Annette and I had our first sundowner of 2023 on our front deck in McLean, Northern Virginia (in the Greater Washington Dc area).

We started with saucisson sec and a Champagne Vignobles Gonet-Médeville premier cru brut on the front deck, followed by Virginia oysters on the half-shell and seafood pasta, with an 2014 - almost 10 years old - ultra-premium German bone-dry RieslingGG Grand Cru Grosses Gewächs Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt from the Mosel.

We finished the evening with some jazz and a red wine from Austria: 2019 Weingut Jalits, Blaufraenkisch, Burgenland.

Champagne Vignobles Gonet-Médeville Premier Cru Brut

We started with saucisson sec and a Champagne Vignobles Gonet-Médeville premier cru brut on the front deck.

We continued in the kitchen, Annette preparing the seafood pasta and I chucking and eating 12 oysters from Virginia. 

Seafood Pasta with Mussels and Scallops

2014 Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, GG, Grosses Gewächs, Riesling

For 3 decades, until her intimely death in 2016, the Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Estate was owned and run by Annegret Reh-Gartner. During the 2014 Germany tour by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours - 2 years before her death - we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the caste with her and her husband Gerhard.

Gerhard Gartner died 3 years after her. He was a key figure of the so called nouvelle cuisine movement in Germany and cooked at the Gala in Aachen from 1978 to 1992, for more than 10 years at the 2-star Michelin level.

Nouvelle cuisine is an approach to cooking and food presentation in French cuisine. In contrast to cuisine classique, an older form of haute cuisine, nouvelle cuisine is characterized by lighter, more delicate dishes and an increased emphasis on presentation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the food critic Henri Gault, who invented the phrase, and his colleagues André Gayot and Christian Millau in a new restaurant guide, the Gault-Millau.

See. Lunch and Wine Tasting at Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt in Morscheid, Mosel with Owner Annegret Reh-Gartner – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014) http://schiller-wine.blogspot.com/2015/04/lunch-and-wine-tasting-at-weingut.html 

Pictures: Wine Tasting at Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt in Morscheid

After-dinner Jazz

Erroll Garner in Carmel, California, in 1956 and Weingut JalitsBlaufraenkisch, Burgenland, Austria, 2019.

We will visit Weingut Jalits on the forthcoming ombiasy WineTour to Austria and will have lunch there. 

See: A not-to-be-missed Wine & Culture Tour to Austria: May 28 - June 08, 2023 http://schiller-wine.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-not-to-be-missed-wine-culture-tour-to.html 

Annette and I went on a pre-tour to Austria earlier this year in January.

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ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

Announcement: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023

Announcement: The Wine, Concert, and History Tour - Germany-East 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - Monday, June 19 - Thursday, June 29, 2023 

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Maison Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône: Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Tour - Rhône Valley Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Cellar Master Jean Christoph - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting with Daniel Wagner at Weingut Wagner-Stempel (VDP) in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting with Helmut Dönnhoff and Sascha Johannes Schömel at Weingut Dönnhoff (VDP) in Oberhausen, Nahe - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA 

Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List

The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference December 2021

Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France

Carl Willner, Christian Schiller and Ken Bensley of the German Wine Society/ Washington DC Chapter (Re-)elected to the National Board, USA, Germany 

The American Wine Society National Conference 2022 in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State - Seen through Christian Schiller`s Camera Lens

The End of the "Grosslage" in Germany - Seminar about the new German Wine Law of 2022 at the 2022 American Wine Society National Conference in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State, led by Annette Schiller

Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists

2022 Holiday Party of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC Downtown, USA/ Germany

All Sorts of Sparklers: How do the Bubbles get into that Bottle? - Tasting at the American Wine Society (NoVa Chapter) led by Annette Schiller 

Germany's Weingut Künstler #2 on James Suckling's List of the Top 100 Wines of the World (2022)

The New German Wine Law of 2021 - Tasting at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), presented by Annette Schiller

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Der Feinschmecker, the leading German wine and food journal, presented its new ranking of the German wine scene. The Feinschmecker awarded 25 winemakers in Germany 5 F's, its top ranking.

For previous years see:

Germany's 25 Top (5/5) Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2023 

Germany’s 21 Top (5/5) Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2019/20
Germany’s Top 21 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2018/2019
Germany’s Top 19 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2017/2018
Germany’s Top 22 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2016/2017
Germany’s Top 20 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2015
Germany’s Top 19 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2014
Germany's Top 18 Winemakers - Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2013
Germany's Top 16 Winemakers - Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2012
Germany's Top 16 Winemakers - Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2011
Germany's 15 Top Winemakers - The Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2010

Top 25 Winemakers

Here are those winemakers that got the maximum number of 5 F's, grouped by wine region.

5 winemakers were added to 5/5 group: 

Weingut Salwey

Weingut Willi Schäfer

Weingut Philipp Kuhn

Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier

Weingut Kühling-Gillot

Compared to the 2019/20 Guide, the last Der Feinschmecker Guide I have reported about on this blog, on a net basis the number increased by 4, reflecting 4 deletions and 8 additions.

The 4 deletions are:

Weingut Meyer-Näkel

Weingut Horst Sauer

Weingut Bassermann-Jordan

Weingut Künstler

The 8 additions are.

Weingut Aldinger

Weingut Christmann

Weingut Peter Jakob-Kühn 

Weingut Salwey

Weingut Willi Schäfer

Weingut Philipp Kuhn

Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier

Weingut Kühling-Gillot

AHR

Pictures: Dinner with Sebastian Fürst and Julian Huber. See: Winemaker Dinner with Chef/ King of Spices Ingo Holland and Sebastian Fürst (Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken), Julian Huber (Weingut Bernhard Huber, Baden) and Jérôme Legras (Champagne Legras & Haas) 

Salwey

Weingut Salwey
41 hectares
40% Spätburgunder, 40% Grauburgunder

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Salwey in Oberrotweil, Kaiserstuhl, Baden, with Benno Salwey – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

FRANKEN

Rudolf Fürst

Weingut Rudolf Fürst 

Spätburgunder and Frühburgunder 60% 

20 hectares

Pictures: Paul Fürst, Annette Schiller, Sebastian Fürst and Christian Schiller at Weingut Rudolf Fürst. See: Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken – Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Sebastian Fürst, Weingut Fürst, Franken, at Schaumahl, Offenbach/ Frankfurt, 16 Points Gault Millau, Germany

Pictures: Dinner with Sebastian Fürst and Julian Huber. See: Winemaker Dinner with Chef/ King of Spices Ingo Holland and Sebastian Fürst (Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Franken), Julian Huber (Weingut Bernhard Huber, Baden) and Jérôme Legras (Champagne Legras & Haas)

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

Dr. Loosen

Weingut Dr. Loosen

55 hectares
400.000 bottles

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

100% Riesling

 

Nik Weis - Sankt Urbans-Hof

Weingut Nik Weis - St. Urbans-Hof
42 hectares
250.000 bottles

Picture: Annette Schiller, Thomas Haag with his Son (Weingut Schloss Lieser) and Stephen Bitterolf at the 2017 Rieslingfeier in NYC. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA

NAHE

Dönnhoff

Weingut H. Dönnhoff
28 hectares
180.000 bottles

Pictures: Tasting with Helmut Dönnhoff and Sascha Johannes Schömel at Weingut Dönnhoff (VDP) in Oberhausen, Nahe - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich in Bockenau, Nahe - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

PFALZ

Christmann

Steffen&Sofie Christmann

17 hectares

Picture: Stephan Knipser, Sebastian Fürst and Christian Schiller at the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 Award Ceremony. See: Germany’s Best Winemakers and Wines – Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 Awards: The Award Ceremony in Mainz, Germany  

Philipp Kuhn

Weingut Philipp Kuhn

49 hectares

Pictures: A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA

Peter Jakob Kühn

Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn
20 hectares
90% Risling

Robert Weil

Weingut Robert Weil
90 hectares
650.000 bottles

Picture: Christian Schiller and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, Tasting at Weingut Weil. See: Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

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

RHEINHESSEN

Battenfeld-Spanier

Weingut Kühling-Gillot and Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier are jointly owned and run by Carolin Spanier-Gillot and H.O. Spanier. While H.O. Spanier is focussing more on the vineyard and cellar work, Carolin Spanier-Gillot is focussing more on the marketing and administrative work for both estates.

See pictures of Weingut Kühling-Gillot below.

Klaus Keller

Weingut Keller
18 hectares.
100.000 bottles

Picture: Annette Schiller,Julia and Klaus Peter Keller at the 2015 Rieslingfeier in New York, see: A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA

Kühling-Gillot

Weingut Kühling-Gillot
15 hectares
60% Riesling, 25% Spätburgnder

Pictures: At a Tasting in Bodenheim at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot. See: The Wine Maker Couple H.O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, with Roland Gillot, Lead Wine Tasting of Kuehling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot, Germany

Wittmann

Weingut Wittmann
28 hectares
70% Riesling, 30% Pinot (Noir, Blanc, Gris) 

Saale-Unstrut

None

Sachsen

None

Württemberg

Aldinger

Weingut Aldinger
29 hectares
30% Riesling, 15% Lemberger, 15% Spätburgunder

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Aldinger in Fellbach (Stuttgart), with Matthias Aldinger - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

schiller-wine: Related Postings 

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ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

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Announcement: The Wine, Concert, and History Tour - Germany-East 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - Monday, June 19 - Thursday, June 29, 2023 

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2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA 

Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List

The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference December 2021

Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France

Carl Willner, Christian Schiller and Ken Bensley of the German Wine Society/ Washington DC Chapter (Re-)elected to the National Board, USA, Germany 

The American Wine Society National Conference 2022 in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State - Seen through Christian Schiller`s Camera Lens

The End of the "Grosslage" in Germany - Seminar about the new German Wine Law of 2022 at the 2022 American Wine Society National Conference in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State, led by Annette Schiller

Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists

2022 Holiday Party of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC Downtown, USA/ Germany

All Sorts of Sparklers: How do the Bubbles get into that Bottle? - Tasting at the American Wine Society (NoVa Chapter) led by Annette Schiller 

Germany's Weingut Künstler #2 on James Suckling's List of the Top 100 Wines of the World (2022)

King Charles and the Queen Consort attended a state dinner at Schloss Bellevue presidential palace in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. It was King Charles's first state dinner as King.

The royal couple was visiting Germany for the King's first overseas trip since he became monarch.

The dinner was held at Schloss Bellevue, a palatial 18th Century former royal residence in Berlin that now serves as the presidential home.

Among the guests were former Chancellor Angela Merkel, dancer Motsi Mabuse and Canpino, the Anglo-German lead singer of best-selling punk band Die Toten Hosen.

They dined on marinated carp and watercress, chicken and mushroom with a blackberry malt reduction and a prune and black tea desert, washed down by three different wines or non-alcoholic cocktails.

The King gave a warm and witty speech recalling fond memories of beerhalls and Bavarian sausage as he and the Queen Consort attended the banquet in Berlin.

Which Wines were Poured?

Only German wines were poured, 3 sparkling wines and 3 still wines, white, red and sweet.

2017 Weingut Mohr, Pinot brut, Lorch, Rheingau

Weingut Mohr is a "no-name", environmentally conscious small winemaker in the western part of the Rheingau, owned in the fourth generation by Jochen Neher and his Turkish wife Saynur Sonkaya-Neher.

2015 Sekthaus Wegeler, Geheimrat „J“, Oestrich, Rheingau 

A quintessential Rheingau Rieslingsekt of Weingüter Wegeler.

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

2015 Weingut Stigler Pinot brut, Ihringen, Baden

Weingut Stigler was founded in Ihringen in 1881. Today, it is run by the fourth generation of the founding family, Andreas and Regina Stigler. Their 12 hectares are situated primarily in the sites Ihringer Winklerberg, Freiburger Schlossberg, and Oberrotweiler Eichberg. From the 18th century to the end of the second world war, the Stiglers were also restaurateurs in the old post house as well as the large restaurant in the Freiburg train station. 

See: Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Stigler, Baden, with Andreas, Regina and Max Stigler - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

White

2003 Weingut Domdechant Werner, Hochheimer Kirchenstück, Riesling Spätlese trocken, Rheingau 

A 10-year old Spätlese from a grand cru vineyard fully fermented to dryness. Under the new German wine law of 2021, Spätlese trocken does not exist anymore. This wine would be labelled as GG Grosses Gewächs.

The Brits call German wines "Hock", which is the shortened form of "Hochheim", the village were this wine comes from. 

See: The New German Wine Law of 2021 - Tasting at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), presented by Annette Schiller

Red 

2013 Weingut Kühling-Gillot, Oppenheimer Kreuz, Spätburgunder trocken, Rheinhessen 

Red wine accounts to almost 40% of German wine, reflecting a variety of factors, including climate change.

Weingut Kühling-Gillot, owned and run by Carolin Spanier-Gillot and H.O. Spanier, is a top 10 producer in Germany. 

See: Tasting with Carolin Spanier-Gillot, Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot, in Hohen-Sülzen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Sweet Wine

2019 Ahr 7, Spätburgunder, Ahr 

An unusual wine. A wine made like a port wine with the grapes of 7 VDP producers in the Ahr valley: Weingut Nelles-Heimersheim, Weingut J.J. Adeneuer-Ahrweiler, Deutzerhof-Mayschoß,
H.J. Kreuzberg-Dernau, Meyer-Näkel-Dernau, Weingut Burggarten-Heppigen & Jean Stodden-Rech

schiller-wine: Related Postings 

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ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

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Announcement: The Wine, Concert, and History Tour - Germany-East 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - Monday, June 19 - Thursday, June 29, 2023 

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Cellar Tour and Tasting with Daniel Wagner at Weingut Wagner-Stempel (VDP) in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting with Helmut Dönnhoff and Sascha Johannes Schömel at Weingut Dönnhoff (VDP) in Oberhausen, Nahe - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA 

Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List

The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference December 2021

Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France

Carl Willner, Christian Schiller and Ken Bensley of the German Wine Society/ Washington DC Chapter (Re-)elected to the National Board, USA, Germany 

The American Wine Society National Conference 2022 in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State - Seen through Christian Schiller`s Camera Lens

The End of the "Grosslage" in Germany - Seminar about the new German Wine Law of 2022 at the 2022 American Wine Society National Conference in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State, led by Annette Schiller

Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists

2022 Holiday Party of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC Downtown, USA/ Germany

All Sorts of Sparklers: How do the Bubbles get into that Bottle? - Tasting at the American Wine Society (NoVa Chapter) led by Annette Schiller 

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A Journey through Bourgogne with Louis Jadot: Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, and Thibaud Marquis, Louis Jadot, presented 5 wines of Louis Jadot at the weekly tasting of the Washington Wine and Cheese Seminar (WWCS), ranging from regional wines to ultra-premium single vineyard wines, white and red. The wines were well received and the presentation highly appreciated by about 75 interested participants.

We will visit Louis Jadot soon on the forthcoming Bourgogne and Champagne Tour by ombiasy WineTours. Hopefully Thibault will be there at the time and can be our host.

See: Announcement: Burgundy and Champagne 2023: 12-day Total Immersion - From Lyon to Paris by ombiasy WineTours http://schiller-wine.blogspot.com/2023/01/burgundy-and-champagne-2023-from-lyon.html

The tour is fully booked (12 participants).

Announcement

Next Tuesday, March 28, we will have our first tasting in a long time of wines from Burgundy. Annette Schiller, who presented wines from Austria in February, is back to bring us these wines.  She will be accompanied by Thibaud Marquis, the manager of the Louis Jadot portfolio in the United States. Annette has worked very hard to bring us these wines at a price the class can afford.

Burgundy is one of the world’s best-known wine areas producing some of the world’s most sought-after wines which achieve dizzying prices on the world market. But perhaps Burgundy is one of the least understood wine regions.

Burgundy is the most terroir-oriented region in France. Immense attention is paid to the area of origin, as opposed to Bordeaux, where classifications are producer-driven and awarded to individual châteaux. In Burgundy a specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of the owner or producer. Secularization during Napoleonic times and the Napoleonic inheritance law led to a subdivision of even the most precious vineyards so that some growers hold only a row or two of vines. Clos de Vougeot for example is a vineyard of 130 acres today parceled into plots owned by 80 different owners. This led to the emergence of wine merchants, the “ Négociants" who aggregate the produce of many growers to make a single wine. In Burgundy it is easily recognizable on the label if the wine is produced from purchased fruit or from estate grown fruit. If the fruit is purchased, the label says: “Maison” followed by the name of the winery. If the fruit is estate grown, the label says: “Domaine” followed by the name of the winery.

Burgundy with its 80,000 acres under vine represents just 3% of of the French vineyard surface area. The core of the Burgundy region is divided into five appelations from north to south: Chablis, a predominantly white wine region; Côte de Nuits, predominantly red with the world-famous Grands Crus such as La Tache, Romanée Conti, Clos de Vougeot, etc; Côte de Beaune, red and white, including the world’s most expensive white wine, the Grand Cru Montrachet as well as the famous Grand Cru Charlemagne. Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune together form the so called ‘Côte d’Or’, where the Grand Crus are located. Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais follow further south and transition into the Beaujolais. According to the French land registry Beaujolais belongs to the Burgundy region. When we talk about Burgundy here I am referring to the 5 core regions. Nearly all white Burgundy is Chardonnay with only 6% Aligoté planted. Red Burgundy is almost 100% Pinot Noir, with a small amount of Gamay. There also is 3% ‘Passetoutgrain’, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. 

Burgundy has a 2000 year long history of winemaking. Since the 9-hundreds AD Cistercian monks worked the soils in Burgundy acquiring viticultural knowledge which brought winemaking to a different quality level. Cistercian monks were also instrumental in spreading the art of winemaking to other parts in Europe.  

During next Tuesday’s tasting we will have 5 wines from Louis Jadot - 2 Chardonnays and 3 Pinot Noirs from the different Burgundy regions. Louis Jadot is an iconic estate with an iconic logo - the Bachus head. Founded in 1859 Louis Jadot has become one of the most trusted and revered wine houses in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. Louis Jadot produces wines under the “Maison Louis Jadot” label as well as “Domaine” labels. They own 528 acres of vineyards, including 280 acres of the Cote d’Or’s most prestigious Premier and Grand Cru plots. 

The Wines

Announcement: Burgundy and Champagne 2023: 12-day Total Immersion - From Lyon to Paris by ombiasy WineTours 

The last Burgundy and Champagne Tour by ombiasy WineTours took place in 2018.

See:

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

The next Burgundy and Champagne Tour by ombiasy WineTours will take place in July 2023. The tour is fully booked.

See:

Announcement: Burgundy and Champagne 2023: 12-day Total Immersion - From Lyon to Paris by ombiasy WineTours

Our way of traveling allows wine lovers to fully experience the greater Burgundy area and to get a good idea about Champagne making. What comes to your mind, when you hear ‘Burgundy’? First class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; ancient history; world-renowned vineyards; Cistercian monks; 1000 year old abbeys; quaint small wine villages; the Hospice de Beaune; good cuisine. All this applies and we will explore in detail these different aspects during our tour through Burgundy and the Champagne region. 

We start in vibrant, cool, sophisticated Lyon, the capital of Haut Cuisine, travel through Beaujolais, and work our way up to the north - nothing else makes sense, since we all want the suspense finishing with the famous 'Grand Cru' regions - visiting the Mâconnais, the Côte Chalonnaise, traveling through the most famous white wine vineyards in the Côte de Beaune, to the world famous red wine vineyards in the Côte de Nuits, to Chablis and finally crossing into the Champagne region, and spending the last two nights in the world's capital of bubblies - Épernay. 

The tour ends in Paris. We will travel through beautiful vine-ribboned countryside dotted with witnesses of the great history of the Burgundy and Champagne region. 

schiller-wine: Related Postings 

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ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

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Announcement: The Wine, Concert, and History Tour - Germany-East 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - Monday, June 19 - Thursday, June 29, 2023 

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Dear friends,

I just received this invite from the German Embassy and I would like to make you aware of it. Well-known author Thomas Brussig was born in the GDR, lived through the fall of the Iron Curtain and saw the world change. His books are satirical novels about living in the GDR and the transitional periods.

His books are particularly interesting for those who join me on the upcoming wine tour in late June from Berlin to Frankfurt. We start the tour learning about the divided city Berlin and later we visit many wineries in the two German wine regions that once were in the former GDR and we will hear their stories.

This invite is not a general invite. It is a personal one for me and Christian. If someone is interested in attending this event, please let me know. We can sign you up as our guest. 

Best Annette

The German Embassy Washington and German Historical Institute

present a bilingual book reading

The Short End of the Sonnenallee

with author Thomas Brussig

Wednesday, April 19 at 6:30 pm (doors open @6 pm)

Carl Schurz Auditorium, German Embassy Washington

4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

Thomas Brussig’s classic German novel, The Short End of the Sonnenallee (Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee), is finally available to an American audience in a pitch-perfect translation by Jonathan Franzen and Jenny Watson.

A moving and miraculously comic story of life in East Berlin before the fall of the Wall, The Short End of the Sonnenallee confounds the stereotypes of life in totalitarian East Germany. Brussig’s novel is a funny, charming tale of adolescents being adolescents, a portrait of a surprisingly warm community enduring in the shadow of the Iron Curtain.

As Franzen writes in his foreword, the book is “a reminder that, even when the public realm becomes a nightmare, people can still privately manage to preserve their humanity, and be silly, and forgive.”

Thomas Brussig, born in Berlin in 1964, had his breakthrough in 1995 with the novel Helden wie wir. This was followed by Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee (1999), Wie es leuchtet (2004) and the musical Hinterm Horizont (2011), among others. His works have been translated into 30 languages. Thomas Brussig is the only living German writer who has reached an audience of millions with his literary work as well as with feature films and stage work. Most recently, he published the novels Das gibts in keinem Russenfilm(2015) and Beste Absichten (2017). He has received several awards and prizes, is a member of various juries, and is a founding member of the Lübeck "Group 05".

A reception with light refreshments follows the bilingual book reading. Copies of The Short End of the Sonnenallee will be available for sale (Apple Pay, credit/debit cards; no cash) and signing by Thomas Brussig. This event is presented by the German Embassy Washington in cooperation with the German Historical Institute, Washington, DC.

Please RSVP on Eventbrite by Friday, April 14

• This invitation is valid for you and one guest.
• Please bring a photo ID.
• Admission on a first-come, first-served basis
• Street parking is available

The Wine, Concert, and History Tour - Germany-East 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - Monday, June 19 - Thursday, June 29, 2023 

 

Pictures from the last Germany-East (Berlin to Frankfurt) Tour:

 

 

 

Annette and I enjoyed a great dinner at Rosemary Bistro Cafe, with Marlene and Charles Bearfighter Reddoor.

Rosemary Bistro Cafe: "Building atop of French-based cuisine, Rosemary  is a multicultural restaurant representative of the dynamism and fluidity of  D.C. Our food lives dichotomously – both vibrant and delicate, with fresh ingredients  combined for a robust sensory experience. Please join us for a cozy, enriching dining experience." 

Rosemary Bistro Cafe, a French neighborhood bistro, is the new venture of Owner/ Chef Frederic Darricarrere. Frederic hails from Bayonne in the South/ West of France. He used to own and run Petits Plats at Woodley Park with his sister for 20 years and before that cooked at Bistro Lepic on Wisconsin Avenue, were Annette and I like to go for a small bite, a glass of wine and live Jazz on Wednesday nights. 

Rosemary Bistro Cafe is located on Connecticut Avenue, opposite of Buck's Fishing & Camping. 

Rosemary Bistro Cafe made it to the list of Tom Sietsema's 7 favorite places to eat in April 2022. Well deserved. 

We will be back!

5010 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-506-5961. rosemarydc.com. Open for indoor and outdoor dining, delivery and takeout. Entrees, $22 to $29.

January 2004 - Petits Plats in Woodley Park

The faces here might look familiar. The trio behind Petits Plats -- owner Cecile Darricarrere, her brother and partner Frederic Darricarrere, and Sy, a native of Senegal -- previously helped run the popular Bistrot Lepic in Georgetown. After Cecile's divorce from Lepic chef Bruno Fortin, the three moved over to Woodley Park, where they opened in May. In their new venue, the siblings oversee the dining rooms, opening wine here, air-kissing favored patrons there; the chef turns out scripts that have been shaped not only at Lepic, but also in the time he spent cooking under Jean-Louis Palladin and Yannick Cam.

Dinner at Rosemary Bistro Cafe

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The new Michelin Guide Deutschland 2023 was released on April 5, 2023. There are now 334 Michelin-starred restaurants in Germany, the largest number ever.

 

3-star Restaurants

 

Baiersbronn/ Bareiss

2-star Restaurants

 

There are now 50 2-star restaurants, including 8 new 2-star restaurants.  

1-star Restaurants

 

There are now 274 1-star restaurants, including 34 new 1-star restaurants

New 1-star Restaurant: Bidlabu in Frankfurt

 

One of the 34 new 1-star restaurants is Bidlabu in Frankfurt. Annette and I had dinner there recently and I posted about it on schiller-wine. I am re-releasing the posting (see below).

Chef André Rickert is a Juan Amador disciple, who is currently cooking in Vienna, Austria, where he is the chef/ owner of at Amador, the first restaurant in Austria to be awared 3 stars by Michelin. Currently Amador is one of the 2 restaurants in Austria that got 100/ 100 points by Falstaff. Juan Amador was based in the Frankfurt area before moving to Vienna/ Austria. In 2008, his restaurant Amador in Langen near Frankfurt was awarded 3 Michelin stars. 

 

Chef André Rickert underwent his initial apprenticeship at Thomas Bühner when the latter was still cooking in Dortmund. 

 

Before taking over Bidlabo, Chef André Rickert headed the small kitchen team of Weinsinn, where he was awarded a Michelin star in 2012. In 2017, Weinsinn relocated from the Westend to the Bahnhofsviertel (Central Station Area), with Chef André Rickert leaving Weinsinn.

Pete Wells in the New York Times on Weinsinn and Chef André Rickert (October 23, 2013)

... Mr. Rickert has a modernist’s skill set and a modernist’s talent for combining the serious and the playful. Look what he does to ratatouille. Even its fans have to admit that the dish, a lump of stewed vegetables mired in a tar pit of olive oil, is usually no great beauty. Mr. Rickert’s version is a colorful, bright, edible garden, a field of couscous across which he plants black olives, shards of feta, a bright green mound of basil ice cream and warm cherry tomatoes that dissolved into sweet pulp on my tongue like berries in a pie.

The ingredients were strewn all across the plate, but the flavors were firmly rooted. That was the case, too, with a dessert of late-summer damson plums that appeared in three guises: stuffed into a tender dumpling, frozen into sorbet and poached with cinnamon syrup.

Weinsinn is compact, with only 35 seats in two small dining rooms. So is Mr. Rickert’s menu of three appetizers, three main courses and three desserts. The wine list, on the other hand, goes on for page after page, although there is a simpler way. We asked the sommelier, Jens Gabelmann, to choose for us. He sized up our table at a glance and brought us just the wine we might have asked for if we had been able to put our wishes into words.

Picture: Chef André Rickert and his Team at Weinsinn in 2012. See: Lunch and Beaujolais at Weinsinn in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

 

Bidlabu - MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View (2023)

Located in the heart of the city – albeit somewhat tucked away – this appealing bistro is a lively place with really good food. André Rickert (known from the "Weinsinn") forms the dual leadership in the kitchen together with chef Patrick Löhl. Their culinary style is pleasingly down to earth yet sophisticated in terms of craftsmanship. Vegetarians are also well catered for. The service comes courtesy of a laid-back yet highly competent front-of-house-team who provide astute wine recommendations for the set menu. Tip: book early to avoid disappointment!

Michelin Guide Deutschland 2021: This extremely pleasant little bistro is a tucked away in the heart of the city, just around the corner from the shopping street Fressgass. The owner and the chef are experts through and through, as can be seen not least from the tasty, ambitious market cuisine, e. g. the char, pumpkin, green apple and watercress. Very fairly priced lunch menu. 

In the Michelin Guide Deutschland 2021, bidlabu is listed with a Michelin plate. In the Gault Millau Guide Deutschland 2021, it has 15/ 20 stars. 

Pictures: Dinner at Bidlabu, 15 Points Gault Millau, in Frankfurt, with GM/ Sommelier Dietmar Fritz and Chef André Rickert, Germany

Annette and I attended an outstanding Château Figeac tasting dinner at The Henri in Washington DC. The dinner was supposed to be co-hosted by wine writer (Decanter) Panos Kakaviatos and Figeac GM Frédéric Faye, but the latter got stuck in Canada and was unable to participate in the tasting. We had 6 wines. 

Invitation

 

Dear Anette and Christian, 

Hope you have been well! 

 

Sorry not to have been in touch, as it has been far too long since we last shared wine! 

 

As Covid is becoming a (hopefully) distant memory, I am starting again with my wine dinners. 

 

And since it was promoted to premier grand cru classé A, Château Figeac is coming to town with director Frédéric Faye. 

 

I plan to co-host a dinner that evening at Le Henri restaurant in downtown Washington D.C. with Frédéric Faye on Friday evening, April 7. 

The cost will be $275 per person to include all wine and food and tips. 

 

Let me know if you can come. And if not, maybe you have friends who would like such an event. 

 

Just want to be sure you get word of this early, as I only get a limited number of seats, max 25 people. 

Mit herzlichen Grüßen aus Straßburg, 

 

Panos

 

 

Participants

 

Vicki and Bruce Ballantyne

Eric Bendickson and Teresa Mastrangelo

Michael Besche and Karen Taylor

David Bloch 

Anne Broker 

Ken Brown 

Paul Chaconas 

Adam Feinberg 

Dimitri Galanis

Chris Loukaides and Ginny

Randy McFarlane 

Assaf Pinchas 

Christian and Annette Schiller

Evangelos and Barbara Spyridakis 

Marcus Stanley 

Bill Willfong

Konstantina Zaras

Dinner Menu and Wine Pairings 

 

The Henri, with several private dining rooms and centrally located in Washington DC, is an excellent venue for winemaker dinners.

 

 

Hors-d'œuvre

First Course 

MUSHROOM TRIO, DUCK EGG “SOLEIL” -  GRILLED RUSTIC TOAST

Château Figeac 2004 from magnum 

 

Second Course 

DUCK “CARPACCIO STYLE” (not raw but cooked) 

BLACK TRUFFLE DRESSING / ASSORTED VEGETABLES 

Château Figeac 1981 from magnum 

 

Third Course 

PISTACHIO CRUSTED LAMB STRIP, SCALLION JUS, BABY CARROTS, HERB CHARCOAL, POMME ANNA

Château Figeac 2011

Château Figeac 2009 

 

Final Course 

AGED COW-MILK BASED CHEESES, APPLE BUTTER + BREAD BASKET 

Château Figeac 2015

Château Figeac 2018

 

 

Message from Frédéric Faye

 

Cher Panos,

Chers amis,

C'est avec beaucoup de regrets que je ne pourrai pas être avec vous ce soir. Les compagnies aériennes, après annulation de mon vol et impossibilité de rejoindre Washington dans la journée, m'imposent à rester au CANADA. 

