers – Vintage 2017
Therry Theise’s Best German Wines and Winemakers – Vintage 2016
Therry Theise’s Best German Wines and Winemakers – Vintage 2015
Therry Theise’s Best German Wines and Winemakers – Vintage 2014
Terry Theise: German 2013 Vintage Wines - Highlights and Superlatives, Germany
Terry Theise: 2012 Vintage Wines - Highlights and Superlatives, Germany
Terry Theise’s Top German Wines of the 2011 Vintage, Germany, USA
2011: Terry Theise’s Top German Wines of the 2010 Vintage
Terry Theise's Top German Wines of the 2009 Vintage

Pictures: Happy Hour in New York at Paul Grieco's Terroir with Valerie Masten of Skurnik Wines and Husband and Wine Journalist Jon Bonné and Caroline and Sylvain Diel, Schlossgut Diel, with Danielle King,, Justin Christoph, Sommelier/ Wine Consultant Sabra Lewis. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA

Terry Theise’s Portfolio and ombiasy WineTours

My wife Annette Schiller organizes wine tours to Germany. Many of the winemakers we have visited are represented in the US by Terry Theise: Ziereisen, Dautel, Diel, Dönnhoff, Spreitzer, Von Winning, Kruger-Rumpf, Künstler, Selbach-Oster, Müller-Catoir, etc. I have added pictures from some of these visits, including references to relevant postings on schiller-wine.

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

Therry Theise’s Best Germany Wines and Winemakers – Vintage 2018

Here is Terry Theise in o-tone.

The 2018 Vintage

The “story” of this vintage is so singular that its telling might well supersede detailing how the wines taste. I don’t want to bury the lead, so I’ll start with taste and type, and the story will follow.

2018 is a homogenous vintage with a very high general level, below which it seldom falls (at least in this portfolio) and above which it only occasionally rises. It is, usually, a flowery and lyric vintage, neither muscular nor “powerful.” It leads with blossom. It is perhaps 80% delicious and 20% fascinating. It isn’t demanding. The wines are not inscrutable, they are forthcoming and attractive in fresh and vital ways. They feel unclouded, serene; it was consistently joyful to drink them.

Come behind the curtain for a minute. I worry I’m damning with faint praise. Am I? After all, my job is to attract you to the vintage, to the idea of the vintage. But my deeper job is not to bloviate or hype, by which I try to guard my cred. Every vintage cannot possibly be magnificent. 2018 is delicious in its melodic fetching way. Embedded within it are several wines of surpassing beauty and brilliance. For some growers, it’s their best vintage of the last 7 or 8 years. By its very nature it is undemanding, but that doesn’t mean it’s trivial or mundane. Rather, it can show us how to cherish those virtues by which we are simply yet richly delighted. I’m willing to predict you’ll come away from our vintage-presentations thinking “Man that is one tasty vintage, and everything was good…” It may not shatter you with sub-atomic spasms of bliss, but if we find a vintage that does, I need you to trust me and you won’t if I cry wolf all the time.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

2018’s wines resulted from unprecedented growing conditions, a very long and dry summer veering from warm to hot but without the violent spikes of heat we’ve seen in other hot years. Drought vintages, as you know, favor old vines (and their deeper root systems), water-retaining soils, and local microclimate factors. At times the differences between two neighboring villages depended on who got the thunderstorm and who didn’t. But everyone reported the cleanest fruit they had ever seen. “We had to look everywhere to find even a little botrytis,” they often said. Grower after grower showed us photos of picture-book grapes, perfectly ripe and completely unblemished.

Considering the dry season, the crop size was larger than average. Acids sometimes needed to be boosted – one guy told me “Everyone acidified but not everyone will admit it” – and I learned how to phrase the question so as not to make a grower feel defensive. Nor do I object to augmenting acid, because when my “principles” collide with their survival, they win. I do think that if one is acidifying, the best time to do it is before fermentation by adding tartaric acid. Just a theory, mind you, but it seems less manipulative than to layer acidity atop a fermented wine, with which it almost never combines or pools. Pre-fermentation tartaric acid will fall out of the wine as tartrate crystals, so that total acidity isn’t enhanced but pH is reduced to healthier levels.

And yet many growers said they were struck by how low and stable their pHs were, and there are many wines where low pH is a kind of stand-in for analytically “moderate” acidity. If you are a drinker who relishes prominent acidity in Riesling, 2018 may disappoint you. To which I can only say, have you tasted a 2003 lately? The good ones are nothing short of magnificent, from another low-acid vintage some people supposed would not age.

Pictures: Massive Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen, with Hanspeter and Edeltraud Ziereisen. See: 2 Cellar Tours and 1 Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

A common thread of 2018 is one of growers feeling they had to use skin-contact (and the phenols it imparts) to provide “structure” usually provided by acidity as such. When it was done well it was harmless, it worked; it may not have had the desired effect, but it gave a nice little note of dust and scree to a finish that could have been too “smooth.” When it didn’t work – and one needed to be really careful with this – it imparted either a coarse tannic texture at the end, or even worse, a bitter/sour finish that was most often tertiary, so that you had to wait 20-30 seconds after tasting to see if you’d be ambushed by sourness. You couldn’t taste too fast.

I’ve noticed that a young vintage with a lot of that rock-dusty texture will often shed that texture after bottling, or in the bottle. I have to report what I tasted when I tasted, but it won’t surprise me to see that element fade over time.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Gunter Kuenstler at Schloss Johnnisberg. Weingut Kuenstler was founded by my the late Franz Kuenstler. We were both founding members of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim: The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany

Pictures: At Weingut Künstler in Hochheim am Main, Rheingau, with Stefan Traub. See:Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Künstler– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Picture: Annette Schiller and Gunter Künstler. See: VDP.Rheingau Invited to a Pre-release Presentation of the 2017 Grosses Gewächs (GG) Wines

Everyone talked about “structure” but people meant different things by it. I myself feel that all wines have “structure;” the question is how they are structured. There are vertical wines and horizontal wines, spherical wines and square wines, loose-limbed wines and stand-at-attention wines, sinewy wines and muscular wines, straight-lined wines and curvaceous wines. And there are even symmetrical wines and asymmetrical wines, both “structured,” but differently so. So in effect, you can’t avoid having structure in your wines. What growers seemed to mean when they said they did this-or-that to aid their wines’ structures is, they wanted something to fill in for the role usually played by acidity. Usually that meant phenols, which often worked but sometimes didn’t. Consider what this says about them, and how they view their wines. They want a tangible skeletal shape to the wines, they want visible outlines and contours, they want a discernible progression of flavor; they don’t want fluidity, they prefer solidity. At times when we were tasting – and I was having a ton of fun with these lovely floral beauties – I sensed a grower who wasn’t quite sure what to make of the wines. They’d had an easy clement harvest, they had plenty of wine, the wine turned out to be more than “pretty” but it wasn’t behaving according to type. Which was fine by me! Indeed, playing the game of comparing the new vintage with previous ones was quickly seen as useless, because there is literally no precedent for 2018, and I’m not sure it resembles any vintage I can recall. At one address I said, somewhat incoherently, that 2018 reminded me of a liaison between 1997 and 2011, which the grower was kind enough to say was “fascinating.”

There are few regional distinctions except perhaps for a macro-distinction between the Mosel and other regions. Mosels (and Saars) tasted different, more (if you will) classical and certainly less unusual.

Picture: Cornelius Dönnhoff, David Schildknecht and Annette Schiller in New York. See: Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner

Pictures: With Helmut Dönnhoff, Weingut Dönnhoff (Nahe), at the 2019 Weinbörse in Mainz. See: Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Pictures: An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Pictures: Tasting with Anne Dönnhoff. See: Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

The dearth of botrytis meant there were either few-to-no dessert wines, or else there were a bunch of them, where rain fell helpfully. So if you only went to Hexamer and Selbach you’d suppose the whole vintage was replete with multitudes of mega-sweets (Selbach has so many TBAs that Johannes put one in barrique, just, you know, for shits and giggles), but elsewhere there’d be none.

You might also surmise the low-acid vintage would suit the Trocken wines, and mostly you’d be right. I find I have to think about it; I don’t see Trocken Rieslings as a sub-species any more. They’re just a part of the picture, one of the chords in the progression. They were indeed good, but were they markedly good? Because of the vintage? I can’t say.

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Andreas Spreitzer, David Schildknecht. See: Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner

Pictures: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Spreitzer in Oestrich, Rheingau, with Bernd Spreitzer – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

It would stand to reason that a large crop in dry conditions would have lower than normal dry extracts, and while this was sometimes true it wasn’t predestined. Dartings had higher extracts than they normally have. Elsewhere extracts were unremarkable.

The vintage seems to favor growers who already make lyrical and finely-textured wines, for whom it aligned to their strengths. Künstler, Schaefer, Hexamer, Christoffel, were markedly successful. Growers making more muscular, rugged wines were sometimes bemused, often more than I was – I like those swaying, rippling Rieslings. Everything doesn’t have to kick ass all the time.

Finally, 2018 is what used to quaintly be called a “restaurant vintage,” by which I suppose they meant a vintage that gave expressive, candid and tasty wines that didn’t need to be “explained” and would assert their charms in a noisy distracting environment. If that’s what was meant, then yup, 2018 is just exactly that.

Pictures: At Weingut Kruger-Rumpf with Stefan and Georg Rumpf. See: Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir

Pictures: In the Vineyard (with the ombiasy Group in 2013), see: Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch with Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe Valley, Germany

HIGHLIGHTS AND SUPERLATIVES

These will be fiendishly difficult in such a homogenously lovely vintage. And remember, I ask you to presume that Selbach-Oster and Dönnhoff are invariably superlative, so I will try to find a way to give them their richly earned status while also hailing the many other talents in play.)

THE WINERY OF THE VINTAGE IS (OR ARE):

WILLI SCHAEFER gets the nod, has to get it, because not since 2011 have I seen a vintage more aligned with Schaefer’s deepest most fundamental strengths than 2018 is here. It’s a serene, fruit-forward vintage with a succession of beauties that finally stills you and leaves you silently grateful.

Other candidates, apart from Selbach and Dönnhoff, would have to include Künstler, Minges, Müller-Catoir.

Pictures: Müller-Catoir, Neustadt-Haardt (Pfalz) - Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Müller Catoir – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

THE WINERY I MOST EXPECT TO HAVE BEEN WRONG ABOUT IS:

Carl Loewen, and only because the dry wines were in a tantrum of unreadiness, from which I expect them to have emerged by June, when I’ll taste them again.

OTHER MARKED SUCCESSES:

(That is, either noteworthy by dint of sheer quality or by dint of improvement over their norm. I’ll put those wines in italics.)

Goldatzel, as is just about inevitable now.

Weingart, Florian’s best vintage since 2011.

Meulenhof, a steadily excellent collection showing this (now) underrated grower at his best.

AND WHAT OF VON WINNING?

It is hard to “rank” the estate vis-à-vis the others only because we don’t offer the top wines – the splendid series of GGs – until next year. Tasting those wines in embryonic form suggests emerging masterpieces in Grainhübel, Langenmorgen, and Kirchenstück. By any sensible reckoning Von Winning belongs in the very highest echelon of this (or any) portfolio.

THE WINE OF THE VINTAGE IS:

The candidates are: Künstler Kirchenstück Riesling Trocken 1er Lage – Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett – Diel Burg Layer Schlossberg Riesling Trocken – Loewen Riesling “1896” – Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 1-star – and finally Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #5.

The “best wine” is the SCHAEFER. But the wines by which I was most deeply stirred are the DONNHOFF and the KUNSTLER.

The award goes to……(drum-roll)…..Dönnhoff, whose “little” Kabinett from the Leistenberg shows every conceivable virtue of great German Riesling in a form thought to be a little appetizer to lead into the more “serious” range of Spätlesen. But believe me, nothing is more serious than the tiny diamond of greatness that is this prismatic and rapturous Kabinett.

Three from Hexamer and one from Selbach are as good as they get.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Hexamer with Harald and Petra Hexamer. See: Wine Tasting at Weingut Hexamer in Monzingen, Nahe– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Pictures: Wine Pairing Lunch at Landgasthof Zur Traube in Meddersheim, Nahe, with Petra Hexamer and the Wines of Weingut Hexamer - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

THE GREATEST NON-RIESLINGS:

MINGES for no fewer than three wines, the Scheurebe Feinherb, the Rieslaner Spätlese, and finally the Gewürztraminer Spätlese “Rosenduft.”

MULLER-CATOIR for one great wine and one true masterpiece. The Haardt Scheurebe Trocken is wonderful, but the Rieslaner Auslese from the Haardter Herzog is simply as great as wine can be. As. WINE! Can. Be.

VON WINNING, you will not be shocked to hear, for two among the Sauvignon Blancs, the 2018 “I” and the 2017 “500.”

WHICH REMINDS ME – THE 2017 SAUV. BLANC FROM VON WINNING – WHAT ABOUT OTHER VINTAGES? THE BEST AMONG THESE ARE:

BREUER 2017 Nonnenberg Riesling

DAUTEL 2017 Steingrüben Riesling GG

Pictures: Christian Schiller, Christoph Schaefer and Annette Schiller. See: Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner

THE GREATEST FEINHERB WINES:

Hors Classe among these is MEßMER’S astonishing 2018 “Muschelkalk,” probably the best-ever vintage of this always-excellent wine.

