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The 2013 Decanter Wine Power List

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier in Washington DC. Olivier Bernard is also the President of the UGCB and #40 on the 2013 Decanter Wine Power List

When the British Wine Journal Decanter released the Decanter Wine Power List 2011 – the 50 most influential people in the wine world – I was very surprised (and pleased) to find myself - with my fellow bloggers around the world – on the list: the Amateur Wine Blogger made its first appearance at number 16. This year, the Amateur Wine Blogger is no longer listed.

Vendredi du Vin #57: Des Vins Super-héroïques - Des Vignerons Super-héroïques (Super-heroic Wines - Super-heroic Winemakers)

This posting is being published as part of the Vendredis du Vin, a monthly blog event in France. Participating wine bloggers - mainly in France - are all releasing postings today under the same heading. This month's Vendredi du Vin is orchestrated byTom Delanoue from Reims: "C’est donc avec grand plaisir que je vous propose de plancher sur ce thème des vins super-héroïques pour les vendredis du vin des mois de juillet/août 2013. Est-ce que pour vous une bouteille est un super-héros à part entière ? Ou peut-être un vigneron ? A moins que vous ne soyez convaincu que le héros de votre enfance – fût-t’il Super Dupont – a une bouteille préférée… Bref, faites vous plaisir !"

I am presenting and reviewing the 2013 Decanter Wine Power List: The 50 super.heroes in the wine industry around the world.

2013 Wine Power List

Here is this year’s list.

1 Pierre Pringuet (Position 1 in 2011)
CEO, Pernod Ricard, 63 - the 60-year-old executive presides over the world’s fourth biggest wine company, Pernod Ricard, owner of brands from Champagne Mumm and Perrier-Jouet to Jacob’s Creek and New Zealand’s Brancott Estate. Pernod Ricard spans both the mass-market and premium end of the global wine market.
2 Wu Fei (8)
Chairman/general manager COFCO Wines & Spirits, 49
3 Eric de Rothschild (2)
President, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), 72 – he has looked after the portfolio of Domaines Barons de Rothschild for 37 years. He has shot up from number 20 3 years ago on the basis of Chateau Lafite’s huge influence in China.
4 Annette Alvarez Peters (6)
Assistant general merchandise manager for wine, spirits and beer, Costco, 51
5 Mel Dick (4)
Senior vice-president, Southern Wine & Spirits of America; vice-president of wine division, 77
6 Robert Sands (5)
Chairman, Constellation Brands, 55
7 Michel Rolland (18)
International consultant, 65
8 Aubert de Villaine (30)
Co-owner/co-director, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, 73
9 Robert Parker Jr (3)
Chairman and CEO, The Wine Advocate, 65
10 Jancis Robinson
MW OBE (10)
11 John D Watkins (–)
CEO, ASC Fine Wines (age withheld)
12 Yang Wenhua (–)
Managing director, C&D Wines, 43
13 Steven Spurrier (13)
Consultant editor, Decanter, 71
14 Bernard Arnault (11)
Chairman and CEO, Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, 64
15 Dan Jago (14)
Group wine director, Tesco, 53
16 Pierre Castel (19)
President and founder, Groupe Castel, 86
17 Gina Gallo (15)
Winemaker, E&J Gallo, 46
18 Nobutada Saji (12)
President, Suntory, 67
19 Robert Shum (17)
Founder, Aussino World Wines, 50
20 Eduardo Guiliasti (9)
CEO, Concha y Toro, 61
21 Miguel Torres Maczassek (–)
General manager, Miguel Torres, 38
22 Mathieu Chadronnier (41)
General manager, CVBG Grands Crus, 35
23 David Dearie (–)
CEO/executive director, Treasury Wine Estates, 50
24 Jean-Charles Boisset (25)
Proprietor, Boisset Family Estates, 43
25 Jeannie Cho Lee MW (26)
Journalist, 44
26 Stéphane Derenoncourt (33)
International consultant, 50
27 David Pedrol (–)
Product director, Yesmywine.com, 32
28 Pierre-Antoine Castéjà (34)
Managing director, Joanne Bordeaux,
29 Tony Laithwaite (20)
Chairman, Direct Wines, 67
30 Marvin Shanken (21)
President and founder, M Shanken Communications, 69
31 Simon Berry (27)
Chairman, Berry Bros & Rudd, 55
32 Bob Peter (–)
President and CEO, Liquor Control Board of Ontario
33 Magdalena Gerger (–)
CEO, Systembolaget, 49
34 Denis Dubourdieu (37)
International consultant, 62
35 Allen Meadows (40)
Writer and publisher, Burghound.com, 59
36 Jacques and Eric Boissenot (–)
Consultants, Laboratoire Boissenot
37 Piero Antinori (35)
President, Marchesi Antinori, 74
38 Ch’ng Poh Tiong (32)
Publisher, The Wine Review, 57
39 John Kapon (31)
CEO, Acker Merrall & Condit, 41
40 Olivier Bernard (–)
Owner, Domaine de Chevalier; president, Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, 53
41 Yasuhisa Hirose (48)
President, Enoteca, 63
42 Paolo Pong (–)
Owner, Altaya Wines, 36
43 Pedro Parra (49)
Soil expert, 43
44 Li Demei (–)
Consultant winemaker, 43
45 Stephen Browett (–)
Chairman, Farr Vintners, 53
46 Gary Boom (39)
Managing director, Bordeaux Index, 54
47 Eduardo Chadwick (–)
President, Viña Errázuriz, 53
48 Judy Leissner (–)
CEO, Grace Vineyards, 34
49 Frédéric Rouzaud (46)
Managing director, Champagne Louis Roederer, 45
50 Michael Hill Smith MW (42)
Co-owner, Shaw + Smith, age 58

Comments

The list reflects the two dominant trends of the international wine world: globalization and the rise of Asia.

Ten of the 50 listed luminaries have a strong Asian connection. 2 years ago, there were only 6 of them. New on the list this year are: Yang Wenhua (12), Paolo Pong (42), Winemaker Li Demei (44) und Judy Leissner ( 48), CEO of the Chinese winery Grace Vineyards. You can also add to them a number of names from the West with strong ties to the East, like John D Watkins (11), David Pedrol (27) and David Dearie (23).

Wu Fei, head of the wine and spirits division of the COFCO, China’s state-owned Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation, is the new #2 (up from #8 last year). COFCO makes wine (Great Wall brand), invests in wine properties (Chateau Viaud in Bordeaux) and is a key potential partner for anyone in the world who wants to sell bulk wine into the Chinese market.

The China connection also might explain Aubert de Villaine’s rise from #30 to #8. Aubert de Villaine is co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée Conti (DRC). 2013 has been seen by many as the year that Chinese investors and collectors lost interest in Bordeaux and turned their attention to Burgundy. So, no surprise that DRC, perhaps the most sought-after Burgundy wine, would surge in the ranking.

From a German perspective, I am surprised that Alexander Margaritoff does not show up on the list. He is the CEO of Hawesko, the largest wine trade company in Europe and the largest on-line wine retailer in the world.

Here are the wine writers on the list: Robert Parker (9), Jancis Robinson (10), Steven Spurrier (13), Jeannie Cho Lee (25), Marvin Shanken (30), Allen Meadow (35) and Ch’ng Poh Tiong (38).

In compiling the Power List, Decanter consulted the following people: Pedro Ballesteros MW, Jon Bonné (San Francisco Chronicle), Gary Boom (Bordeaux Index), Jim Boyce (beijingboyce.com), Stephen Browett (Farr Vintners), Andrew Caillard MW, Bob Campbell MW, Mathieu Chadronnier (CVBG Grands Crus), Ch’ng Poh Tiong, Jeannie Cho Lee MW, Phil Crozier (Gaucho), Charles Curtis MW, Victor de la Serna, Ian D’Agata, Pierre-Henri Gagey (Louis Jadot), Peter Gago (Penfolds), Anthony Hanson MW, Michael Hill-Smith MW, James Lawther MW, John Livingstone- Learmonth, Giles MacDonogh, Nico Manessis, Debra Meiburg MW, Jasper Morris MW, Fiona Morrison MW, Joel Payne, John Platter (Platter’s Wine Guide), Fabricio Portelli (El Conocedor), Peter Richards MW, Don St Pierre Jr (ASC Fine Wines), Eleonora Scholes, Larry Stone, Paul Symington, John Terlato (Terlato Wines International), Miguel A Torres.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Decanter 2011 Wine Power List: I am – With my Fellow Amateur Wine Bloggers Around the World – # 16 on the List

Global Wine Consumption and Production

Top 100 Global Wine Tweeters - 2013

The Liv-ex 2013 Médoc Classification

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites

Top 100 Most Influential People in the U.S. Wine Industry – The 2013 IntoWine List, USA

Top 100 Most Influential People in the U.S. Wine Industry – The 2012 IntoWine List

China's Wine Boom: Is Jeannie Cho Lee the New Robert Parker?

The Forbes List of Rich People and Wine

The Emerging Wine Giant China - Mouton Cadet Bar Opening

Trends in the global wine market: old world, new world, emerging wine countries

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

The Size and the Structure of the German Wine Industry

A Global View: Who Makes and who Drinks Wine?  

Wine Consumption by Country: Total and Per Capita

Top 100 Global Wine Tweeters - 2013

Decanter 2011 Wine Power List: I am – With my Fellow Amateur Wine Bloggers Around the World – # 16 on the List

The Wines from Madagascar and 9 Other Exotic Wine Regions and Countries

Emerging wine country: China's wine boom since 2000


Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Seattle Oyster Guru Jon Rowley at Elliott's Oyster Bar in Seattle

I am not that frequently in Seattle, but from time to time I am. Here are my favorite wine bars (and couple of other interesting places where I like to hang out, including oyster bars, as well as recommendations from others) in Seattle. The list is a mixture of own experiences, recommendations by others and finds in the internet that I still have to check out.

Bainbridge Island

Restaurant Marche

Recommended on wine berserkers, when I asked for Seattle recommendations: “Take a ferry boat to Bainbridge Island and eat at Le Marche of Greg and Betsy Atkinson”. Not a wine bar.

Capitol Hill

Lots of second hand shops, record stores, book shops, tattoos and gay bars. Between Pike and Pine and on 12th Ave.

Spinasse
1531 14th Avenue
Small, rustic trattoria, could be in Italy. Traditional cuisine of the Piemont region. No bar. Dinner only. Recommended by a guy I met at RN 74.

Sitka and Spruce
1531 Melrose Ave. between Pike and Pine
A mecca for seasonal foods, inside the vibrant mixed-retail Melrose Market. Everything made from scratch. You sit like in your mother’s kitchen and the Chef is cooking next to you. No wine bar.


Café Presse
1117 12th Ave.
Paris in Seattle: My neighbor at the bar started with a Ricard and then had Croque Monsieur and a Ham and Cheese Sandwich (Baguette). Both food and the wines are basic and good. Only French wines. Sister restaurant of Le Pichet.


Marjorie
On East Union between 14th and 15th Avenues next to the Chloe Apartments
“Food for the Soul” is the slogan. Has a cosy bar area, but with an average wine list.


University District

Smash Wine Bar and Bistro
1401 N. 45th St.
Wine is the star here, with an extensive selection of wine flights created around inventive themes.

Queen Anne

Canlis
2576 Aurora Avenue North
The best restaurant in town. With a wine bar. Still need to go there.

Ten Mercer
10 Mercer Street (First Ave), near Space Needle
Neighborhood wine bar. Located near Seattle Center’s theaters and opera house, 10 Mercer is an appropriate pre-performance dinner or late-night supper option. The wine list of Northwest favorites complements a menu of small plates.


The Sitting Room
108 W Roy St. (First Avenue), near Space Needle
Little neighborhood wine bar. I prefer The Sitting Room over 10 Mercer, which is close by. I enjoyed the emphasis on French wines, with about 15 pours by the glass. Although there is no dinner menu, a small selection of salads, pork pâté, daily soups, and charcuterie make it possible to create a satisfying dinner meal.


Ballard

Bastille Café and Bar
5307 Ballard Ave
French focused.

Portalis
5205 Ballard Ave NW
Wine store and wine bar.

Bellevue

Kirkland

bin on the lake
1270 Carillon Point
Need to check it out.

Downtown

Berlin Doener
First Ave/Main Street
Germany in Seattle: Berlin-type Doener Kebab Place. Not a wine bar.


Starbuck’s (at Pike Place Market)
First Starbuck’s ever. For a picture.


Radiator Whiskey
94 Pike Street
Not a wine bar, but a super cool place. Across from Matt’s in the Market, the small space looks as if it’s been there a long time, exuding a retro charm by using reclaimed materials: flooring from Seattle’s first boiler and schoolhouse chairs. The bar, tables and walls are crafted from old bleachers from Nathan Hale High School.


Barolo (Belltown)
1940 Westlake Avenue / 7th Ave
Hip Italian restaurant with a bar area, set in a chic contemporary digs enhanced by sparkling chandeliers, gauzy drapes and a hip clientele. The amazing daily happy hour rarely fails to draw a large crowd.


RN 74
1433 Fourth Avenue at Pike Street
Amazing wine list with some 400 wines. Very strong on Bourgogne, including expensive wines but also focus on Washington State and Oregon. Very good Summer of Riesling selection. I tasted Eroica versus Weil trocken versus Maximin Gruenhaus, all dry. One of my top favorites.

Wild Ginger
1401 Third Avenue
Large modern restaurant offering Asian food. Has a very nice bar area. Wine card is fascinating. Claim to have a 45.000 bottles in the cellar. 25 by the glass. Large selection by the bottle, with few California wines, but strong WA wines and Old World Wines (but not Bordeaux) – rather Rhone, Italy, Spain and lots of Austrian wines. One of my top favorites.


Purple Café and Wine Bar
1225 4th Avenue
21 flights – 80 wines by the glass – excellent bottle selection. For Champagnes, the wine list distinguishes between Recoltant Manipulant and Negociant Manipulant, as an indication for the wine sophistication of the place. Small items for dinner. A real bar, but large. One of my top favorites. There are 3 more Purples in: Woodinville, Kirkland and Bellevue.


Tasting Room
1924 Post Alley
The Tasting Room in Seattle is a typical wine bar, open at night, where you can hang around with a glass of wine and eat some food, right in the heart of Pike Place Market, at the copper topped tasting bar or outside at a table on quaint Post Alley or inside at a table. It has some elements of a tasting room insofar as the Tasting Room only serves the wines of a group of Washington State winemaker. Wines are served by the ounze, half glass, full glass, carafe, bottle and to go.


Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller at the Tasting Room in Seattle 

Le Pichet
1933 1st Avenue
Paris in Seattle: The owner says: “Le Pichet is our take on bringing the warmth, congeniality and casual style of a neighborhood Paris bistrot to Seattle”. Indeed, very much French bistro style.Sister restaurant of  Café Press.


Fonte Cafe and Wine Bar
1321 First Ave.
Keeps coming up in the internet as wine bar recommendation, but it is a coffee shop with a very limited wine list. The coffee is excellent as Fonte is a (not well known) premium coffee roaster. Good happy hour.


Maximilien
81A Pike Street
Charming upscale French restaurant with a panorama of Elliott Bay. But I go there for Happy Hour, because of the very nice terrace with a beautiful view of the bay.

Seafood

Pictures: Pike Market

Taylor Shellfish on Melrose Market
1521 Melrose Ave. (Capitol Hill)
“We liken ourselves to a Shellfish Deli. Groceries to go, Oysters on the half shell in house. Tables a first come, first service. Happy hours on weekdays offer half shell oysters at a discount.


The Brooklyn
1212 2nd Avenue
The epitome of a classic, old-school steak and seafood house. The Brooklyn has stood the test of time attracting business folk from the financial district with its martinis, oyster happy hour and big ol' steaks and salmon filets. The Brooklyn wears its checkered floor and copper worn-torn bar as a badge of courage. If you’ve already got your tie on, and your seats are saved across the street at Benaroya Hall, The Brooklyn’s cheap drinks and snacks are on your radar.


Elliots Oyster Bar
1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56
One of the top oyster places in the USA, if not the best. The selection of oysters (2 to 3 dozens) is outstanding, with a focus on West Coast Oysters. Other top pics include king crabs, wild salmon and Dungeness crab cakes. Interesting wine list.
Elliott’s happy hour runs from 3pm-6pm every Monday-Friday. The best deal in the house are the freshly shucked oysters on the half-shell. The earlier you get to Elliott’s the better. That’s because it’s a ‘progressive’ oyster happy hour. Oysters are just $.75 apiece from 3pm-4pm, $1.25 each from 4pm-5pm, and then $1.75 each from 5pm-6pm.


Pictures: Elliott’s Oyster House in Seattle

Ivar’s Acres of Clams
1001 Alaskan Way Pier 54
Ivar’s Original Acres of Clams at Pier 54 has been a beloved Seattle tradition since 1938. The original recipie for its well known Clam Cowder was seveloped in 1938. Below average wine list.


Lowell
Pike Market
A Pike Market institution - rustic atmosphere overlooking the water. In the early 1900′s Lowell’s was a combination of coffee roaster, peanut roaster and cafeteria that served the citizens of the Seattle when they visited the Pike Market to purchase fresh farm produce, seafood and dairy goods. The “flagship” Manning’s Cafeteria, then became Lowell’s in 1957, and has remained so ever since. On the first and third floors, you order first with the cashier/barista and then find a view seat and your food will follow you shortly. Opens at 7:00 am.


Athenian
Pike Market
Pike Place Market insiders and tourists alike frequent this “funky” institution (which started as a bakery in 1909) for its “affordable”, “genuine taste” of “old blue-collar Seattle” American breakfasts and seafood, served by “colorful” staffers in an “unmatched” spot to “watch the market wake up”; there’s no dinner, but the second-floor booths have “wonderful views” of “ships and ferries coming and going” in Elliott Bay.


The Walrus and the Carpenter (Ballard)
4743 Ballard Avenue
Oyster chic and small plate stand-outs. No one had yet created as perfect a frame for Puget Sound bivalves as Renee Erickson (along with co-owners Jeremy Price and Chad Dale) has with The Walrus and the Carpenter, where the oysters are gathered by the bushel into icy wire baskets on the bar. Light and airy, with a hint of midcentury French industry, the Walrus is a raucous gathering place, a cocktail joint par excellence and a place to down local oysters like you’ve never done before.

Ray's Boathouse
6049 Seaview Ave NW (Ballard)
Famous German winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, went there with his crew, the night before the 4th Riesling Rendezvous.


Schiller’s Favorites

This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series. Here is a full list of all Schiller’s favorites postings so far.

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France

Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA

Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites

Schiller’s Favorites from the VDP Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru – Presentation at Kloster Eberbach, 2012, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, UK

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria 

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary

Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

schiller-wine: Related Postings

The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

West Coast Oysters and Wine with Jon Rowley in Seattle, USA

Tasting Washington State Wines at the Tasting Room in Seattle, USA

best of riesling Competition, 2013, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with best of riesling 2013 Winner Fred Loimer, Weingut Loimer, at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA, see: The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

The best of riesling competion 2013 took place earlier this year in Neustadt and der Weinstrasse in the Pfalz region in Germany. Apparently, best of riesling has become an annual event. Until 2012, it was a bi-annual event.

best of riesling is organized by the Meininger Verlag in Neustadt, with the Ministry of Wine of the Land Rheinland Pfalz backing the event. Note that the Land Rheinland Pfalz has a Ministry of Wine! While last year, I was honored to participate in the final tastings of the competition as a judge, this year, I was not able to attend.

For earlier events see:
Best of Riesling 2012 - The Winners, Germany
Judging at Wine Competitions in Virginia (USA), Pfalz (Germany) and Rheinhessen (Germany) 
Judging at “best of riesling 2012” in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in Germany
Best of Riesling Awards 2010
“Hoffest” (Winery Party) at Weingut Heinrich Baison in Hochheim, Rheingau - Best of Riesling 2010 Award Winner
Best of Riesling Awards 2008

Riesling

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

Dry and Sweet Riesling

Many wine drinkers, in particular outside of Europe, when they see a Riesling in the shelves, have the association of a sweet-style wine. This is however misguided. Rieslings as a rule are dry wines. Of course, there are the famous sugar sweet Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein and Schilfwein wines from Austria and Germany, the Sélection de Grains Nobles from France, the icewines from Canada and other Rieslings, made from botrytized, dried or frozen grapes.

The grapes that go into these wines have such a high sugar content that there is nothing you can do to make dry wines out of these grapes. They inevitably produce nobly sweet wines. But apart from these specialty wine, which account for only a tiny share of total production, Riesling grapes in Germany, Austria, Alsace, the US and Australia have normal sugar content at the time of fermentation and tend to produce dry wines, when fully fermented.

However, modern cellar methods allow winemakers in Germany (and elsewhere) to produce wines with a bit of residual sugar with these grapes. These are exceptional wines, essentially made by not letting the fermentation going its full course so that natural sugar remains in the wine. Alternatively, German winemakers are allowed to add sweet-reserve (sterilized grape juice) to increase the sweetness level in the wine, but today, this is mostly done, if at all, for fine tuning the residual sweetness. These fruity-sweet wines are the wines that are so popular among the fans of German wine in the world. These sweet-style wines have lost popularity in Germany, although there appears to be a comeback, but in any case remain very popular outside of Germany, for example in the US. Anyway, they are very present in Germany’s export markets, but account only for a small share of total German wine production. Steffen Christmann, the President of the VDP, the German elite wine maker association, estimates that 95% of German wine beyond a price point of Euro 15 is dry.

Winners and Special Prizes 

The wines were judged in 5 categories:

Category I – dry - up to 12,5 % alcohol
Category II – dry - over 12,5 % alcohol
Category III – medium dry
Category IV – fruity sweet with up to 80 grams per liter residual sugar
Category V – noble sweet with more than 90 grams per liter residual sugar (Botrytised wines and Eiswein)

In each of the 5 categories, a first, second and third place winner was selected.

In addition, special prizes were awarded for the:
(1) Best European Riesling not of German origin, in Category I or Category II.
(2) Best steep slope Riesling in Category I or Category II.
(3) Best New World Riesling in Category I or Category II.
(4) Best large production, entry-level Riesling in Category I or Category II.

best of riesling Winners and Special Prizes

Category I ( dry - up to 12,5 % alcohol)

1. Platz:
2012 Riesling Saar Qualitätswein Mosel, trocken Weingut Willems-Willems; Konz

2. Platz
2012 Riesling Erste Lage Ruppertsberg Reiterpfad Qualitätswein Pfalz, trocken , Weingut von Winning, Deidesheim

3. Platz
2011 Riesling Königsbacher Ölberg Spätlese Pfalz, trocken, DLR Staatsweingut mit Johannitergut, Neustadt

Category II (dry - over 12,5 % alcohol)

1. Platz
2011 Riesling Großes Gewächs Forst an der Weinstraße Pechstein Qualitätswein Pfalz, trocken, Weingut von Winning, Deidesheim

2. Platz
2011 Riesling vom Urgestein Reserve Qualitätswein, Niederösterreich, trocken, Respiz-Hof Kölbl, Röschitz, Österreich

3. Platz
2011 Riesling Langenlois Seeberg Erste Lage Kamptal, DAC Reserve Niederösterreich, trocken, Weingut Loimer, Langenlois

Category III (medium dry)

1. Platz
2012 Riesling Burrweiler Altenforst Kabinett Pfalz, halbtrocken, Weingut Otmar Graf, Weyher

2. Platz
2012 Riesling „S“ Ingelheimer Steinacker Qualitätswein, Rheinhessen, halbtrocken, Ökoweingut A. F. Werner, Ingelheim am Rhein

3. Platz
2012 Riesling Zenit Bruttiger Götterlay Spätlese Mosel, halbtrocken, Weingut Klein-Götz, Bruttig-Fankel

Category IV (fruity-sweet)

1. Platz
2012 Riesling Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Spätlese Pfalz, süß, Weingut Müller-Catoir, Haardt

2. Platz
2012 Riesling Oppenheimer Sackträger Auslese, Rheinhessen, süß, Weingut Kissinger, Uelversheim

3. Platz
2012 Riesling Spätlese Rheinhessen, süß, Weingut Gunter und Ute Weinmann, Wörrstadt

Category V (noble sweet)

1. Platz

2012 Riesling Winterbacher Hungerberg Eiswein, Württemberg, edelsüß, Weingut Ellwanger, Winterbach

2. Platz
2011 Riesling Würzburger Stein Trockenbeerenauslese, Franken, süß, Weingut Juliusspital,
Würzburg

3. Platz
2011 Riesling Zinkler Trockenbeerenauslese Pfalz, edelsüß, Weingut Heiner Sauer, Böchingen

Special Award: Best Steep Slope

2012 Riesling Bopparder Hamm Ohlenberg Kabinett Mittelrhein, trocken, Weingut Weingart, Spay, Mittelrhein

Special Award: Best European Non-German

2011 Vom Urgestein Reserve Riesling Qualitätswein Niederösterreich, trocken, Respiz-Hof Kölbl, Röschitz/Österreich

Special Award: Best New World Riesling

2012 Pewsey Vale Riesling Eden Valley South Australia, The Yalumba Wine Company, Angaston, Australia

Special Award: Best Large Production Entry-level Riesling

2012 Riesling Roter Hang Niersteiner Qualitätswein Rheinhessen, trocken, Weinkellerei Reh Kendermann, Bingen

schiller-wine - Related Postings

Judging at “best of riesling 2012” in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in Germany

Best of Riesling Awards 2010

“Hoffest” (Winery Party) at Weingut Heinrich Baison in Hochheim, Rheingau - Best of Riesling 2010 Award Winner

Best of Riesling Awards 2008

Judging at Wine Competitions in Virginia (USA), Pfalz (Germany) and Rheinhessen (Germany)

1st International Riesling Symposium, Rheingau, Germany

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine

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

The Focus on Dry German Riesling– Daniel Hubbard Presents the German DSWE Portfolio to the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)

The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany

The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

Impressions from the Mainz Wine Market 2013, Germany

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Picture: Annette Schiller (Ombiasy Wine Tours), Christian Schiller, Winemaker Mirjam Schneider, Weingut Lothar Schneider und Tochter, with Participants of the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour in Mainz, Germany, at the 2013 Mainz Wine Market, Germany

See also:
The Mainz Wine Amazones - Christine Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer - in New York City, USA
In the Glass: Mirjam Schneider's 2007 Merlot No.2 from Rheinhessen, Germany
International Women's Day 2012: Meeting the Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer of Mainz, Germany

In August 2013, I participated in the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour, organized by Annette Schiller (Ombiasy Wine Tours). The tour ended in Mainz in Rheinhessen the day when the 2013 Mainz Wine Market was opened. The group took advantage of this and went to the opening of the event.

Picture: The 1000 Years Old Cathedrale of Mainz

Mainz Wine Market

Every year Mainz’s Rosengarten and Volkspark are the sites for the Wine Market - the last weekend in August and the first weekend in September. It’s a great chance to meet many winemakers from the region, discover new wines and simply have fun on a fine summer day.

Picture: A Stop at Mirjam Schneider, Weingut Lothar Schneider und Tochter

Mainz in Rheinhessen

Mainz belongs to Rheinhessen, which is with 27.000 hectares the largest viticultural region in Germany. Every fourth bottle of German wine comes from Rheinhessen. The high-yielder Mueller-Thurgau accounts for about 1/5 of the vineyards. Rheinhessen also has the rather dubious honor of being considered the birthplace of Liebfraumilch.

At the same time, Rheinhessen is among Germany’s most interesting wine regions. A lot is happening there. There is an increasing group of mostly young and ambitious winemakers – led by Klaus Peter Keller and Philipp Wittmann - who want to produce and indeed do produce outstanding wine and not wines in large quantities.

Picture: A Stop at Tina Huff, Weingut Fritz Eckehard Huff

See also:
International Women's Day 2012: Meeting the Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer of Mainz, Germany
The 31-Days-of-German-Riesling Concert Cruise Around New York Harbor with the German Wine Queen Julia Bertram and the 3 Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Eva Vollmer and Mirjam Schneider from Mainz, Germany

Traditionally, white grape varieties dominate (3/4), such as Silvaner and Mueller-Thurgau, although Riesling is increasingly being planted, and, recently, Chardonnay. As for red grape varieties (1/4), Dornfelder and Portugieser are the most popular grapes, but winemakers have started to experiment with international grape varieties like Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Picture: A Stop at Mark Barth, Weingut Norbert Barth

See also:
Impressions from the Rheingau Wine Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany (2013)
Barth Primus is Germany’s First Sekt Made with an Erstes Gewaechs Wine

Wine Capital

Mainz is one of the 8 wine capitals of the world, along with: Bordeaux (France), Bilbao-Rioja (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa), Florence (Italy), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal) and San Francisco-Napa Valley (USA).

Pictures: The Opening Ceremony

Wine has been made in Mainz since Roman times. Today, most of the winemakers are located in 3 suburbs of Mainz: Mainz-Laubenheim, Mainz-Ebersheim and Mainz-Hechtsheim.

Pictures: With Rheinhessen Wine Queen Ramana Diegel

Wine Taverns

Although Mainz is one of the 8 wine capitals of the world, there is not a single wine bar in Mainz, as I know them from London, New York City, Berlin or Washington DC. However, there are a large number of wine taverns in Mainz.

Picture: The Mayor of Mainz, Michael Ebling

Typically, wine taverns do not have an elaborated list of wines, nor do they serve fancy and sophisticated food. They serve local wines, at very reasonable prices, typically from a handful of local winemakers that you do not find in the wine guides such as the Gault Millau.

See also:
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Pictures: Katharina Schiller, who Participated in the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour, Pouring at the Mainz Wine Market

schiller-wine: Related Postings

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

Winemaker Eva Vollmer is Germany’s Discovery of the Year 2010

Weinfest im Kirchenstueck: Meeting the Winemakers of Mainz-Hechtsheim and Tasting Their Wines, Germany 

In the Glass: Mirjam Schneider's 2007 Merlot No.2 from Rheinhessen, Germany

International Women's Day 2012: Meeting the Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer of Mainz, Germany

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

Summer of Riesling with Annette and Christian Schiller in Washington DC, USA 

The 31-Days-of-German-Riesling Concert Cruise Around New York Harbor with the German Wine Queen Julia Bertram and the 3 Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Eva Vollmer and Mirjam Schneider from Mainz, Germany

Barth Primus is Germany’s First Sekt Made with an Erstes Gewaechs Wine

Impressions from the Rheingau Wine Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany (2013)

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany
 

Touring (and Visiting 4 Wineries in) the Württemberg Wine Region (Zabergäu), Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Ernst Dautel, Weingut Dautel

I visited with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim the Württemberg wine region for 2 days. More specifically, we spent 2 days in the Zabergäu and had 4 extensive tastings - at Staatsweingut Weinsberg, Weingut Dautel, Weingut Wachstetter and Weingaertner Cleebronn-Guegglingen.

The Zaber is a minor tributary of the River Neckar in Württemberg , Germany. It is some 22 km in length and joins the Neckar from the west at Lauffen am Neckar. It has given its name to the Zabergäu, the area between the Heuchelberg and Stromberg hills.

Picture: The Zaber

Wine Region Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 German states that make up Germany. Baden-Wuerttemberg is one of the growth centers of Germany due to its booming export industries. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are prime examples. Baden-Württemberg comprises two wine growing areas, Baden and Württemberg.

Wine from Württemberg is mainly red wine. The main production area is along the Neckar River between Stuttgart and Heilbronn. There are also vineyards on Lake Constance that belong to Württemberg.

More wine is consumed here (per capita) than anywhere else in Germany - actually twice as much as in the rest of Germany. The German poet Friedrich von Schiller wrote already several centuries ago: “A Württemberger without wine--is that a real Württemberger?”

The Trollinger is the most popular variety, which is grown almost exclusively in Württemberg. It is a nice table wine that goes well with the local food. If you are looking for a premium wine, Lemberger (known as Blaufränkisch in Austria and Kékfrankos in its Hungarian homeland) is the grape variety to go for. The Lemberger made by Weingut Dautel and Weingut Wachstetter, which we had during the tour, can compete with the best red wines in the world.

With 11,000 hectares under vine, Württemberg is Germany's fourth largest wine region. Winemaking cooperatives are very common in Württemberg, number around 70, and are responsible for almost 75% of the region's production.

Wines from Württemberg are hard to find in the US. This is partly explained by the production structure, which is dominated by co-operatives. These co-operatives are known for producing top class wines. But they tend to be less aggressive in terms of penetrating new markets.

See:
Wine region: Baden and Württemberg, Germany 

Schiller in Württemberg

Schiller, or Schillerwein, is a specialty from Württemberg. It is made by blending red and white grapes before fermentation. Ideally, the Schiller is a field blend, i.e. red and white grapes are planted in mixed lots in the vineyards and are harvested and fermented together. I am not aware of any producer who makes his Schiller as a field blend, but in the old days it was the rule.

Pictures: A “Viertele” of Schillerwein from Staatsweingut Weinsberg at Weinhaus Stetter in Stuttgart

The name of the wine has nothing to do with the famous German poet Friedrich von Schiller (although he is from Württemberg). The wine got its name from the verb “schillern”. The verb "schillern" means "to scintillate". Schiller, or Schillerwein, is thus a wine with a scintillating color, reflecting the fact that the wine is a blend of red and white grapes.

There are basically two ways of producing wine that is in-between red and white wine and often called rosé wine. First, using red grapes, but limiting the skin contact of the juice during fermentation so that only a small part of the red color is extracted from the skin and the wine thus has a rosé color. Second, blending white and red grapes before fermentation or red and white wines after fermentation.

Most of the Rosés on the market these days are wines that are produced 100 percent out of red grapes. Blending finished white and red wines is outlawed in many countries. Interestingly, it is allowed for producing Rosé Champagne and other sparkling wine in France. Blending white and red grapes before fermentation to make rosé-type wines is a specialty in a number of countries, including Germany.

For more on Schiller, see:
A “Viertele” of Schillerwein at Weinhaus Stetter in Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, Germany
Schillerwein---a German Speciality
Schiller in the Glass in Stuttgart, Germany

Staatsweingut Weinsberg

Staatsweingut Weinsberg is a winery owned and run by the Government of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Germany is a federal state with 3 levels of government: federal, state and local. At the federal level, there is no government ownership in the wine industry, but there is extensive involvement at the state level. In addition, there is government ownership at the local level.

Pictures: At Staatsweingut Weinsberg

At the state level, there are 2 kinds of involvements. First, there are wine estates that are government owned, but operate like private wineries. There are five such wine estates in Germany and all of them are large. Second, there are government wine estates that produce and sell wine, but also fulfill other functions, notably research and education. The second group I understand is treated like government departments and is accounted for in the national accounts in the government sector.

For more, see:
The Role of Government - Government Owned Wineries in Germany

Staatsweingut Weinsberg falls into the second category; it is a department of the Government of Baden-Wuerttemberg. It is part of a school and research institute, which was initiated and planned by Immanuel August Ludwig Dornfeld (1796-1869), the father of the well known Dornfelder grape variety, and built in 1868 as the "Royal School of Viticulture" under King Charles I of Württemberg (1823-1891), the first viticultural school of Germany.

Today, between 30 to 50 students are at the school with the aim to become a Weinbautechniker (vocational winemaker training). This is a winemaker degree below the bachelor level. The school also trains coopers.

As for research, new grape varieties developed here include Acolon, Cabernet Dorio, Cabernet Dorsa, Cabernet Mitos, Dornfelder, Kerner, and Silcher.

Staatsweingut Weinsberg has 40 hectares of vines, some of which are planted in the estate’s solely owned Weinsberger Schemelsberg and Abstatter Burg Wildeck. Riesling, Lemberger and Pinots dominate.

Picture: Starting with a Justinus K.

Managing Director of the Staatsweingut Weinsberg is Günter Bäder. Gerhard Wächter is the Winemaker. Annual production amounts to 20.000 cases. The Staatsweingut also produces sparkling wine and spirits. The Staatsweingut Weinsberg is a member of the VDP, the association of German elite winemakers.

Lunch: Waldschenke Hoernle in Stromberg-Heuchelberg

Pictures: Annette Schiller (Ombiasy Wine Tours) and Katharina Schiller at Waldschenke Hoernle

Weingut Dautel

Weingut Dautel is in Bönnigheim and run by Ernst and Christian Dautel. Ernst Dautel is in his mid-60s. He just transferred formal ownership of the winery to his son Christian, who studied at Geisenheim Collegue and after a number of internships around the world is ready to take over. Ernst Dautel also studied at Geisenheim in the 1970s and then took over from his parents, who had previously delivered their grapes to the local cooperative. In the 1970s, it was a very small operation with just 1 hectare of vines. Since then, Ernst Dautel has expanded to 10.5 hectares of vineyards, all on the eastern extension of the Stromberg hill.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Weingut Dautel

Right from the beginning, Ernst Dautel went his own way. He was one of the first in Germany to ferment and age his red wine in barriques. Also, in the 1990s, he was one of the first winemakers to produce premium blends in Germany, such as the „Kreation Rot“, while Wuerttemberg was and still is dominated by single variety wines. Also, in 1988 he started to plant Chardonnay and other international grape varieties in Germany, which was very rare at the time.

Pictures: Ernst Dautel with Annette Schiller, Christian Schiller and Helmut Seufert

Today, red grapes account for 60%, including Lemberger, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Samtrot, and white grapes account for 40%, including Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. This represent - compared with the rest of Wuerttemberg - a high share of white wines.

Picture: Ernst Dautel

As a member of the VDP, Weingut Dautel is classifying its wines according to the new VDP classification (Gutswein, Ortswein, Erste Lage Wein and Grosse Lage Wein). But there are still elements of his previous classification (1 to 4 stars). Four star wines were wines aged for 2 years in barrique.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Christian Dautel

In the vineyard, Ernst Dautel explained, he is moving to organic vine growing. He has gone a long way but is not yet there. He practices natural vegetation and integrated use of beneficial insects for pest control.

In the cellar, he follows a minimal intervention approach. Pumping and filtratings is kept to a minimum. The wine is made in stainless steel tanks, large wood casks (“Stueckfaesser”) and small barrique barrels, depending on the wine.

Picture: The Wines of Weingut Dautel

Ernst Dautel: “The basis for our strong and characterful red wines is a long, classic maceration. Because of their nice tannic structure, our red wines age very well. For our 4 star wines, the maceration is followed by barrel aging for almost two years, which contributes to a harmonious integration of the oak note. As for the white wines, preserving the flavors and the fine acidity are important for us. A long aging on the lees provides the finesse that characterizes our white wines. You can discover the art of "assemblage in our two white wine blends and their two red wine cuvée partners. A perfect combination of the individual notes of the different grape varieties in the blend is the secret of these great wines. "

Dinner: Dorfkrug in Leingarten 

This is the second restaurant of Uwe Straub, who also owns and runs the Loewen (16 toques Gault Millau).

Weingut Wachtstetter

Weingut Wachstetter is in Pfaffenberg, right in the middle of the village. It is a traditional family operation, with 3 generations living under one roof and working together. Weingut Wachstetter is in particular known for its premium Lembergers (known as Blaufränkisch in Austria and Kékfrankos in its Hungarian homeland).

Picture: Rainer and Annette Wachtstetter with Christian G.E. Schiller

Today, Rainer Wachtstetter is at the helm of Weingut Wachtstetter. He owns and runs the winery now in the 4th generation. It all started with Karl and Ernst Combé, the great-grandfather and the grandfather of Rainer. In particular Ernst left a strong impression on Rainer, which explains why one the Wachstetter product lines is called Ernst Combé line.

Picture: Annette Schiller with Rainer Wachtstetter

In 1979, Ernst Combé - with his son-in-law Roland and daughter Anni – decided to move their wine production by beginning to bottle and sell directly his wine. When Rainer Wachtstetter joint in 1987 the family winery at the age of 19, it was clear that he would push on in that direction. Indeed, since then, the vineyard area has expanded from 3 to 17 hectares and Weingut Wachstetter has become one of the best red wine producers in Wuerttemberg, if not in Germany.

Rainer Wachtstetter is in charge of winemaking today. He has a degree of Weinbautechniker. His wife Annette looks after sales and the accounts, father Roland and mother Anni continue to help. Rainer and Annette have 3 children, Felix, Louis und Anna; Felix helped when we were there.

Pictures: At Weingut Wachtstetter

Rainer Wachtstetter is a founding member of the winemaker group Junges Schwaben; the group was awarded the ArtVinum Prize in 2010 as Europe’s Best Up-and-coming Winemakers. In 2009, Rainer Wachtstetter became a member of the VdP, the association of German elite winemakers.

The specialty of Weingut Wachtstetter is the Lemberger. Rainer Wachtstetter devotes 35% of the vineyard area to this grape variety. He definitely has become one of the best Lemberg producers in Baden-Württemberg.

Stuart Pigott: “Yes, I know that you’re probably asking yourselves who the hell Rainer Wachtstetter is and if a red wine from Württemberg can really be worth recommending this highly, but this is a rare bargain amongst „serious“ red wines. Wachtstetter has been perfecting the making of red wines from the Lemberger grape for over a decade and the result is this medium-bodied, supply tannic dry wine with a wonderful bouquet in which elderberry, plum, baking spices and something floral mingle. Where’s my glass?”

Pictures: Tasting in the Adler

Besides Lemberger and (of course) Trollinger, Rainer Wachtstetter also makes Pinot Noir, Samtrot and Dornfelder. Rainer Wachtstetter is not only a specialist in red wines, but also makes excellent white wines, including Riesling.

Picture: Weingut Wachstetter Wines

Of course, as a member of the VDP, Weingut Wachtstaetter is following the new VDP classification. But you can still find elements of the old Weingut Wachstetter classification. Rainer Wachstetter has devoted a series of Riesling, Spätburgunder and Lemberger at the middle level to his 3 children Anna, Louis und Felix. The Ernst Combé series with red wines fermented and aged in barrique represents ultr-premium wines. The Grosses Gewaechs from the Grosse Lage Pfaffenhofener Hohenberg ( Riesling and Lemberger) represent ultra-premium dry wines.

Since the beginning of the 1900s, the small and cosy Gasthaus Adler – a wine tavern - has been an integral part of the Weingut Wachtstetters. Today, it is only open durng a few weekends in the spring and the autumn. We had our tasting in the Gasthaus Adler, which has room for 60 guests. We did not eat there, but Rainer Wachtstetter explained that the food is very much local food. In particular, the Gasthaus Adler has been known for many decades for its superb Spanferkel, with home-made Spätzle und Kartoffelsalat.

Lunch: Waldhorn am Schloss

Picture: Landgasthof Waldhorn

Weingaertner Cleebronn-Guegglingen

The Weingaertner Cleebronn-Güglingen is in Cleebronn. It is a co-operative with about 500 members, founded in 1951. The vineyard area totals about 250 hectares in the Michaelsberg in Cleebronn and in the Kaisersberg in Güglingen. As far as red varieties are concerned, Weingaertner Cleebronn-Güglingen make Lemberger, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Trollinger, Acolon, Samtrot and Trollinger and the white varieties: Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Muller-Thurgau, Traminer, Sylvaner and Kerner.

Picture: At Weingaertner Cleebronn-Guegglingen

In 2008, the Weingaertner Cleebronn-Guegglingen co-operative was on its knees, but has staged a remarkable comeback. Last year, it was named as “Rising Star of the Year” by the Gault Millau wine guide.

In 2009, as part of the restructuring efforts, the wine portfolio was streamlined. There are now 3 lines of wines. The premium line "emotion CG" (CG = Cleebronn-Güglingen) is produced from old vines of selected parcels with considerable yield reduction. The red wines are matured after long maceration in French barriques and bottled without filtration. The other two lines are "St. Michael "(base segment) and "Duke Christopher "(middle segment). About two million bottles of wine are produced annually.

Pictures: Weingaertner Cleebronn-Guegglingen

The wines come from the Michaelsberg in Cleebronn and in the Kaisersberg in Güglingen. The Cleebronner Michaelsberg is part of the foothills of the forested Stromberg region. Its isolated location and unusually mild and balanced climate offer excellent conditions for wine making. The Michaelsberg gained historical significance owing to St. Michaels Chapel, which was erected on this hill in early Christian times.

Pictures: Michaelsberg

Gault Millau: “Our last year's "Discovery of the Year"confirmed the award impressively this year. It is absolutely exemplary, with care in that about 280 hectares large co-operative even entry level wines are made. Already the very reasonably priced St. Michael wines offer great every day drinking pleasure. In the middle range, the Herzog Christoph wines are ainws with a very good price quality ration. At the top level, the Emotions GC Riesling convinces with tropical fruit, the Lemberger with character and complexity and the Pinot Noir with a distinctive backbone. The impressive blend of this line is among the best red wines of the region. A sensation is the Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese: With its density, complexity and balance, this is probably the best noble-sweet wine of the last years in Wuerttemberg - Chapeau!”

We had a delicious “Winzerplatte” at the Weingaertner Cleebronn-Guegglingen for dinner.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

The Role of Government - Government Owned Wineries in Germany

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

Wine region: Baden and Württemberg, Germany

In the Glass: A 2007 Pinot Noir from the Gault Millau Shooting Star of the Year - Estate Baron Gleichenstein, Germany

Wine basics: Field Blends

Wine Maker Count of Bentzel-Sturmfeder in Frankfurt am Main Presenting his Wines from Wuerttemberg, Germany

A “Viertele” of Schillerwein at Weinhaus Stetter in Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, Germany

Schillerwein---a German Speciality

Schiller in the Glass in Stuttgart, Germany

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

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Picture: The Group with Ernst Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues

For 9 days (from August 22 – August 30, 2013) we explored seven of the thirteen wine regions and several cultural highlights in Germany: the Saale-Unstrut wine region in the former GDR, Weimar, cradle of German intellectual thinking, the Wartburg where Martin Luther spent his years hiding from the Roman Catholic Church, the Rheingau with its pristine vineyards and quaint medieval villages, the romantic middle Rhine valley with its castle-ribboned banks, world-renowned wineries in the Mosel valley with its dizzying steep vineyards, the beautiful, peaceful Nahe valley, the biggest wine barrel in the world, the upcoming young ambitious winemakers in Rheinhessen and the one thousand year old cathedral of the city of Mainz, one of the nine wine capitals of the world.

We visited 16 wineries, tasted fabulous wines, shared wine pairing meals with the proprietors of top wine producing estates and had fantastic meals at great restaurants and historical places.

Germany with its roughly 250,000 acres under vine belongs today to one of the smaller wine producing countries in the world. However viticulture in Germany has a long tradition going back to Roman times 2,000 years ago. In the 15th century the area under vine was four times larger than it is today. Wars, subsequently loss of territory, diseases, overproduction, and competition from beer brewing resulted in land turned over to other agricultural use. In the 19th century, concentration on terroir and technological progress fostered a tremendous improvement of quality and the prestige of German wines, in particular from the Mosel, Rheingau, and Pfalz region resulted in prices above those for first growth Bordeaux wines. Today, all thirteen wine regions in Germany produce outstanding wines, with Rieslings and Pinot Noirs in the top league.

DAY 1: Thursday, August 22

09:00 am Departure by coach from Frankfurt am Main.

12:00 pm Lunch at Veste-Wachsenburg, Thuringia. The Veste-Wachsenburg is one of the very few intact medieval fortresses in Germany. It sits on the highest elevation of the Thuringia countryside “three fortresses” with a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape. The restaurant at Veste-Wachsenburg, lead by an ambitious chef, serves specialties of Thuringia.


02:30 pm Arnstadt. We included a short stop in Arnstadt, home to the Bach family clan, to visit the church where Johann Sebastian Bach held his first post as cantor when he was 22 years old.


05:30 pm Pawis Winery (VDP) in Freyburg, Saale-Unstrut. Cellar tour, wine tasting, and vesper (a typical German evening meal with bread, cheese, cold cuts, and various condiments) with Kerstin Pawis. Her husband Bernhard Pawis joint us for part of the tour and tasting.

The Saale Unstrut wine region is Germany’s most northern wine region, located in the valleys of the Saale and Unstrut rivers, an area of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). The oldest record of viticulture dates back to the year 998 during the reign of Emperor Otto III. Weingut Pawis is located in the historic Zscheiplitz Estate, established in the 12th century as a convent, close to Freyburg. It is a gorgeous set-up, but as Bernhard Pawis told us, under the communist regime that did not allow private entrepreneurship, the then nationalized estate was completely run down and renovation was a major undertaking. Bernhard Pawis is a trained winemaker, who got his education in the former German Democratic Republic in a VEB (volkseigener Betrieb / company owned by the people) winery. Shortly after the Iron Curtain came down in 1989, Bernhard’s parents bought 0.5 hectares of vineyard land and founded a small winery. Following the death of his father in 1998, Bernhard took over the reins, undertook major investments, bought more land and the Zscheiplitz Estate, and paid detailed attention to quality. In 2001 he received the reward for his efforts when he was invited to join the VDP, Germany’s association of elite winemakers with only about 200 members. To listen to him, and also to his fellow winemakers in this former GDR area, recount their stories of reviving an economic and agriculture waste land after German unification, is living history and worthy of a spy thriller.


09:30 pm Berghotel zum Edelacker in Freyburg, on a hillside overlooking vineyards and the town of Freyburg.


DAY 2: Friday, August 23

09:45 am Tour and Sekt (German sparkling wine) tasting at Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellerei in Freyburg, Saale-Unstrut. Rotkäppchen-Mumm is now the second largest (Freixenet being the largest) producer of sparkling wines in the world. The story of Rotkäppchen Sekt began in 1856 when two brothers and a friend began producing “Champagne” in Freyburg.

Rotkäppchen-Mumm is one of the few success stories of an East-German VEB enterprise that survived the end of the communist regime. After the collapse of the GDR, Rotkäppchen was privatized in a management buy-out in 1993. Rotkäppchen became so successful that they were able to buy prestige Sekt houses like Deutz-Geldermann and the Mumm brands to eventually become Rotkäppchen-Mumm with a production of 170 million bottles of Sekt annually.

Rotkäppchen-Mumm is a beautiful chateau-type estate with old underground cellars for the second fermentation and storage.


1:00 Lunch at restaurant Zum Schwanenteich in Bad Sulza

3:00 pm Thuringia Winery Bad Sulza in Bad Sulza. Cellar tour and wine tasting with owner/winemaker Andreas Clauss. The Thueringer Weingut in Bad Sulza was the first wine producing estate established in the state of Thueringen after German reunification. With almost 100 acres under vine, the Thueringer Weingut in Bad Sulza is the largest private winery in the Saale Unstrut region, with vineyards on the slopes of the Ilm valley.


04:30 pm Guided walking tour through the gorgeous city of Weimar. The UNESCO World Heritage city of Weimar is the cradle of German intellectual thinking, where the most famous German poets, composers, and musicians lived, met, and discussed the world. This vibrant spirit is still alive today.


7:00 pm Grand Hotel Russischer Hof, Weimar.


DAY 3: Saturday, August 24

11:00 pm Wartburg and lunch at Hotel Auf der Wartburg. The Wartburg is a spectacular medieval castle on the mountaintop overlooking the city of Eisenach. The Wartburg is where Martin Luther translated the Bible into German during the years he spent hiding from the Roman Catholic Church (1521-1522).


01:30 pm Short stop at the former Iron Curtain that split Germany.

04:30 pm Wine tasting at Weingut Balthasar Ress (VDP) in Hattenheim, Rheingau. Founded in 1870, Weingut Balthasar Ress has developed into one of the leading wine estates of the Rheingau region and became a global player in the wine trade. With 114 acres under vine it is also one of the larger estates in the Rheingau. Riesling accounts for 90 % of the grapes in the Balthasar Ress vineyards. This is the grape varietal the Rheingau stands for and for many centuries Riesling has been an integral part of the region's viticultural history.

Senior boss Stefan Ress hosted us.


08:30 pm Dinner (Winzerplatte) and wine tasting at the winery and wine tavern Zum Jungen Oetinger (VDP) in Erbach, Rheingau. The family of the “Knights and Nobles” von Oetinger can look back to the year 1828 for winemaking tradition in Erbach. Current owner and winemaker Achim Ritter and Edler von Oetinger is the third generation of winemakers.


08:45 pm Parkhotel Sonnenberg in Eltville, the picturesque town on the banks of the Rhine river.

DAY 4: Sunday, August 25

11:30 am Visit and tasting at winery Robert Weil (VDP) in Kiedrich. With 180 acres under vine, winery Robert Weil is one of the largest estates in the Rheingau. The historical manor house, the ultra-modern cellars and the vinothek stand side by side in a beautiful park – the same synthesis of old and new that is reflected in the estate’s philosophy of excellent, terroir-focused winemaking.The Winery is run by Wilhelm Weil. His wife Martina Weil joined us for a short period.


01:30 pm Lunch in the tavern at Kloster-Eberbach (VDP), 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 monastery on the eastern bank of the Rhine river. Its Romanesque and Gothic buildings are impressive. The vinyards of Eberbach Abbey were, at 750 acres, the largest in medieval Europe.


3:30 am After lunch, some ofus took a short walk to the famous „Steinberg“, a brick fenced-in vineyard with an outdoor tavern, a popular Sunday afternoon destination for people from Frankfurt, to drink a glass of wine from the Steinberg in the Steinberg.


06:00 pm Back in Eltville. We walked through the beautiful wine village of Eltville with its half-timbered houses, strolled along the Rhine river and had dinner at restaurant 511, right on the banks of the Rhine river.

08:00 pm Wine tasting with Alexander Johannes Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung (VDP), at the “Weinprobierstand” (Wine Booth) in Erbach.

The winery has been in family ownership since 1799. After the early death of his father in 1969, Ludwig Jung had to take charge at the early age of 18, while had the same time doing his studies. Five years later, in 1974, he became fully responsible for the winery. In 2007, he passed ownership and main responsibility on to his son Alexander Johannes, after he had successfully graduated from Geisenheim College (and internships in Baden and South Africa). Today, Ludwig still takes the lead in the vineyard, while Alexander takes the lead in the wine cellar and has overall responsibility. The vineyard area now totals 14 hectares which is quite a bit up from when Ludwig took over. The new acquisitions also include a 250 year old stone cellar, with a total length of 110 meters, which is eight meters below the earth and which offers ideal conditions for aging and storing the wines. The Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) vineyards are Hohenrain, Siegelsberg, Michelmark and Steinmorgen. Overall, Riesling accounts for 4/5 with the remainder being Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer.


DAY 5: Monday, August 26

09:30 am Tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn (VDP) in Oestrich-Winkel, Rheingau. Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn belongs to the top wine producing estates in Germany. Founded in 1786, currently the 11th generation of the Kuehn family takes care of the vineyards and the wine making. Since 2004 Peter Jakob Kuehn has converted to organic and biodynamic viticultural practices in the vineyard as well as in the cellar. In 2009 the winery became certified by Demeter, the association of biodynamic farming based on anthroposophical principles.

The tasting was led by Angela Kuehn, with Peter Jakob Kuehn joining us for parts of the tasting.


11:45 pm Lunch with wine pairing at restaurant Breuer’s Ruedesheimer Schloss in Ruedesheim, Rheingau. Weingut Georg Breuer was founded in 1880 and developed into an 80 acres estate with top vineyards in Rauenthal and Ruedesheim. A hotel and restaurant were added later and cater to the many tourists that visit Ruedesheim. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of Ruedesheim the Breuer’s Ruedesheimer Schloss is an oasis of elegant Rieslings from the Breuer winery and good traditional German food.


02:00 pm Cruise on the Rhine river from Ruedesheim to Boppard, passing the famous Loreley Rock and the slopes of the Mittelrhein wine region.


05:00 pm Arrival in Boppard - Boppard and the Middle-Rhine valley are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

DAY 6: Tuesday, August 27

10:30 am Wine tasting at Weingut Clemens Busch (VDP) in Pünderich, Mosel. The Busch family lives near the banks of the Mosel in a beautiful, restored half- timbered house built in 1663. Because flooding is a constant danger, the vaulted cellar, built in the 1970s, lies nearby, on higher grounds at Clemens‘ parents home. In a region most known for the noticeable residual sugar and low alcohol of its finished wines, Clemens Busch’s focus is on dry premium Rieslings that can compete with the best dry whites in the world. He also produces off-dry wines as well as powerful, complex noble sweet wines. In 1984 he began using organic viticultural practices and more recently moved towards biodynamic.

We were received by Rita Busch, with Clemens Busch joining us for part of the tasting. Unfortunately, Rita could not take us by boat across the Mosel river to show us his vineyards which are among the steepest in the Mosel region (as planned), as the ferry boat does not operate on Tuesday.


01:30 pm Lunch at restaurant Weinhaus Lenz in Pünderich.

03:30 pm Cellar tour and tasting at winery Moenchhof – Joh.Jos.Christoffel Erben (VDP) in Uerzig, Mosel. The Moenchhof is one of the oldest estates in the Mosel region. The name already suggests that once it was part of property belonging to the clergy. Documents from Pope Alexander III show that the Cistercian Abbey at Himmerod owned the estate and vineyards with excellent terroir around the village of Uerzig as early as 1177. In medieval times the monks built the wine cellar and in 1509 the estate you see today. In 1804, secularization during the Napoleonic era allowed the Eymael family to buy the Moenchhof estate including outstanding vineyard sites. An ancestor, Jean Eymael, was one of the founding fathers of the Association of German Elite Wine Estates – VDP- in 1910. In 2001 Robert Eymael took over the 400 year old Joh.Jos.Christoffel Erben estate, planted with ungrafted over 100 years old Riesling vines.


06:30 pm Hotel Roemischer Kaiser in Bernkastel-Kues. We had time for exploring the narrow cobblestone streets of Bernkastel Kues and had a glass of wine with owner/winemaker Peter Schmitz in the Spitzhaeuschen, one of the smallest wine taverns in Germany.


DAY 7: Wednesday, August 28

8:45 am Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen with owner Ernst Loosen. The Dr.Loosen winery has been in the hands of the Loosen family for over 200 years. Located just outside of Bernkastel, it is one of the larger producers in the Mosel region with 130,000 bottles produced annually. The winery is particularly known for its sweeter style Rieslings of top quality.

Ernst Loosen is the current owner and while most often associated with the sweet-style, low alcohol wines he makes in the Mosel valley, he also produces white and red wines in the Pfalz in Germany (J.L.Wolf winery) and in the US in Washington state (Chateau St. Michelle) and in Oregon (J. Christopher wines).

Ernst Loosen was our host.



12:00 pm Lunch with wine pairing and vineyard and cellar tour at winery and restaurant Kruger-Rumpf (VDP) in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe with owner/winemaker Georg Rumpf. “In our family, viniculture has been a tradition since 1708 - a tradition that we have been cultivating in our vineyards as well as in our manor house which was built back in 1830” said Georg Rumpf. Today, the vineyard totals about 50 acres and the annual production is 14,000 cases. Georg Rumpf has taken over the winemaking at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, while his father Stefan now focuses more on sales, and his mother Cornelia manages the restaurant. The wine, gourmet regional food, the ambiance in this lovely estate where modernism is perfectly combined with tradition, and the warm welcome by the Rumpf family are outstanding.


03:30 pm Tasting at Weingut Dönnhoff (VDP), Oberhausen, Nahe. The Dönnhoff family has been making wines for more than 250 years. But when Helmut Dönnhoff began making wine in 1971 a new era began. He started out with a vineyard of 10 acres and through careful acquisition he now cultivates 60 acres of the best vineyards in the Nahe valley. Helmut Dönnhoff has become a living legend of German wine and is celebrated as one of Germany’s very best producers. He is committed to making the most out of the terroir to attain the ultimate in quality. The majority of the grapes planted are Riesling, but Dönnhoff also produces outstanding Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.

We were hosted by Helmut Doennhoff.


05:30 pm Romantikhotel BollAnt’s im Park, a beautiful spa hotel in Bad Sobernheim, Nahe.



DAY 8: Thursday, August 29

11:00 am Tasting at Weingut Weegmueller. The Weegmueller family can look back to more than 300 years of winemaking in the Pfalz. The origins of the Weegmueller family, an old dynasty of council members of the free town of Zuerich, lies in Switzerland. In 1657, the Weegmuellers came to the village of Haardt, today a part of the city of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, and started to make wine in 1685. One of the first women in the field, Stefanie Weegmueller-Scherr is at the helm of the estate, with her sister Gabriele, who looks after sales, marketing and hospitality services. They cultivate 35 acres of vineyards, which are farmed organically. Dominated by Riesling, Weingut Weegmueller also makes Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Scheurebe and Gewuerztraminer. The wine portfolio is complemented by Pinot Noir, Merlot and Dormfelder.

We were received by Stephanie and Gabriele Weegmueller.


01:00 pm Lunch at restaurant Riesenfass in Bad Duerkheim, across the street from Weingut Fitz-Ritter. This restaurant is located in a unique landmark: the biggest wine barrel in the world! In 1934 winemaker and cooper Fritz Keller got the idea of constructing a giant wine barrel that should outsize the by then biggest barrel world-wide in the castle of Heidelberg. He used 200 pine trees, all of them more than 120 feet tall, to build this barrel of 1.7 million liters (= 444.000 gallons) capacity.


03:30 pm Tasting at Winzerhof Thörle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen. Rheinhessen is the most underrated wine region in Germany, but is catching up with a vengeance. There is an increasing group of mostly young and ambitious winemakers who produce outstanding wines. Two of them are the Thoerle brothers Johannes and Christoph at the family-owned Winzerhof Thoerle in the town of Saulheim, assisted by their parents Rudolf and Ute. About 50 acres are under vine and planted with mainly Riesling, Silvaner and the Burgundy grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as some Sauvignon Blanc. A blind Pinot Noir “Germany Versus Rest of the World” tasting in London in October 2011 ranked the 2008 Winzerhof Thörle Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) Hölle as #3 overall and #1 of the German Pinot Noirs.

The tasting was led by Christoph Thoerle. Johannes Thoerle joined us towards the end.


06:00 pm Mainz Wine Market. We witnessed the opening ceremony of the Mainz Wine Market with the Mainz City Guards in historic uniforms in the beautiful, very romantic city park with its mature trees and view over the Rhine river. We tasted wines from Rheinhessen and Rheingau and met and talked to a number of winemakers, including Mirjam Schneider, Weingut Lothar Schneider und Tochter, Mark Barth, Weingut Norbert Barth, and Tina Huff, Weingut Fritz Ekkehard Huff. Rheinhessen's Wine Queen Ramona Diegel joined us for a glass of wine and the Lord Mayor of the City of Mainz came over to say hello to the group.


8:00 pm Hotel Hilton in Mainz – Main, one of the eleven “wine capitals” of the world, and a charming city with a long, fascinating history.

09:00 pm We explored some of the many wine taverns in Mainz’s medieval old town. Unfortunately, Weinhaus Bluhm, my favorite, was closed as owner Roland was on summer vacation.

DAY 9: Friday, August 30

09:00 am Guided walking tour through Mainz - time to admire the colorful fruit and vegetable market, one of the biggest year around outdoor markets at the foot of the 1000 year old cathedral.


11:45 am Tour, tasting, and lunch at Weingut Schätzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen. The Schaetzel family has been making wine for 650 years, for 5 generations at the current location, the General von Zastrow Estate. Today, the winery is owned and managed by Kai Schaetzel, who is also one of the upcoming young winemakers in Rheinhessen. When he became fully responsible, he decided to change course at Weingut Schaetzel and to aim at becoming a nationally and internationally recognized premium wine producer. Before he took over, Weingut Schaetzel was for many years in the hands of Kai’s mother, Nanne Schaetzel, who received us and showed us the impressive 800 year old vaulted underground cellar where fermentation still takes place today. Lunch was served in the beautiful garden.


03:00 pm Arrival at Frankfurt International Airport.


Ombiasy Wine Tours Germany Trip 2013 – Related Postings

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At the VDP Autumn Wine Auction at Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau, 2012, Germany
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At Weingut Jakob Jung in Erbach, Rheingau, with Winemaker Alexander Johannes Jung, Germany

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Riesling from Germany and Pinot Noir from Oregon: A Winemaker Dinner with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and J.Christopher Wines, at Black Salt in Washington DC.
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Weingut Kruger-Rumpf (VDP)
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Carl von Schubert from the Maximin Gruenhaus Estate Returned a Favor: With his Wines in Washington DC (and in Seattle), USA

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Carl von Schubert in Washington DC

Carl von Schubert, who owns and runs the famous Maximin Gruenhaus Estate in the Ruwer Valley in Germany, was in town (Washington DC) and I had a chance to catch up with him at MacArthur Liquer. Phil Bernstein, the German wine expert of MacArhur’s, was at the estate last month and now Carl returned the favor. We tasted four 2011 releases. Carl von Schubert was on his way to the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, where I met him again a couple of days later. Below is a series of photos from the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle.

For more, see:
The 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle: Impressions from the Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington State, USA
The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA
The German Winemakers at the Forthcoming 4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA   
Top 10 Riesling Producers in the World– Snooth 2012
Pacific Rim Winemaker’s Blog Recommends "German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine" on schiller-wine

Pictures: Carl von Schubert in Seattle, Washington State, at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous, with UK Journalist Tim Atkin, Pacific Rim Head Winemaker Nicolas Quille and Riesling Giant Helmut Doennhoff

When I use the adjective “elite” in connection with the VDP – the association of German elite winemakers – I am sometimes criticized that not all VDP members are elite winemakers, while there are elite winemakers in Germany that are not in the VDP. That is entirely correct. Maximin Gruenhaus is clearly a good example for the latter group. Notably, Maximin Gruenhaus is ranked in the Feinschmecker WeinGuide in the group of 18 top winemakers in Germany (with 5 stars), but is not a member of the VDP. Carl says the VDP wants him to become a member but he prefers to stay outside of that club.

For more, see:
Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach

The historic Maximin Grünhaus estate lies at the foot of a long, steep south-facing slope on the left bank of the tiny Ruwer river, about two kilometers upstream from where it joins the Mosel. The estate belongs to the family of Carl von Schubert and is divided into three separate but contiguous vineyards: Abtsberg, Herrenberg, and Bruderberg. Each of these vineyards has its own distinct differences in terroir, which explain the unique character of the wines made at Grünhaus. The estate is also known by the name Schlosskellerei Carl von Schubert.

History

The first documentary evidence of Grünhaus, then called “Villa ad Valles,” dates from February 6, 966. Emperor Otto I, heir of Charlemagne, confirmed a donation that had been made in the Seventh century by the Frankish King Dagobert. At that time, the buildings, vineyards and surrounding land had been given to the Benedictine monastery of Saint Maximin in Trier.

Pictures: Carl von Schubert with MacArthur's German Wine Super Expert Phil Bernstein in Washington DC

See also:
German Wine: Tasting with Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages the 2011 Vintage in Washington DC, USA
Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness

Until the end of the 18th century Maximin Grünhaus was managed by the Abbey of Saint Maximin. After all church property was secularized by Napoleon, the estate was held under French administration until 1810. In that year, the estate was sold to Friedrich Freiherr von Handel. In 1882, it was purchased by an ancestor of Carl von Schubert, who is the fifth generation of his family to own the Grünhaus estate. When in 1882 Carl Ferdinand Freiherr von Stumm-Halberg bought the Grünhaus estate, it consisted of vineyards, a farm, and extensive woodland. Investing heavily, he transformed it into one of the most modern of its time.

Along the way from generation to generation, at one point, there was no male heir and the estate went to a female von Stumm-Halberg, who married a von Schubert. The current owner Carl von Schubert took over management of the estate in 1981, after he completed his doctoral thesis on the economics of steep slope viticulture. Vine growing and winemaking is currently overseen by Stefan Kraml. The vineyard area totals 31 hectares.

Pictures: Carl von Schubert in Washington DC

The Vineyards

The Abtsberg

Wines from this vineyard were originally destined for the table of the Abbot (or “Abt”) of the Abbey of St. Maximin. The site covers 35 acres, parts of which have been planted with vines for over a thousand years. The subsoil is blue Devonian slate and the hillside runs south-east to south-west, achieving a gradient of up to 70 percent. Abtsberg wines are characterised by a finely structured subtle minerality, a racy acidity, generous fruit and great delicacy. They are amongst the longest lived Rieslings of the region.

Pictures: Carl von Schubert in Washington DC

Wines from this site were made specially for the Abbey’s choirmasters. Extending over 40 acres, the site benefits from deep soils with good water retention, over a base of red Devonian slate. Wines from the Herrenberg show fruit and body early in their lives, but also possess extraordinary ageing potential.

The Bruderberg

The smallest of the three Grünhaus vineyards, covering just 2.5 acres, the Bruderberg provided wine for the monks (or ‘brothers’). The site has the same Devonian slate soil as the Abtsberg next door, and the wines are very spicy, sometimes with a rustic slate-mineral quality.

The Wines Carl von Schubert Poured in Washington DC


Carl showed the following wines (and signed bottles).

2011 Carl von Schubert Riesling Qba Trocken Maximin Gruenhauser $26.99 - The estate Riesling Trocken (dry) is a blend of the barrels that remain after the single-vineyard dry wines have been selected out of the overall production. The result is an entry-level dry Riesling that shows the characteristic minerality of the area and the refined style of the Grünhaus estate.

2011 Carl von Schubert Riesling Qba Maximin Gruenhauser $21.99 - The classic Grünhaus off-dry estate Riesling is a blend of the barrels that remain after the single-vineyard fruity wines have been selected out of the overall production. The proportions from each of the three Grünhaus vineyards will change depending on the conditions of the vintage.

2011 Carl von Schubert Kabinett Maximin Gruenhauser Herrenberg $30.99 - This wine is a selection of barrels that exhibit the delicate Kabinett style, but also show the distinctive stone fruit flavors and red slate minerality that are typical expressions of this vineyard’s terroir.

2011 Carl von Schubert Spatlese Maximin Gruenhauser Abtsberg $41.99 - The Abtsberg Spätlese is a selection of barrels produced from fruit harvested late in the season. The longer hang time produces more fully developed aromas and flavors, and greater complexity.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

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German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

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Picture: With Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf (Nahe Valley) in the Vineyard

For 9 days (from August 22 – August 30, 2013) we explored seven of the thirteen wine regions and several cultural highlights in Germany: the Saale-Unstrut wine region in the former GDR, Weimar, cradle of German intellectual thinking, the Wartburg where Martin Luther spent his years hiding from the Roman Catholic Church, the Rheingau with its pristine vineyards and quaint medieval villages, the romantic middle Rhine valley with its castle-ribboned banks, world-renowned wineries in the Mosel valley with its dizzying steep vineyards, the beautiful, peaceful Nahe valley, the biggest wine barrel in the world, the upcoming young ambitious winemakers in Rheinhessen and the one thousand year old cathedral of the city of Mainz, one of the nine wine capitals of the world.

We visited 16 wineries, tasted fabulous wines, shared wine pairing meals with the proprietors of top wine producing estates and had fantastic meals at great restaurants and historical places.

Germany with its roughly 250,000 acres under vine belongs today to one of the smaller wine producing countries in the world. However viticulture in Germany has a long tradition going back to Roman times 2,000 years ago. In the 15th century the area under vine was four times larger than it is today. Wars, subsequently loss of territory, diseases, overproduction, and competition from beer brewing resulted in land turned over to other agricultural use. In the 19th century, concentration on terroir and technological progress fostered a tremendous improvement of quality and the prestige of German wines, in particular from the Mosel, Rheingau, and Pfalz region resulted in prices above those for first growth Bordeaux wines. Today, all thirteen wine regions in Germany produce outstanding wines, with Rieslings and Pinot Noirs in the top league.

DAY 1: Thursday, August 22

09:00 am Departure by coach from Frankfurt am Main.

12:00 pm Lunch at Veste-Wachsenburg, Thuringia. The Veste-Wachsenburg is one of the very few intact medieval fortresses in Germany. It sits on the highest elevation of the Thuringia countryside “three fortresses” with a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape. The restaurant at Veste-Wachsenburg, lead by an ambitious chef, serves specialties of Thuringia.


02:30 pm Arnstadt. We included a short stop in Arnstadt, home to the Bach family clan, to visit the church where Johann Sebastian Bach held his first post as cantor when he was 22 years old.


05:30 pm Pawis Winery (VDP) in Freyburg, Saale-Unstrut. Cellar tour, wine tasting, and vesper (a typical German evening meal with bread, cheese, cold cuts, and various condiments) with Kerstin Pawis. Her husband Bernhard Pawis joint us for part of the tour and tasting.

The Saale Unstrut wine region is Germany’s most northern wine region, located in the valleys of the Saale and Unstrut rivers, an area of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). The oldest record of viticulture dates back to the year 998 during the reign of Emperor Otto III. Weingut Pawis is located in the historic Zscheiplitz Estate, established in the 12th century as a convent, close to Freyburg. It is a gorgeous set-up, but as Bernhard Pawis told us, under the communist regime that did not allow private entrepreneurship, the then nationalized estate was completely run down and renovation was a major undertaking. Bernhard Pawis is a trained winemaker, who got his education in the former German Democratic Republic in a VEB (volkseigener Betrieb / company owned by the people) winery. Shortly after the Iron Curtain came down in 1989, Bernhard’s parents bought 0.5 hectares of vineyard land and founded a small winery. Following the death of his father in 1998, Bernhard took over the reins, undertook major investments, bought more land and the Zscheiplitz Estate, and paid detailed attention to quality. In 2001 he received the reward for his efforts when he was invited to join the VDP, Germany’s association of elite winemakers with only about 200 members. To listen to him, and also to his fellow winemakers in this former GDR area, recount their stories of reviving an economic and agriculture waste land after German unification, is living history and worthy of a spy thriller.


09:30 pm Berghotel zum Edelacker in Freyburg, on a hillside overlooking vineyards and the town of Freyburg.


DAY 2: Friday, August 23

09:45 am Tour and Sekt (German sparkling wine) tasting at Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellerei in Freyburg, Saale-Unstrut. Rotkäppchen-Mumm is now the second largest (Freixenet being the largest) producer of sparkling wines in the world. The story of Rotkäppchen Sekt began in 1856 when two brothers and a friend began producing “Champagne” in Freyburg.

Rotkäppchen-Mumm is one of the few success stories of an East-German VEB enterprise that survived the end of the communist regime. After the collapse of the GDR, Rotkäppchen was privatized in a management buy-out in 1993. Rotkäppchen became so successful that they were able to buy prestige Sekt houses like Deutz-Geldermann and the Mumm brands to eventually become Rotkäppchen-Mumm with a production of 170 million bottles of Sekt annually.

Rotkäppchen-Mumm is a beautiful chateau-type estate with old underground cellars for the second fermentation and storage.


1:00 Lunch at restaurant Zum Schwanenteich in Bad Sulza

3:00 pm Thuringia Winery Bad Sulza in Bad Sulza. Cellar tour and wine tasting with owner/winemaker Andreas Clauss. The Thueringer Weingut in Bad Sulza was the first wine producing estate established in the state of Thueringen after German reunification. With almost 100 acres under vine, the Thueringer Weingut in Bad Sulza is the largest private winery in the Saale Unstrut region, with vineyards on the slopes of the Ilm valley.


04:30 pm Guided walking tour through the gorgeous city of Weimar. The UNESCO World Heritage city of Weimar is the cradle of German intellectual thinking, where the most famous German poets, composers, and musicians lived, met, and discussed the world. This vibrant spirit is still alive today.


7:00 pm Grand Hotel Russischer Hof, Weimar.


DAY 3: Saturday, August 24

11:00 pm Wartburg and lunch at Hotel Auf der Wartburg. The Wartburg is a spectacular medieval castle on the mountaintop overlooking the city of Eisenach. The Wartburg is where Martin Luther translated the Bible into German during the years he spent hiding from the Roman Catholic Church (1521-1522).


01:30 pm Short stop at the former Iron Curtain that split Germany.

04:30 pm Wine tasting at Weingut Balthasar Ress (VDP) in Hattenheim, Rheingau. Founded in 1870, Weingut Balthasar Ress has developed into one of the leading wine estates of the Rheingau region and became a global player in the wine trade. With 114 acres under vine it is also one of the larger estates in the Rheingau. Riesling accounts for 90 % of the grapes in the Balthasar Ress vineyards. This is the grape varietal the Rheingau stands for and for many centuries Riesling has been an integral part of the region's viticultural history.

Senior boss Stefan Ress hosted us.


08:30 pm Dinner (Winzerplatte) and wine tasting at the winery and wine tavern Zum Jungen Oetinger (VDP) in Erbach, Rheingau. The family of the “Knights and Nobles” von Oetinger can look back to the year 1828 for winemaking tradition in Erbach. Current owner and winemaker Achim Ritter and Edler von Oetinger is the third generation of winemakers.


08:45 pm Parkhotel Sonnenberg in Eltville, the picturesque town on the banks of the Rhine river.

DAY 4: Sunday, August 25

11:30 am Visit and tasting at winery Robert Weil (VDP) in Kiedrich. With 180 acres under vine, winery Robert Weil is one of the largest estates in the Rheingau. The historical manor house, the ultra-modern cellars and the vinothek stand side by side in a beautiful park – the same synthesis of old and new that is reflected in the estate’s philosophy of excellent, terroir-focused winemaking.The Winery is run by Wilhelm Weil. His wife Martina Weil joined us for a short period.


01:30 pm Lunch in the tavern at Kloster-Eberbach (VDP), 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 monastery on the eastern bank of the Rhine river. Its Romanesque and Gothic buildings are impressive. The vinyards of Eberbach Abbey were, at 750 acres, the largest in medieval Europe.


3:30 am After lunch, some ofus took a short walk to the famous „Steinberg“, a brick fenced-in vineyard with an outdoor tavern, a popular Sunday afternoon destination for people from Frankfurt, to drink a glass of wine from the Steinberg in the Steinberg.


06:00 pm Back in Eltville. We walked through the beautiful wine village of Eltville with its half-timbered houses, strolled along the Rhine river and had dinner at restaurant 511, right on the banks of the Rhine river.

08:00 pm Wine tasting with Alexander Johannes Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung (VDP), at the “Weinprobierstand” (Wine Booth) in Erbach.

The winery has been in family ownership since 1799. After the early death of his father in 1969, Ludwig Jung had to take charge at the early age of 18, while had the same time doing his studies. Five years later, in 1974, he became fully responsible for the winery. In 2007, he passed ownership and main responsibility on to his son Alexander Johannes, after he had successfully graduated from Geisenheim College (and internships in Baden and South Africa). Today, Ludwig still takes the lead in the vineyard, while Alexander takes the lead in the wine cellar and has overall responsibility. The vineyard area now totals 14 hectares which is quite a bit up from when Ludwig took over. The new acquisitions also include a 250 year old stone cellar, with a total length of 110 meters, which is eight meters below the earth and which offers ideal conditions for aging and storing the wines. The Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) vineyards are Hohenrain, Siegelsberg, Michelmark and Steinmorgen. Overall, Riesling accounts for 4/5 with the remainder being Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer.


DAY 5: Monday, August 26

09:30 am Tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn (VDP) in Oestrich-Winkel, Rheingau. Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn belongs to the top wine producing estates in Germany. Founded in 1786, currently the 11th generation of the Kuehn family takes care of the vineyards and the wine making. Since 2004 Peter Jakob Kuehn has converted to organic and biodynamic viticultural practices in the vineyard as well as in the cellar. In 2009 the winery became certified by Demeter, the association of biodynamic farming based on anthroposophical principles.

The tasting was led by Angela Kuehn, with Peter Jakob Kuehn joining us for parts of the tasting.


11:45 pm Lunch with wine pairing at restaurant Breuer’s Ruedesheimer Schloss in Ruedesheim, Rheingau. Weingut Georg Breuer was founded in 1880 and developed into an 80 acres estate with top vineyards in Rauenthal and Ruedesheim. A hotel and restaurant were added later and cater to the many tourists that visit Ruedesheim. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of Ruedesheim the Breuer’s Ruedesheimer Schloss is an oasis of elegant Rieslings from the Breuer winery and good traditional German food.


02:00 pm Cruise on the Rhine river from Ruedesheim to Boppard, passing the famous Loreley Rock and the slopes of the Mittelrhein wine region.


05:00 pm Arrival in Boppard - Boppard and the Middle-Rhine valley are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

DAY 6: Tuesday, August 27

10:30 am Wine tasting at Weingut Clemens Busch (VDP) in Pünderich, Mosel. The Busch family lives near the banks of the Mosel in a beautiful, restored half- timbered house built in 1663. Because flooding is a constant danger, the vaulted cellar, built in the 1970s, lies nearby, on higher grounds at Clemens‘ parents home. In a region most known for the noticeable residual sugar and low alcohol of its finished wines, Clemens Busch’s focus is on dry premium Rieslings that can compete with the best dry whites in the world. He also produces off-dry wines as well as powerful, complex noble sweet wines. In 1984 he began using organic viticultural practices and more recently moved towards biodynamic.

We were received by Rita Busch, with Clemens Busch joining us for part of the tasting. Unfortunately, Rita could not take us by boat across the Mosel river to show us his vineyards which are among the steepest in the Mosel region (as planned), as the ferry boat does not operate on Tuesday.


01:30 pm Lunch at restaurant Weinhaus Lenz in Pünderich.

03:30 pm Cellar tour and tasting at winery Moenchhof – Joh.Jos.Christoffel Erben (VDP) in Uerzig, Mosel. The Moenchhof is one of the oldest estates in the Mosel region. The name already suggests that once it was part of property belonging to the clergy. Documents from Pope Alexander III show that the Cistercian Abbey at Himmerod owned the estate and vineyards with excellent terroir around the village of Uerzig as early as 1177. In medieval times the monks built the wine cellar and in 1509 the estate you see today. In 1804, secularization during the Napoleonic era allowed the Eymael family to buy the Moenchhof estate including outstanding vineyard sites. An ancestor, Jean Eymael, was one of the founding fathers of the Association of German Elite Wine Estates – VDP- in 1910. In 2001 Robert Eymael took over the 400 year old Joh.Jos.Christoffel Erben estate, planted with ungrafted over 100 years old Riesling vines.


06:30 pm Hotel Roemischer Kaiser in Bernkastel-Kues. We had time for exploring the narrow cobblestone streets of Bernkastel Kues and had a glass of wine with owner/winemaker Peter Schmitz in the Spitzhaeuschen, one of the smallest wine taverns in Germany.


DAY 7: Wednesday, August 28

8:45 am Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen with owner Ernst Loosen. The Dr.Loosen winery has been in the hands of the Loosen family for over 200 years. Located just outside of Bernkastel, it is one of the larger producers in the Mosel region with 130,000 bottles produced annually. The winery is particularly known for its sweeter style Rieslings of top quality.

Ernst Loosen is the current owner and while most often associated with the sweet-style, low alcohol wines he makes in the Mosel valley, he also produces white and red wines in the Pfalz in Germany (J.L.Wolf winery) and in the US in Washington state (Chateau St. Michelle) and in Oregon (J. Christopher wines).

Ernst Loosen was our host.


12:00 pm Lunch with wine pairing and vineyard and cellar tour at winery and restaurant Kruger-Rumpf (VDP) in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe with owner/winemaker Georg Rumpf. “In our family, viniculture has been a tradition since 1708 - a tradition that we have been cultivating in our vineyards as well as in our manor house which was built back in 1830” said Georg Rumpf. Today, the vineyard totals about 50 acres and the annual production is 14,000 cases. Georg Rumpf has taken over the winemaking at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, while his father Stefan now focuses more on sales, and his mother Cornelia manages the restaurant. The wine, gourmet regional food, the ambiance in this lovely estate where modernism is perfectly combined with tradition, and the warm welcome by the Rumpf family are outstanding.


03:30 pm Tasting at Weingut Dönnhoff (VDP), Oberhausen, Nahe. The Dönnhoff family has been making wines for more than 250 years. But when Helmut Dönnhoff began making wine in 1971 a new era began. He started out with a vineyard of 10 acres and through careful acquisition he now cultivates 60 acres of the best vineyards in the Nahe valley. Helmut Dönnhoff has become a living legend of German wine and is celebrated as one of Germany’s very best producers. He is committed to making the most out of the terroir to attain the ultimate in quality. The majority of the grapes planted are Riesling, but Dönnhoff also produces outstanding Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.

We were hosted by Helmut Doennhoff.


05:30 pm Romantikhotel BollAnt’s im Park, a beautiful spa hotel in Bad Sobernheim, Nahe.


DAY 8: Thursday, August 29

11:00 am Tasting at Weingut Weegmueller. The Weegmueller family can look back to more than 300 years of winemaking in the Pfalz. The origins of the Weegmueller family, an old dynasty of council members of the free town of Zuerich, lies in Switzerland. In 1657, the Weegmuellers came to the village of Haardt, today a part of the city of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, and started to make wine in 1685. One of the first women in the field, Stefanie Weegmueller-Scherr is at the helm of the estate, with her sister Gabriele, who looks after sales, marketing and hospitality services. They cultivate 35 acres of vineyards, which are farmed organically. Dominated by Riesling, Weingut Weegmueller also makes Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Scheurebe and Gewuerztraminer. The wine portfolio is complemented by Pinot Noir, Merlot and Dormfelder.

We were received by Stephanie and Gabriele Weegmueller.


01:00 pm Lunch at restaurant Riesenfass in Bad Duerkheim, across the street from Weingut Fitz-Ritter. This restaurant is located in a unique landmark: the biggest wine barrel in the world! In 1934 winemaker and cooper Fritz Keller got the idea of constructing a giant wine barrel that should outsize the by then biggest barrel world-wide in the castle of Heidelberg. He used 200 pine trees, all of them more than 120 feet tall, to build this barrel of 1.7 million liters (= 444.000 gallons) capacity.


03:30 pm Tasting at Winzerhof Thörle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen. Rheinhessen is the most underrated wine region in Germany, but is catching up with a vengeance. There is an increasing group of mostly young and ambitious winemakers who produce outstanding wines. Two of them are the Thoerle brothers Johannes and Christoph at the family-owned Winzerhof Thoerle in the town of Saulheim, assisted by their parents Rudolf and Ute. About 50 acres are under vine and planted with mainly Riesling, Silvaner and the Burgundy grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as some Sauvignon Blanc. A blind Pinot Noir “Germany Versus Rest of the World” tasting in London in October 2011 ranked the 2008 Winzerhof Thörle Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) Hölle as #3 overall and #1 of the German Pinot Noirs.

The tasting was led by Christoph Thoerle. Johannes Thoerle joined us towards the end.


06:00 pm Mainz Wine Market. We witnessed the opening ceremony of the Mainz Wine Market with the Mainz City Guards in historic uniforms in the beautiful, very romantic city park with its mature trees and view over the Rhine river. We tasted wines from Rheinhessen and Rheingau and met and talked to a number of winemakers, including Mirjam Schneider, Weingut Lothar Schneider und Tochter, Mark Barth, Weingut Norbert Barth, and Tina Huff, Weingut Fritz Ekkehard Huff. Rheinhessen's Wine Queen Ramona Diegel joined us for a glass of wine and the Lord Mayor of the City of Mainz came over to say hello to the group.


8:00 pm Hotel Hilton in Mainz – Main, one of the eleven “wine capitals” of the world, and a charming city with a long, fascinating history.

09:00 pm We explored some of the many wine taverns in Mainz’s medieval old town. Unfortunately, Weinhaus Bluhm, my favorite, was closed as owner Roland was on summer vacation.

DAY 9: Friday, August 30

09:00 am Guided walking tour through Mainz - time to admire the colorful fruit and vegetable market, one of the biggest year around outdoor markets at the foot of the 1000 year old cathedral.


11:45 am Tour, tasting, and lunch at Weingut Schätzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen. The Schaetzel family has been making wine for 650 years, for 5 generations at the current location, the General von Zastrow Estate. Today, the winery is owned and managed by Kai Schaetzel, who is also one of the upcoming young winemakers in Rheinhessen. When he became fully responsible, he decided to change course at Weingut Schaetzel and to aim at becoming a nationally and internationally recognized premium wine producer. Before he took over, Weingut Schaetzel was for many years in the hands of Kai’s mother, Nanne Schaetzel, who received us and showed us the impressive 800 year old vaulted underground cellar where fermentation still takes place today. Lunch was served in the beautiful garden.


03:00 pm Arrival at Frankfurt International Airport.


Ombiasy Wine Tours Germany Trip 2013 – Related Postings

German Wine
German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine
German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach
Video: How to Pronounce German Wine - Simon Woods' Enhanced Version

VDP
Germany's VDP Wine Estates Celebrate 100th Anniversary in Berlin
The VDP - the Powerful Group of German Elite Winemakers - Refines its Classification System, Germany
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany 

Weingut Pawis (VDP)
Weingut Pawis in Saale Unstrut, Germany

Rotkaeppchen-Mumm Sekt Kellerei
Visiting Rotkaeppchen-Mumm - the Second Largest Producer of Sparkling Wine in the World - in Freyburg (Saale-Unstrut), Germany

Thueringer Weingut in Bad Sulza
Visiting Winemaker Andreas Clauss and his Thueringer Weingut in Bad Sulza, Saale Unstrut, Germany

Weingut Balthasar Ress (VDP)
Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Weingut Robert Weil (VDP)
German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Kloster Eberbach
Schiller’s Favorites from the VDP Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru – Presentation at Kloster Eberbach, 2012, Germany
At the VDP Autumn Wine Auction at Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau, 2012, Germany
In the Steinberg, Eberbach Abbey, Rheingau, Germany

Weingut Jakob Jung
At Weingut Jakob Jung in Erbach, Rheingau, with Winemaker Alexander Johannes Jung, Germany

Mittelrhein/Loreley
The Wines of Loreley, Germany

Weingut Clemens Busch (VDP)
With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Bernkastel-Kues
The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany
New Wine (Federweisser) in Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany
Wining in Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley: Wine Tavern “Spitzhaeuschen”, Germany 

Weingut Dr. Loosen (VDP)
Riesling from Germany and Pinot Noir from Oregon: A Winemaker Dinner with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and J.Christopher Wines, at Black Salt in Washington DC.
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 and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World;
The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA
A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon
Wine ratings: Two American/German wines - Eroica and Poet's Leap - on Top 100 Wines from Washington State list for 2009
German American Wines: (1) Pacific Rim Riesling (2) Eroica and (3) Woelffer's Schillerwein
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Weingut Kruger-Rumpf (VDP)
Visiting Georg Rumpf and his VDP Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe Region, Germany

Weingut Doennhoff
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA
Top 10 Riesling Producers in the World– Snooth 2012

Winzerhof Thoerle
The Wines of Up and Coming Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen
Surprising the World with their Pinot Noir: Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen, Germany

Mainz
Weinfest im Kirchenstueck: Meeting the Winemakers of Mainz-Hechtsheim and Tasting Their Wines, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany
Impressions from the Mainz Wine Market 2013, Germany
Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz: A Cosy and Basic Wine Tavern Serving World Class Wines from Germany

Weingut Lothar Schneider und Tochter
The Mainz Wine Amazones - Christine Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer - in New York City, USA
In the Glass: Mirjam Schneider's 2007 Merlot No.2 from Rheinhessen, Germany
International Women's Day 2012: Meeting the Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer of Mainz, Germany

Weingut Fritz Ekkehard Huff
he Mainz Wine Amazones - Christine Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer - in New York City, USA
International Women's Day 2012: Meeting the Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer of Mainz, Germany

Weingut Barth (Hattenheim, Rheingau)
Impressions from the Rheingau Wine Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany (2013)
Barth Primus is Germany’s First Sekt Made with an Erstes Gewaechs Wine

Weingut Schaetzel
A New Fixture in the Reemerging Red Slope of Nierstein - Visiting Kai Schaetzel and his Weingut Schaetzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany
Celebrating Riesling and my Birthday at Weingut Schaetzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

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Picture: New York City

This is my list of favorite wine bars in New York City. It includes wine bars that I know and have visited and will go back to. It also includes wine bars I have not yet visited, but I have heard about them and would like to visit them.

It includes wine bars in the pure sense, where the focus is on the wine and the food is on the back burner. It also includes restaurants that have a nice bar area, where they serve interesting wine.

It also includes some places that do not impress me because of the wine, but because of other factors. Sardi’s – the icon in the Theater District – is an example.

At the end of the article, there are links to useful web sites.

Harlem

Red Rooster
310 Lenox Avenue (125th Street
The racial and ethnic variety in the vast bar and loft-like dining room are virtually unrivaled in New York. The restaurant may not be the best to open in New York City last year. The scene is amazing: a pulsing, cheerful and virtually always-packed bar that gives way to a crowded and sleek dining room beyond it, decorated with the work of local artists. In the seats: Harlem itself, along with many visitors from downtown and afar, everyone playing a role in the restaurant’s grand vision.


Manhattan

Upper West Side

Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway
Bar Boulud is Daniel Boulud’s wine bar and bistro located across from Manhattan’s Lincoln Center. Daniel Boulud is a star and plays almost in the same league as Alain Ducasse. He is a chef, owns now a little restaurant imperium across the globe and just got his third star Michelin. In contrast to Alain Ducasse, however, he is not at all established in his home country, France.

See also:
New York Manhattan Wine Bars -- Bar Boulud, The Ten Bells, Terroir and Clo.

Upper East Side

Rouge Tomate
Michelin-starred restaurant with a nice bar and lounge area. A trendsetter in terms of sustainable food.
10 East 6oth Street


Theater District

Sardi’s
In the Theater district. A famous restaurant for pre-show and after show dinners. Has also two bars, one next to the entrance and one on the first floor where Sardi’s serves decent wine. Nothing special.
234 West 44th Street


Morek Wine Bar and Café
Wine store plus small wine bar (a 14-seat curved black granite bar make for a cozy atmosphere) plus large sidewalk area. More than two thousand bottles are available from their extensive list, with fifty wines by the glass.
West 49th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue, Rockefeller Center


Aldo Sohm Wine Bar (to be opened)
To be opened later in 2013, next to Le Bernardin. It will be run and co-owned? by the famous Le Bernardin sommelier Aldo Sohm (from Austria).
155 W 51 Street

Clinton - Hell’s Kitchen

Xai Xai
75 South African Wines. 
369 West 51 Street


Midtown East

Grand Central Station Oyster Bar
This is the best place in town for New England Chowder and of course oysters, in a beautiful space under the world’s most famous station. The wine list is also impressive.
89 E. 42nd St. at Vanderbilt Ave.



Murray Hill

Terroir Murray Hill
439 3rd Avenue


Vanguard Wine Bar (new)
Lettie Teague praises Vanguard Wine Bar, which just opened. 5pm to 2 am.
530 2nd Avenue, between 29th and 30th

Chelsea

The Lobster Place
Not a wine bar. One of the best, if not the best, resource(s) for fresh seafood in New York, in the Chelsea Market.
75 9th Avenue, between 15th and 16th.


Veloce
One of New York’s best known Italian wine bars. The Seventh Avenue digs of this congenial Italian wine bar are roomier than its East Village original, but the prices remain unchanged: Most small plates cost less than $8. Only one bartender caters to the after-work, wine-swigging crowd. Has two other locations in New York plus one in Bejing.
176 7th Avenue between 20th and 21st Street

Trestle on Tenth
A neighborhood favorite and a citywide destination that focuses on small growers, winemakers and vintners from around the world who have a hands-on relationship with the natural wines they produce.  An AAWE Rheinhessen Riesling Tasting with Stuart Pigott in 2012 took place there.
242 10th Avenue (West 24th Street)

Gramercy

Bar Jamon
This tiny wine bar from Mario Batali and Chef Andrew Nusser sits adjacent to Casa Mono, their Spanish eatery. Find a space along one of the communal tables before selecting from the impressive Spanish wine list and tapas menu.
125 East 17th Street (at Irving Pl)

Gramercy Tavern
Gramercy Tavern has one of the best wine lists in town, including a large list of wines by the glass. The selection of Riesling speaks for itself: Perhaps 20 Riesling wines - mostly from the Mosel Valley, with 3 dry wines.
42 East 20th Street

Eataly
A huge Italian food and wine marketplace in the Flatiron District. into New York City’s premier culinary mecca. Eataly offers 7 sit down restaurants with both table and bar seats. Each restaurant is positioned next to the market area that provides its ingredients.
200 5th Avenue

Meatpacking District

Pastis
Not a winebar, a French brasserie - I like to have breakfast there.
9th Avenue Corner Little West 12th Street


West Village

LeLa Bar
33 seats arranged around an intimate oval bar make this a favorite for locales. There are more than 150 wines on the list with 20 available by the glass.Very much  a neighborhood hang-out.
422 Hudson at Leroy Street


Uphostery Store
Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner is the king of a little Austrian empire in New York City, comprising 5 very special restaurants and wine bars. One of them is the Upholstery Store - an intimate wine bar serving a variety of wines by the glass and by the bottle and offering a selection of charcuterie and cheeses. Just around the corner of his Wallse restaurant.
344 West 11th Street


Vin sur Vingt
Small wine bar with French-only wine list. Comes highly recommended, but did not convince me.
201 West 11th Street


Terroir at the Porch on the High Line
From May through November, this alfresco café functions as the park’s only sit-down restaurant.
High Line at West 15th Street


Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar
Flagship winebar of the Bruce and Eric Bromberg’s Blue Ribbon group. The tiny space’s white-marble-topped bar offers an ideal spot for sipping vino while digging into small plates such as warm, thick toast with luxurious smoked sturgeon.
34 Downing Street (between Bedford and Varick Sts)

Greenwich Village

Gotham Bar and Grill
A truly quintessential New York restaurant, with a classic bar.
12 East 12th Street

Corkbuzz Wine Studio
Corkbuzz – a new place - is many things: a wine bar, a wine-centric restaurant and a place for wine education that offers classes. A Terry Theise recommendation.
13 East 13th Street (b/t 5th Ave. and University)

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria
Large, stand-up bar area, massive Italian wine list.  Every region represented with options across a range of prices.  Tasty food as well.
5th Avenue/8th Street

East Village

Bourgeois Pig
Large French wine selection. Comes highly recommended, but it did not appeal to me.
111 East 7th Street

Bahr Che
A new contemporary wine bar featuring a dramatic wine wall displaying 1500 bottles of the best wines from all over the world, located on the ground floor in the Gwathmey Siegel apartment building in Manhattan at 26 Astor Place (entrance on cooper square) serving cheeses, charcuterie, foie gras and an assortment of delectable deserts and chocolates – pretty empty when I checked it out.
26 Astor Place/ East 8th Street


Terroir East Village
This is the initial Terroir, with 24 seats, just next to Heath Restaurant.
E 12th St, (between First Ave and Ave A)


Hearth Restaurant
403 East 12th Street


Momofuku Ssam Bar
At some point on the San Pellegrino list of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World.
Second Avenue East 13th Street


Katz’s Delicatessen
Not at all a wine bar: Pastrami! Major institution.
205 East Houston Street


SoHo

Balthazar
Major institution open for breakfast and all day, into the morning hours. Sit at the beautiful pressed metal bar and have a steak frites and order a glass of Hermitage.
80 Spring Street b/w Broadway and Crosby Streets


Lower East Side

'inoteca
A bustling trattoria for small plates and wine. The frequently updated list features only Italian wine. Wine and small plates are served at the bar where you can watch the chef slice paper-thin prosciutto on a racecar-red hand-cranked slicer
98 Rivington Street


Schiller’s
French brasserie. Like it because of the name.
131 Rivington Street


The Ten Bells
My #1 wine bar in New York City. Be sure to check out the oyster happy-hour special from 5 to 7 p.m.—you can eat your fill for only $1 each. Closes at 2:00 am in the morning.
247 Broome St.

See also:
New York Manhattan Wine Bars -- Bar Boulud, The Ten Bells, Terroir and Clo.
In the Glass: 2007 Riesling trocken from Wuertz Rheinhessen with Oysters at the Ten Bells in the Lower East Side in Manhattan


Tre
Trendy Italian restaurant with organic Italian wines, mostly from small producers. Pull up a stool at the (small) bar.
173 Ludlow St.


Taverna di Bacco
Italian trattoria, not so much a wine bar.
175 Ludlow St.


Tribeca

Terroir Tribeca
24 Harrison Street


See also:
Terroir(s) Wine Bars in London, New York and San Francisco– Wines with a Sense of Place versus Natural Wines

Brooklyn

Oak Wine Bar
Comes highly recommended but in my view not worth the trip.
361 Graham Avenue near Graham Metro


Roberta’s Pizza
A mix between a pizzeria, an organic farm, a creative kitchen, a craft beer garden and a serious Italian oenoteca. This fascinating place is located in Bushwick, an up and coming neighborhood in Brooklyn that is a bit further away than Williamsburg coming from Manhattan, but nevertheless quickly reachable with the L line. Artist and students are settling down here and their craving for good food is only satisfied by a few places. One of those is Roberta's.
261 Moore St Brooklyn,NY
Subway: L line, Morgan Ave


Reynard
Hotel Bar of Wythe Hotel. The all-French list is comprised of “all-natural” wines made “without intervention” by small producers.
80 Wythe Avenue

Roman’s
Italian sibling of Reynard.
243 Dekalb Avenue
G train to Clinton Washington or C train to Lafayette

Terroir.Park.Slope
284 5th Avenue

Chris Lucas

New York, New York! Restaurateur Chris Lucas Shares his Favorites

Alex Haller Tips (blindtaster)

Momofuku Ssäm Bar (David Chang), New York Apr 2010
WD-50* (Wylie Dufresne), New York, Nov 2007
Degustation (Wesley Genovart), New York  Apr 2010
JLOB – Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar, New York  May 2010 Dec 2008
Roberta’s Pizza (Carlo Mirachi), Brooklyn Apr 2010
Sushi Yasuda, New York  Apr 2010

Wine Enthusiast

America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants: Wine Enthusiast 2012
America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants: The Northeast - Wine Enthusiast 2013

Tim Atkin Blog

See Tim Atkin Blog: Best Wine Bars in New York City

Eater

The 38 Essential New York Restaurants (July 2013)

Schiller’s Favorite Jazz Clubs

Village Vanguard
178 7th Avenue
A top club. No food.

Blue Note
Aged megastars.
131 West Third Street

Birdland
315 West 44th Street
A top club. Used to be in 104th Street and moved to Times Square.

Arthur’s Tavern
57 Grove Street
No entry fee. One of the oldest Jazz Clubs in New York (since 1937)

Schiller’ Favorites

This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series. Here is a full list of all Schiller’s favorites postings so far.

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France

Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA

Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites

Schiller’s Favorites from the VDP Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru – Presentation at Kloster Eberbach, 2012, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, UK

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria 

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary

Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

schiller-wine: Related Postings

New York Manhattan Wine Bars -- Bar Boulud, The Ten Bells, Terroir and Clo.

Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro and Wine Bar in New York City

Wine bar: Paris, Berlin, New York City, London

Breakfast with Doreen Winkler at Balthazar– An European (German) Sommelier in New York City, USA

In the Glass: 2007 Riesling trocken from Wuertz Rheinhessen with Oysters at the Ten Bells in the Lower East Side in Manhattan

Terroir(s) Wine Bars in London, New York and San Francisco– Wines with a Sense of Place versus Natural Wines

The 31-Days-of-German-Riesling Concert Cruise Around New York Harbor with the German Wine Queen Julia Bertram and the 3 Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Eva Vollmer and Mirjam Schneider from Mainz, Germany

The Mainz Wine Amazones - Christine Huff, Mirjam Schneider and Eva Vollmer - in New York City, USA 

4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA (Auf Deutsch/In German)

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Starke Deutsche Riesling Fraktion, v.l.: Clemens Busch, Christian Schiller und der Deutsche Hermann J. Wiemer von Hermann J. Wiemer Winery

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This summary article in German was originally published in: Weinfeder, Vol.40 – September 2013, page 30.

I have also published a series of articles on the 4. Riesling Rendezvous in English on schiller-wine:

4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle: International Tasting Beyond Dry Riesling, USA
Austria at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA
International Tasting at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA - Dry Riesling
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany
Photo Album: 4th Riesling Rendezvous (2013) in Seattle, Washington State, USA
The 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle: Impressions from the Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington State, USA
The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

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

Von Dr. Christian G.E. Schiller

Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington State und Weingut Dr. Ernst Loosen von der Mosel hatten zum 4. Mal zum Riesling Rendezvous nach Seattle in Washington State, USA, eingeladen. Ernst Loosen macht ja nicht nur Wein an der Mosel, sondern auch in Washington State, und zwar zusammen mit Chateau Ste. Michelle: den erfolgreichen Eroica Riesling. Zur Vollständigkeit: zudem produziert Ernst Loosen Wein in der Pfalz (Villa Wolf) und in Oregon - hauptsächlich Pinot Noir - in einem joint venture mit Jay Somers (J. Christopher Wines). Ausserdem ist er auch noch der US Importeur für einige renommierte Weingüter, einschliesslich Robert Weil, Fritz Haag und Maximin Grünhaus.

Etwa 300 Teilnehmer waren nach Seattle gekommen, darunter fast 70 Winzer aus der ganzen Welt. Die deutsche Riesling Elite war vertreten durch: Ernst Loosen, Steffen Christmann, Wilhelm Weil, Carl von Schubert, Clemens Busch, Helmut Doennhoff, Oliver Haag, Annegret Reh-Gartner (Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt) und Gunther Hauck (von Bassermann-Jordan), plus Journalist Stuart Pigott. Canada, Australien und Österreich waren jeweils mit vier Winzern vertreten. Von amerikanischer Seite dominierten Winzer aus Washington State, New York State (Finger Lakes) und Oregon.

Es waren zweieinhalb wirklich hochinteressante Tage rund um den Riesling. Eröffnet wurde das Riesling Rendezvous am Sonntag Abend mit einer Riesling Party auf dem Gelände von Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville in der Nähe von Seattle. Es war ein toller Abend: Verkostung von Rieslingen aus aller Welt, gutes Essen von “food trucks” aus Seattle, live Musik und Gelegenheit zum Gedankenaustausch mit Winzern aus aller Welt, die ihre Weine ausschenkten.

Die folgenden zwei Tage fanden in Seattle statt: zwei grosse Riesling Proben, Workshops und “walk-around” Proben.

Die erste grosse Riesling Probe mit zwanzig Weinen wurde von dem US Wein Author John Haeger geleitet und umfasste nur trockene Rieslinge. Tim Atkin aus London führte durch die zweite Riesling Probe, bei der es um “beyond dry” ging. Beides waren Blindproben. Die Weine wurden erst von einem Winzer oder Sommelier angesprochen und dann allgemein kommentiert. Zentral war immer die Frage “Alte oder Neue Welt?”. Es war schon überraschend, wie doch die Urteile auseinandergingen und wie oft alte Hasen komplett falsch lagen. Nicht selten hielt die Hälfte der Tester den Wein für einen Alte Welt Wein und die andere Hälfte fuer einen Neue Welt Wein.

Insgesamt hinterliessen die Neue Welt Weine einen sehr guten Eindruck, und konnten sehr gut mit Spitzenweinen aus der Alten Welt (Deutschland und Österreich vornehmlich) konkurrieren.

In den sechs Workshops wurden die unterschiedlichste Themen, alle rund um den Riesling, angeschnitten: So stellte Stuart Pigott “gewagte und innovative” Rieslinge vor, darunter einen von Christian Stahl (Franken) und zwei aus der Slowakei. Steffen Christmann und Wilhelm Weil erklärten die neue deutsche VDP Klassifikation. Ulrich Fischer aus Neustadt stellte neue Forschungsergebnisse vor, die einen engen Zusammenhang von Bodenbeschaffenheit und Weingeschmack im Riesling belegen. Ein “roundtable”, moderiert von Ernst Loosen und Bob Bertheau von Ste. Michelle, bot Gelegenheit für einen Gedankenaustausch unter Winzern. Buchauthor und Fernsehjournalist Leslie Sbrocco leitete eine Diskussion über die Frage, wie man den Riesling am besten vermarkten sollte.

Darüber hinaus gab es noch eine Anzahl von walk-around Proben, wie etwa eine Probe, geleitet von der deutschen Journalistin (und Ehefrau von Stuart Pigott) Ursula Heinzelmann, zum Thema “Lachs und Riesling” und eine von der Rouge Cremery organisierte Probe zum Thema “Käse und Riesling”.

Den Abschluss bildete am Dienstag Abend ein Abschiedsempfang im Chihuly Garden and Glass, am Fusse des “Space Needle” Turms von Seattle.

Ähnliche jährliche Treffen wie das Riesling Rendezvous finden im Rahmen der Riesling Allianz auch in Australien und Deutschland statt. Im nächsten Jahr gibt es das 2. Internationale Riesling Symposium in Hattenheim und in 2015 das Frankland Estate International Riesling Tasting in Australien. Das nächste Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle findet in 2016 statt.

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

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Pictures: Annette Schiller and Christian Schiller at Château Pape-Clément during the 2013 Bordeaux Wine Tour by ombiasy

Château Pape-Clément is a Cru Classé de Graves. The winery and vineyards are located in the commune of Pessac, in the larger Bordeaux City area. Château Pape-Clément belongs to the wine imperium of Bernard Magrez, which now covers about 40 estates in Bordeaux and other parts of France as well as in the rest of the world.

Earlier this year (in September) I toured Château Pape-Clément with Winemaker Arnaud Lasisz. This was the first stop of Annette Schiller’s 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy.

See here for more on the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Château Pape-Clément and the City of Bordeaux

The outskirts of the city of Bordeaux are the birthplace of the phenomenal Bordeaux wine boom. It was here – in the Graves - that the region first gained its reputation, as early as the 14th century – hundreds of years before Dutch wine merchants and producers drained the marshes of the Medoc. In the Middle Ages, much of the Claret - as red Bordeaux is called in the United Kingdom - shipped to London was grown within in easy distance to the Quai de Chartrons in Bordeaux.

Pictures: Greeting Arnaud Lasisz at Château Pape-Clément

For centuries, Graves encompassed all the vineyards south of the border with the Medoc, in a great sweep around the city of Bordeaux with the exception of the sweet wine appellations of Sauternes, Cerons and Barsac, which are nestled within the boundaries of the Graves, but are independently recognized because of their outstanding noble-sweet white wines. But in 1987, the Pessac-Leognan appellation was carved out of the northern end of the Graves, encompassing Graves’ most respected producers. The four key producers in Pessac-Leognan are Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion (both in American hands), Laville Haut-Brion and Pape-Clement

Interestingly, these chateaux are within the city limits of Bordeaux and well within the Bordeaux beltway. This is the most urban wine area I have seen in Bordeaux and perhaps in the whole world. Indeed, the vineyards of Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, Laville Haut-Brion and Pape Clement are surrounded by suburban development.

See also:
In the Wine Capital of the World: the City of Bordeaux, France

Pictures: In the Vineyards of Château Pape-Clément

Bernard Magrez

Bernard Magrez is a self-made man who made his fortune as the founder of the William Pitters spirits company and the low-cost red Bordeaux brand. But for the past 20 years or so, he has been involved in quite a different, more upmarket side of the business: he has acquired prestigious vineyards and wineries, first of all in Bordeaux, then in other parts of France and more recently around the world. The total count at the moment is about 40 wine estates.

See also:
Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and the World Wide Wine Empire of Bernard Magrez, France

Pictures: In the Cellar of Château Pape-Clément

Château Pape Clément

Pape-Clément has one of the longest and best documented histories of all Bordeaux châteaux. The vineyards were planted in 1300 by Bernard de Groth, who later became Pope Clément V and moved the papacy to Avignon.

Pictures: At Château Pape-Clément

The noble de Groth family was based in Sauternes. In 1299, Bernard de Groth became Archbishop of Bordeaux. His brother (who was Archbishop of Lyon) gave him as a gift what later would become Chateau Pape Clement to be used as private residence as Archbishop of Bordeaux. Bernard de Groth lived there for 6 years. In 1305, Bernhard de Groth became Pope Clement V and felt that he should donate the property to the church.

In the hands of the church, the Pessac estate continued as a site of viticulture for many centuries, right up until the Revolution when it was confiscated and sold off as a bien national. In 1939 the estate was bought by the Montagne family; they appointed Bernard Magrez as General Manager in 1985. It is now owned and run by Bernard Magrez.

Pictures: Château Pape-Clément

The vineyard area consists of 32.5 hectares, 30 of which are planted with red grapes varieties (60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot). The remaining plots are cultivated with white varieties of 45% Sauvignon blanc, 45% Sémillon and 10% Muscadelle.

Production of the Grand Vin - Pape Clément – is: 7,000 cases of red wine and 350 cases of dry white wine. Additionally, there are 2 second wines - Le Clémentin du Pape Clément and Le Prélat du Pape Clément.

Pictures: Tasting including the 2010 Pape-Clément, which got 100 points by Robert Parker

Wine Searcher Average Prices (in US$)

Here are the current average prices and those of 12 months ago in brackets.

2012 76
2011 90 (85)
2010 224 (205)
2009 171 (166)
2008 134 (125)
2007 142 (126)
2006 159 (154)
2005 221 (214)
2004 119 (111)
2003 137 (135)
2002 142 (132)

schiller-wine: Related Posting

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

The Saint Emilion 2012–2022 Classification, Bordeaux

Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux– A Short Introduction

In the Wine Capital of the World: the City of Bordeaux, France

Plateau des Fruits de Mer and a Pessac-Leognan Wine in Bordeaux City, France

Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and the World Wide Wine Empire of Bernard Magrez, France

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux (2012)

Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA

A Morning at Château Canon La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion with Owner Count Stefan von Neipperg, Bordeaux

Château Figeac, Saint-Émilion - A Profile, France

An Afternoon with François Mitjavile at his Tertre Rôtebeouf - A Saint Emilion Cult Wine Producer

Tasting Château du Cros and other Petites Bordeaux Wines with Winemaker Julien Noel at Calvert and Woodley in Washington DC, USA 

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Lunch with Didier Cuvelier at Château Léoville-Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux

Tête-à-tête Dinner with Henri Lurton, Owner of Château Brane-Cantenac, a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855 in Margaux, at CityZen in Washington DC, USA
 

The 256 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc of the 2011 Vintage Announced, France

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Pictures: Christian and Annette Schiller with a Magnum 2006 Chateau Le Crock in Pauillac, when the 2011 Cru Bourgeois List was Announced. The Chateau Le Crock is on the 2011 Cru Bourgeois List. Chateau Le Crock is owned by the Cuvelier family. See also: Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

4 years ago, Cru Bourgeois du Médoc became an annual label, awarded annually to any winemaker that met the conditions for the Cru Bourgeois label.

In September 2013, the 2011 labels were announced. 256 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc make up the new Official Selection for the 2011 vintage. Around 28m bottles of wine are expected to carry the Cru Bourgeois mark, accounting for approximately 30% of the Medoc's production, representing 4,400 hectares of vines.

See here for a complete listing of the 256 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc for the 2011 vintage.

The Cru Bourgeois Classification of 1932

From 1932 to the end of the 1900s, the Cru Bourgeois du Medoc system was a classification system set in stone. The first Cru Bourgeois list was drawn up by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Agriculture in 1932, selecting 444 estates from the Medoc for the classification. These were wines that were not included in the 1855 Classification of Crus Classes, but still of high quality.

Cru Bourgeois du Médoc Today: A Label Awarded Annually

Today, the Cru Bourgeois du Medoc is a wine label that is awarded annually, on the basis of an assessment of both production methods and the wine. Any property in the Médoc may apply. Chateaus’ production methods are periodically inspected and their wines are submitted to an independent panel for annual tasting.

The first vintage that came under the current system, is the 2008 vintage, announced in 2010.

Note that some very highly regarded wines outside the 1855 classification such as Château Gloria and Château Sociando-Mallet do not submit their wines for the Cru Bourgeois du Medoc classification. Thus, there is a sizable number of top producers in the Medoc today that are neither in the 1855 classification nor in the Cru Bourgeois du Medoc classification.

Picture: The Cru Bourgeois Label

The Cru Bourgeois Classification of 2003 (Annulled)

In between the current annual classification system and the 1932 classification system set in stone, there was a new classification introduced in 2003 that was subject to a lot of controversy and later annulled. Of the 490 châteaux that applied to be included in the classification of 2003, only 247 were included, a significant contraction of the original listing made in 1932 (444 estates).

The 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification classified the 247 properties in three tiers: Exceptionnel (9 properties), Supérieurs (87 properties) and straight Bourgeois (151 properties).

In February 2007, the 2003 was annulled. At this point, the 1932 classification was briefly reinstated, with its single tier and 444 estates.

schiller-wine: Related Posting

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France

Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux– A Short Introduction

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and the World Wide Wine Empire of Bernard Magrez, France

A Morning at Château Canon La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion with Owner Count Stefan von Neipperg, Bordeaux

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Lunch with Didier Cuvelier at Château Léoville-Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux

Château Léoville-Poyferré Winemaker Dinner with Anne Cuvelier at Eola in Washington DC, USA

Tasting the Wines of Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, with Owner Basil Tesseron at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA/France

Tête-à-tête Dinner with Henri Lurton, Owner of Château Brane-Cantenac, a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855 in Margaux, at CityZen in Washington DC, USA

The 260 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc of the 2010 Vintage, France

A Painted Winetasting at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Hattenheim (Eltville), Rheingau, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Hattenheim (Eltville) - "Weingut" (Winery) and "Kunstkeller" (Art Gallerie)

Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Hattenheim (Eltville), Rheingau, is a member of the VDP – the association of German elite wine producers and makes excellent wines under the leadership of owner Peter Winter. Jointly with his wife Elvira Winter, Peter Winter also owns an Art Gallerie in Wiesbaden (Galerie Winter). When Peter Winter, who was the CEO of a leading German wine merchant for many years, retired from this job and bought Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung, Galerie Winter branched out and established “Galerie Winter im Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung”. The old wine cellar of Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung was transformed in a gallerie with fascinating modern art work (see belwo). In addition, Galerie Winter im Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung organizes periodically art exhibitions at the winery. Currently (until April 30, 2014), the exhibition “Painted Winetasting” by Nina Stoelting is on display. I attended the opening reception on September 21, 2013 at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Eltville.

For an earlier profile of Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung see:
A Combination of Extraordinary Wine and Art: Peter Winter's Georg Mueller Stiftung Estate in Germany

Nina Stoelting and a Painted Winetasting at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung

The exhibition presents 10 paintings in which Nina Stolting tries to transform the aromas of wine into paintings via different structures, surfaces and colors. All 10 painted wines consist of a number of individual paintings, up to 8 different paintings for one wine. Not only individual grape varieties like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are painted, but also specific wines, like a 2010 Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling. They cost between Euro 2500 (Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004) and Euro 6200 (Pinot Noir, 2002).

Pictures: Opening Reception of a Painted Winetasting by Nina Stoelting at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Hattenheim

Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung

Georg Müller, the co-owner of the famous Eltville sparkling wine cellar, Matheus Müller, established the estate towards the end of the 19th century. In 1913, he donated the estate to his home community of Hattenheim: with the stipulation to use the profits for the benefit of the needy in the community. Thus, the Wine Estate became the Georg Müller Stiftung, owned and run by the local government.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Peter Winter at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung

Things changed dramatically in 2003, when the local government decided to privatize the estate, which had produced good wines until the 1970s, but since then had deteriorated. Peter Winter purchased the Estate and – after many decades of a “Dornroeschenschlaf” - revived it, obviously with sizable financial investments and his enthusiasm and dynamism. Part of the credit also goes to Alf Ewald, the energetic young winemaker, he hired.

Peter Winter

When you spent an afternoon at Peter Winter’s Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Hattenheim in the Rheingau, you are a bit reminded of Donald Hess. Donald Hess and Peter Winter appear to be on the same journey, that of wine and art.

Picture: Peter Winter, Annette Schiller and Madeleine Jakits, Editor-in-chief of the leading German Food and Wine Journal Der Feinschmecker, in Berlin at the 100th Birthday of the VDP. See also: A Grand Ceremony in the Berlin Cathedral on the Occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the VDP - the Elite Winemakers of Germany

Peter Winter’s journey started in 2003, when he purchased the Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung. Before that turning point in life, Peter Winter was for over 40 years in various key positions in the German wine industry. Importantly, for 18 years he was the Chairman of the Board of one of the ten largest wine companies worldwide. He is also President of the German Wine Exporter Association and teaches at the University of Geisenheim.

The Wine and Art Cellar

The cellar has become in part a museum. In addition to fulfilling its traditional role as the place to stock and age wines, the cellar is also a show room for modern art.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Elvira Winter at the Painted Winetasting Opening Reception

Most of the modern art exhibited in the cellar was produced specifically for the wine cellar. The climatic conditions in the cellar needed to be taken into account in creating the art. Consequently, the sculptors and painters typically worked with stone, metal, silicon or plastic and painted behind glass, Plexiglas or on MDF panels.

Pictures: In the Cellar of Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung

It is a fascinating setting down there in the cellar: a large space of about 1000 m2 and 250 years old. It can be used for various purposes, including receptions and wine tastings.

Alf Ewald

Alf Ewald is the architect behind the excellent George Mueller Stiftung wines. He was awarded the “young vintner of the year” prize in 2003. In terms of winegrowing and winemaking philosophy, Alf Ewald points out that as much as possible is done by hand. Grapevine pruning, the early removal of eyes, targeted defoliation and thinning significantly reduce quantities, which greatly increases the intensity of the aroma and the natural sweetness through a much improved leaf to fruit ratio. Soil management is based exclusively on an ecological approach. Fertilizers are avoided through the targeted use of special herbs. In the cellar, Riesling is produced in individually temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The red wines are matured in barrique barrels. It is important - says Alf Ewald - to protect the product by ensuring cool fermenting temperatures, avoiding unnecessary pumping and, first and foremost, by using the force of gravity. Overall, the goal is to produce top-quality wines while respecting the environment, culture and fellow human beings.


Pictures: Alf Ewald

Alf Ewald left Weingut George Mueller Stiftung the day before yesterday, on September 30, 2013. His successor is Tim Lilienstroem.

Vineyards

The estate covers an area of approximately 12 hectares with excellent vineyard locations such as Schützenhaus, Engelmannsberg, Hassel, Wisselbrunnen, Nussbrunnen or Heiligenberg. Of the vineyards on the wine-growing estate approximately 80% grow Riesling and approximately 15% grow Spätburgunder in an environmentally sustainable way. Frühburgunder, Müller Thurgau, Auxerrois und Ehrenfelser are grown in the remaining vineyards.

The Wine Portfolio

The wine portfolio includes about 2 dozens of wines. There are a number of entry-level (Estate) wines and single vineyard wines. The wine portfolio includes Grosses Gewaechs wines as well as fruity-sweet Spaetlese and Auslese wines. Some wines, including a Pinot Noir wine, are marketed under the PW Selection (Peter Winter) label. Finally, the wine portfolio also includes sparkling wine and a brandy.

Picture: The Wines of Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung

Donald Hess

Whenever I visit Weingut George Mueller Stiftung, I am reminded of Donald Hess. Both share a passion for wine and art. Donald Hess from Bern, Switzerland, started his astonishing journey of buying and establishing wineries and art galleries around the globe in 1978, when he was in his early forties already.


Pictures: Donald Hess' Glen Carlou Estate in South Africa, including Wine Cellar and Art Exhibition

See also:
Wine, Art and Food: Donald Hess’ Glen Carlou Estate in South Africa

Over the past decades, he has bought or established several wineries all over the globe, in the US, in Argentina, in South Africa, in Australia and the US. Today, Hess Family Estates own six New World cellars and vineyards. Donald Hess is also into art. His Napa Valley collection opened in 1989 in the original winery built in 1903. The Museum at the Glen Carlou Winery outside Paarl South Africa opened in 2006, and his latest passion in Bodega Colomé, not only has an art gallery but also has a stunning hotel.

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Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Weingut Kuenstler in Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany

Gunter Künstler, Weingut Kuenstler in Hochheim (Rheingau), Armin Huth, Weingut Wirsching in Iphofen (Franken) and Doerte Naekel, Weingut Meyer Naekel in Dernau (Ahr) presented their wines during a winemaker dinner at Kronenschloesschen in Hattenheim (Rheingau), prepared by Chef Sebastian Loehr and his team. For each of the five courses, Gunther Kuenstler, Armin Huth and Doerte Naekle had selected a wine that in their view would go very well with the course and we could decide who had made the best choice to go with the food.

The dinner was part of a vintage presentation of the three wineries at Weingut Franz Kuenstler during the weekend.

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschloesschen in Hattenheim

Weingut Kuenstler

Over the past 4 decades the Kuenstler estate has been one of the most successful wine producers in the Rheingau, if not in Germany. I have watched it rising from a small winery to one of the world leaders of German wine. It has 5 F’s (out of 5) in the Feinschmecker WeinGuide ranking.

The wine growing tradition of the Künstler family can be traced back to Southern Moravia in 1648. After the Second World War, the Künstlers had to leave their home in what is now the Czech Republic and the head of the family, Franz Künstler, laid the foundations in Hochheim for what was to become one of the most successful family businesses in the Rheingau. I remember very well the small row house in Hochheim that was the initial home of the Kuenstler winery. And I remember very well the wonderful tastings we had at the Kuenstler estate. All my life I have been buying Kuenstler wines and there is quite a number of Kuenstler bottles in my wine cellar in McLean, Virginia.

Pictures: Gunter Kuenstler and Christian Schiller at the Dinner

His son Gunter Künstler bought the Geheimrat Aschrott'sche Erben wine estate in Hochheim in 1996 and in doing so acquired a major share in the very best vineyard locations in Hochheim. A few years ago, as another giant leap, the Kuenstler estate moved into the former Burgeff Sektkellerei, just at the entrance of Hochheim, when you come from Mainz. It is very impressive. Just recently, Gunter Künstler has teamed up with a winemaker from Ruedesheim (a friend from the days when Gunter studied in Geisenheim and lived in Ruedesheim) and is now also making wines from Ruedesheim.

See also:
Germany's Top 18 Winemakers - Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2013
The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany
Franz Kuenstler, Founder of the Renown Franz Kuenstler Estate in Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany, dies at Age 84
Franz Kuenstler, the founder of the Weingut Franz Kuenstler, was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Germany
Wine Video: German Top Wine Maker Gunter Kuenstler interviewed by Hendrik Thoma
World Class Wines in Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany - Weingut Kuenstler
Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany

Weingut Wirsching

The Wirsching family has been producing wine since 1630 in the village of Iphofen, one of the top wine centers in Franken. Today, Weingut Wirsching is one of the largest privately-owned winery in Germany.

Dr. Heinrich Wirsching is the owner and in charge of the estate. He is over 80 years of age but looks rather juvenile. While he is still the boss in every-day business, he is actively supported by his daughters Andrea and Lena as well as by management team. Andrea Wirsching, in her fifties, re-joined the family recently to assist her 20 years younger half-sister Lena. They carry on 350 years of family wine making tradition, with the General Manager Dr. Uwe Matheus, Wine maker Werner Probst and Marketing Chef Armin Huth, who we had the pleasure to meet at the dinner.

Armin Huth explained that all work in the vineyards is done with one goal in mind, that of producing the best wines that nature will permit. This includes pruning to yield a meager 65 hectoliters/hectare, using predominantly organic fertilizer and very late, often high risk harvesting.

Pictures: Armin Huth at the Dinner

The vineyards are all steeply sloping with good south to south/west exposure. They include the Iphöfer Julius Echter Berg, Kronsberg, Kalb, and Grosslage Iphöfer Burgweg. There is a small holding in the Roedelseer Küchenmeister.

Over 35 years ago Wirsching was the first estate in Franconia to plant Scheurebe in its vineyards. Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are at this juncture produced in very small quantities. Because there is high demand, plans are to increase the production of both.

Cellarmaster Werner Probst vinifies 75% of the wines in the franconian dry style (Fränkisch trocken) which means residual sugar of less than 4 grams/liter. Even traditionally made Spätlese's rarely have residual sugar levels exceeding 15 grams/liter. Vinification is "reduktiv" which implies little oxygen contact with the juice. Suessreserve is never used.

The vineyard area is 72 hectares. Output amounts to 48,000 cases. Grapes: 38% Silvaner, 18% Riesling, 10% Müller-Thurgau, 8% Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc), 6% Scheurebe, 7% Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), 5% Dornfelder and 8% others. Best vineyard sites: Iphöfer Julius Echter Berg and Iphöfer Kronsberg.

Weingut Meyer Naekel

Weingut Meyer Naekel was established by the marriage of Paula Meyer and Willibald Näkel. Although Willibald Näkel only cultivated 1.5 hectares of vines he was already a pioneer for the then rather unusual dry red wines from the Ahr valley. Today’s 15 hectares estate is managed by his son Werner Näkel, his wife Claudia and their daughters Meike and Dőrte. We had the pleasure to meet Dőrte at the dinner.

Doerte Naekel explained that in 1982 her father Werner Näkel changed his career from a grammar school teacher of mathematics and sport to take over the family estate. With his pronounced feel for quality in viticulture, and great cellar skills, he created a new style for Pinot Noir in the Ahr. By the end of the 80’s, Werner Näkel had earned a reputation for his forward-looking wine-making and won numerous awards for his excellent red wines. Meike and Dörte Naekel served apprenticeships in wine estates before studying viticulture in Geisenheim. They have now joined the estate’s team – Meike in 2005 and Dörte in 2008.

Vineyard acreage: 15 hectares. Production: 6 000 cases. Average yield: Less than 50 hl/hectare. Best vineyard sites: Walporzheimer Kräuterberg, Dernauer Pfarrwingert, Bad Neuenahrer Sonnenberg. Grape varieties: Pinot Noir (75%), Fruehburgunder – an early ripening variety of Pinot Noir (12%), Pinot Blanc (5%), Riesling (5%), others (3%)

Pictures: Doerte Naekel and Christian Schiller at the Dinner

Doerte Naekel: “We see our wines as regional ambassadors that embody the character of the sites and the people involved in the making. Fruity and mineralic wines with an elegant tannin structure grow along the Ahr’s steep slopes on slate soils. It has always been a Näkel philosophy to preserve and to accentuate the wines’ individual terroir. We achieve this with old vines, conscientious vineyard site management, consistent yield reduction and careful harvesting by hand. This is the basis for healthy, fully ripened grapes and wines full of character, great balance and intense aroma. The varietal character and quality, achieved in the vineyard site, is retained by gentle handling of the grapes in the cellar. Naturally, it also takes a whole team of motivated staff.”

The Ahr is situated just north of 50˚ latitude, which most people consider to be the boundary for viticulture. The Ahr valley is Germany’s most northern red wine area and with just about 550 hectares, it is also the smallest. In order to ripen to perfection red wines require a lot of sunlight and warmth. The secret lies in an ideal micro climate found in the Ahr due to special geological conditions. The steep south-facing vineyard slopes are perfectly angled towards the sun. The soil formed from weathered slate and Greywacke warm up easily and are able to store heat. Hence, the grapes grow in an ideal biotope of the narrow Ahr valley that is protected by the Eifel Hills.

Werner Naekel - Winegrower of the year 2004 - Gault Millau 2004– Wine Guide Germany: “Hardly anyone in Germany has had a stronger effect on the production of high-quality red wines in Germany than Werner Näkel, whom we proclaim, to a certain extent, for the work of his lifetime to ‘Winegrower of the year 2004’… The authority of the German red wine miracle of the 90's made the Spätburgunder from the Ahr valley internationally respectable. Meanwhile, his wines, which this globetrotter produces in South Africa and Portugal, excite attention.”

Werner Naekel also produces wine in South Africa and Portugal. In South Africa, it is a joint venture with Neill Ellis in Stellenbosch. In Portugal, he makes wine in the Douro valley. Here, Werner Näkel acquired together with his two friends Bernd Philippi (wine estate Köhler Ruprecht/Palatinat) and Bernhard Breuer (wine estate George Breuer/Rheingau) the Quinta da Carvalhosa in the year 2000.

Kronenschloesschen and Chef Sebastian Luehr

Mr Hans Ullrich bought the country manor, built in the 19th century, in 1990. The ensuing restoration lasted 2 years. The hotel’s modern comforts and up to date technology merges sensitively with the original architecture. The hotel has 18 guest rooms and suites.

Pictures: Kronenschloesschen

For many years, the restaurant was run by Patrick Kimpel. Under his leadership, it earned a Michelin star. When Patrick Kimpel left, his Souschef Sebastian Lühr took over. Sebastian Lühr did his apprenticeship in the Kronenschloesschen and then spent time at Landhaus Scherrer in Hamburg, with Hans-Stefan Steinheuer in Bad Neuenahr and with Joachim Wissler in Bergisch Gladbach, before returning to Eltville in 2007.