Le plus important sera bien étendu dans votre verre ce soir et mon ami Panos, qui connaît bien FIGEAC, vous parlera de la propriété. 

Le CHATEAU-FIGEAC est une propriété familiale qui appartient à la famille Manoncourt depuis 1892 et que j'ai la chance de diriger depuis 10 ans, tout en y étant arrivé il y a 20 ans en tant que stagiaire. 

Le terroir y est singulier, dominé par des graves sur argile bleue et les vins sont composés de merlot, cabernet franc et cabernet sauvignon en proportions quasi identiques dans l'assemblage. Ils expriment au travers de leur complexité aromatique, de leur texture minérale et de leur longueur interminable toute l’élégance de notre terroir et la sincérité de la famille Manoncourt. 

Vous allez voyagez dans le temps au travers de plusieurs millésimes :

2018 et 2015 qui sont des millésimes aux climats chauds et qui expriment fraîcheur et fruité avec beaucoup d’harmonie malgré leur jeunesse. Les cabernets jouent un rôle prépondérant et permettent aussi de conserver l’équilibre. D’ailleurs à partir du millésime 2015 nous avons réduit les doses de soufre utilisée afin de rendre les vins plus précis et plus expressif dans leur jeune âge. Ne vous inquiétez pas ils sont parfaitement taillés pour la garde. 

2011 et 2009 vont vous charmer en montrant comment FIGEAC se patine avec le temps même si ces deux millésimes sont encore loin de leur apogée. Le nez sera complexe et séducteur, mélange d’épices, fraîcheur, menthol  et des tanins parfaitement intégrés. La longueur en bouche est remarquable en particulier pour le millésime 2009. 

2004, pour un millésime au climat frais démontre la capacité de FIGEAC à produire de grands vins quelques soit le climat. En plus des notes fruitées, les arômes de réglisse et de cèdre vous feront voyager dans ce millésime que nous affectionnons beaucoup à la propriété. 

1981 est une année fraîche et tardive. Toute l'expérience de Monsieur Manoncourt à attendre patiemment la maturité des raisins avant de les récolter permet à ce vin de toujours s'exprimer aujourd'hui. Les arômes tertiaires y sont bien présents et nous trouverons en particulier la feuille de tabac et les épices des cabernets. La bouche est vibrante et les tanins y sont parfaitement intégrés et soyeux. Juste pour que vous sachiez....il s'agit de mon millésime de naissance ;-)

Je suis vraiment navré de ne pas être avec vous tous ce soir mais je vous invite dors et déjà à venir à FIGEAC où nous pourrons partager lors d'un déjeuner ou d'un dîner d'autres millésimes. Je m'y engage même et serai ravi de vous faire découvrir notre terroir, nos nouveaux chais et bien d'autres choses...

Au plaisir de vous accueillir

Bien amicalement,

Frédéric

 

Pictures: At Château Figeac with Château Figeac's Director Frédéric Faye. See: Tour and Tasting at Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

 

Report by Panos Kakaviatos

 

Thanks to everyone who came last night for the Château Figeac dinner at the downtown D.C. restaurant The Henri. We enjoyed excellent Champagne and sparklers before seating, and I especially liked the Grande Dame 2008. Although the Krug was yummy. As was the richer vintage 2005 Dom Perignon. Excellent Greek sparkler in the Karanika. 

 

Among others. 

 

We then sat to enjoy 6 vintages of Figeac over a fine meal prepared by talented chef Frederick De Pue. Pairings went well for the 1981, 2004, 2011, 2009, 2015 and 2018. 

 

The 2011 had a gorgeous nose of bright red fruit and tobacco leaf, but more linear on the palate than the more succulent 2009, both served nicely with pistachio crusted lamb strip. The 2011 was charming, but I could see why 2009 was the group preference. And the most complete wine of the evening. 

 

For two magnums of 1981, both having been recorked in 2016, the tertiary notes of forest floor, truffle and creosote were unmistakable even if one bottle was slightly better than the other. Both paired well with the duck infused with truffle sauce. Neither had the depth of, say, 1982, but it was fun to experience a (difficult) older vintage from magnum. 

 

We actually started with a magnum of the underrated 2004, whose bright verve and ripe fruit went well enough with the mushroom trio and duck egg on toast. Indeed, the tannin was still quite powerful and slightly overpowered the first course. But it was lovely wine!

 

When we got to the 2015 and 2018 vintages, another world. More obviously ripe, but with suave tannins. The 2018 is more youthful and has a bit more alcohol at 14.5% (the 2015 is 14%), while the 2015 has “settled down” by comparison, with many preferring it to the 2018 yesterday evening. Served with cow milk based cheeses from Pennsylvania. 

 

Cheers to the chef and to the restaurant staff for their friendly and efficient service.

 

And thanks to maria E. Denton for joining us at the last minute to cohost the dinner!

 

The Henri - Washingtonian: Modern French-Belgian Bistro the Henri Centers Around Rotisserie Cooking and Private Dining

It’s been five years since chef Frederik De Pue closed the last of his DC restaurants, which at one point included the intimate Table in Shaw and Menu MBK in Penn Quarter. So the February 15 debut of his latest modern bistro, the Henri, might seem like a homecoming. In fact, the chef never really left. While opening Flamant in Annapolis, he’s continued to live in DC and operate his longtime catering business here. And in many ways, the Henri—located a couple of blocks from the White House—is an extension of his catering. Only now he’ll be hosting clients on his own turf. While the restaurant will feature a 60-seat dining room and sizable bar area, 60 percent of the space will be devoted to private dining.

“It’s so hard to find a space for 40 people in DC if it’s not a hotel or it’s a full buyout that is so expensive,” De Pue says. “I found that there’s such a demand for those spaces.”

 

Next Visit of Château Figeac by ombiasy WineTours in 2024

We will visit Château Figeac during the forthcoming Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours in 2024 and will have lunch at the estate with Frédéric Faye. Join us!

 

Here is the posting from our visit in 2015:

Tour and Tasting at Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) 

 

Picture: Annette Schiller and Château Figeac's Director Frédéric Faye

Château de Figeac is one of the 15 Premier Grand Cru Classé B Châteaux in Saint-Emilion. Its prominent neighbor is Château Cheval Blanc. The vineyards of Château de Figeac border the Pomerol appellation vineyards and thus the vines grow on a very different terroir than the rest of the Saint-Emilion vines. The Figeac wines show a more “Left Bank” character than the rest of the Saint-Emilion wines.

In 1892, the Manoncourt family took over the Château, restored it to its former glory, and transformed the estate into one of the most elegant châteaux in Saint-Emilion.

Pictures: At Château Figeac with Gwennaelle Brieu Château Figeac's Director Frédéric Faye

We visited Château Figeac as part of the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), organized and led by Annette Schiller. The tour took place from September 15 to 24, 2015. The group comprised 8 wine lovers from the United States, including Annette and Christian Schiller.

I already provided an overview about the tour: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

This posting focuses on our visit of Château Figeac.

Gwennaelle Brieu was our host. We also had a chance to talk with Figeac's Director Frédéric Faye and met winemaker Jean Albignon.

Château Figeac

Because of its fine gravel based soil (which is uncommon in the Right Bank), Merlot accounts only for 30 % of the plantings (which is very low by Saint Emilion standards). The Château Figeac Grand Vin is dominated (70%) by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in equal parts. Château Figeac is known as the most Médoc of the Saint Emilion chateaux.