OTHERS INCLUDE: GOLDATZEL 2018 Johannisberger Goldatzel Riesling Spätlese Feinherb – WEINGART Bopparder Hamm Engelstein Riesling Kabinett Feinherb –

SELBACH-OSTER and their always wonderful Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese Alte Reben, as well as their Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Ur-alte Reben Spätlese Feinherb – and finally KRUGER-RUMPF’S surpassingly lovely Münsterer Dautenpflänzer Langenberg Riesling Feinherb.





Pictures: Christian Schiller with Armin, Caroline and Anouk Diel at Schlossgut Diel in Germany. See: Tasting with Sylvain Taurisson Diel at Schlossgut Diel, Nahe– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

WE’RE AT THE POINT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT PINOT NOIR!
(the best among the many we’re tasting and offering now include…)

BRAUNEWELL 2016 Spätburgunder Essenheim

DAUTEL 2016 Spätburgunder Schupen GG

ZIEREISEN 2016 Spätburgunder Rhini


THE GREATEST VALUES, AT ANY PRICE:

GEIL 2018 Riesling Geyersberg “GG”

STRUB 2018 Niersteiner Hipping Thal Riesling Spätlese

BRAUNEWELL 2018 Scheurebe Halbtrocken LITER

KUNSTLER 2018 Estate Riesling Trocken

DONNHOFF 2018 Riesling “Tonschiefer” Trocken

DARTING 2018 Pinot Blanc Kabinett Trocken

MEULENHOF 2018 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

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: Johannes and Barbara Selbach and Annette Schiller in New York at the 2015 Rieslingfeier, see: The 11 Winemakers: Rieslingfeier 2015 in New York City, USA

Pictures: Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner

PEERING BACK AT 2017

There’s always a moment-of-clarity tasting the year-old vintage alongside the gooey new wines. Sometimes the newbie is flattering to the yearling – and other times not. 2017, for instance, was markedly kind to 2016 (which didn’t really need the help; I still adore ’16) whereas 2018 is decidedly unflattering to 2017. It makes sense; a sinuous waving flowery crop like ’18 would be likely to make the more rugged ‘17s feel brutish, just as ‘18’s squeaky-clean profile would exaggerate the botrytis of the ‘17s. Put another way, the colors worn by the ‘18s don’t look good on the ‘17s, and I grew aware I was looking at ’17 through a churlish lens. I do think 2017 is a vintage of a particular type, it has big feet and a unibrow, but it’s not as cloddish as ’18 makes it appear. Remember that if/when you taste the vintages side by side

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Happy 4th of July -> 4th of September: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy: 1 Room Left, France/ USA

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: July 1, 2019)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA

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

Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

2 Cellar Tours and 1 Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours:

The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany

Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Künstler– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

VDP.Rheingau Invited to a Pre-release Presentation of the 2017 Grosses Gewächs (GG) Wines

Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner

Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Spreitzer in Oestrich, Rheingau, with Bernd Spreitzer – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch with Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe Valley, Germany

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Müller Catoir – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine Tasting at Weingut Hexamer in Monzingen, Nahe– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine Pairing Lunch at Landgasthof Zur Traube in Meddersheim, Nahe, with Petra Hexamer and the Wines of Weingut Hexamer - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner
 Tasting with Sylvain Taurisson Diel at Schlossgut Diel, Nahe– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Selbach-Oster in Zeltingen, Mosel, with Johannes Selbach– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Côte de Nuits, with Owner/ Winemaker Philippe Bernard - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Domaine du Clos du St. Louis, Côte de Nuits, with Owner/ Winemaker Philippe Bernard, was the last stop in the Bourgogne (excluding Chablis) Region. The property is run by the very sympathetic couple Philippe and Martine Bernard. It covers 12 hectares split among the appellations Cote de Nuits Villages, Marsannay, Fixin, Fixin 1er Cru and Gevrey-Chambertin.

Philippe Bernard was our host. He took us first to his vineyard, then showed us the cellar, before sitting down with Philippe Bernard for a tasting.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour

At least two reasons to visit Clos Saint Louis in Fixin...(VisitFrenchWine.com)

Reason one: the superb wine estate. Located a stone’s throw from a 10th century church, it contains an old winemaker’s house dating back to 1634, a hunting lodge, and last, but by no means least, 18 hectares of vines across several plots. And with some Fixey, Fixin, Brochon, Couchey, Gevrey Chambertin and Hautes Côtes de Nuits, you’ll find an excellent range of the area’s finest wines. You’ll also meet the head of the vineyard, Philippe Bernard, who is both a producer and an oenologist. But beware, he has an inexhaustible knowledge of local winemaking techniques. Try to catch him out on destemming, pressing, settling or punching down and he’ll drain your question bank dry. The visit usually ends with a lavish tasting, paired with homemade gougères. A highly-recommended visit during your trip to Bourgogne.

Pictures: Cellar Tour

Clos St. Louis
by Kathy Sullivan/ WineTrailTravellor

Summary: Clos St. Louis is a special boutique winery in Burgundy located in a picturesque village with buildings dating back hundreds of years. Martine and Philippe Bernard are the owners and Philippe is the winemaker. He offers a sense of humor while also focusing on growing and producing wines.

Traveling through the narrow streets between aged tightly-packed homes and small wineries, we reached Clos St. Louis. A short walk away we visited the vineyards of Clos St. Louis. Currently Clos St. Louis is owned and operated by the 4th generation family. We met Philippe Bernard now the current generation owner and winemaker. Philippe followed in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps and in 2011 was inducted into the Chevalier du Tastevin.

Vineyards and Winery

The gently sloping vineyard consists of 17 hectares (42 acres.) The grapevines of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were towards the end of flowering stage. Each vine has eight bunches of grapes which is the maximum number of bunches allowed by the AOC. Each year a small percentage of grapevines do not survive. Phillippe estimated this loss of grapevines at two percent. He noted that under the topsoil the soil is chalk and limestone.

After viewing the vineyards, we walked back towards the winery where we discovered tall, red rectangular tanks. These are made of concrete. Philippe noted that he learned his winemaking skills from his father and also went to school to learn winemaking. For a time he worked at another winery. His sense of humor showed during his relaxed presentation to our group noting, “I am a farmer. I live poor and I die rich.” Regarding the weather, “I am a farmer and like any farmer I will complain about the weather.”

Clos St. LouisVisitors to Clos St. Louis will discover that the winery, tasting room and dining area are in stone buildings built long ago. Curved ceilings add to the ambiance. One building has the date 1645 etched in the stone. Space in these closely packed buildings is used well.

Pictures: Tasting

Wines

In the aged cellar we tasted several wines. The wine cellar offered the traditional old wine cellar ambiance with stonewalls and a curved ceiling. On one wall was a framed poster of St. Vincent. Chairs were placed along the walls while Philippe presented a very organized tasting of his wines.

Grand Vin de Bourgogne Fixin Chardonnay 2012 was a light yellow with a wonderful aroma. The wine offered notes of apple, citrus and some tropical fruit. The taste was velvety and fruit forward.

Rosé was a Pinot Noir with a salmon color. The aroma had a slight red berry scent. The wine taste was of red berries and the finish was crisp. Grand Vin de Bourgogne Fixin 2011 was a Pinot Noir with a ruby color. The wine offered notes of spice and cherries. The finish was spicy with tannins.

Our wine tasting continued in the dining area. Our tour group had a wonderful, relaxing lunch paired with Clos Saint Louis wines. Chardonnay 2011 was a light yellow. The aroma and taste were of apple and pear. The wine was drying on the palate.

Fixin 1er Cru 2010 Hervelets was a red to ruby color. The wine offered cherries and spice notes. The finish was spicy with mild tannins. Fixin 1er Cru Hervelets 2009, was a red cherry color with some cherry and a bit of spice. The wine offered mild tannins. The wine was tart reminding one of Montmorency cherries.

Clos St. LouisWhen visiting Burgundy, consider a visit to Clos St. Louis.

Domaine Du Clos Saint Louis
4 rue des Rosiers
21220 FIXIN, France

GPS: N47º 14’ 58.4” E4º 58’ 22.4”

The Wines we Tasted

Philippe Bernard poured 8 wines for us.

2017 Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Fixin, Les Treuilles Euro 22


2017 Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Marsanny, Rosé Euro 8


NV Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Crémant de Bourgogne Euro 11


2016 Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Marsanny, Sampagny Euro 18


2016 Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Fixin, Clos entre Deux Velles Euro 20


2013 Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Fixin, 1er Cru Hervelets Euro 34
2014 Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Fixin, 1er Cru Hervelets Euro 34
2015 Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Fixin, 1er Cru Hervelets Euro 34


Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History (Forthcoming an already relased Postings)

Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History, France

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Introduction to the Burgundy Wine Region at Antic Wine in Lyon with Flying Sommelier Georges Dos Santos - Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at La Table de Chaintré (1 Star Michelin) in Chaintré, with Chef Sébastien Grospellier - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

In the Most Prestigious AOC in the Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé, France

Visit and Tasting at Domaine de Fussiacus in Fuissé, Poully-Fuissé, Mâconnais, with Owner/ Winemaker Yannik Pacquet - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Desvignes in Givry, Côte Chalonnaise, with Owner/ Winemaker Gautier Desvignes - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey in Mercurey - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

At Domaine Theulot­-Juillot in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, with Nathalie Theulot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of Château de Rully and Tasting of Domaine du Château de Rully Wines, with Count Raoul de Ternay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Le Chevreuil in Meursault, with the Wines of Domaine Matrot - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Cave Ropiteau Frères in Meursault, Côte de Beaune - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Michel Prunier & Fille in Auxey­ Duresses, Côte de Beaune - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Where Robert Parker likes to Eat: Lunch at La Crémaillère in Auxey-Duresses - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting in the Vineyard in Meursault with Karoline Knoth and the Wines of Domaine Pierre Morey - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet: Vineyard Walk and Cellar Tour, with Patrick Leflaive - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Wine-pairing Lunch at La Table de Olivier in Puligny Montrachet with Patrick Leflaive– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit and Tasting at Château de Chassagne-Montrachet in Chassagne-Montrachet, Côte de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit and Tasting: Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne

Visit: Hospices de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Lunch at Le Carmin (1 Star Michelin) in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château de Pommard in Pommard, Côte de Beaune - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George, Côte de Nuits, with Matilde Nicolas, Communications Director - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit of Château du Clos de Vougeot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Touring the Vineyards of Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, with Armelle Rion, Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion in Vosne ­Romanée, Côte de Nuits - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Guillon & Fils in Gevrey­-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, with Jean-Michel Guillon - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

An Institution: Lunch at Restaurant Chez Guy in Gevrey­-Chambertin - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Côte de Nuits, with Owner/ Winemaker Philippe Bernard

Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean­ Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France

Visit and tasting at Château Long-Depaquit in Chablis, with General Manager Cécilia Trimaille.

Champagne– An Introduction, France

French Champagne Houses and German Roots

Visit and Tasting at Champagne Jean Josselin, a Grower Champagne House in Gyé­ sur­ Seine – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Tour of the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay

Dinner at 1-Michelin star restaurant Les Berceaux in Épernay

Cellar visit and tasting at the Champagne House Mercier in Épernay

Lunch at La Coupole, Montparnasse, Paris

Dining and Wining on Boulevard Montparnasse in Paris: La Rotonde, Le Dôme and La Coupole, France – Pre-Bordeaux Wine Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Pitures: Lunch, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau, with Owner Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen and Winemaker Arne Willkens - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Weingut Baron Knyphausen is one of the oldest estates in Germany. The Draiser Hof – home of Weingut Baron Knyphausen – was built by the Cisterican monks of Kloster Eberbach in 1141 to cultivate the monastery’s vineyards and fields in Eltville and Erbach.

In 1818, in the process of Napoeon's secularization, the Baron zu Knyphausen family purchased the estate. Today, Frederik zu Knyphausen, the eight generation, manages the estate. Arne Wilkens is the Technical Director. Following a restructuring, the vineyard area totals 10 hectares, of which 80% is accounted for by Riesling. Unfortunately, during the restructuring, the estate was considerably downsized and lost some of its best vineyards.

Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen and winemaker Arne Willkens were our hosts.

We started with lunch in the Restaurant Weinlounge 1141, which opened only recently. Winemaker Arne Willkens then showed us the new winemaking facilities and led a tasting in the courtyard of Weingut Baron Knyphausen.

Pictures: Previous Visit. See: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Weingut Baron Knyphausen

Owner: Frederik zu Knyphausen

Winemaker: Arne Wilken

VDP member since 1972

Hectares of vineyards: 10

Bottle production: 80 000

Grape varieties: 80% Riesling, 10% Spätburgunder, 5% Roter Riesling

Vineyards:
SIEGELSBERG, Erbach | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
WISSELBRUNNEN, Hattenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
HOHENRAIN, Erbach | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
MARCOBRUNN, Erbach | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Steinmorgen, Erbach | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
Michelmark, Erbach | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
Sandgrub, Kiedrich | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®

Pictures: Cellar Tour

The Draiser Hof

The Draiser Hof, as part of the Eberbach Abbey, was secularized under Napoleon in 1803. The new owner was the Duke of Nassau. He gave it as a present to his Minister Hans Christoph Ernst von Gagern to thank him for his loyal services during the secularization negotions. Hans Christoph Ernst von Gagern sold it to Georg Huber from Eltville in 1805, who then sold it to Gisbert Freiherr von Bodelschwingh-Plettenberg in 1815. Gisbert Freiherr von Bodelschwingh-Plettenberg died in 1845 and his son, Karl von Bodelschwingh-Plettenberg inherited it. Finally, through marriage of his only child, Wilhelmine, the Draiser got into the possession of the von Knyphausen family, a noble family from the Friesland area in the northern part of Germany. Until that time, the von Knyphausens were mainly Prussian Generals or Ministers.

Pictures: Draiser Hof

Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen and his 5 Sons

Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen is well known in the Rheingau. The Knyphausens is the only noble family still fully involved in in winemaking in the Rheingau, where winemaking used to be dominated by the nobles. Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen has 5 sons. The oldest, Frederik, just took over the management of Weingut Baron Knyphausen. Gisbert is a well-known singer-songwriter in Germany. He lives in Berlin. Dodo just married winemaker Desiree Eser and works now with his wife at Weingut August Eser.

Picture: Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen

Lunch at Restaurant Weinlounge 1141/ Weingut Baron Kyphausen

We started the visit with lunch in the Restaurant Weinlounge 1141, which opened only recently. The Restaurant Weinlounge 1141 serves Tapas-style food.

Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen greeted us.

Pictures: Lunch in Weingut Baron Kyphausen Restaurant Weinlounge 1141

Tasting with Winemaker Arne Wilkens

After lunch and cellar tour, we moved to another area of the Draiser Hof, where we had a lovely tasting with Winemaker Arne Wilkens.


2018 Weingut Baron Knyphausen VDP.Gutswein Riesling 1141
2018 Weingut Baron Knyphausen VDP.Gutswein Riesling 1818


2016 Weingut Baron Knyphausen CHARTA Riesling
2016 Weingut Baron Knyphausen VDP.Gutswein Riesling Spätlese


2002 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Erbacher Steinmorgen Riesling Kabinett
1997 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Erbacher Steinmorgen Riesling Auslese


Welcome and Bye-bye

When we were leaving and saying bye-bye, Stefan Ress, Senior Boss of Weingut Balthasar Ress, was arriving and we had a chance to talk with him

Picture: Talking with Stefan Ress, Senior Boss of Weingut Balthasar Ress

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling - Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Joachim Flick in Hochheim, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Wegeler in Oestrich-Winkel, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Rheingau, with Jan Christensen - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Kloster Eberbach: Overnight-Stay, Dinner, Tour and Aperitif in the Steinberg Vineyard - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Wining in the Steinberg Vineyard– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau: Lunch, Tour of the Abbey, the Steinberg and the Steinbergkeller, with Tasting - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau, with Owner Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen and Winemaker Arne Willkens - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tasting and dining at winery Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Owners and winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps

Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar tour, vineyard tour, and tasting in the vineyard at winery Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai

Lunch at restaurant Altes Haus in Bacharach

Tasting and vineyard drive at winery Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ratzenberger, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided tour of Eltz Castle

Tasting at winery Reinhold Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen

Tasting at winery Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm

Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Wine-pairing dinner at winery Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle

Tasting at winery Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Middle Mosel, with Ernst Loosen

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef: Visit of the famous Berncasteler Doctor Cellar and Tour and Tasting at  Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef, with Ownwe Matthias Willkomm

The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Lunch at Restaurant Juffer Flair of Weingut Christian Steinmetz in Brauneberg

Tasting at winery Haart in Piesport, Mosel, with Johannes Haart

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Cellar tour and tasting at winery Peter Lauer in Ayl, Upper Mosel, Saar Valley, with Katharina Lauer and Peter Lauer

Lunch at Weinrestaurant Ayler Kupp at winery Peter Lauer

Tasting at winery H. Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe, with Anne Dönnhoff 

Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Visit and tasting at winery Dr. Crusius, Traisen, Nahe, with Peter and Judith Crusius.

Vineyard tour, cellar tour and tasting at winery Kruger-Rumpf, Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Stefan and Georg Rumpf

Tour, Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Weingut Kruger Rumpf, Nahe, with Stefan, Cornelia and Georg Rumpf– Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard tour and tasting at winery Bischel in Appenheim, Rheinhessen, with Christian Runkel, Owner and Winemaker

Winery visit and lunch at winery Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin Guntrum

Guntrum is Back (Stuart Pigott/ James Suckling): Wine Pairing Lunch and Tour at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Owners Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Mainlust “Desche Otto” – an Ultra Traditional Apple Wine Tavern, with an Innovative Twist, off the Beaten Track in Schwanheim, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 

Pictures: Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

On our first day in Alsace, we visited 2 winemakers: Domaine Pfister and Domaine Rémy Gresser.

As for the former, see here: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

The visit of Domaine Rémy Gresser was a tasting led by Rémy Gresser and focussing on the 3 grand cru vineyards of Domaine Rémy Gresser:  Wiebelsberg is the largest grand cru, and its sandstone gives very floral, lively Rieslings. Moenchberg, on granite and fossil limestone, produces succulent wines. And Kastelberg, a unique terroir on Steige schist, produces some of Alsace’s most exciting wines, loaded with minerality.

Martine’s Wines is the exclusive importer for Rémy Gresser in all of the United States.

Two weeks after the visit with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, we met Rémy Gresser again in St. Martin/ Pfalz. See: Véritable - a very Special Wine Trade Fair - 2019 in St. Martin, Pfalz, Germany

Picture: Rémy Gresser 2 Weeks Later in St. Martin/ Pfalz. See: Véritable - a very Special Wine Trade Fair - 2019 in St. Martin, Pfalz, Germany

Domaine Rémy Gresser/ Martine's Wines

Rémy Gresser’s imposing appearance and deep voice belie his gentle demeanor, which is wholly evident in his delicate wines. Representing a long line of winemakers in the village of Andlau in the Bas-Rhin, Domaine Rémy Gresser dates back to 1520, beginning with Thibault Gresser, a viticulturist and appointed provost of Andlau.Today, Rémy oversees 35.5 acres with extremely complex geology. He produces exciting wines of great purity and expression due to the soil from which they come. His three Grands Crus, for example, are very different in style. Wiebelsberg is the largest Grand Cru, and its sandstone gives very floral, lively Rieslings. Moenchberg, on granite and fossil limestone, produces succulent wines. And Kastelberg, a unique terroir on Steige schist, produces some of Alsace’s most exciting wines, loaded with minerality. His other crus are Brandhof (limestone), Duttenberg (clay-marne) and Kritt (gravelly soil).

A biodynamic grower with a wealth of knowledge about Alsatian wines, Rémy creates his wines in a dry style, making them very versatile and perfect companions to both spicy recipes and meatier fares.

Pictures: Rémy Gresser

Domaine Rémy Gresser
www.alsace-wine.net

A tasting at Rémy Gresser begins with that you get a map of Andlau with the domaines' vineyards and their geology. Because Andlau is perhaps the village with the most complex and varied geology of all 119 wine villages of Alsace, and Rémy Gresser allows the terroir to be expressed in an exemplary manner in all his wines.

What makes Andlau unique is the presence of schist. Schist is a rock that is has flakes and therefore it is normally brittle. In Andlau are two types of schist, both of which are very old, actually the oldest rocks in the entire Alsace, next to the granite of the Vosges. The Grand Cru Kastelberg's "Shiste the Steige" from the Silurian period is about 460 million years old. A little south, at Saint-André, where Gresser makes fantastic Pinot Blanc, we have "Schist de Villé" that dates from the Ordovician 500 million years ago. Schist is fractured, warm and well drained. Therefore, finding its roots and vines down to very great depths, and the grapes ripen with amazing finesse and aromatic richness.

It's very exciting to taste Gressers three Grands Crus next to each other. According to my - far too limited - experience, Weibelsberg gives Riesling with particularly subtle elegance, Moenchberg are classic and solid, while Kastelberg gives a distinctive complexity in an almost smoky style. Gressers different Lieux-dits also have great personality, where Brandhof give very fresh Muscat and different Pinot wines, while Kritt gives an airy and elegant Gewurztraminer.

Rémy Gresser has long experience as president of the organization CIVA, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace, and has thus made huge efforts for Alsace. The members of CIVA are either individual producers, Negociants or cooperatives, and the presidency rotates between these groups of stakeholders. Rémy Gresser thus has much to tell about the business, including the structural and commercial aspects. By the way, CIVA also has counterparts in Champagne (CIVC), Burgundy (CIVB) and Roussillon (CIVR).

Rémy Gresser works organically and biodynamically, has great technical skill and makes wines in a style that combines elegance and aromatic richness. Each wine has personality and feels very natural, never heavy or over-the-top. Furthermore, nothing about the domaine is snobby or pretentious. And although Rémy Gresser puts his wines in the center his efforts are also much about history, culture and a great respect for the earth.

Pictures: Tasting

Domaine Rémy Gresser
winesofalsace.com

Located in Andlau, partway between Strasbourg and Colmar — the heartland of Alsace winemaking — is Domaine Rémy Gresser. The winery's viticultural roots were established in 1520, when ancestor Thiébaut Gresser farmed the vines on slopes at the foot of the Mont Sainte Odile—a terroir rich in schist, which is said to be the most complex and varied geology of all of Alsace’s wine villages.

For the 26-acre biodynamic estate, Gresser uses biological methods for pest and disease control, and crop cover to create biodiversity in the vineyard and encourage microbiological activity. The domaine’s parcels include holdings in three Grands Crus—Kastelberg, Wiebelsberg and Moenchberg—all of which exhibit distinct and different styles based on their terroirs. The Brandhof, Duttenberg and Kritt lieux-dits also produce terroir-driven wines.

Gresser produces dry wines from all white varieties approved for Alsace, including Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewuztraminer, Muscat and Sylvaner, as well as Pinot Noir, the only variety planted in the region for red wines.The styles range from still to Crémant and the two special late-harvest designations: Vendanges Tardives and Selection de Grains Noble.

Tasting

We tasted 9 wines, of which 7 were from gand cru vineyards.


Domaine Gresser Andlau Riesling 2016 Euro 8.00


Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Moenchberg Riesling 2014 Euro 20.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling 2013 Euro 20.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Kastelberg Riesling 2017 Euro 29.50


Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling 2002 Vieilles Vignes Euro 30.00
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Pinot Gris 2012 Euro 20.50


Domaine Gresser Kritt Gewurtztraminer 2017 Euro 9.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Moenchberg Gewurtztraminer 2016 Euro 20.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Kastelberg Riesling 2001 Vendages Tardives Euro 38.00 


Bye-bye

Thanks Rémy for an outstanding tasting.

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Frankreich

Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister in Dahlenheim, Alsace, with Melanie Pfister - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Dinner at A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, with Pierre Gassmann - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel et Fils in Riquewihr, with Marc-André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé  - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Restaurant Gastronomique Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Kilian Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, with Martina Hunn - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, Baden, with Kilian and Martina Hunn - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Eating Well in Alsace - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: June 3, 2019)

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

A Visit of the Vineyards of Alsace– Presented by Annette Schiller at the John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society, USA/ France

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The World Class Wines of Alsace

In the world class white wine region Alsace

Pictures: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019: Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, Professor Astrid Forneck, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Willi Klinger, Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Christian Schiller - Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE, Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours - Christian Schiller, Herwig Jamek, Weingut Jamek, Wachau, Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE

The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) took place in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019.

The American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to encouraging and communicating economic research and analyses and exchanging ideas in wine economics. The Association’s principal activities include publishing a refereed journal — The Journal of Wine Economics — and staging scholarly conferences that are forums for current wine related economic research. Members of AAWE are economists from around the world — in academia, business, government, and research.

I have published 4 book reviews in the Journal of Wine Economics in the past few years:

Book Review by Christian Schiller in Journal of Wine Economics (Vol 11, No 3): MARK E. RICARDO: Simply Burgundy: A Practical Guide to Understanding the Wines of Burgundy. Mark E. Ricardo Book, 2014, 56 pp., ISBN 978-0990513704 Q4 (paperback), $12.99

Book Review by Christian Schiller in Journal of Wine Economics (Vol 11, No 2): JOHN WINTHROP HAEGER: Riesling Rediscovered: Bold, Bright and Dry. University of California Press, Oakland, 2016, 369 pp., ISBN 978-0-520-27545-4, $39.95

Book Review of "Wine Atlas of Germany" in Vol 10, No 1, 2015 of Journal of Wine Economics (Cambridge University Press)

Christian G.E. Schiller's Review of the Book: Ralf Frenzel (ed.) - Riesling, Robert Weil. Tre Torri, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2013, in: Journal of Wine Economics, Volume 9, 2014, No. 1, Cambridge University Press

This year's Annual Conference in Vienna, Austria, was organized in cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna and the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. The program focussed on about 150  wine-related research papers by participants and included 2 wine tours: Tour Burgenland and Tour Lower Austria (Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram).

See also: Venice, Padua and the Wines of Veneto: Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Italy, 2017

Pictures: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

I am preparing 4 postings:

Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf and der Wulka, Burgenland, Austria, with Mag. Gerald Rouschal - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Josef Maier - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

The Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria

Day 1 (July 14)

Annette and I flew in from Frankfurt in the morning and spent the day touring Vienna.

Pictures: Vienna

We had a second breakfast at Buffet Trześniewski, famous for its Brötchen (and opposite of the legendary Café Hawelka).

See also:
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria
Wine and Coffee with Guenther Hawelka at Café Hawelka (and at Buffet Trzésniewski) in Vienna, Austria

Pictures: Buffet Trześniewski and Café Hawelka

For lunch, we went to Zum Schwarzen Kameel. See also: Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Pictures: Lunch at Zum Schwarzen Kameel

Evening: Welcome Reception

In the evening we attended the AAWE Welcome Reception at the University of Vienna.

The wines of 4 members of the respekt-BIODYN winemaker association were poured:

Weingut Feiler-Artinger, Rust, Burgenland
Weingut Wieninger, Vienna
Weingut Fred Loimer, Langenlois, Kamptal
Weingut Anita & Hans Nittnaus, Gols, Burgenland - See also: Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

Pictures: Welcome Reception

Before returning to the hotel, Annette and I had a final glass of wine and a soup at Café Landtmann on the Ringstrasse, another Vienna Institution.

Pictures: Supper at Café Landtmann

We stayed at the Austria Trend Hotel Rathauspark.

Picture: Austria Trend Hotel Rathauspark

Day 2 (July 15)

Conference

The conference took place at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna. On the fist day, about 1/3 of the approximately 150 papers were presented in parallel sessions.

Pictures: At the Universität für Bodenkultur/ University of Natural Resources

Evening: Gala Dinner at Palais Ferstel

The day ended with a Gala Dinner at the Palais Ferstel, hosted by Willi Klinger of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board.

Palais Ferstel was originally built as a National Bank and stock exchange building in 1860. It was constructed by Baron Heinrich von Ferstel. The design of the building is reminiscent of early Florentine Renaissance architecture.

See also: Willi Klinger Leads Tasting of Austria's Undiscovered Stars at EWBC 2010 in Vienna

Pictures: Gala Dinner

Day 3 (July 16)

Conference

The remaining 2/3 of the approximately 150 wine-related research papers were presented and discussed on the second conference day in parallel sessions.

Pictures: At the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna

Evening: Dinner in Donnerskirchen, Burgenland, with 5 Winemakers

For dinner, the AAWE Conference participants went to Donnerskirchen in the Burgenland, about an hour away from Vienna by bus, where we had a barbeque meal with local specialities.

5 wineries from the area presented their wines to us: 

Weingut Prieler, with Georg Prieler - See also: Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Austria
Weingut Bayer, with Michael Bayer
Weingut Sommer, with Leo Sommer jr.
Weingut Lingenfeld, with Michael Liegenfeld
Weingut Salzl, with Christoph Salzl

Pictures: Dinner at Genussakademie Burgenland

Day 4 (July 17)

Tour Burgenland

On the fourth day, we went on a day trip to Burgenland. We were divided into 3 groups. We all had lunch togather at the University of Applied Science Burgenland but went to different wineries. My group visited Weingut Sommer in Donnerskirchen in the morning and Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf and der Wulka, in the afternoon.

wine-searcher: Burgenland is a large wine-producing region on the eastern border of Austria. Despite the country's image as the producer of some of the world's finest white wines, Austria is also home to a thriving red wine culture: Burgenland, with its sunny, continental summers, is the country's key red wine region, with its wines based mainly on the Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grape varieties. Sweet, botrytized wines are also a specialty of the region, particularly in the terroir surrounding the Neusiedlersee lake.

The region occupies a narrow strip of land that runs from the Danube River down to Steiermark in the south. On its eastern side is the border with Hungary, and to the west lies the most eastern foothills of the Alps. Steiermark aside, Burgenland is one of Austria's southernmost wine regions, and topographically is more aligned with Hungary than with much of the rest of Austria.

Picture: On the Way to the Burgenland

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer

Weingut Sommer is a family-run winery in Donnerskirchen, on the southeast slopes of the Leithagebirge. The Sommer family has been making wine there since 1689. Currently the vineyard area totals 30 hectares, with Leo Sommer junior, our host, at the helm of the winery.

Pictures: At Weingut Sommer with Leo Sommer

Lunch at the University of Applied Sciences in Burgenland

We had a student lunch at the cafeteria of the University of Applied Sciences in Burgenland, with a presentation of Burgenland wines.

Pictures: Lunch

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf an der Wulka, Burgenland, Austria, with Mag. Gerald Rouschal

weinbauer.com: The history of the House of Esterházy goes back to the 13th century. The princely line was founded in 1687 by Emperor Leopold I. The ancestral family seat – the baroque Esterházy palace in Eisenstadt – was designed by the Italian architect, Carlone, and completed in 1683.

Along with their high level of education and interest in art, music and science, the Esterházy princes were known also for their magnificent royal household. Even the well-pampered Johann Wolfgang von Goethe raved about a “fairy tale kingdom” during his visit to one of the Esterházy festivities. Empress Maria Theresia loved the wine that was born from the mild climate of the lake and refined in the Esterházy cellars. And the world-famous composer, Joseph Haydn, wanted to have part of his salary as the court musician paid in wine which was recorded in 1789. Wine-growing has been in the genes of the House of Esterházy for more than 250 years, and it has evolved to today‘s standard with the opening in 2006 of the new winery, with its state of the art equipment and presentation rooms near Eisenstadt.

65 hectares.

Pictures: At Weingut Esterházy

Evening: Heurigen Tour

In the evening, Annette and I went on a Heurigen Tour in Vienna.

That any wine comes from Vienna seems strange on the face of it. Great urban centers are not known for their vineyards, beyond a novelty vineyard here and there. But the capital of Austria is different. Around 500 vintners grow vine on around 700 hectares, all within the city limits. Indeed, Vienna has its own appellation and is one of Austria’s 4 major wine regions, with Niederoesterreich, Burgenland and Steiermark, though by far the smallest.

Most of the Viennese wine is consumed in the about 100 Wiener Heurigen. The word “Heurige” means “the wine of the current year” – and this is what you drink there: the Heurigen owner’s wine of the last vintage, often coming in a jar.

Although the Viennese Heurigen are the most famous in the world, you find them in all Austrian (and German) wine regions. Grinzing is the most famous and consequently the most touristy. Next most popular are the nearby areas of Heiligenstadt and Nussdorf. Less touristy alternatives include Sievering and Neustift am Walde. Another option is to cross over the Danube and head for the village of Stammersdorf, and its immediate neighbour Strebersdorf.

We went to 2 Heurigen:

Mayer am Pfarrplatz: Large Heuriger, where Beethoven used to live. Here, I had a Wiener Schnitzel. See: With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine

Zawodsky: Reinischgasse 3. Classic simple Heuriger, with benches set out in a lovely orchard garden with fantastic views over Vienna. We had half a liter of the white "Heurigen", which was a field blend.

Pictures: Heurigen Tour

Day 5 (July 18)

Tour Lower Austria - Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram

On the last day, we went on a day trip to the Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal and Wagram, all smaller sub-regions of Niederösterreich/ Lower Austria. We were divided into 4 groups.

We all had lunch togather in Dürnstein.

My group visited Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, before lunch and Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, after lunch.

Picture: Tour Lower Austria - Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram

Wachau

wine-searcher: Wachau is a small but important wine district on the Danube River in northern Austria. It follows the Danube for roughly 20 miles (33km) until Krems-an-der-Donau, the fifth-largest city in Lower Austria and the commercial hub for Wachau and its neighboring districts Kremstal and Kamptal. One of Austria's most famous and respected wine regions, Wachau is known for its full-bodied, pepper-tinged Grüner Veltliner and rich, steely Riesling.

Most Wachau vineyards are located on steep (often terraced) hillsides above the Danube – a naturally sunny location where warm summer temperatures are stabilized slightly by the river below. The most flavorful Wachau wines come from vineyards perched on sun-drenched, south-facing terraces.

Wachau's steep, sweeping, vineyard-lined riverbanks could easily be mistaken for those of Germany's Mosel, even if the wines could not: classic Wachau Rieslings taste richer, riper and more tropical than their counterparts from the cooler, wetter Mosel. They have much more in common with the richest Rieslings of Alsace and Pfalz.

Wachau Grüner Veltliner is arguably the most iconic of all Austrian wine styles in the modern day. Racy, aromatic and intense, these wines are marked by zesty citrus notes and a chlorophyll-tinged zing of white pepper. Neighboring Kremstal and Kamptal are the only other regions on Earth capable of producing Grüner Veltliner like this.

Wachau lies outside of Austria's DAC classifications: instead, the terms Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd are commonly found on bottles of white Wachau wine. This three-tier wine-style classification was developed by the region's producers as a way of communicating the style of their wines, beyond region and grape variety. Steinfeder wines are the lightest: fresh and tangy, with a maximum of 11.5% ABV. The term means "stone feather", and is the name of a wispy, feather-like grass that grows on Wachau's stony terraces. Federspiel wines are the middleweight category (11.5–12.5% ABV), with the racy, precise, elegance of a hunting falcon; federspiel means "falconry". Smaragd wines are the richest and fullest-bodied, with a minimum of 12% ABV. Smaragd translates literally as "emerald" but refers here to a distinctive, emerald-green lizard which basks on the warmest of Wachau's sun-baked stone terraces.

Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek

winesolutions.com: The late Joseph Jamek is known in the Wachau and greater Austria as the pioneering leader of quality wine production and the father of the modern-day style of dry Wachau wines. For those not familiar with Jamek, especially my fellow Americans, you can think of him like Robert Mondavi and what he did for the Napa Valley. Jamek came to be a winemaker later in his life, but it was still early times for modern vini and viticulture in the Wachau. Jamek’s first single vineyard wine was the 1959 Ried Klaus Riesling bottled in 1960. In the Wachau at the time of Jamek’s rise, the Wachau was not known for dry wines and loaded the sweet wines they already made with a sugar additive that boosted the sweetness level even further. Dry wines existed but were mostly for personal consumption according to a few people I spoke to on my visit.

Joseph had a keen palate for fine and dry wines and decided that was the style of wine he wanted to pursue, which today is now the dominant style of wine made throughout the Wachau and all of Austria in regards to Gruner Veltliner and Riesling. Today his legacy lives on with his family farming and tending to 27 hectares of vines in the Wachau, one of the largest landholders in the region.

We met the good Dr. Herwig Jamek, grandson-in-law of Joseph, in the reception house that houses the wine tasting room and the restaurant. He asked what I wanted to see, graciously allowing me to select the details of the visit. Vineyards, of course, were first and then I asked to see the remaining parts that bring the wines to life and tell the story of Jamek.

Being a father himself of 4 girls, one which was a similar age to Camille, was a happy coincidence. Herwig already had a car seat in his van that we hopped into to see the vineyards. Camille took to him pretty easily handling and adjusting the car seat for her and off we went. We drove down the Danube a few minutes and then took a small road that wound up the terraces to the crown jewel of Joseph Jamek, Ried Klaus. This was my first encounter with one of the special “Ried” vineyard designations that look like a small religious monument at the foot of specific vineyards. Think of “Ried” as a high-quality designation like Cru, or more specifically Grand Cru.

The gate of Achleiten and looking up through the gate to the Achleiten vineyard, maybe the most famous “Ried” or Cru vineyards in the Wachau.

Klaus was my first look at serious Wachau vines, terraces and grape bunches of Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. The upper portion of Ried Klaus is hard rock gneiss for the Riesling and the lower portions are a mix of gneiss with loess and other more alluvial soils keen for Gruner Veltliner. Adjacent to Ried Achleiten, Ried Klaus faces south, south-east looking down river to Kremstal and across to Mautern and then upriver west to Spitz.

We meandered down a few terraces to a set of terrace walls Herwig wanted to show me as they were in the midst of being rebuilt from a landslide. This was very important and extremely informative as it showed how back breaking the work is to maintain and build these walls.

What happened was the wall buckled and gave way from years of pressure and ultimately rainwater in a storm that built up behind the wall. The portion that broke was composed of masonry binding with cement between the rocks that made up the bricks of a thinner wall. This terrace method has been mostly abandoned as the cement allows no flexibility or drainage under stress and the walls tend to break like a levee. Instead, what we now see are walls that are deeper front to back with longer or wider stones. To seal them smaller stones are wedges in like stoppers to effectively lock the rocks in place. This allows for water drainage so the pressure on the wall is much less. Maintenance is required for some upkeep but the work an effort over time is less.

Back at the Weingut, we toured the winemaking facilities and cellars, adorned with ornate carvings on the large wood tanks that adorn many Wachau Weingut. We saw the family home and the original restaurant that started it all decades ago as one of the early marriages of wine and food that are so common here.

Amongst the family was a heart-warming gesture, they were providing a home for a Syrian refugees family displaced by the terrible war ravaging that country. I was already a fan but this just made me like Jamek so much more.

We finished the visit with a wonderful lunch in the main restaurant which is also the family home on the upper floors. It is here we tasted the wonderful portfolio of wines, tasting the best Federspiel Gruner Veltliner of the trip and one of the best Weissburgunder that had a little age and showed the stuffing to be a long-term ager. Herwig showed us the original Riedel wine glasses that Joseph had commissioned specifically for his wines which really now the gold standard of style in the Wachau. True and original wine antiques they were delicate with a long and medium-sized flit bowl, which a short stem.

I was so excited and enamored with the visit and a little late to get Camille back for her nap I forgot to buy some wines which was a huge mistake as they are not easy to find here back in the US.

Should you be in the Wachau I can’t recommend a visit to Jamek more. You can even stay at the property in a few of the apartments that are fairly priced and nicely appointed.

A bientot!

-Tom

Pictures: Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek

Lunch

For lunch the 4 groups met at the Klosterkeller Dürnstein, Wachau.

Interestingly, the Klosterkeller serves only wines of Martin Mittelbach, Weingut Tegernseehof, Wachau, who I know quite well from his frequent visits to the Washington DC area. See: Martin Mittelbach from the "Tegernseehof" and Klaus Wittauer from "KWSelection"Presented Tegernseehof Wines and Stefan Trummer and Chef Austin Fausett from “Trummer’s on Main” in Clifton Austrian Appetizers at the Austrian Embassy in Washington DC, USA

Pictures: Lunch at the Klosterkeller Dürnstein, Wachau

Kremstal

wine-searcher: Kremstal is a small, prestigious wine district at the very heart of Austria's top winemaking zone. On either side of it lie the aristocracy of Austrian wine regions; to the northeast is Kamptal, to the southwest, Wachau. As implied in its name, Kremstal centers around Krems-an-der-Donau, a historic wine town on the Danube river 35 miles (55km) northwest of Vienna. The district's vineyards produce world-class Riesling, and characterful, full-bodied Zweigelt, but the flagship Kremstal wine style is rich, round, aromatic Gruner Veltliner.

The majority of Kremstal's vineyards are located on the northern side of the Danube. Starting right at the river's edge, they stretch up into the rolling hills above Krems, northwards as far as Stratzing and eastwards to Gedersdorf. Beyond these two points, the vines belong to the Kamptal district.

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Josef Maier

Owners: Ilse & Josef sen. Maier and Maria & Josef Maier

bluedanubewine.com: 400 Years in wine. Ilse Maier’s mother’s family has lived in the hilltop village of Oberfucha since the 16th century where the family began in agriculture and brickworks. In the 17th century, Maria Theresia, archduchess of Austria, granted the property owner, whose name was Geyer, a concession to transport wine on the Danube in trade with Hungary and other regions along the river. The ship on the wine label refers to this trade. Today, the winery is housed in a 16th-century structure built of brick, with cellars beneath it constructed between the early 1300’s and the late 1700’s. Among these, the “French cellar” where Napoleon’s army stored their wine rations during a battle in nearby Wagram.

In 1986, after studying agriculture in Vienna and spending time in San Rapael, Argentina, Ilse joined her father in wine production. Today her som Josef is in the lead.

Geyerhof organically farms roughly 20 hectares located on the hillsides around the winery. Promotion of beneficial species, sowing of nitrogen-absorbing plants, use of compost and rock flour for plant nutrition, and abstaining from the use of all pesticides, insecticides, botrytis and weed control substances as well as soluble mineral fertilizer are all standard practices.

Loess and alluvial soil east of the winery (Gaisberg and Rosensteig), primary rock to the northwest (Steinleithn and Kirchensteig), and loamy soil to the south (Hoher Rain). 60% of the vineyard area is planted to Grüner Veltliner, 20% to Riesling, and the balance to Zweigelt, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, and Gelber Muskateller. Recent clonal selections came from the famous Knoll vineyards. Asked if biodynamic viticulture has ever seemed to be a next step, Ilse says she doesn’t believe it to be necessary—bio is not a “step up” from organic, just a different approach.

Fruit is handpicked and strictly sorted in the vineyard. Healthy clusters are pressed whole, and the must is intentionally oxidized in the press tray resulting in deeper flavors and greater age-ability. Wines are fermented and aged in 3,000 liter temperature controlled stainless steel tanks.

The slow, even fermentation never exceeds 22 °C. A small percentage of whites and the red wine are aged in neutral oak tanks or barrels. Spontaneous fermentation is preferred, but never at the expense of quality. Malolactic fermentation is avoided in the whites. No other additions are used except for sulfur before bottling. Wines remain on the lees until just before settling, gentle filtration and bottling.

Pictures: Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Josef Maier

Evening: Pina Bausch Dance Theater Group Performance at the Burgtheater

We ended the Vienna trip with a most impressive performance of Pina Bausch's Dance Theater Group at the Burgtheater (Masurca Fogo/ 1989).

During intermission I had a Grüner Veltliner of Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz (where we went the night before) as my last Austrian wine before flying out the next morning.

Pictures: Pina Bausch Dance Theater Group Performance at the Burgtheater

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Pictures: At Rhonéa Vignoble, a Coopérative in Vacqueyras

Rhonéa Vignoble is a Coopérative in Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise including a nice restaurant - Le Dolium - at the cellar in Beaumes de Venise.

We had a lovely lunch at Le Dolium. Before lunch, we stopped at the cellar in Vacqueyras, where we enjoyed a tasting.

Beaumes de Venise

The wines of Beaumes de Venise are grown on the slopes around the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail, a vertical comb of rock jutting out of the plain between the Rhône river and the Luberon-Ventoux mountains.

Beaumes is famed for its natural fortified wine made from the Muscat grape, and records of its use go back almost two millennia. More recently it is also the producer of a high quality red wine.

In 1943 the natural Sweet Beaumes de Venise Muscat was accorded its appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), to be followed in 1956 by an AOC for its Côtes du Rhône.

The red, white and rosé wines were elevated to the appellation of Côtes-du-Rhône Villages AOC (named villages) in 1978.

In 2005, the rouge and the sweet fortified wine became a cru - the highest order of the wines in the Rhône Valley.

Lunch at Le Dolium in Beaumes de Venise

Le Dolium is listed in the Michelin Guide with an Assiette Michelin. The food is exceptionally good - full of Mediterranean influence and Provencal fragrances.

Guide Michelin: L'évasion au coeur des Dentelles: Dans un décor moderne et chaleureux, le Dolium, c'est l'assurance d'une cuisine instinctive aux couleurs de la Provence. Au pied des Dentelles de Montmirail et sur la célèbre route des vins, le chef Michel DUCELLIER et son équipe vous accueillent afin de partager leurs émotions des saisons.

Pictures: Lunch at Le Dolium in Beaumes de Venise

Vacqueyras

Vacqueyras received the Côtes du Rhône appellation in 1937, and in 1955 was promoted to Côtes du Rhône Villages status, becoming a named village in 1967.

In 1990, Vacqueyras was granted its own AOC, the first in the region since Gigondas in 1971, and the first of a number of candidates for that particular honour,recently bestowed to Beaumes-de-Venise and Vinsobres.

1300 hectares
98% red wine
Minimum 50% Grenache

Tasting at Rhonéa Vignoble in Vacqueyras

Rhonéa Vignoble in Vacqueyras sells most of its wines in bottle, but also in bag-in-box and from tank, where you bring your own container. Bringing your own container and buying 10 or 20 liters for home consumption is quite widespread in France.

Pictures: Tasting at Rhonéa Vignoble in Vacqueyras

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Cellar tour and tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet

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Picture: Annette Schiller and Egon Müller in New York City. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA

The wine-searcher web site contains a list of the world's most expensive Rieslings, based on the data the wine-searcher collects. It is updated daily. Below find a recent snap-shot of the top 10 list.

Interestingly, all 10 wines are from Germany. Except for one wine, which is a dry wine, they are all noble-sweet wines.

Riesling is made in 3 different styles: dry (where you fully ferment the juice to dryness), fruity-sweet (where the winemaker deliberately stops the fermentation to maintain some residual sugar in the wine, like the German Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese wines) and noble-sweet wines (where because of noble rot or frost the grapes are so sugar-intensive that the fermentation stops automatically before all sugar is fermented no matter what the winemaker does). The latter wines are a tiny fraction of the world's Riesling production, less than 1%, but account for 90% of the list below.

Picture: Annette Schiller and Manfred Prüm

Picture: Christian Schiller with Katharina Pruem at Wegmans in Virginia. See also: JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Pictures: Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

5 of the 10 wines come from either Weingut Egon Müller or Weingut J.J. Prüm, the stars of German noble sweet Riesling. The two of them are the only two producers of premium wine in Germany who exclusively make fruity-sweet and noble-sweet wine. I guess 98% of their wines are fruity-sweet and 2% noble-sweet.

6 of the 10 top wines come from the Mosel, 3 from the Rheingau and 1 (the dry one) from Rheinhessen.

Staatsweingut Kloster Eberbach, Graf von Schönborn-Schloss Schönborn and Schloss Reinhartshausen, all with a long history and high reputation, are currently not in the group of elite producers in Germany. They are top producers but, for example, are not in the Gault Millau 5/5 producers list. See: Germany's 20 Top (5/5) Winemakers - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2019

1. Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel (US$ 14,078)

2. Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel (US$ 5205)

3. Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel (US$ 5006)

4. Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Beerenauslese, Mosel (US$ 4123)

5. Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Goldkapsel, Mosel (US$ 3858)

6. Staatsweingut Kloster Eberbach Erbacher Steinberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Rheingau (US$ 2889)

7. Graf von Schönborn-Schloss Schönborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Rheingau (US$ 2776)

8. Schloss Reinhartshausen Erbacher Markobrunn Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Rheingau (US$ 2631)

9. Weingut Keller G-Max Riesling Trocken, Rheinhessen (US$ 2541)

10. Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Eiswein, Mosel (US$ 2484)

Pictures: At Weingut Fritz Haag, with Oliver Haag. See: Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir

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Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château Long-Depaquit in Chablis, with Technical Director Cécilia Trimaille - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Château Long-Depaquit is located at the heart of the village of Chablis, in Burgundy’s Yonne department. A stroll through the estate’s grounds, which boast centuries-old trees and a rose garden, offers a unique, timeless experience.

Newly appointed Technical Director Cécilia Trimaille was our host.

Cécilia Trimaille: An exceptional 65-hectare legacy, our vineyards benefit from a sustainable approach to viticulture. Limiting yields and keeping interventions to a minimum during the vinification process help create authentic, mineral, elegant wines. Barrel ageing is used in moderation to best preserve the expression of each terroir.

A new winery was built at the estate in 2014. Not only is it more eco-friendly, it also allows us to continue to improve the quality of our wines by giving them more purity and precision.

Pictures: At Château Long-Depaquit in Chablis

History

The origin of the Long-Depaquit domaine goes back to the history of the Abbey of Pontigny, a Cistercian monastery founded in 1114 by monks of Citeaux a few kilometres northwest of Chablis. A few years later, in 1128, the Cistercian monks had already developed their own domaine at Chablis. During the Revolution in 1789, Jean Depaquit, a priest of Pontigny, left the orders and returned to civil life. During the sale of national property, he bought the vineyards of the Abbey, including the famous vineyard of La Moutonne. His son, Benjamin, who had no children, adopted a certain François-Auguste Long, which would lead to the creation of the Long-Depaquit family, owner of the eponymous domaine. The château, built in 1791, is one of the most beautiful buildings of Chablis. Redeemed by the Beaunoise house Albert Bichot in 1970, this magnificent Chablis domaine developed and now covers 65 hectares.

Pictures: Cellar Tour at Château Long-Depaquit in Chablis, with Technical Director Cécilia Trimaille

Albert Bichot

Château Long-Depaquit in Chablis is one of the six domains in all of Burgundy, including Beaujolais, belonging to Albert Bichot. The maison Bichot also houses the Clos Frantin (Vosne-Romanée), Château-Gris at Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pavillon (Pommard), Adélie (Mercurey) and Rochegrès at Moulin-à-Vent.

The Bichot family can trace its roots back to 1214. They settled in Burgundy in 1350. In 1831, Bernard Bichot founded a wine trading business. His son bought the first vineyards and grandson Albert Bichot gave the family business the name and settled in the centre of Beaune in 1912. Today it is Albéric Bichot who took over in 1996.

The Wine Portfolio of  Château Long-Depaquit

Grands Crus

La Moutonne - Monopole
Les Vaudésirs
Les Clos
Les Blanchots
Les Preuses
Bougros

Premiers Crus

Montée de Tonnerre
Les Vaucopins
Les Lys
Les Vaillons
Les Beugnons
Montmains

Villages

Chablis

Cécilia Trimaille

Albert Bichot: Albert Bichot has welcomed a new estate manager to the team at Domaine Long-Depaquit in Chablis. She takes over from Matthieu Mangenot, who held this position since 2007.

Pictures: Technical Director Cécilia Trimaille and Annette Schiller

31-year-old Cécilia Trimaille,who has an exemplary start to her career under her belt, joined Albert Bichot on 5 February 2018. She will be the estate manager at Domaine Long-Depaquit in Chablis, here her new duties will cover all of the estate’s technical activities, from vineyard management through to bottling.

After graduating with a diploma in agricultural engineering from SupAgro in Montpellier, she went on to obtain a graduate diploma in oenology. She rounded her studies off by completing a Masters degree in International Wine and Spirit Trade at the Burgundy School of Business. Cécilia Trimaille gained work experience in California, then in New Zealand before heading to Bordeaux where she spent 6 years at Château Margaux as Assistant Vineyard Manager.

The Wines we Tasted

We tasted 5 wines.


2016 Château Long-Depaquit Chablis Villages

2015 Château Long-Depaquit Montmains Premier Cru


2016 Château Long-Depaquit Les Vaucopins Premier Cru


2016 Château Long-Depaquit Les Vaudésirs Grand Cru

Les Vaudésir is one of the Chablis region's most famous grand crus. It provides some of the best evidence of the erosion that followed the last ice age. Domaine Long-Depaquit owns an enormous south-facing plot featuring great soil diversity. The minerality of this terroir is in perfect keeping with the maturity the southern orientation lends the grapes. This wine is élevaged in stainless steel vats (75%) and 1-5-year-old oak barrels (25%) to lend the wine complexity without overemphasising its woody character. A textbook example of precision.