Pictures: Chef Sebastian Lueth and his Team with Christian Schiller

See also:
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Dinner and Wines

Reception

Pictures: Two Ultra-premium Sekts for the Aperitif

Pictures: Ladies - Annette Schiller, Monika Kuenstler, Yvonne Richardt and Doerte Naekel

Gebeizter Saibling / Gurke / Dill / Jakobsmuschel


Weingut Kuenstler: 2012 Ruedesheimer Drachenstein Grosses Gewaechs Riesling Trocken – this was my favorite.
Weingut Wirsching: 2011 Sister Act Silvaner Trocken
Weingut Meyer-Naekel: 2012 *Illusiion* Blanc de Noir Trocken


Glacierte Enten-DimSum / Petersilie / Steinpilze


Weingut Kuenstler: 2009 Hochheimer Hoelle Erstes Gewaechs Riesling Trocken
Weingut Wirsching: 2011 Iphoefer Julius-Echter-Berg Riesling Grosses Gewaechs – this was my favorite.
Weingut Meyer-Naekel: 2012 Fruehburgunder Trocken


Geschmorte Schulter vom US-Fleisch / Zwiebelsoubise / Bohne


Weingut Kuenstler: 2006 Hochheimer Reichestal Spaetburgunder RR Trocken – this was my favorite.
Weingut Wirsching: 2008 Tri Terra Cuvee Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder Chardonnay Trocken
Weingut Meyer-Naekel: 2011 “Blauschiefer” Spaetburgunder Trocken


Rehrücken / Sellerie / Himbeere


Weingut Kuenstler: 2011 Hochheimer Reichestal Grosses Gewaechs Spaetburgunder Trocken
Weingut Wirsching: 2008 Spaetburgunder “S” Trocken
Weingut Meyer-Naekel: 2011 Bad Neuenahrer Sonnenberg Spaetburgunder Trocken – this was my favorite.


Quitte / Crème fraîche / Honig / Popkorn


Weingut Kuenstler: 2011 Ruedesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Auslese – this was my favorite.
Weingut Wirsching: 2011 Iphoefer Julius-Echter-Berg Rieslaner Auslese

New Vintage Presentation at Weingut Kuenstler

The dinner was part of a vintage presentation of the three wineries at Weingut Franz Kuenstler during the weekend.

Pictures: At the Vintage Presentation of Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel and Wirsching at Weingut Kuenstler in Hochheim

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Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

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Pictures: Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly

The last event of the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy was a tour of and dinner at Château Haut-Bailly. It was a most memorable evening thanks to our charming host, Diana Paulin, the very special setting in the dining and the living rooms of Château Haut-Bailly, the excellent food of Chef Jean-Charles Poinsot, and – last but not least - the superb Chateau Haut-Bailly wines.

See also:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Château Haut-Bailly

Just a stone’s throw away from the city of Bordeaux and our hotel, Château Haut-Bailly, one of the most prestigious Cru Classé de Graves, sits majestically in a 30 hectare (74 acres) vineyard at the heart of the Graves region on the left bank of the river Garonne. Neighboring estates include Château Malartic-Lagravière, Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Château Carbonnieux. The estate's second wine is named Le Parde de Haut-Bailly.

Pictures: First stage - Vineyard Walk

History

The château takes its name from Firmin Le Bailly, a Parisian banker, who bought the vineyard in the 1600s. In 1872, Alcide Bellot des Minières, purchased the estate of Haut Bailly on the advice of Cardinal Bonnet, Archbishop of Bordeaux.

The property was purchased by her great grandfather, a Belgian wine merchant called Daniel Sanders, in 1955. At this stage, there were only 10 hectares of vines on the estate – a waste of an outstanding terroir. So Daniel replanted the vineyards, and eventually these were returned to their original size of 32 hectares. In 1955, Daniel Sanders, a Belgian Bordeaux wine merchant bought Haut Bailly. At the time of the sale, the estate was in desperate need of repair. Their vineyards were in poor shape. At best, only 25 hectares were planted with vines. Daniel Sanders completely renovated Haut Bailly, in the cellars, wine making facilities and the vineyards. In 1979, his son, Jean, took over the estate. For several years the late oenologist Émile Peynaud was retained at Haut-Bailly.

The current owner, since 1998, is the American banker Robert G. Wilmers, with Daniel Sanders' grand daughter Veronique Sanders functioning as general manager, and Gabriel Vialard employed as technical manager.

Pictures: Second Stage - Wine Cellar Walk

Production

The 33 hectare Pessac Leognan vineyard of Chateau Haut Bailly is a complex terroir of sand and gravel over limestone soils. Currently, 30 hectares are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Over the years Haut Bailly has slowly replaced some of the Merlot vines with Cabernet Franc. On average, the vines are 35 years of age.

Almost 4 hectares of vines are more than 100 years of age! Inside those 4 hectares of very, old vines are all six of the major grape varieties used in Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere.

Pictures: Third Stage - Aperitif

Handpicking is still de rigueur at Haut-Bailly. Vinification takes place in a fermentation room containing 26 thermo-regulated cement tanks of different sizes (ranging from 30 to 120 hectolitres). These specially adapted vats ensure that grapes grown in different parts of the vineyard are kept separate from the time they are picked until the vinification is complete. Alcoholic fermentation lasts eight to ten days and is followed by maceration. This process lasts about three weeks. The wines are aged for eighteen months in oak barrels, many of which are new.

Grand Vin: Chateau Haut-Bailly

In total the estate produces 150,000 bottles annually. Approximately 50% of production from the property is Grand Vin, 30% is second and 20% is third wine, although this will depend on the vintage.

In Henry Guillier’s book “Grands Vins de la Gironde Illustrés” published at the beginning of the 20th century, Haut-Bailly is mentioned as being the only Graves, together with Haut-Brion, worthy of being ranked among the Bordeaux Classified First Growths. The price for which Haut-Bailly was being sold at the time confirms this position. In fact, the words “Crû exceptionnel” appeared on the label until 1987.

Pictures: Fourth Stage - Dinner

La Parde de Haut-Bailly

The estate's second wine is La Parde de Haut-Bailly, produced since 1967, but under the name Domaine de la Parde until 1979. It is aged in barrels for twelve months.

Pessac-Léognan by Chateau Haut-Bailly

The property’s third wine, "Pessac-Léognan," which bears the same name as its appellation, was created in 1987. It comes from young vines – an accessible wine that has spent less time in barrel and can be enjoyed young.

Rose de Haut-Bailly

Since 2004, Château Haut-Bailly has produced a ‘rosé de saignée’ when the conditions allow. A few hours after the start of the maceration process, part of the wine is extracted from the vat in order to increase the natural concentration of the red wine. The fermentation takes place in barrels and in vats, at low temperature to bring out the fruit aromas. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon rosé, lively and seductive, is sold under the name Rose de Haut-Bailly.

Pictures: Fifth Stage - After Dinner Tea and Coffee

Robert G. Wilmers, Owner of Château Haut-Bailly

In 1998 Château Haut-Bailly was purchased by American Robert G. Wilmers, chairman and CEO of the M & T Bank based in Buffalo, New York. As a lover of Bordeaux Grands Crus, his dream came true when he became the owner at Haut-Bailly. He spent much of his childhood and professional life in Belgium. Along with his French wife, Elisabeth, he continues his close ties with Europe, where some of their family live.

Hugely conscious of Haut-Bailly’s history yet eager to ensure continuity and modernity, he entrusted in 1998 Haut-Bailly’s management to Véronique Sanders, granddaughter of Jean Sanders.

Pictures: Last Stage - Visit in the Kitchen of Chef Jean-Charles Poinsot

Véronique Sanders, General Manager

In 1998, at the age of 30, Véronique Sanders became the General Manager of Château Haut-Bailly, making her one of a very small number of women in charge of a vineyard and the fourth generation of her family to be associated with Haut-Bailly. After two years of preparation at the Grandes Ecoles françaises, she obtained a Master’s degree in economics at the Sorbonne. She began her career at Publicis-FCB in Paris and Prague. Deciding to improve her knowledge about wine, she returned to Bordeaux in 1997 to obtain her DUAD diploma from the Faculty of Oenology. Following the sale of Château Haut-Bailly by her grandfather, Jean Sanders, Robert G. Wilmers appointed Véronique as Commercial Director in 1998 and General Manager in 2000.

Dinner

Aperitif - The aperitif was served by the fireplace, in the living room.

Morel mushroom raviolis, parmesan emulsion


La Parde de Haut-Bailly 2006, Magnum

Wine Spectator: 90 pts. "Gorgeous aromas of raspberry, blueberry and stones. Full-bodied, with silky
tannins and a tobacco, berry and spice character."


Beef filet Saint-Valerie carrots


Château Haut-Bailly 2003 Graves Cru Classé, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Ripe berry fruit notes on the nose, supple palate with some chalky tannins, ripe but also elegant.

Château Haut-Bailly 2002 Graves Cru Classé, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Black cherry and plum notes on the nose, coupled with hints of roast coffee, good structure, fresh.


Selection of cheeses

Fresh and roasted peaches, peach sorbet


Coffee and Tea - Coffee and tea were served by the fireplace, in the living room.

Average Prices by Wine Searcher (in US$)

2012 64
2011 84
2010 169
2009 179
2008 100

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Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region - A Profile, Germany

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Christian G.E.Schiller with Bernhard Pawis at Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region

Weingut Pawis – owned and run by Bernhard and Kerstin Pawis - is located in the historic Zscheiplitz Estate, close to Freyburg. It is a gorgeous set-up, but as Bernhard and Kerstin Pawis told us, the renovation of the Estate was a major undertaking.

With 3 grapes (out of 5) in the Gault Millau WeinGuide, Weingut Pawis is one of the leading wine producers in the Saale Unstrut region and the former East Germany.

Over the past years, I have met and visited Bernhard and Kerstin Pawis a number of times - the last time during the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, which included a tour of Weingut Pawis and dinner with paired wine tasting. See here: German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

For an earlier profile posting about Weingut Pawis, see here:
Weingut Pawis in Saale Unstrut, Germany (2011) 

Weingut Pawis

Bernhard Pawis is a trained winemaker, who got his education in the former German Democratic Republic. Shortly after the Berlin Wall came down in 1990, Bernhard’s parents - Herbert and Irene Pawis– bought 0.5 hectares of vineyard land and founded a small winery cum wine tavern (Strausswirtschaft). They sold the wine they produced in a wine tavern on their premise. Bernhard had a day job, but helped his parents after work. Business was good, so when his father died in 1998, Bernhard decided to quit his job take over his parents’ winery. He constructed a modern winery in the center of Freyburg and enlarged the winery’s vineyard land through purchases and long-term lease arrangements. In 1995, Weingut Pawis produced 5.000 bottles, five years later 50.000 bottles. Not only quantity improved, but also the quality of the Weingut Pawis wines and in 2001, Weingut Pawis was invited to join the VDP, Germany’s association of elite winemakers.

Pictures: Bernhard and Kerstin Pawis in 2001 and today

The VDP membership put Weingut Pawis on Germany’s wine map and the winery Bernhard and Kerstin had constructed 8 years ago reached capacity limits. Bernard and Kerstin moved again, this time to something grand, the historic Estate Zscheiplitz. The former feudal Estate Zscheiplitz was completely run-down and required a major renovation effort. Bernhard pushed ahead with it, overcoming many obstacles. Since May 2007, the Weingut Pawis is based at the Zscheiplitz Estate in Freyburg-Zscheiplitz.

Pictures: Weingut Pawis

Weingut Pawis sells about 1/3 of its production in the western part of Germany. This is unusually large, but having met Bernhard and Kerstin Pawis, seen the hip tasting room and tasted the Pawis wines, I can see why Bernhard Pawis is much more successful in the western part of Germany than his colleagues. But he does not export anything “and this will remain so” said Bernhard.

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller and Bernhard and Kerstin Pawis at Weingut Pawis

The tasting room and the garden serve on weekends as a wine tavern during parts of the year (Strausswirtschaft). Also, winemaker dinners take place here. Bernhard and Kerstin are very much into modern art and the Estate also houses a gallery with monthly changing modern art exhibitions.

Picures: Annette Schiller and Bernhard Pawis, Weingut Pawis at Kloster Eberbach, Rheingau

Vineyard

The vineyard area totals 11 hectares, with holdings in the Edelacker, Mühlberg (both Freyburg) and Sonneneck (Naumburg). The area is planted with the white varieties Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Bacchus and Kerner, and with the red varieties Dornfelder, Portugieser, Pinot Noir and Regent. The white varieties account for 80% of the portfolio.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Kerstin Pawis looking at Freyburg and its Vineyards

Cellar

In terms of winemaking philosophy, Bernhard explained that he is following sustainable vineyard practices. The wines are made primarily in a bone-dry style, using temperature-controlled fermentation. The premium wines are matured in barriques made from the Trias oak found in the region. When vintage conditions permit, noble sweet wines are also made. The estate also produces bottle-fermented sparkling wines and brandies.

Picture: Weingut Pawis

Wine Portfolio

The Pawis wines are grouped with the aim of complying to the new VDP classification system. But the transition process is not yet over. Muehlberg and Sonneneck will both become an 1. Lage vineyard, while Edelacker will be a Grosse Lage.

Picture: Pawis Wines

VDP.Gutswein – weiss (white): Half a dozen entry-level white wines, in the Euro 7 to Euro 9 range.

VDP.Ortswein – Half a dozen wines around Euro 12.

VDP.Erste Lage – 3 wines (all Edelacker) for around Euro 14.

VDP.Grosse Lage – Half a dozen ultra-premium wines including a 2012er Edelacker Riesling Grosses Gewächs for Euro 22 and a 2011er Edelacker Weißer Burgunder Auslese for Euro 21.

VDP.Gutswein – rot (red): Half a dozen red wines starting at Euro 8.50 and including a 2011er Blauer Zweigelt (Barrique – 9 months) for Euro 17,80 and a 2011er Spätburgunder (Barrique – 9 months) for Euro 19.80.

Edition Weinhaus Pawis: Entry level wines made in his cellar with fruit bought from “collegues”, as Bernhard puts it.

Sekt-Flaschengaerung: Bernhard also produces a Sekt, brut nature, made in the méthode traditionnelle (about 1000 bottles), with all phases of the production in-house.

Brandies – Half a dozen brandies including a 2011er Birnenbrand Jeanne d'Arc for Euro 18.

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Weingut Pawis in Saale Unstrut, Germany (2011)

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

The Focus on Dry German Riesling– Daniel Hubbard Presents the German DSWE Portfolio to the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)

The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany

The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

The Most Expensive Wines in the World - Wine-Searcher 2013

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Dr. Manfred Pruem, Weingut J.J. Pruem in Germany

See more on Weingut J.J. Pruem:
JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

See here for last year's list:
The Most Expensive Wines in the World - Wine-Searcher 2012

The Wine-Searcher issued a list of – according to its data base - the top 50 most expensive wines in the world. Prices are as at mid-2013, based on average prices for a standard 750ml bottle, across all vintages. Information is drawn from the Wine Searcher database of more than 40,000 price lists.

The top 10 is heavily dominated by wines from Burgundy, France, which represented 8 of the 10, with the remaining two both coming from Mosel, Germany. In fact, of the top 50, as many as 37 are from Burgundy (and 31 of these are from Cote de Nuits).

Henri Jayer Richebourg Grand Cru, produced in Cote de Nuits, has claimed the title of most expensive wine in the world. Henri Jayer, the legendary winemaker, completely stopped producing wine after his retirement in 1995. His wines became even rarer since his death in 2006.

Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, also Cote de Nuits, ranks second, followed by Egon Muller-Scharzhof Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese from Germany's Mosel Valley.

Two prices are shown. Both are in US$. The first one is the average price and the second one is the maximum price.

1 Henri Jayer Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 16,483 26,236
2 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 12,706 54,386
3 Egon Mueller-Scharzhof Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel, Germany 6,878 13,932
4 Henri Jayer Cros Parantoux, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France 6,507 19,362
5 Domaine Leflaive Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 5,856 11,387
6 Joh. Jos. Pruem Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel, Germany 5,321 11,457
7 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 4,685 13,694
8 Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 4,649 15,847
9 Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 4,479 33,068
10 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanee, Cote de Nuits, France 4,075 9,668
11 Georges et Henri Jayer Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 3,467 12,068
12 Petrus, Pomerol, France 3,006 30,172
13 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Ermitage Cuvee Cathelin, Rhone, France 2,964 6,035
14 Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 2,831 33,068
15 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole, Cote de Nuits, France 2,795 28,604
16 Le Pin, Pomerol, France 2,604 15,257
17 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA 2,507 13,213
18 Domaine Leroy Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 2,474 31,415
19 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair La Romanee Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 2,438 4,534
20 Domaine Faiveley Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 2,359 10,840
21 J.-F Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 2,265 5,609
22 Domaine Leroy Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 2,167 7,386
23 Egon Mueller-Scharzhof Scharzhofberger Riesling Eiswein, Mosel, Germany 1,899 5,510
24 Domaine Leroy Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,868 4,935
25 Lalou Bize-Leroy Domaine d'Auvenay Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 1,838 3,739
26 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,768 13,945
27 Domaine Dugat-Py Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,699 3,756
28 Joh. Jos. Pruem Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese, Mosel, Germany 1,581 3,851
29 Domaine Leroy Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,565 4,211
30 Domaine Leroy Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,490 29,761
31 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 1,478 4,958
32 Domaine Leroy Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,437 6,995
33 Lalou Bize-Leroy Domaine d'Auvenay Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,394 2,731
34 Lalou Bize-Leroy Domaine d'Auvenay Les Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,389 2,342
35 Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Les Amoureuses, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France 1,377 7,960
36 Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 1,377 4,951
37 Domaine Meo-Camuzet Au Cros Parantoux, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France 1,373 3,284
38 J.-F Coche-Dury Les Perrieres, Meursault Premier Cru, France 1,372 2,952
39 Emmanuel Rouget Cros Parantoux, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France 1,297 2,755
40 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,291 15,152
41 Domaine Leroy Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,257 4,775
42 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,255 6,067
43 Domaine Meo-Camuzet Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,236 4,102
44 Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Oenotheque Rose, Champagne, France 1,230 1,980
45 Domaines Barons de Rothschild Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, France 1,213 139,011
46 Bollinger 'Renaudin Bollinger' Extra Quality Brut, Champagne, France 1,188 2,160
47 Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,182 9,826
48 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port, Portugal 1,177 8,527
49 Schloss Johannisberg Goldlack Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Rheingau, Germany 1,119 3,171
50 Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 1,104 5,327

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Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany

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Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Caroline Diel at Johann Lafers Stromburg

Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel, presented their new wines at Johann Lafers Stromburg to 50 or so wine journalists, sommeliers and trade people. A reception in the garden of the Stromburg preceeded the tasting. Following the presentation of the Diel wines, Jean-Nicolas Meo presented the new wines of Domaine Meo-Camuzet, Bourgogne. The event concluded with a light lunch in the Bistro of Johann Lafers Stromberg. Also present were Caroline and Armin’s team, including Christoph Friedrich, who has been oenologist at Schlossgut Diel for the past 15 years. Finally, Caroline came with her youngest child and Armin had to fill in as babysitter, when Caroline was talking about the wines.

See also:
Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany
President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao  Visiting Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington State - Where Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is Made, USA
Terry Theise: 2012 Vintage Wines - Highlights and Superlatives, Germany

Nahe

Armin Diel, in his introduction, alluded to the amazing development of the Nahe region in the past 25. Before 1971, the Nahe region did not exist as a separate wine region. It was created in the wine law of 1971. In the past 25 years, the Nahe won the prestigious Feinschmecker Cup – Best German dry Riesling – 7 times; 3 times in the past 5 years. Many wine experts see the Nahe with the Pfalz region competing for the best dry Riesling region in Germany.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at the Nahe Valley

Schlossgut Diel

Schlossgut Diel is one of Germany’s leading wine producers. In the US, it is imported by Terry Theise (Michael Skurnik Collection).

Schlossgut Diel is in the town of Rümmelsheim in the Nahe Valley. The old buildings of Schlossgut Diel comprise a tower and the walled remnants of castle Burg Layen. It was built prior to 1200 and changed hands numerous times. Over the course of time, three castle buildings were erected in the location, with different aristocratic owners, and with extensive holdings of vineyards and agricultural land. The Schlossgut in its present form was purchased by a forefather of Caroline and Armin Diel, in 1802, after the family had already leased the land for several decades. From 1792 to 1796 Napoleons troops conquered German territory on the left bank of the Rhine declaring it French.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Armin and Caroline Diel at Schlossgut Diel

The vineyard area is 17 hectares and annual production 10,000 cases. Grape Varieties: 65% Riesling, 20% Grauburgunder, 10% Spätburgunder, 5% Weissburgunder. Bottle-fermented (and hand-riddled) sparkling wines are also produced.

Schlossgut Diel is a member of the VDP. In terms of sales, Schlossgut Diel sells 25% to private clients, 25% to fine restaurants, 25% to the German wine trade and 25% is exported.

Caroline Diel

Caroline, with her third child in the arms, conducted the wine tasting. She told me at an earlier occasion that she spent the last 2 high school years in a boarding school in California, south of San Francisco. Initially, Caroline wanted to study hotel management but ended up going to the famous Geisenheim college and study winemaking. She also interned quite a bit and at well known wineries, for almost a decade: In 1998 for 3 months at Chateau Pichon-Lalande in Bordeaux; then at the German Weingueter Jost (Mittelrhein) and von Winningen (Pfalz); then at the Champagne House Ruinart; in 2004 in South Africa at Vergelegen and at Romanee Conti in the Bourgogne; in 2004, after she got her Diploma at Long Shadow Vintners in Walla Walla in Washington State, where Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is being made; for a whole year at Schloss Halbturn in the Burgenland in Austria and finally at Rippon Vineyard in New Zealand. With this huge experience, she returned home to make wine at Schlossgut Diel. For a number of years now, Caroline has been in charge of the wines of Schlossgut Diel.

Caroline is married (to a Frenchman) and is the proud mother of 3 little children.

Armin Diel

Armin welcomed the guests, but let Caroline talk when it came to the wines, unless the newborn got too excited and Caroline had to devote all her attention to the baby. Armin Diel took over the estate from his father in 1987. A few years ago, he handed over to his daughter Caroline. Her brother Victor is working on the marketing side, based in Hamburg in the northern part of Germany.