Pictures: Arriving at Château Figeac

Château Figeac is an old estate. It takes its name from a Roman called Figeacus who built a villa here. Today, one can still see a water-supply system dating from the Gallo-Roman period, foundations of buildings from the Middle Ages and defensive walls along with the remains of a Renaissance chateau incorporated into its structure.

Until the late 18th century, Château Figeac had been in the hands of one family for almost 500 years. With almost 200 hectares, Château Figeac was one of the largest wine estates at the time, but parts were sold and the estate was subdivided several times until 1892, when the Manoncourt family purchased Château Figeac. (A sizable chunk which was purchased by the Ducasse family in 1832 formed the nucleus of what would eventually become Cheval Blanc.)

Pictures: Cellar Tour at Château Figeac

For most of the past 70 years, Château Figeac was been associated with Thierry Manoncourt, who took over the management of the property in 1946, and his wife Marie-France; Thierry Manacourt passed away in 2010. It was under his leadership that Château Figeac rose to the front ranks of Saint-Émilion estates. His son-in-law Comte Eric d'Aramon took over the daily running of the estate in 1988. In 1992, Thierry Manacourt divided the business between his 4 daughters, bestowing the larger share on his eldest daughter, Laure.

Château Figeac tends to harvest early with a view of retaining freshness. After Haut Brion and Latour, Château Figeac was the third estate in Bordeaux to introduce stainless steel tanks; there are now 20 temperature controlled vats, 10 in oak and 10 stainless steel. Since the mid-1970s, Figeac has been aged in 100% new oak. The time spent in new oak varies according to the vintage character. The 1997 vintage was aged 12 months, while the 2009 vintage saw new oak for 18 months.

Pictures: In the Vineyard at Château Figeac

The following wines are produced: Château Figeac (Saint-Emilion - Premier Grand Cru Classé B), La Grange-Neuve de Figeac (second wine) and Chateau Petit-Figeac (bought in 2002 as most of the vineyard was in the middle of their Château Figeac vineyard. The wine is now made at Château Figeac). In total, the Figeac estate amounts to 54 hectares of which 40 are planted with vines. Annual production is 10 000 cases.

The family also owns two other wineries: the nearby Château La Fleur-Pourret (4, 5 hectares, Château La Fleur Pourret was part of Château Figeac many years ago, also bought in 2002), and Château de Millery (just over 1 hectare), in the southern sector of St.-Emilion known as St.-Christophe des Bardes.

Pictures: Tasting at Château Figeac

New Management Team

For many years, Madame Manancourt's son-in-law, Comte Eric d'Aramon, was the DG of Château Figeac, but he was removed in 2013, when the Manoncourt family appointed Jean-Valmy Nicolas as Joint Managing Director and Frédéric Faye as Manager of Château Figeac. Jean-Valmy Nicolas (a graduate of France’s HEC business school) is the joint owner of Chateau La Conseillante in Pomerol and a professional at an investment company, based in Paris.

Pictures: Christian Schiller with Winemaker Jean Albignon and Technical Director Frédéric Faye at Château Figeac

Frédéric Faye (an engineering graduate of Bordeaux’s ENITA), has been at Château Figeac since 2002, when he began as Vineyard Manager before being promoted to the post of Technical Manager. He now has overall management of the vineyard and the wine-making, as well as the sales of the wines.

Pictures: Château Figeac's Technical Manager Frédéric Faye Explaining

As part of these changes, in March 2013, Michel Rolland signed a consulting contract with Château Figeac, with the aim of bringing it up to Premier Grand Cru Classé A.

Pictures: Château Figeac's Technical Manager Frédéric Faye and Annette Schiller

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2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA 

Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List

The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference December 2021

Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France

Carl Willner, Christian Schiller and Ken Bensley of the German Wine Society/ Washington DC Chapter (Re-)elected to the National Board, USA, Germany 

The American Wine Society National Conference 2022 in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State - Seen through Christian Schiller`s Camera Lens

The End of the "Grosslage" in Germany - Seminar about the new German Wine Law of 2022 at the 2022 American Wine Society National Conference in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State, led by Annette Schiller

Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists

2022 Holiday Party of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC Downtown, USA/ Germany

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Picture: Vinyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Horst Sauer in Eschendorf, Franken, with Horst Sauer - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

This corresponds to an increase of two percentage points compared to the previous year and confirms an ongoing trend. 20 years earlier, only 35 percent of German quality wines were dry.

The share of semi-dry wines, on the other hand, remained constant compared to the previous year at 21 percent and has hardly changed in the past 20 years. By contrast, the production of sweet wines has declined. In 2022, they accounted for only 29 percent of all quality-tested wines, in contrast to 45 percent in 2002.

White wine represents 66 percent of the total

In regard to colour, rosé wines not only increased in consumption last year, but also in the range of wines offered by wine producers. With an increase of one percentage point to 13 percent of all Qualitäts- and Prädikat wines, rosés have again reached the previous peak level of 2020.

The share of quality-tested white wine grew by two percentage points to 66 percent in 2022. The increase in white and rosé wine production came at the expense of red wines , which still account for 21 percent of all quality-tested German wines.

This development in supply is clearly reflected in the range of vines in the vineyards.

Cultivation is also dominated by white wine varieties

In 2022, the share of white wine varieties cultivated in Germany increased again from its lowest level of 63.1 percent in 2006 to 68.4 percent. The area under vines of white wine varieties totalled 70,752 hectares in 2022, an increase of 614 hectares compared to the previous year. Germany's total vineyard area, on the other hand, remained virtually constant at 103,391 hectares.

Pinot varieties have the biggest increases

As in previous years, the most popular grape varieties with the largest increases in area were the white Pinot varieties, above all Pinot Gris (a.k.a. Grauburgunder) by 396 ha, followed by Chardonnay (+173 ha) and Pinot Blanc (a.k.a. Weißburgunder) by 119 ha. With a total of 6,181 ha of Weißburgunder vines, Germany is the world's largest supplier of wines made from this variety. The cultivation of all white Pinot varieties, including Auxerrois, grew to a total of 17,308 hectares.

The cultivation of Germany's most important grape variety, Riesling, also continued to grow slightly (+92 ha), with around a quarter of the national vineyard area planted with this flagship variety in 2022.

New, sustainable white wine varieties on the rise

The white varieties were also most sought after in 2022 for the new, sustainable grape breeds that hardly need any plant protection. The favourite variety here was Souvignier Gris, which, after an increase of 74 hectares, rose to third place among the most important white fungus-resistant grape varieties, behind Solaris (207 ha) and Cabernet Blanc (260 ha) varieties. The combined area under vines of the new white varieties was 1026 hectares (+144 ha).

Regent accounted for 90 percent of the red sustainable varieties, with a cultivation area of 1,794 hectares. However, this has been declining slightly for years. Instead, varieties such as Cabernet Cortis (60 ha) or Pinotin (36 ha) are developing as new red wine alternatives in this segment.

Aromatic varieties popular

Of the vineyards planted with aromatic varieties, Sauvignon Blanc increased the most with 120 hectares to 1,923 hectares. Other aromatic varieties with slightly increasing shares include Scheurebe (1,483 ha), Gewürztraminer (1,120 ha), Gelber Muskateller (579 ha) and Goldmuskateller (86 ha).

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Invitation

Dear German Wine Society Members and Guests,

Every year we host a tasting to try German wines from the new vintage, with a focus on Riesling. Our host is Phil Bernstein, General Manager of MacArthur Beverages, one of the leading retailers of German Riesling in the country. Every year, Phil brings some of the best wines of the vintage and this year will be no exception.  Don’t miss this always-popular event!  There are just a few days left to register.  If you’ve already signed up and are getting this message, don’t worry - you’ll get a separate message confirming your registration next week.