2016 Château Long-Depaquit Les Clos Grand Cru

Les Clos has a double claim to the title of the "grand cru des grand crus". Firstly, in terms of area: with nearly 25 ha, it is easily the largest. And secondly, in terms of reputation: most experts acknowledge that it produces probably the most accomplished and complete Chablis wines, especially after a decade of ageing. It has a south-southwesterly exposure, and benefits from relatively shallow limestone-rich soils overlying Kimmeridgian marl.


Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History (Forthcoming an already relased Postings)

Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History, France

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Introduction to the Burgundy Wine Region at Antic Wine in Lyon with Flying Sommelier Georges Dos Santos - Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at La Table de Chaintré (1 Star Michelin) in Chaintré, with Chef Sébastien Grospellier - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

In the Most Prestigious AOC in the Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé, France

Visit and Tasting at Domaine de Fussiacus in Fuissé, Poully-Fuissé, Mâconnais, with Owner/ Winemaker Yannik Pacquet - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Desvignes in Givry, Côte Chalonnaise, with Owner/ Winemaker Gautier Desvignes - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey in Mercurey - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

At Domaine Theulot­-Juillot in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, with Nathalie Theulot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of Château de Rully and Tasting of Domaine du Château de Rully Wines, with Count Raoul de Ternay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Le Chevreuil in Meursault, with the Wines of Domaine Matrot - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Cave Ropiteau Frères in Meursault, Côte de Beaune - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Michel Prunier & Fille in Auxey­ Duresses, Côte de Beaune - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Where Robert Parker likes to Eat: Lunch at La Crémaillère in Auxey-Duresses - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting in the Vineyard in Meursault with Karoline Knoth and the Wines of Domaine Pierre Morey - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet: Vineyard Walk and Cellar Tour, with Patrick Leflaive - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Wine-pairing Lunch at La Table de Olivier in Puligny Montrachet with Patrick Leflaive– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit and Tasting at Château de Chassagne-Montrachet in Chassagne-Montrachet, Côte de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit and Tasting: Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne

Visit: Hospices de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Lunch at Le Carmin (1 Star Michelin) in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château de Pommard in Pommard, Côte de Beaune - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George, Côte de Nuits, with Matilde Nicolas, Communications Director - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit of Château du Clos de Vougeot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Touring the Vineyards of Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, with Armelle Rion, Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion in Vosne ­Romanée, Côte de Nuits - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Guillon & Fils in Gevrey­-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, with Jean-Michel Guillon - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

An Institution: Lunch at Restaurant Chez Guy in Gevrey­-Chambertin - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Côte de Nuits, with Owner/ Winemaker Philippe Bernard - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean­ Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France

Visit and tasting at Château Long-Depaquit in Chablis, with General Manager Cécilia Trimaille.

Champagne– An Introduction, France

French Champagne Houses and German Roots

Visit and Tasting at Champagne Jean Josselin, a Grower Champagne House in Gyé­ sur­ Seine – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Tour of the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay

Dinner at 1-Michelin star restaurant Les Berceaux in Épernay

Cellar visit and tasting at the Champagne House Mercier in Épernay

Lunch at La Coupole, Montparnasse, Paris

Dining and Wining on Boulevard Montparnasse in Paris: La Rotonde, Le Dôme and La Coupole, France – Pre-Bordeaux Wine Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

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Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller at the Annual Riesling Party 2017 at their Home in Washington DC, USA

Hello wine folks,

this year again we will host a Riesling Party in the dead of summer (to show you that a Riesling is the perfect thirst quencher).

WHEN: Sunday, August 25 at 4.30 pm
WHERE: at our home in Mclean
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: bring one bottle per person of Riesling (from anywhere in the world). You may also bring a bottle of bubbles or a red one if you are not such a Riesling fan.

We will provide: food, water, glasses - everything that makes a party great - AND: a very special Riesling!

Please let us know if you plan to come. I will then provide you with our address.

So much looking forward to seeing many old wine friends and perhaps some new ones!

CHEERS and see you soon!

Annette & Christian

p.s.

The 2019 Riesling Party will take place a week before the start of the 2019 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours. As of now we will be 11 people, including Annette and Christian. There is still one room left - single or double. See:  Happy 4th of July -> 4th of September: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy: 1 Room Left, France/ USA

Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller in Buffalo at the National Convention of the American Wine Society 2018. See: The 2018 American Wine Society National Conference in Buffalo, New York State, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

Previous Riesling Parties at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia

This will be our 6th annual Riesling Party in McLean, Virginia:

Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2017)
Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund (2016)
Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2015)
Riesling Summer at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2014)
Summer of Riesling with Annette and Christian Schiller in Washington DC, USA (2013)

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Happy 4th of July -> 4th of September: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy: 1 Room Left, France/ USA

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: July 1, 2019)

Pictures: Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

The visit of Weingut Kaufmann took place during the 2019 Rheingauer Schlemmerwochen/ Gourmet Weeks. The winery was packed with wine and food lovers who had come for the Schlemmerwochen. Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps had reserved a special table for us for the tasting and dinner. We did not see much of Eva as she was in the kitchen most of the time. Also, there was no way of giving us a cellar tour. But Urban gave us a wonderful tasting of his stunning wines and Eva joined us for part of the dinner.

Picture: Weingut Kaufmann

Weingut Kaufmann

Weingut Kaufmann/ VDP: Can’t we all imagine the unbridled joy of bringing our closest-held dream to life? Swiss-born Urban Kaufmann, who long dreamed of owning his own winegrowing estate, knows that feeling better than most. Up through 2013, even as he served as owner of one of the most successful Appenzeller cheese dairies, he also traveled to Europe’s finest wine regions, scouting out the ideal spot to turn his dream into reality. The Rheingau, it turns out, was just that sort of place. He joined up with Eva Raps, the former long-standing director of the VDP, in acquiring Weingut Hans Lang, an organically certified estate. They then began a diligent, step-by-step pursuit of their vision of what a Rheingau wine can be. The estate, which now also bears the Kaufmann name, produces traditional Rheingau Rieslings, alongside a range of Pinot wines (Blanc, Gris and especially Pinot Noir). That latter variety has long been the estate’s calling card, drawing admirers throughout Germany for over twenty years.

Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps

I quote Urban:”To produce top cheeses was important to me, today Riesling, white Burgundy grapes and Pinot-Noir are the focus in my life. There are magic moments to take care of these grapes in the vineyard and in the cellar from the fermentation phase until bottling.”

Picture: Urban and Eva

And Eva: “For me, it’s wonderful to finally be able to implement the quality philosophy of the VDP at a wine estate of my own. Fortunately, we have just the right sites in our portfolio to do so.”

Picture: Urban and Eva

Profile: Weingut Kaufmann

Owner Urban Kaufmann
Winemaker Urban Kaufmann
VDP member since 1994
Hectares of vineyards 20
Bottle production 120 000
Grape varieties 75% Riesling, 15% Spätburgunder, 10% Weiss- & Grauburgunder and Chardonnay

Vineyards
HASSEL, Hattenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
SCHÖNHELL, Hallgarten | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
WISSELBRUNNEN, Hattenheim | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®
Schützenhaus, Hattenheim | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®
Hendelberg, Hallgarten | VDP.ERSTE LAGE®

Memberships
Demeter
Deutsches Barrique Forum
Slow Food
Vinissima

Eco Certification
Demeter

Aperitif in the Courtyard

We started with an aperitif in the courtyard.

Pictures: Aperitif in the Courtyard

Tasting and Home-cooked Dinner

We then moved to a large table right in the front-room of the winery for the tasting and dinner.

Pictures: Tasting and Home-cooked Dinner

The Wines

We tasted 9 wines.

2018 Weingut Kaufmann weissburgunder


2017 Weingut Kaufmann uno


2017 Weingut Kaufmann rheingau riesling

Urban Kaufmann: Gutswein - Radiant, dynamic, and elegant, these wines form the foundation of our estate. Grown in the sandy, mineral-rich soils of the region, they reflect our year-round commitment to sustainable practices in our vineyards, as well as our diligence and experience in the cellar.


2017 Weingut Kaufmann hattenheimer riesling


2017 Weingut Kaufmann tell riesling

Urban Kaufmann: Tell - A truly special wine with a very speical place in our hearts. Made from the best fruit selected from our best vineyards and blended into a liquid representation of the Kaufmann philosophy.


2016 Weingut Kaufmann wisselbrunnen riesling GG

Urban Kaufmann: Single vineyard - vibrant, focused and complex, each of our single-site wines delivers a story of origin unlike any other. Patience in the vineyard and the cellar is rewarded in their supple richness and unmistakable sense of place.


2017 Weingut Kaufmann pinot noir

Urban Kaufmann: Pinot Noir - Our estate proudly flies the flag for Rheingau reds. The legenday line is built on a firm foundation of clarity, precision, and sustainable farming.


2016 Weingut Kaufmann riesling kabinett feinherb


2017 Weingut Kaufmann wisselbrunnen spätlese


Looking Back: Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann

Two years ago, when we visited Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps, we were in the middle of a construction site and the winery was still called Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann. And we also had a family-style dinner.

You have achieved a lot, Urban and Eva. Congratulations!

Pictures: Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Looking Back: Weingut Hans Lang

Weingut Hans Lang was always been a top producer in Germany with holdings in top Rheingau vineyard sites. Hans Lang was always open to new ideas, be it the production of dry Rieslings, his pioneer work in the German Barrique Forum or his uncompromising pursuit of quality. By the early 1990s, he had already banished mash pumps from his cellar and had reverted to labor-intensive harvesting by hand to continually improve wine quality.

See:
A Wine Feast in the Rheingau, Germany: The Grand Wine Convention 2010
Weingut Hans Lang, Hattenheim in the Rheingau: Eva Raps, Managing Director of VDP, and Urban Kaufmann, Swiss Cheese Producer, Take Over, Germany

Picture: Christian Schiller at Weingut Hans Lang with Hans Lang

Bye-bye

Thanks Eva and Urban for a great evening.

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling - Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Joachim Flick in Hochheim, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Wegeler in Oestrich-Winkel, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Rheingau, with Jan Christensen - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Kloster Eberbach: Overnight-Stay, Dinner, Tour and Aperitif in the Steinberg Vineyard - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Wining in the Steinberg Vineyard– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Lunch, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau, with Owner Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen and Winemaker Arne Willkens - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tasting and dining at winery Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Owners and winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps

Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar tour, vineyard tour, and tasting in the vineyard at winery Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai

Lunch at restaurant Altes Haus in Bacharach

Tasting and vineyard drive at winery Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ratzenberger, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided tour of Eltz Castle

Tasting at winery Reinhold Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen

Tasting at winery Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm

Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Wine-pairing dinner at winery Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle

Tasting at winery Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Middle Mosel, with Ernst Loosen

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef: Visit of the famous Berncasteler Doctor Cellar and Tour and Tasting at  Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef, with Ownwe Matthias Willkomm

The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Lunch at Restaurant Juffer Flair of Weingut Christian Steinmetz in Brauneberg

Tasting at winery Haart in Piesport, Mosel, with Johannes Haart

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Cellar tour and tasting at winery Peter Lauer in Ayl, Upper Mosel, Saar Valley, with Katharina Lauer and Peter Lauer

Lunch at Weinrestaurant Ayler Kupp at winery Peter Lauer

Tasting at winery H. Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe, with Anne Dönnhoff 

Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Visit and tasting at winery Dr. Crusius, Traisen, Nahe, with Peter and Judith Crusius.

Vineyard tour, cellar tour and tasting at winery Kruger-Rumpf, Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Stefan and Georg Rumpf

Tour, Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Weingut Kruger Rumpf, Nahe, with Stefan, Cornelia and Georg Rumpf– Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard tour and tasting at winery Bischel in Appenheim, Rheinhessen, with Christian Runkel, Owner and Winemaker

Winery visit and lunch at winery Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin Guntrum

Guntrum is Back (Stuart Pigott/ James Suckling): Wine Pairing Lunch and Tour at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Owners Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Mainlust “Desche Otto” – an Ultra Traditional Apple Wine Tavern, with an Innovative Twist, off the Beaten Track in Schwanheim, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 
 

Picture: At the Gala Dinner at Palais Ferstel  - Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Below is a list of the wine tours, wine dinners and wine tastings planned by Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine for the coming months.

For questions concerning the ombiasy wine tours please consult the ombiasy website.

For all other events please send me (cschiller@schiller-wine.com) or Annette (aschiller@ombiasypr.com) an e-mail.

See also:
Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

August 2019

Washington DC, USA, August 23: Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean

See:Invitation:
Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, Sunday, August 25 at 4:30 pm, USA
Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2017)

September 2019

Bordeaux, France, September 3 - 12, 2019: 2019 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (1 room available)

See:
Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019
Invitation: Total Immersion in Bordeaux. World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Frankfurt, Germany: Tasting Bérénice Lurton and other Lurton Wines with Bérénice Lurton of Château Climens, 1er Cru, Barsac, Appellation Sauternes.

See:
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France

October 2019

Washington DC: Tasting the Wines of Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, and Château Beychevelle, Appellation Saint-Julien, with Sophie Schÿler

See:
Sophie Schÿler, Owner, Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, Philippe Blanc, General Manager, Château Beychevelle, Appellation Saint-Julien and Annette Schiller, Owner, ombiasy PR and WineTours, for a Winemaker Dinner at the French Embassy, Le Café Descartes, in Washington DC, USA

Floriday USA - 52nd Annual American Wine Society National Conference, Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, 2019 at St. Pete Beach: Annette Schiller will lead 2 seminars.