Armin Diel carries several hats. First, he is the senior boss of Schlossgut Diel. Second, he is VDP President of the Nahe region. Third, until very recently he was the co-editor, jointly with Joel B. Payne of the Gault Millau WeinGuide, Germany’s leading wine guide. Fourth, more generally, Armin Diel has built up a reputation as gastronomic and wine journalist since the early 1980’s, and is a member of numerous national and international tasting panels. He has moderated gastronomic TV series, written accompanying books and accompanied culinary wine tours.

Pictures: Reception

Portfolio Presentation

2012 Eierfels Riesling – 50% Goldloch, 50% Burgberg, made from the best grapes of these vineyards that did not go into the Grosses Gewaechs wines, kind of a second wine, fermented and aged in a (large) “Stueckfass”, mineral notes and excellent fruit.

2012 Pittermaennchen Riesling Grosses Gewaechs - Apples, yellow fruits and minerals on the nose, good acidity, elegant, lively on the palate, good length.

2012 Goldloch Riesling Grosses Gewaechs - Apples, lemons and refreshing on the nose, good acidity, lemony and refreshing on the palate, long.

2012 Burgberg Riesling Grosses Gewaechs - Apples, lemons and minerals on the nose, good acidity, lively, elegant, and playful on the palate, long.

Let me quote Terry Theise: “Armin fusses at me that I visit too early for these “serious” wines to be properly appraised. This year he was part-right: Pittermännchen was really mean and phenolic and opaque, but Burgberg while cerebral, was ultra-violet and digital, micro-pixilated, a very dry Riesling of scruple and stature. Though it was just one of three components of the final wine. Goldloch has the most fruit and its few grams of RS are helpful; there’s still a serious interplay of smooth stone and dried apricot, and it will be the grandest of the three.”

Pictures: Portfolio Tasting

During an earlier visit of Schlossgut Diel, I spent some time with Caroline in the famous Grosse Lage vineyards of chlossgut Diel. The vineyard area totals 17 hectares, all located in the commune of Dorsheim, with holdings in the top-rated Burgberg, Goldloch and Pittermännchen sites. “The age of the vines are similar in the three sites, the microclimates are similar in the three sites, only a few meters separate them from one another, yet they are entirely different based on terroir,” said Caroline.

Goldloch: In 1756, the top site Goldloch was first officially named “Im Loch”. In 1819, the name “Goldloch” was registered in the land register. The name allows three interpretations: It is said that gold was found here; further the name could refer to the disappointment of miners who came here to dig for gold but only found ore. Or it refers to the vintners who owned parcels of this excellent site making a fortune with wines that are worth their weight in gold.

The soil consists of a layer of clay over a rocky conglomerate of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic slate rock from the first phase of the perm.

Since its beginnings the Diel Estate has owned parcels of this valuable site. Over generations the Diel family managed to acquire more acreage either through exchange or purchase. Today the Estate owns just over 11 acres (4,5 ha) making it the largest owner of this premium single vineyard site.

Burgberg: This site was officially mentioned for the first time in 1400. Georg von Leyen was given a hillock called the “Burgberg of Dorsheim”. As this hill had neither a castle nor a fortress at the time the name may refer to the steep cliffs on the eastern side that reach a height of up to 60 feet. However a second interpretation exists: The documents of the year 1400 mention a hill that must have included a larger area than the present-day land register. Accordingly, the vineyard site “Goldloch” must have been part of this area. Supposedly, a part of the Dorsheimer Hill – formerly registered by the name Burgberg – was thus a part of the hill belonging to Burg Layen. In the period after 1815 the vineyard site Burgberg became property of the Prussian state. The vineyard often exchanged hands. In 1927 the state-owned Domaine Niederhausen purchased the largest portion of the site until it came into possession of Schlossgut Diel in the 1990s. Today the Estate owns 4,5 acres (1,8 ha) of this top site making it the largest owner of this vineyard site.

Today the Estate owns just over 11 acres (4,5 ha) making it the largest owner of this premium single vineyard site.

Pictures: In the Vineyards with Caroline Diel and Anouk

Pittermännchen: The vineyard Pittermänchen neighbors the site Goldloch and stretches to the Dorsheimer boundaries ending just before Burg Layen. Schlossgut Diel owns 2,5 acres (1 ha) of this prestigious site, making it the smallest member in the exclusive circle of top vinyards of the Estate. The name dates back to the 16th century when a Pittermännchen was a small silver coin and implies that the wines made here were significant value. The soil of the southward aligned site consists of slate with a lots of quartzite and gravel. This combination provides a refreshing mineral note to the subtle racy wines.

Caroline explained: “The Trollbach valley is one of the driest and warmest regions in Germany. The mountain range of the Hunsrück Hills keep most of the rain away. The valley is influenced by warmer temperatures from the upper Rhine valley. Spring and fall get most of the rain. In winter, temperatures rarely drop below 32° Fahrenheit (0°C).”

The cliffs of the Trollbach valley offer harsh conditions for plants. However, it produces most interesting microclimates and habitats. Tresses and draught-resistant moss species in particular, produce acidity that contributes to the erosion of the rocks. In addition, the sun plays an important role. On hot summer days, temperatures on the rocks of Goldloch and Eierfelsen sometimes reach 122 to 140 ° Fahrenheit (50 – 60° C). The rocks that heat up quickly during the day, cool down at night. Strong changes in temperatures of up to 104° Fahrenheit (40°C) are common. This microclimate can be compared to Mediterranean, if not North African conditions. Even after heavy rainfall the well-drained soils dry out just a few days later. The diversity of rare plants is enormous, making this valley a most interesting place for the botanist.

2012 Pinot Blanc Reserve - Bourgogne wines have established themselves as an important component of the Diel wine portfolio. Over the years, the barrique share has increased and the “Stueckfass” share decreased. The 2012 Pinot Blanc Reserve: Notes of pear and apricot on the nose, there is a hint of wood, good structure, lively and refreshing on the palate, long end. Only 3000 to 4000 bottles. Rarity.

2012 Pinot Gris Reserve - Notes of caramel, mocha and ripe yellow fruit on the nose, smoother on the palate than the Pinot Blanc, long finish.

2012 Cuvee Victor - This is a blend of Pinot Gris (30%) and Pinot Blanc (70%). Aged in old “Stueckfass”.

2011 Pinot Noir Caroline - Caroline explained that this is a “back to the roots”, “minimal intervention” wine. Even the pressing was done by feet. No new wood. “Pure fruit approach” as Caroline said.

Let me quote Terry Theise: “We make sure not to pick higher than 95o Oechsle because otherwise you get these marmalade flavors,” says Caroline. Indeed hers is a classic Old World PN, on the cool side and very sophisticated. This `11 is a total sweetheart, sandalwood and soy and a delicate mélange of pink duck breast and 5-spice; sweet tannin and less new oak than before. Only about 3,000 bottles of this are produced annually. Open top fermentation is the preferred method. Mostly all 2nd use barriques are used for aging.”

Lunch

Aperitif: 2006 Dorsheim Goldloch Rieling Brut Schlossgut Diel

Picture: Aperitif

Spinat-Cremesuppe mit geraeucherter Forelle

2011 Schlossgut Diel Eierfels Riesling

Feinstes Kalbsrahmrulasch auf Kraeuterknoepfle und Erbsengemuese

2006 Domaine Meo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Chaumes

Dukatenbuchteln mit Zwetschgen und Vanilleeis

Kaffee

Pictures: Lunch

Poet’s Leap Riesling from Washington State

The Diels not only make wine in the Nahe Valley, but also in Washington State: The Poet’s Leap Riesling is one of the best American Rieslings currently on the market produced in a joint venture at Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla in Washington State. Long Shadows in Walla Walla has become, in a short time, one of the premier wineries in Washington State. It is an unusual set up: Former Simson-Lane CEO Allen Shoup works with renowned winemakers from around the world for this venture. Each winemaker produces a single wine using Washington State fruit and resident winemaker Gilles Nicault assists them to shepherd all of the wines along at Long Shadows in Walla Walla.

Pictures: With Resident Winemaker Gilles Nicault at Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla in Washington State

Schiller Wine - Related Postings

Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany

President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao

Visiting Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington State - Where Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is Made, USA

Terry Theise: 2012 Vintage Wines - Highlights and Superlatives, Germany

Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

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

Amerikanische Whiskey Hersteller in Deutschland

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Bild: Chris Morris, Master Distiller von Brown-Forman und Woodford Reserve, Kentucky und Dan Garrison, Garrison Brothers Distillery Texas, bei dem Empfang und Pressebriefing in Berlin

Achtzehn amerikanische Spirituosenhersteller – die meisten davon Mikro Distillerien und Whiskey Produzenten – in Deutschland

Achtzehn amerikanische Spirituosenhersteller – die meisten davon Mikro Distillerien und Whiskey Produzenten – sind im Oktober dieses Jahres nach Deutschland gekommen, um ihre Produkte hier bekannt(er) zu machen. Stationen waren Frankfurt, Düsseldorf und Berlin.

Bild: Chris Morris, Master Distiller von Brown-Forman und Woodford Reserve, Kentucky, bei einer Whiskey Probe mit Abendessen im Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main

Bild: Chris Morris, Master Distiller von Brown-Forman und Woodford Reserve, Kentucky, Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser in Oestrich-Winkle, und Frank Coleman, Senior Vice-President, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, beim Weingut August Eser auf dem Weg von Frankfurt nach Duesseldorf

Bild: Asbach Uralt Probe in Ruedesheim mit Asbach Uralt Geschaeftsfuehrer Christopher Dellee und Chris Morris, Master Distiller von Brown-Forman und Woodford Reserve, Kentucky

Angeführt wurde die Gruppe von Frank Coleman, dem Chef des Unternehmerverbandes “Distilled Spirits Council of the United States” (DISCUS). Der unbestrittene Star der Gruppe war Chris Morris, der Master Distiller von Brown-Forman und Woodford Reserve aus Kentucky. Er ist der siebte seiner Zunft seit der Gründung von Brown-Forman in 1870. Die anderen Produzenten waren kleinere und mittelgrosse Hersteller, wie etwa der sympathische Don Garrison, Garrison Brothers Distillery, Texas, der auf dem deutschen Markt Fuss fassen möchte. “In den letzten zehn Jahren ist auf dem deutschen Markt für amerikanische Spirituosen, insbesondere Whiskey, eine Umsatzsteigerung von 84% zu verzeichnen”, sagte Frank Coleman.

Bild: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy Wine Tours and Public Relations, und Philip E. Prichard, Prichards' Distillery, Tennessee, in Berlin. Die Whiskey Tour wurde organisiert von Annette Schiller und ihrem Team

Bar Convent Berlin

In Berlin musste der Empfang und das Pressebriefing in der amerikanischen Botschaft mit dem Botschafter leider kurzfristig umorganisiert und in ein Berliner Hotel verlegt werden – wegen der amerikanischen Budgetkrise. Das tat jedoch dem Erfolg der Veranstaltung keinen Abbruch. Der Schwerpunkt in Berlin war der Bar Convent Berlin (BCB) am 7. und 8. Oktober. Hier war der “Distilled Spirits Council of the United States” mit einem eigenen Stand vertreten, der den amerikanischen Spirituosen Produzenten hervorragende Möglichkeiten bot, ihre Produkte dem Fachpublikum vorzustellen. Alle amerikanischen Produzenten waren sehr zufrieden und viele wollen nächstes Jahr wiederkommen. Der Bar Convent Berlin hat sich seit seiner Gründung vor sieben Jahren zu einer der wichtigsten Plattformen für die Bar und Spirituosen Branche in Deutschland
entwickelt.

Bild: Der DISCUS Stand beim Bar Convent Berlin

Bild: Der DISCUS Stand beim Bar Convent Berlin

Bild: Frank Coleman wird photographiert

Bild: Christian G.E. Schiller beim Bar Convent Berlin

Bild: Die "Macher" des Bar Convent Berlin

Whiskey Probe mit Chris Morris im "Im Schiffchen" in Duesseldorf

Den vier Tagen in Berlin waren Veranstaltungen mit Frank Coleman und Chris Morris in Frankfurt und Düsseldorf vorausgegangen. In Düsseldorf hatte der Falstaff im “Im Schiffchen” eine Whiskey Probe mit Abendessen organisiert. Chris Morris führte durch eine unterhaltsame und lehrreiche Probe mit vier völlig unterschiedlichen amerikanischen Whiskeys. Ziel der Probe war es, einen breiten Überblick über die Welt der amerikanischen Whiskeys zu geben und das ist Chris Morris gut gelungen:

Bilder: Whiskey Probe im "Im Schiffchen"

Knob Creek Rye Whiskey - Der Rye Whiskey (auf Roggen basierend) ist die ursprüngliche Variante des amerikanischen Whiskeys, der zuerst vor allem in Maryland und Pennsylvania an der Ostküste produziert wurde. Rye Whiskey erlebt gerade wieder einen Aufschwung in den USA, nachdem er zwischenzeitlich an Bedeutung verloren hatte. Ein Rye Whiskey muss zu mehr als die Hälfte auf Roggen basieren. Rye Whiskeys sind prinzipiell würziger als Bourbon Whiskeys.

Woodford Reserve, Bourbon Whiskey - Dieser Whiskey wird in Kentucky produziert, wo die meisten amerikanischen Whiskey Destillerien angesiedelt sind. Ein Bourbon Whiskey muss zu mehr als die Hälfte auf Mais basieren. “Bourbon ist die amerikanische Interpretation des Whiskeys unserer Vorväter aus Schottland, Irland und Deutschland” sagte Chris Morris. Bourbon kann überall in Amerika hergestellt werden. Die besten kommen allerdings aus Kentucky. Woodford Reserve ist der Premium Bourbon Whiskey von Brown Foreman.

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Tennessy Whiskey - Wie der Name verrät, wird dieser Whiskey in Tennessy hergestellt. Ein Tennessy Whiskey unterscheidet sich von einem Bourbon Whiskey nur darin, dass er zusätzlich über Holzkohle gefiltert wird, was ihn weicher macht als den Bourbon. Ein “Single Barrel” stammt aus einem individuellen Fass (und ist kein Verschnitt aus vielen Fässern).

Wild Turkey American Honey - Dies ist ein Likör, der aus Bourbon Whiskey und Honig hergestellt wird - ein Beispiel für die Experimentierfreudigkeit der amerikanischen Whiskey Produzenten.

Im Anschluss an die Whiskey Probe wurden wir mit einem exzellenten Vier-Gänge Menu verwöhnt. Um beim Thema “Amerika” zu bleiben, wurden Weine von Walter Schug aus Carneros in Kalifornien gereicht. Walter Schug, in Assmannshausen im Rheingau geboren, gilt für viele als der Vater des amerikanischen Pinot Noirs. Den Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey probierten wir zum Schluss mit dem Kaffee und Petit Fours.

Bilder: Chef Jean-Claude Bourgueil, Im Schiffchen, und Ursula Haslauer Deutschland-Geschäftsführerin vom Falstaff

Es war ein grandioser Abend und wird allen, die dabei waren, als eine äusserst gelungene Symbiose von deutschen und amerikanischen Leckerbissen in Erinnerung bleiben.

Der Artikel ist in kuerzerer Form und mit anderen Bildern am 15.10.2013 von Falstaff-online veroeffentlicht worden: Falstaff.de

http://www.falstaff.de/lifestyleartikel/amerikanische-whiskey-hersteller-in-deutschland-6933.html

Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg – A Profile, Germany

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Pictures: Ernst Dautel, Christian Dautel and Christian Schiller at Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg

I visited Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg and tasted wines with Ernst and Christian Dautel. The visit was part of a Wuerttemberg trip organized by the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim.

See:
Touring (and Visiting 4 Wineries in) the Württemberg Wine Region (Zabergäu), Germany

The German Wine Guide Eichelmann lists Weingut Dautel in the top group of 25 wineries with 5 stars. Since 2005, the Gault Millau WeinGuide lists Weingut Dautel in the group with 4 grapes (with 5 grapes being the maximum).

See also:
Germany’s Best Winemakers (5 Stars) - Eichelmann WeinGuide 2013

Wine Region Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 German states that make up Germany. Baden-Wuerttemberg is one of the growth centers of Germany due to its booming export industries. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are prime examples. Baden-Württemberg comprises two wine growing areas, Baden and Württemberg.

Wine from Württemberg is mainly red wine. The main production area is along the Neckar River between Stuttgart and Heilbronn. There are also vineyards on Lake Constance that belong to Württemberg.

Pictures: Weingut Dautel

More wine is consumed here (per capita) than anywhere else in Germany - actually twice as much as in the rest of Germany. The German poet Friedrich von Schiller wrote already several centuries ago: “A Württemberger without wine--is that a real Württemberger?”

The Trollinger is the most popular variety, which is grown almost exclusively in Württemberg. It is a nice table wine that goes well with the local food. If you are looking for a premium wine, Lemberger (known as Blaufränkisch in Austria and Kékfrankos in its Hungarian homeland) is the grape variety to go for. The Lemberger made by Weingut Dautel and Weingut Wachstetter, which we had during the tour, can compete with the best red wines in the world.

With 11,000 hectares under vine, Württemberg is Germany's fourth largest wine region. Winemaking cooperatives are very common in Württemberg, number around 70, and are responsible for almost 75% of the region's production.

Pictures: Ernst Dautel

Wines from Württemberg are hard to find in the US. This is partly explained by the production structure, which is dominated by co-operatives. These co-operatives are known for producing top class wines. But they tend to be less aggressive in terms of penetrating new markets.

See also:
Wine region: Baden and Württemberg, Germany
A “Viertele” of Schillerwein at Weinhaus Stetter in Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, Germany

Weingut Dautel

Weingut Dautel is in Bönnigheim and run by Ernst and Christian Dautel. Ernst Dautel is in his mid-60s. He just transferred formal ownership of the winery to his son Christian, who studied at Geisenheim Collegue and after a number of internships around the world is ready to take over. Ernst Dautel also studied at Geisenheim in the 1970s and then took over from his parents, who had previously delivered their grapes to the local cooperative. In the 1970s, it was a very small operation with just 1 hectare of vines. Since then, Ernst Dautel has expanded to 10.5 hectares of vineyards, all on the eastern extension of the Stromberg hill.

Pictures: Ernst and Hannelore Dautel and Annette and Christian Schiller

Right from the beginning, Ernst Dautel went his own way. He was one of the first in Germany to ferment and age his red wine in barriques. Also, in the 1990s, he was one of the first winemakers to produce premium blends in Germany, such as the „Kreation Rot“, while Wuerttemberg was and still is dominated by single variety wines. Also, in 1988 he started to plant Chardonnay and other international grape varieties in Germany, which was very rare at the time.

Today, red grapes account for 60%, including Lemberger, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Samtrot, and white grapes account for 40%, including Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. This represent - compared with the rest of Wuerttemberg - a high share of white wines.

As a member of the VDP, Weingut Dautel is classifying its wines according to the new VDP classification (Gutswein, Ortswein, Erste Lage Wein and Grosse Lage Wein). But there are still elements of his previous classification (1 to 4 stars). Four star wines were wines aged for 2 years in barrique.

Pictures: Ernst Dautel with Annette and Christian Schiller

Vineyard

In the vineyard, Ernst Dautel explained, he is moving to organic vine growing. He has gone a long way but is not yet there. He practices natural vegetation and integrated use of beneficial insects for pest control.

Pictures: The 2 Christians - Dautel and Schiller

The Bönnigheim Sonnenberg: About 1200 years ago the vineyards of Bönnigheim were officially denoted for very nutrient trassic formations in the soil. The grounds are made up of pied clay, red sandstone, and gipsum trassic. Mainly grapes for fully developed vines are maturating here. These rich grapes guarantee great maturating capabilities with a long durability.

The Besigheimer Wurmberg: The shell lime terrace grounds at the southern slope of the Wurberg lay at the shore of the river Enz. With dryly set off supporting walls it was possible to build nearly horizontally leveled terraces. They provide an advantageous microclimate, which saves up a lot of humidity for a long time and releases the heat absorbed during day in the night. The rich in minerals shell lime ground generates very finess enriched and filigree wines.

Cellar

In the cellar, Weingut Dautel follows a minimal intervention approach. Pumping and filtratings is kept to a minimum. The wine is made in stainless steel tanks, large wood casks (“Stueckfaesser”) and small barrique barrels, depending on the wine.

Pictures: Ernst Dautel with Helmut Seufert and Christian Schiller

Ernst Dautel: “The basis for our strong and characterful red wines is a long, classic maceration. Because of their nice tannic structure, our red wines age very well. For our 4 star wines, the maceration is followed by barrel aging for almost two years, which contributes to a harmonious integration of the oak note. As for the white wines, preserving the flavors and the fine acidity are important for us. A long aging on the lees provides the finesse that characterizes our white wines. You can discover the art of "assemblage in our two white wine blends and their two red wine cuvée partners. A perfect combination of the individual notes of the different grape varieties in the blend is the secret of these great wines.”


Picture: Ernst Dautel

Wine Portfolio

Estate Wines (Gutsweine)
2012 Rose trocken
2012 Charmeur Weißweincuvée, trocken
2012 Riesling trocken
2012 Weißburgunder trocken
2011 Trollinger Terrassenlage trocken
2012 Spätburgunder trocken
2011 Lemberger trocken
2011 Jakob D. Rotweincuvée, trocken
2011 Riesling Sekt Brut

Ortsweine
2012 Riesling Gipskeuper trocken
2012 Weissburgunder Gipskeuper trocken
2011 Spätburgunder Schilfsandstein trocken
2011 Lemberger Gipskeuper trocken


Lagen- und Selektionsweine
2012 Kreation Weiss -S- trocken
2012 Riesling Besigheimer Wurmberg trocken
2011 Riesling GG "Grübenstein" trocken
2011 Chardonnay -S- trocken
2011 Weißburgunder -S- trocken
2010 Spätburgunder Bönnigheimer Sonnenberg **** trocken
2009 Lemberger trocken
2009 Zweigelt -S- trocken
2009 Merlot -S- trocken
2009 Lemberger -S- trocken
2010 Spätburgunder GG "Kalkschupen" trocken
2010 Lemberger GG "St. Michaelsfeder" trocken
2009 Kreation Rot -S- trocken
2012 Gewürztraminer Auslese Bönnigheimer Sonnenberg


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