The new vintage is 2021, the fourth in a string of very good to great vintages, with a difference. The wines tend to be lighter, fresher, and more intense than the previous three vintages. A number of critics describe them as some of the best German wines they have ever tasted. The vintage did not produce a lot of wine so this may be your only opportunity to try some of them, including a flight dedicated to the very special and recently deceased Daniel Vollenweider.

DATE:  Friday, April 14th, 2023.  Doors open at 6:30 pm; tasting begins at 7:00 pm.   Registrations are due by Monday, April 10, 2023.

Previous Years'“New German Vintage” Tastings of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)

Taking over from Therry Theise, Phil Bernstein has been doing these annual vintage tastings since vintage 2007.

For previous years, see:

The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) Presented: 2020 German Vintage Tasting with Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages, Washington DC, USA

The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) Presented: 2019 German Vintage Tasting with Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages, Washington DC, USA

The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) Presented: 2017 German Vintage Tasting with Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages, Washington DC, USA

The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) Presented: 2016 German Vintage Tasting with Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages, Washington DC, USA

The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) Presented: 2015 German Vintage Tasting with Phil Bernstein, USA

Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages Presents the new Vintage (2014) to the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), USA/ Germany

German Riesling - What the American Market Wants: Vintage 2013 Tasting with German Wine Expert Phil Bernstein, MacArthur Beverages, Washington DC

The Annual “New German Vintage” Tasting of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) led by Phil Bernstein - 2012 Vintage, Germany/USA

German Wine: Tasting with Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages the 2011 Vintage in Washington DC, USA

The 2010 Vintage Tasting of the German Wine Society (Aaron Nix-Gomez)

Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness (Vintage 2009)

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose (Vintage 2008)

First "New Vintage Tasting" - 2007 (No posting).

Picture: Christian Schiller with Phil Bernstein Tasting the 2011 Vintage

Picture: Phil Bernstein and his German Wines from the 2012 Vintage 

Vintage 2021 in Germany (Decanter)

The 2021 harvest marked a return, after a string of warm vintages, to the cool classicism of finely carved, bright, mineral-driven wines. ‘I am convinced that in ten years’ time people will recognise the quality of this vintage for its finesse, just as they did with 2004, 2008 and 2012,’ Oliver Haag said. The wines do seem to prove him right, with their firm elegance, assertive acid and well-defined aromas.

However, the quality and character delivered by 2021 were nothing producers would have taken for granted throughout the growing season. At times it looked as if disaster loomed. ‘We lost yield during flowering, to mildew,’ continues Haag. Katharina Prüm remarked that the months of April, May, July and August all saw below average temperatures with very little in the way of blue skies. In the Ruwer Valley hail struck at the end of July. It was a testing year for viticulture – and not just in the Mosel Valley. In the Rheinhessen, Oliver and Carolin Spanier confirm that more than 5,000 extra labour hours went into producing the 2021 vintage as it required intense weather watching, diligence and trust in both the team and the old vines which dominate their holdings. Frank Schönleber added that they have said goodbye to the practice of habitually picking their Grosses Gewächs last; climate change has made the growing season simply too unpredictable.

Eventually, the 2021 harvest delivered less fruit but great quality. Haag didn’t realise the quality he had when the grapes were being harvested. ‘It’s a totally different vintage to recent years […] we made 35% less than a ‘normal’ vintage, not great from a business perspective, but it’s what made the quality so high,’ he said. Oliver shares the surname and winemaking region with Lara and Niklas Haag of Weingut Schloss Lieser who corroborate his view: ‘We had to select a lot and there was no botrytis really, so we didn’t reach the top categories. We estimate that we are about 40% down in terms of quantity but because of that and because of the strict selections we have a good extract level which makes the wines very well suited to food when we think about structure and complexity.’

Valentin Rebholz suggests that Pfalz was the year’s best performing region. ‘We had no problem with ripeness and achieved perfectly healthy grapes with amazing concentration. For us it is better to have amazing quality than a big crop.’

The vintage’s challenges were also, therefore, what allowed it to deliver pure, mineral, classic wines with vibrant acidity and lower sugar levels – precision, transparency and backbone are its trademarks.

The Wines

Starter

Dr. Wagner, Riesling Sekt Brut, Mosel

Flight 1: Journey into the Mosel

Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken #19 Egon, Mosel

Lauer Fass 18 Kupp Riesling Grosses Gewächs, Mosel

Flight 2: Donnhoff GG Duo

Donnhoff Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs, Nahe

Donnhoff Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewächs, Nahe

Flight 3: A Pair of Kabinetts 

Loewen Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel

Karl Erbes Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett, Mosel

Flight 4:  Vollenweider Tribute

Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 

Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese, Mosel

Flight 5:  Willi Schaefer Prädikat Finale

Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel

Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #5, Mosel

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On April 14, 2023, Annette Schiller provided a very educational and entertaining introduction to the new German Wine law of 2021 at the NoLoCo Chapter of the American Wine Society. 

The NoLoCo Chapter meets at the home of a member. Following an hour of "social wines", there is a wine tasting led by a member of the chapter. The evening ends with a pot-luck dinner. 

Annette's tasting included 12 wines, ranging from basic "Deutscher Wein" to 4 single vineyard wines. The dominant wine producers were Weingut Dr. Loosen in the Mosel, Weingut Robert Weil in the Rheingau and Weingut Thoerle in Rheinhessen. 

Invitation

Jeniffer Crafts, AWS, NoLoCo Chapter: Annette Schiller is our Northern Virginia expert on wines from Germany, France, and Austria, as well as the Owner of Ombiasy Public Relations & Wine Tours. For the April meeting, she will present on the theme of the New German wine laws, which took effect in January of 2021. 

She will guide us through tasting wines representing the four primary geographic levels (Area, Region, Village, and Vineyard). 

If you’ve been stumped when reading German wine labels and tasting German wines, prepare to become extremely knowledgeable.  

April 16, 2023, Northern Loudon County Chapter of the American Wine Society

The Wines

I. Deutscher Wein

(1) NV, Pink Riesling, Weingut Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler

II. Landwein

III. Protected Designation of Origin

Anbaugebiet

(2) 2020 Riesling, Weingut Dr. Loosen, Mosel

(3) 2020 Riesling, Kabinett, Weingut Dr. Loosen, Mosel

Region

(4) 2020 Riesling, Region Spiegelberg, Kabinett, Weingut Windisch

(5) 2020 White Cuvee, Region Gutes Domtal, Spätlese, Weingut Adolph Müller

Ortswein

(6) 2020 Kiedricher Riesling, Weingut Robert Weil

Lagenwein

Erste Lage - Premier Cru

(7) 2017 Kiedricher Turmberg, Riesling, Erstes Gewächs, Weingut Robert Weil

Grosse Lage - Grand Cru

(8) 2020 Erdener Treppchen, Riesling, GG, Weingut Dr. Loosen

(9) 2020 Erdener Treppchen, Riesling, Auslese, Weingut Dr. Loosen

(10) 2020 Spätburgunder, Rheinhessen, Weingut Thörle (Anbaugebiet)

(11) 2020 Saulheim, Spätburgunder, Weingut Thörle (Ortswein)

(12) 2020 Saulheimer Probstey, Spätburgunder, Weingut Thörle (Lagenwein)

Social Wines before the Tasting

Pot-luck Dinner

Power Point Presentation

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Picture: Tasting with Carolin Spanier-Gillot, Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot, in Hohen-Sülzen - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Picture: At Sektkellerei Bardong in the Rheingau, Germany, with Norbert Bardong

Picture: Vineyard Tour with Reimund Stumpf. See: Weingut Bickel-Stumpf in Franken: Vineyard Walk and Wine Tasting with Reimund Stumpf, Matthias Stumpf and Melanie Stumpf-Kröger - Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

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Der Feinschmecker, the leading German wine and food journal, presented its new ranking of the German wine scene. 25 Winemakers got 5/5 Fs. See:

Germany's 25 Top (5/5) Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2023

For previous years see:

Germany's 25 Top (5/5) Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2023 

Germany’s 21 Top (5/5) Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2019/20
Germany’s Top 21 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2018/2019
Germany’s Top 19 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2017/2018
Germany’s Top 22 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker 2016/2017
Germany’s Top 20 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2015
Germany’s Top 19 Winemakers - Der Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2014
Germany's Top 18 Winemakers - Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2013
Germany's Top 16 Winemakers - Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2012
Germany's Top 16 Winemakers - Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2011
Germany's 15 Top Winemakers - The Feinschmecker WeinGuide 2010

5 winemakers were promoted to the 5/5 Fs level.

6 winemakers were promoted to the 4.5/5 Fs level.

5 winemakers were promoted to the 475 Fs level.

Climbers to 5/5

Salwey/ Baden

Weingut Salwey
41 hectares
40% Spätburgunder, 40% Grauburgunder

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Salwey in Oberrotweil, Kaiserstuhl, Baden, with Benno Salwey – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

100% Riesling

 

Philipp Kuhn/ Pfalz

Weingut Philipp Kuhn

49 hectares

Battenfeld-Spanier/ Rheinhessen

Weingut Kühling-Gillot and Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier are jointly owned and run by Carolin Spanier-Gillot and H.O. Spanier. While H.O. Spanier is focussing more on the vineyard and cellar work, Carolin Spanier-Gillot is focussing more on the marketing and administrative work for both estates.

See pictures of Weingut Kühling-Gillot below.

Kühling-Gillot/ Rheinhessen

Weingut Kühling-Gillot
15 hectares
60% Riesling, 25% Spätburgunder

Pictures: At a Tasting in Bodenheim at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot. See: The Wine Maker Couple H.O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, with Roland Gillot, Lead Wine Tasting of Kuehling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines at Weingut Kuehling-Gillot, Germany

CLIMBERS to 4.5/5

Bergdolt/ Pfalz

Ansgar Clüsseath/ Mosel

Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben/ Mosel

Karl Haidle/ Württemberg

Fritz Wassmer/ Baden

Martin Wassmer/ Baden

CLIMBERS to 4/5

Bardong/ Rheingau

Bickel-Stumpf/ Franken

Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken/ Mosel

Pictures:  Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir

Griesel & Compagnie/ Hessische Bergstrasse

Pictures: Ultra-premium Sekt: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Griesel&Compagnie, Sekthaus Streit, Bensheim, with Winemaker Rachele Crosara - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Pfeffingen/ Mosel

Picture: Martine Faye, Africa Gourmet, Stephan Röken, Ambassador of Germany in Dakar, Christian Schiller and Annette Schiller. See: Pouring Premium German Wines at Africa Gourmet in Dakar/ Senegal, with Annette and Christian Schiller, West Africa/ Germany

 

The German State Department recently drew up a new list of German wines that the 226 diplomatic missions should serve on official occasions. 

Wine Critic Stephan Reinhardt, who covers Germany for Robert Parker, tested the 19 recommendations. 

The list was prepared by a jury of high-ranking employees of the Federal Foreign Office. After an invitation to tender, 305 wines were pre-selected for the 2023 range, and 61 made it into the final. After a blind tasting, 19 made it onto the order list for embassies and consulates. 

The prices for the wines, ex-winery, range from Euro 6.75 to Euro 23.  

2019 Weingut Brüssel Bechtheimer Spätburgunder trocken Rheinhessen

Euro 9.50 - Fully satisfactory

Euro 9.50 - Very good

2021 Weingut Josef Schönleber Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling Kabinett trocken Rheingau

Euro 6.75 - Good

2021 Weinhaus Zöller Gewürztraminer Spätlese Pfalz

Euro 7.60 - Not bad

2021 Weingut Margarethenhof Saar Riesling trocken 

Euro 9.50 - Still good

2021 Weingut Wilker Sauvignon Blanc trocken Pleisweiler-Oberhofen 

Euro 9.90 - Average

2021 Weingut Hugo Brennfleck Silvaner trocken Alte Reben Sulzfelder Sonnenberg Franken

Euro 13 - Outstanding

2021 Weingut Korrell Kreuznach Riesling trocken Nahe

Euro 15 - Puristic, but very good

2021 Weingut Albert GessingerZeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Alte Reben Caldo Infernale Mosel

Euro 18.50 - Bearable 

2020 Weingut Klumpp Kirchberg Weißburgunder Baden

Euro 23 - Quite excellent

Euro 9.90 - Very Good

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Maison Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône: Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Tour - Rhône Valley Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Cellar Master Jean Christoph - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting with Daniel Wagner at Weingut Wagner-Stempel (VDP) in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting with Helmut Dönnhoff and Sascha Johannes Schömel at Weingut Dönnhoff (VDP) in Oberhausen, Nahe - Germany-South and Alsace 2022 by ombiasy WineTours

2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA 

Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List

The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference December 2021

Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France

Carl Willner, Christian Schiller and Ken Bensley of the German Wine Society/ Washington DC Chapter (Re-)elected to the National Board, USA, Germany 

The American Wine Society National Conference 2022 in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State - Seen through Christian Schiller`s Camera Lens

The End of the "Grosslage" in Germany - Seminar about the new German Wine Law of 2022 at the 2022 American Wine Society National Conference in Bellevue/ Seattle, Washington State, led by Annette Schiller

Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists

2022 Holiday Party of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC Downtown, USA/ Germany

All Sorts of Sparklers: How do the Bubbles get into that Bottle? - Tasting at the American Wine Society (NoVa Chapter) led by Annette Schiller 

Germany's Weingut Künstler #2 on James Suckling's List of the Top 100 Wines of the World (2022)

Annette and I enjoyed a wonderful Rioja winemaker dinner at the Spanish restaurant Joselito Casa de Comidas in Washington DC on Pennsylvania Ave SE.

The event was orchestrated by General Manger/ Sommelier Gustavo Iniesta, who worked for many years at Taberna Del Alabardero before joining Joselito Casa de Comidas.

Joselito Casa de Comidas is a bib Gourmand Michelin restaurant, owned and run by Javier Candon, who also owns and runs SER in Ballston.

Chef David Sierra, who is from Madrid, Spain, cooked in Spanish kitchens until he moved to the US in 2009 to work at the Washington DC. location of Taberna del Alabardero. Locally, he has also cooked at Fiola Mare in Georgetown and SER Restaurant in Ballston. 

Bodegas Altanza is a 300 hectare estate in Rioja Alta, founded in 1998. Their wines are made in a more modern style from 100% Tempranillo. Schneider`s on the Hill, a leading Washington DC retail store, imports the Bodegas Altanza wines directly.

The wines were presented by Altanza’s Export Director Alberto Anoz Varea and Terry Brown of Schneider's.

Invitation by Schneider's

We have partnered with Joselito Casa de Comidas, the acclaimed Spanish restaurant, to bring you a gastronomic experience like no other. 

Chef David Sierra has prepared four delicious courses expertly paired by Sommelier Gustavo Iniesta to complement the unique flavors of Bodegas Altanza wines. 

Altanza’s Export Director, Alberto Anoz Varea, will guide you through each wine providing insight into the winemaking traditions and terroir of Rioja.

Joselito Casa de Comidas
660 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast
Washington, DC 20003

Thursday, April 20th at 6:30 pm
$120.00 per person (Taxes and gratuity included) 

MENU

 

Chupito de gazpacho andaluz
Cold tomato soup “gazpacho” shot
Brocheta de salpicon de mariscos
Shrimp, octopus, mussel and pepper & onions skewer
Endivia con brandada de Bacalao
Endive stuffed with cod brandade 

Lealtanza Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ~ D.O.Ca. Rioja

Crema de puerros y almejas, huevas de salmon
Vichissoise with clams, salmon roe

Lealtanza Alma bohemia Rose 2021 ~ D.O.Ca. Rioja