See:
The 2018 American Wine Society National Conference in Buffalo, New York State, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

November 2019

Frankfurt, Germany: Tasting the Best of Virginia Wines in Frankfurt - Virginia Governor's Cup Case 2018.

See: Tasting Top Virginia Wines in Frankfurt, Germany: Virginia Governor's Cup Case 2017

December 2019

Frankfurt, Germany: Tasting Aged American Red Wines (Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot)

January 2020

February 2020

March 2020

April 2020

Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen - Riesling (Alsace/ Germany) 2020 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: April 27 – May 05.

See: Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

May 2020

Rhône Valley - Rhône 2020 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: May 11 – 20.

See: Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

June 2020

Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken - Germany East 2020 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: June 03 – 13.

See: Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

August 2020

September 2020

Bordeaux - Bordeaux 2020 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: September 01 – 10.

See: Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France

October 2020

Burgundy - Burgundy 2020 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: October 08 – 18.

See: Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History, France

November 2020

December 2020


schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wirsching in Iphofen in Franken with General Manager Uwe Matheus– Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

Invitation: Total Immersion in Bordeaux. World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Sophie Schÿler, Owner, Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, Philippe Blanc, General Manager, Château Beychevelle, Appellation Saint-Julien and Annette Schiller, Owner, ombiasy PR and WineTours, for a Winemaker Dinner at the French Embassy, Le Café Descartes, in Washington DC, USA

The 2018 American Wine Society National Conference in Buffalo, New York State, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

Tasting Top Virginia Wines in Frankfurt, Germany: Virginia Governor's Cup Case 2017

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

The Sun-Kissed South: Germany’s Pinot Noir, the Other Whites, the Culinary Regions - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History, France

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, Sunday, August 25 at 4:30 pm, USA

Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2017)

Pictures: Dinner and Overnight-stay at Hotel-Restaurant A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

The first day of our Alsace tour, where we visited Domaine Pfister, with Mélanie Pfister

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

and Domaine Rémy Gresser, with Rémy Gresser

Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

ended at Hotel-Restaurant A l'Ami Fritz, where we stayed overnight and had dinner. Set on a cobbled street in the charming village of Ottrott, the 250-year-old L’Ami Fritz is a great hotel and restaurant, with its warmth, value, and charm, and the personal attention of the owners. The guestrooms are  appealing and charming.

For me, dinner in Alsace is always a very special event. It can range from very rustic to very sophisticated: Alsace is well known for its traditional, hearty food, reflecting the rustic simplicity of rural life, influenced by next-door Germany (to which Alsace has belonged at different times in history). At the same time, Alsace has the most Michelin stars in France; you can eat at very high levels in many places in Alsace.

Annette and I have had a number of memorable evenings at Hotel-Restaurant L’Ami Fritz in Ottrott in Alsace over the years. We always had at least one wine from Domaine Fritz-Schmitt, also in Ottrot. Domaine Fritz-Schmitt is owned and run by the brother in law of Patrick Fritz, who owns and runs Hotel-Restaurant L’Ami Fritz.

See: Hotel and Restaurant L’Ami Fritz and Domaine Fritz-Schmitt, both in Ottrot, Alsace, France

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Christian Schiller with Chef Patrick Fritz, Hotel-Restaurant L’Ami Fritz in Ottrott at Previous and this Visit(s)

Hotel-Restaurant A l'Ami Fritz

In 1970, Jeanine and René Fritz, assumed the responsibility for this 18th-century Winstub (traditional Wine-bar in Alsacien). They renovated the Winstub and re-opened it with a new identity as a Hotel-Restaurant. Twenty years later, Patrick and his wife Sophie, accepted the challenge to assume the mantle of the, by then, flourishing family hostelry.

They decided to adopt a harmonious blend of traditional Alsacien hospitality mixed with contemporary style. However, they were insistent on maintaining the homely atmosphere of the hotel but with a continuing emphasis on distinguished service to a demanding local and international clientele. Sophie ensured that the renewed interior provided a homely and cossetted ambience while Patrick transformed his mother`s local Alsacien Cuisine into the Alsacien Gastronomical Fare for which A L'Ami Fritz is known today.

In addition to the renewal of the surroundings, select gastronomy and refined service, the Hotel-Restaurant, A l'Ami Fritz, sits in a beautiful location. Nestled in the village of Ottrott, between the Mount Saint-Odile and Strasbourg, it is also an excellent location for a stop on the `Route du Vin`.

Pictures: Hotel-Restaurant A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott, Alsace

Dinner

Pictures: Dinner

Menu

We enjoyed a 3-course menu. I ordered a Pinot Noir from Domaine Fritz-Schmitt, Ottrott, an Ottrott-Rouge..

Pictures: Dinner

Bye-bye

Thanks Patrick for a wonderful time at your hotel and restaurant.

Picture: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Frankreich

Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Dinner at A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, with Pierre Gassmann - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel et Fils in Riquewihr, with Marc-André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé  - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Restaurant Gastronomique Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Kilian Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, with Martina Hunn - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, Baden, with Kilian and Martina Hunn - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Eating Well in Alsace - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: June 3, 2019)

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

A Visit of the Vineyards of Alsace– Presented by Annette Schiller at the John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society, USA/ France

Germany meets France: Bourgogne, Baden, Alsace and Pfalz - Tasting with the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), led by Annette Schiller, USA/ France/ Germany

The World Class Wines of Alsace

In the world class white wine region Alsace

Picture: Leo Sommer, Weingut Sommer, Burgenland, Austria, Pouring his Wines at the 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE)

The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) which took place in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019, included 2 wine tours: Tour Burgenland and Tour Lower Austria (Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram).

Pictures: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019: Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, Professor Astrid Forneck, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Willi Klinger, Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Christian Schiller - Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE, Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours - Christian Schiller, Herwig Jamek, Weingut Jamek, Wachau, Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE

During the Tour Burgenland my group (there were 3 groups) visited Weingut Sommer in Donnerskirchen in the morning and Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf and der Wulka, in the afternoon. This posting covers the visit of the former. Leo Sommer, owner and winemaker, was our host at Weingut Sommer.

I am preparing 5 postings:

Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf and der Wulka, Burgenland, Austria, with Mag. Gerald Rouschal - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Josef Maier - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019 

Weingut Sommer Wines in Upstate New York

Sommer wines are not yet available in the USA. But, while we visited Weingut Sommer, the FLXcursion took place in the Finger Lakes Region in Upstate New York and Kelby Russell presented Sommer wines there with a view of finding an US importer.

Picture: 2017 Weingut Sommer Handwerk Riesling at #FLXcursion

Kelby Russell on facebook: One of the real joys of #FLXcursion was the chance to showcase wines that are under-the-radar and introduce them to a wide audience. No more so than this astonishing #burgenland Riesling from @leo.sommer, who I have the distinct honor of calling a good friend since we crossed paths working the 2010 NZ harvest. What a stunner.

“Our next wine comes from the best Riesling winemaker in Austria who isn’t known... yet.” - @stuart.pigott

Burgenland

wine-searcher: Burgenland is a large wine-producing region on the eastern border of Austria. Despite the country's image as the producer of some of the world's finest white wines, Austria is also home to a thriving red wine culture: Burgenland, with its sunny, continental summers, is the country's key red wine region, with its wines based mainly on the Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grape varieties. Sweet, botrytized wines are also a specialty of the region, particularly in the terroir surrounding the Neusiedlersee lake.

Picture: On the Way to the Burgenland

The region occupies a narrow strip of land that runs from the Danube River down to Steiermark in the south. On its eastern side is the border with Hungary, and to the west lies the most eastern foothills of the Alps. Steiermark aside, Burgenland is one of Austria's southernmost wine regions, and topographically is more aligned with Hungary than with much of the rest of Austria.

Burgenland is divided into 6 sub-regions: Neusiedlersee, Leitharberg, Rust, Rosalia, Mittelburgenland and Eisenberg.  Weingut Sommer (as well as Weingut Esterházy) are located in the Leitharberg sub-region.

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer

Weingut Sommer is a family-run winery in Donnerskirchen, on the southeast slopes of the Leithagebirge. The Sommer family has been making wine there since 1689. Currently the vineyard area totals 30 hectares, with Leo Sommer junior, our host, at the helm of the winery.

Pictures: Arriving at Weingut Sommer

Cellar Tour

We started with a cellar tour. Then spent some time in the vineyard and came back for a sit down tasting in the courtyard of Weingut Sommer.

Pictures: Cellar Tour at Weingut Sommer

In the Vineyard

We then spent some time in the vineyard.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour at Weingut Sommer

Tasting

We moved back to the courtyard for a seated wine tasting with Leo Sommer.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Sommer

The Wines Leo Poured

Leo poured 5 wines, including the 2017 Weingut Sommer Handwerk Riesling, which was presented at the FLXCursion in Upstate New York.


2017 Weingut Sommer Grüner Veltliner Klassik


2017 Weingut Sommer Himmelreich Leithaberg DAC


2017 Weingut Sommer Handwerk Riesling

Handwerk versteht sich als beständiger Dialog zwischen Hand und Kopf. Spontan vergoren, im großen Holzfass ausgebaut und unfiltriert gefüllt. Riesling Handwerk – substanziell und individuell.

wineanorak.com (Jamie Goode): Stony and mineral with lovely texture, showing citrus fruit and a bit of yellow plum. Lovely mouthfeel. Very fine with a hint of mint, and some mandarin brightness. Lovely stuff. 94/100


2016 Weingut Sommer Blaufränkisch Leithaberg DAC

Nach allen Reisen weiß man die Erde wieder rund. Doch man erkennt ihn mehr. Den Wert der eigenen Heimat. Man spürt sie mehr. Die eigenen Wurzeln der Herkunft. Man freut sich mehr. Über diesen Blaufränkisch vom Leithaberg. Und das Wichtigste: man genießt wieder mehr. Diesen Stil. Mit Weltklasse.


schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Happy 4th of July -> 4th of September: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy: 1 Room Left, France/ USA

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: July 1, 2019)

Book Review by Christian Schiller in Journal of Wine Economics (Vol 11, No 3): MARK E. RICARDO: Simply Burgundy: A Practical Guide to Understanding the Wines of Burgundy. Mark E. Ricardo Book, 2014, 56 pp., ISBN 978-0990513704 Q4 (paperback), $12.99

Book Review by Christian Schiller in Journal of Wine Economics (Vol 11, No 2): JOHN WINTHROP HAEGER: Riesling Rediscovered: Bold, Bright and Dry. University of California Press, Oakland, 2016, 369 pp., ISBN 978-0-520-27545-4, $39.95

Book Review of "Wine Atlas of Germany" in Vol 10, No 1, 2015 of Journal of Wine Economics (Cambridge University Press)

Christian G.E. Schiller's Review of the Book: Ralf Frenzel (ed.) - Riesling, Robert Weil. Tre Torri, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2013, in: Journal of Wine Economics, Volume 9, 2014, No. 1, Cambridge University Press

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

The 2010 European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) in Vienna

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Willi Klinger Leads Tasting of Austria's Undiscovered Stars at EWBC 2010 in Vienna

Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Austria

Wine and Coffee with Guenther Hawelka at Café Hawelka (and at Buffet Trzésniewski) in Vienna, Austria

With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine

Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Pictures: Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting of Wine and Olive Oil at Mas Saint Berthe, Les Baux de Provence, with winemaker Christian Nief - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

The most Southern hotel of thr tour was located in the picturesque town of Les Baux de Provence. Before checking in there and having dinner, we visited Mas Saint Berthe, which produces wine and olive oil at the foot of the Baux rock formation.

Technical director Christian Nief, originally from Nuits St-Georges, Bourgogne, was our host. We looked at the vineyards, toured the winemaking facilities and had a tasting of wine and olive oil.

Mas Sainte Berthe

As early as the 17th centuries farms dotted the country side here. In 1950 the David family acquired the fruit farm Mas Saint Berthe. (“Mas” is the provençal word for “Domaine”). The Davids had a passion for wine and decided to gradually replace apricot tress with vines.  In 1976 the construction of the cellars was terminated and they produced their first wine.

Today Mas Saint Berthe has 40 hectares of vineyards at the foot of the Baux rock formation which is part of the Alpilles mountain range in the heart of the Baux AOP.

The red grape varieties are: Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Carignan. There are five white grape varieties: Grenache blanc, Rolle, Sauvignon, Ugni blanc, Roussane. The portfolio comprises wines of the AOP Les Baux de Provence appellation and two I.G.P. Alpilles.

There also is an olive grove of 2 hectares with 4 local varieties: Grossane, Salonenque, Verdale for the production of Baux valley olive oil and Tapenade and Green Picholine olives.

Pictures: Mas Saint Berthe

In the Vineyards

We started the visit in the vineyards, with an impressive view of the Les Baux cliffs.

The south-facing vineyard lies on unique, rocky, white clay-limestone soil at the foot of Les Baux cliffs, which have a warming effect. The winery maintains a profound respect for its environment. For example, no nitrates are present in their organic fertilizers and natural insect predators are encouraged.

Pictures: In the Vineyard

Cellar Tour

We continued with a tour of the modern cellar.

Pictures: In the Cellar

Wine and Olive Oil Tasting

We ended the tour with a wine and olive oil tasting.

Pictures: Wine and Olive Oil Tasting

The Wines we Tasted

4 tasted 4 wines.


2016 Mas Saint Berthe Les Baux de Provence Tradition AOP
2013 Mas Saint Berthe Les Baux de Provence Louis David AOP


2017 Mas Saint Berthe Les Baux de Provence Passe-Rose AOP
2013 Mas Saint Berthe Alpilles Roussanne AOP


wineswithconvistion.com (Texas): The Rose, called Cuvee Passe-Rose, is made by the saigne method in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. It is a blend of 65% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 4% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 3% Cinsault, and 4% Mourvedre. The grapes are hand-harvested, de-stemmed, and sorted at the winery. After a brief period of cold maceration on the skins (about 12 hours) to begin the extraction of color and flavors, the juice is bled off (about 10% of the total volume of each cepage) and fermented at very low temperature, as if it was a white wine. The young wines destined for theRose are assembled at the end of fermentation and then “aged” in tanks on their fine lees (for the development of flavor and complexity) until bottling in February after the harvest. The Rose is not acidified, nor does it go through malolactic fermentation so as to preserve freshness. It is remarkably dry and fruity, with pink-grapefruit, watermelon, strawberry, kiwi and spice notes. The Rose is a perfect match for poached salmon with watercress sauce, Thai and Chinese dishes, as well as all summer provencal-type foods such as brandade and pissaladiere. The Mas Sainte Berthe Rose has established itself as the leading dry Provencal Rose in the market.

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France (Already Released and Forthcoming Postings)

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Rhône Valley Tour December 2017: From Lyon to Avignon - Wine, Food, Culture, History

Understanding the Wines of the Rhône Valley: The Classification - AOC/ Vin de Pay/ Vin de France

The Rhône Wine Region in Southern France and its Wines: History, Classification, Northern and Southern Rhône

Cellar Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Éric Texier in Charney, with Laurence Texier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Drive at E. Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Maison Clusel-Roche in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Domaine Georges Vernay in Condrieu, Northern Rhône, with Owner Paul Ansellem-Vernay - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Hôtellerie Beau Rivage in Condrieu, with Chef Chef Ludovic Mounier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Maison Delas-Frères in Saint Jean de Muzols, Saint Joseph, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant La Grappe d’Or in Saint-Péray, with Chef Pierre Yves Jacques Sébastien - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Paul Jaboulet Aîné in Tain-l’Hermitage, Hermitage, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tasting at Domaine Laurent Habrard in Gervans, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Owner and Winemaker Laurent Habrad - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Combier in Pont de l’Isère, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Laurent Combier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at La Grand Table de Michel Chabran, 1-star Michelin, in Pont d l’Isère, Northern Rhône, with Chef Michel Chabran - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Les Bruyères in Beaumont-Monteux, Northern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker David Reynaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Martinelle in Lafare, Ventoux,  with Owner/ Winemaker Corinna Kruse Faravel - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Marcel Richaud in Cairanne, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Claire Richaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Baudry - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant Le Dolium (Rhonéa Vignoble Coopérative) in Beaumes-de Venise, Southern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting of Wine and Olive Oil at Mas Saint Berthe, Les Baux de Provence, Southern Rhône, with Winemaker Christian Nief

Dinner at Restaurant Benvengudo, Les Baux de Provence, Southern Rhône

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pegau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Cellar Master Andreas Lenzenwöger

At Pont du Gard: Lunch at Restaurant Les Terrasses

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme

Cellar tour and tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet

Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château la Nerthe, Châteauneuf du Pape

Wine-pairing dinner at Restaurant Château des Fines Roches, with Chef Hugo Loridan-Fombonnet

New Year’s Eve at Château des Fines Roches in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France

Picture: Best of Riesling Competion 2019 - The Winners

The Best of Riesling Competion 2019 took place earlier this year in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in the Pfalz Region in Germany. The annual Best of Riesling competition is organized by the Meininger Verlag. This year, more than 2400 Rieslings entered the competition, with German Rieslings accounting for 97% of the wines. Thus, essentially, it was a Best of German Riesling competition. This was the 14. Best of Riesling competition.

Best of Riesling Competition 2019

There were 8 categories this year.

Kategorie I Riesling trocken mit moderatem Alkoholgehalt (bis 12 vol.%) - Dry Riesling with Moderate Alcohol Level

1. Platz: 2018 Forst Riesling VDP.Ortswein trocken
Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan, Pfalz

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan in Deidesheim with General Manager Gunther Hauck – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

2. Platz: 2017 Master Riesling trocken
Weingut Studier, Pfalz

3. Platz: 2018 Dreiviertel Riesling trocken
Weingut Valentin Haupt, Rheingau

Kategorie II Lagen-Riesling trocken mit moderatem Alkoholgehalt (bis 12 vol.%)- Single Vineyard Dry Riesling with Moderate Alcohol Level

1. Platz: 2017 Erbach Marcobrunn Riesling GG VDP.GROSSE LAGE trocken
Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach, Rheingau

Pictures: Kloster Eberbach: Lunch, Tour of the Abbey, the Steinberg and the Steinbergkeller, with Tasting - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

2. Platz: 2018 Minheim Rosenberg Riesling trocken
Weingut Koenen, Mosel

3. Platz: 2016 Gleisweiler Hölle Riesling trocken
Weingut Familie Sauer, Pfalz

Kategorie III Riesling trocken - Dry Riesling

1. Platz: 2018 Riesling Alte Reben trocken
Weingut Deutschherrenhof Albert Oberbillig, Mosel

2. Platz: 2018 Nierstein Riesling Rotliegend trocken
Weingut Fischborn Bergeshof, Rheinhessen

3. Platz: 2017 Dorsheim Riesling VDP.ORTSWEIN trocken
Weingut Joh. Bapt. Schäfer, Nahe

Kategorie IV Lagen-Riesling trocken - Single Vineyard Dry Riesling

1. Platz: 2017 Kindenheim Burgweg Riesling trocken
Weingut Neiss, Pfalz

2. Platz: 2017 Stetten Pulvermächer Riesling GG VDP.GROSSE LAGE trocken
Weingut Karl Haidle, Württemberg

3. Platz: 2017 Ungstein Weilberg Riesling GG VDP.GROSSE LAGE trocken
Weingut Rings Inh. Steffen und Andreas Rings, Pfalz

Picture: Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Rings in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Andreas Rings - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Kategorie V Riesling halbtrocken/feinherb - Off-dry Riesling

1. Platz: 2018 SOLIS MONS Zell Nußberg Riesling feinherb
Weingut BREMM-Keltenhof Lothar & Marco Bremm, Mosel

2. Platz: 2018 Bopparder Hamm Ohlenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb
Weingut Weingart, Mittelrhein

3. Platz: 2017 Terra-V. Terrassen Riesling feinherb
Weingut Richard Richter, Mosel

Kategorie VI Riesling restsüß - Fruity-sweet Riesling

1. Platz: 2017 Elsheim Blume Riesling Spätlese
Weingut Braunewell, Rheinhessen

2. Platz: 2017 Rüdesheim Berg Rottland Riesling Spätlese VDP.GROSSE LAGE
Weingut Fritz Allendorf, Rheingau

Picture: Riesling & Friends: Massive German Wine Tasting with the Derek Vinnicombe Group at Arrowine in Arlington, USA

3. Platz: 2018 Kinheim Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese KITZ
Weingut Roth, Mosel

Kategorie VII Riesling edelsüß - Noble-sweet Riesling

1. Platz: 2017 Escherndorf Lump Riesling TBA VDP.ERSTE LAGE
Weingut Horst Sauer, Franken

Picture: Annette Schiller and Horst Sauer. See: Vinyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Horst Sauer in Eschendorf, Franken, with Horst Sauer - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

2. Platz: 2018 Forst Pechstein Riesling BA VDP.GROSSE LAGE
Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan, Pfalz

3. Platz: 2018 Kindenheim Burgweg Riesling TBA
Weingut Neiss, Pfalz

Kategorie VIII Riesling gereift (Jahrgang 2011 und älter) - Aged Riesling (Vintage 20011 and older)

1. Platz: 1999 Zöbingen Ried Heiligenstein Riesling Kamptal DAC trocken
Johann Topf, Niederösterreich

1. Platz: Erbach Michelmark Riesling BA
Weingut Jakob Jung, Rheingau

3. Platz: 2011 Erbach Michelmark Riesling Auslese "S"
Weingut Jakob Jung, Rheingau

Pictures: Annett and Christian Schiller with Alexander Jung. See: Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

Sonderauszeichnungen - Special Awards

Bester Riesling trocken aus der Steillage - Best Dry Riesling from Steep Vineyards

2017 Bönnigheim Steingrüben Riesling GG VDP.GROSSE LAGE trocken
Weingut Dautel, Württemberg

Picture: Annette Schiller and Christian Dautel. See: Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Bester europäischer Riesling trocken - Best European Dry Riesling

2015 Ried Setzberg Riesling Smaragd Wachau trocken
Weingut Roman Gritsch, Niederösterreich

Bester Riesling im LEH - Best Riesling in Supermarkets

2018 Edition Gourmet Riesling trocken
Württembergische Weingärtner-Zentralgenossenschaft e.G., Württemberg

Previous Years Winners

For the winners of previous years, see:

Best of Riesling Competition 2017 (Meininger Verlag, Germany)
best of riesling Competition 2016 (Meininger Verlag, Germany)
best of riesling 2015, Germany
best of riesling Competition 2014: The Winners, Germany
best of riesling Competition, 2013, Germany
Best of Riesling 2012 - The Winners, Germany
Best of Riesling Awards 2010

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: August 1, 2019)

Kloster Eberbach: Lunch, Tour of the Abbey, the Steinberg and the Steinbergkeller, with Tasting - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan in Deidesheim with General Manager Gunther Hauck – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Rings in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Andreas Rings - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Vinyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Horst Sauer in Eschendorf, Franken, with Horst Sauer - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Riesling & Friends: Massive German Wine Tasting with the Derek Vinnicombe Group at Arrowine in Arlington, USA

Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

Picture: Upcoming: American Wine Society (AWS) National Conference on October 31 to November 3, 2019, at St. Pete Beach in Florida, with 2 Events by Annette Schiller on "Renaissance of Terroir in Germany: Back to the Roots" and "Syrah and Shiraz: Is there any Difference, do they Taste the Same?", USA

Annette Schiller, Member of the American Wine Society (AWS) and Founder and General Manager of ombiasy WineTours, will lead 2 tastings on the "Renaissance of Terroir in Germany: Back to the Roots" and on "Syrah and Shiraz: Is there any Difference, do they Taste the Same?" at the 2019 AWS National Conference. Both seminars are expected to be attended by about 100 participants.

The 2019 AWS National Conference will take place on Thursday, October 31 to Sunday, November 3, at St. Pete Beach in Florida. The conference is sold out. More than 900 AWS members from all over the USA will come to this 3-day event, filled with tastings, seminars and presentations.

Pictures: Conference Program

2 Sessions at the 2019 AWS National Conference by Annette Schiller

Renaissance of Terroir in Germany: Back to the Roots

Presenter: Annette Schiller, Owner, ombiasy PR & Wine Tours
C-4: Room: Citrus/Glades/Banyan - Class Maximum 110

Abstract: “Location, Location, Location”: That’s the most important requirement for making a good wine. This basic principle was abolished in Germany with the wine law of 1971, when historic vineyard sites were merged. 35,000 single-vineyard sites were reduced to 5,000 big-surface-area vineyards. In the late 1980’s a movement to return to history started, and the focus shifted back to the “terroir,” the single-vineyard site. This seminar emphasizes the importance of terroir in the German wine landscape. We will explore important single vineyards and will taste 6 wines representing the specific terroir.

See also:
Renaissance of the Terroir in Germany. Back to the Roots - Wine Tasting Seminar lead by Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), USA

Syrah and Shiraz: Is there any Difference, do they Taste the Same?

Presenter: Annette Schiller, Owner, ombiasy PR & Wine Tours
E-4: Room: Citrus/Glades/Banyan - Class Maximum 110

Abstract: It’s not a big surprise that one of the famous wine producers on the northern Rhône calls one of his wines Chevalier de Stérimberg, the name of a Crusader in the 13th century. For a long time it was assumed that this Crusader brought a grape variety from Persia to France. Later this grape was called Syrah, and the name can be traced back to the ancient Persian city of Shiraz. Genetically, Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape, however there is a difference in the finished wines, depending on where they are grown and how they are made. We will explore Syrah and Shiraz by tasting 6 different wines from around the world.

Looking Back

2018 AWS National Conference in Buffalo, New York State

Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller at the 2018 American Wine Society National Conference in Buffalo, New York State. See: The 2018 American Wine Society National Conference in Buffalo, New York State, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

2017 AWS National Conference in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania

Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller at the 2017 American Wine Society (AWS) National Conference in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, USA. See: The 2017 American Wine Society National Conference in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

2016 AWS National Conference in Costa Mesa, South of Los Angeles, California

Pictures: Selfies at the 2016 American Wine Society National Conference with Peter Mondavi Jr., Co-Proprietor, Charles Krug Winery, Bérénice Lurton, Owner/ Winemaker, Château Climens in Bordeaux and Paul Wagner, President of Balzac Communications Marketing. See: The 2016 American Wine Society National Conference in California, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: August 1, 2019)

Renaissance of the Terroir in Germany. Back to the Roots - Wine Tasting Seminar lead by Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), USA