The Wines Queen Elizabeth II was served in Germany on her State Visit in June 2015: All Riesling? No! Best-of-best Winemakers? No!

Picture: State Dinner in Berlin with Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II spent 3 days in Germany on a State Visit in June 2015. The State Visit focused on Berlin and Frankfurt, but the 89-year-old Monarch and her husband Prince Philip, 94, also visited the Bergen-Belsen camp where diarist Anne Frank and her sister Margot died just weeks before the British liberated it on April 15, 1945.

In Berlin, the Queen and her husband were honored with a State Dinner, while in Frankfurt the authorities organized a luncheon for the Queen. In addition, the British Ambassador threw a Garden Party for the Queen in Berlin.

Interestingly, the German hosts did not try to shine with wines Germany is known for in the world, i.e. fruity-sweet and noble-sweet Rieslings, nor did they serve wines from their best-of-the best winemakers, like Dr. Loosen, JJ Prüm, Weil, Dönnhoff, Huber or Leitz, to name a few. Nethertheless, the wines served were all from top winemakers.

See also:
The Wines Chancelor Merkel Served President Obama and Michelle Obama in Berlin (and the Wines she did not Serve), Germany

The Wines at the State Dinner in Berlin

Picture: State Dinner in Berlin

In Berlin, 3 wines were served:

2014 Saulheimer, Chardonnay Réserve, trocken, Weingut Thörle, Saulheim / Rheinhessen
2012 Rummel, Spätburgunder, trocken, Weingut Rummel, Landau-Nussdorf / Pfalz
2013 Freiburg Schlossberg, Spätburgunder Weißherbst Beerenauslese, Weingut Stigler, Ihringen / Baden

2014 Saulheimer, Chardonnay Réserve, trocken, Weingut Thörle, Saulheim / Rheinhessen

Weingut Thörle is an up and coming winemaker in Saulheim that in the past years has managed to receive a lot of attention in the wine scene, including a write-up in the New York Times. It has 3.5 out of 5 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2015.

Chardonnay is one of the most popular grape varieties in the world. Slowly but surely it is gaining gained ground in Germany, and with more than 1,300 hectacres in 2010, it now accounts for more than 1% of Germany's total vineyard area.

Picture: Christian Schiller with Johannes and Christoph Thörle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen

See also:
Visit: Winzerhof Thörle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

2012 Rummel, Spätburgunder, trocken, Weingut Rummel, Landau-Nussdorf / Pfalz

Weingut Rummel is an organic producer in the Pfalz. It is not listed in the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2015.

There is a red wine revolution going on in Germany and the world increasingly takes note of it. Of course, given its location, the red wines of Germany tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, the share of red wine in total German wine output was not more than 10 percent; in the international wine scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this is changing. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world; the share of red wines in terms of production has increased to about 35 percent now in Germany and increasingly the international market takes note of what is happening in Germany.

2013 Freiburg Schlossberg, Spätburgunder Weißherbst Beerenauslese, Weingut Stigler, Ihringen / Baden

Weingut Stigler is located in Ihringen/Baden. It is a member of the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers. Weingut Stigler has 3 out of 5 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2015.

The Wines at the Luncheon in Frankfurt

The Queen spent Thursday in the financial hub of Frankfurt. At the luncheon in her honor at the Römer, the historic townhall of Frankfurt, all wines had a link to the guest of honor and/or the host.

Picture: Luncheon in Honor of  Queen Elizabeth II

The following wines were served:

NV Riesling Sekt Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt
1953 Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Natur Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach
2011 Victoriaberg Goldstück Riesling Beerenauslese Weingut Prinz von Hessen

NV Riesling Sekt Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt

Frankfurt is known for its international airport and its banks, but it is not known to be a wine city. Yet, the famous wine regions Rheingau and Rheinhessen are at the doorsteps of Frankfurt, just 30 minutes away; vine is even grown within the city’s boundaries and the city of Frankfurt owns a wine estate: Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt.

Picture: The Wine Tavern of the Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt in the Center of Frankfurt

That the city of Frankfurt is in the winemaking business goes back to the secularization (the expropriation of the church and transfer of the assets to the state) that took place under Napoleon at the beginning of the 1800s. In the course of the secularization, the city of Frankfurt became the owner of the Carmelite Monastery, which had existed right in the middle of Frankfurt since 1246. With the monastery came its winery and vineyards. The Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt was borne (in 1803).

For almost 200 years then, the Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt was a government owned and run winery. During the privatization wave that swept through the world in the 1980s and 1990s, in 1994, the city of Frankfurt decided to privatize the operational side of the Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt and signed a 30 years lease with Armin Rupp, a winemaker from the Pfalz. Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt is not listed in the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2015.

See also:
Wine in Frankfurt am Main? - Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt, Germany

1953 Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Natur Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach

A very special wine from the year when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned. The Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach is owned by the State of Hessen. The wine sells for Euro 475 at the winery. The Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach is member of the VDP and has 3 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2015.

Picture: 1953 Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Natur Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach

See also:
Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau: Tour and Wine Tasting - Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

2011 Victoriaberg Goldstück Riesling Beerenauslese Weingut Prinz von Hessen

Weingut Prinz von Hessen is owned and run by Philipp Landgraf von Hessen, who is a great-nephew of Prinz Philip. The wine sells for Euro 49 Euro ex-winery. The Weingut Prinz von Hessen is member of the VDP and has 2 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2015.

Wine at the Garden Party of the British Ambassador Simon McDonald in Berlin

Only one wine was served at the Garden Party of the British Ambassador:  2013 Königin Victoria-Berg Riesling Trocken Weingut Joachim Flick

2013 Königin Victoria-Berg Riesling Trocken Weingut Joachim Flick

Picture: 2013 Königin Victoria-Berg Riesling Trocken Weingut Joachim Flick

The vineyard is named after the great-great-grand-mother of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria, who visited Hocheim in 1850. A monument in the vineyard reminds of her visit. Today, the vineyard is owned by Weingut Joachim Flick. Weingut Joachim Flick has 3 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide 2015.

Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.


See also: