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+--- Thread: German Reisling (/thread-17272.html)
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- bvrush - 09-12-2002
I've heard that Germany is well known for their Reislings. Can anyone suggest something to try? I usually prefer the drier Reislings.
Thanks!
- hotwine - 09-12-2002
Distribution of German Rieslings is very spotty, BV. Something that's available here in South Texas might not be available anywhere in Canada, and vice-versa. In this area, Schmit-Sohn Mosel-Sahr-Ruwer Riesling is widely available at bargain prices, starting at about $4/bottle for Kabinett, and going up to about double that for Auslese. I keep at least a case of the stuff on hand, because it's so readily available at such great prices. I prefer the drier style of the Kabinett, but their Spatlese is also very nice indeed. Other German Rieslings, from areas other than the Mosel-Sahr Ruwer, have different characteristics: those from the Rhein (Rheingau) are quite different from those from the Mosel, or the Nahe, or other smaller producing areas. Try some from the Mosel, and serve them very well-chilled, with poultry, pork or seafood.
- Innkeeper - 09-12-2002
One correction for Hotsie. The upper Rhine area (further south) is called Rheinhessen. Rheingau is near the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle. My favorite German wine is a Rheingau Riesling Kabinett.
- Bucko - 09-12-2002
As our sage potentates have already mentioned, Kabinett and Spatlese are the sweetness levels to look for. A few names to look for are JJ Prum, Selbach-Oster, von Hovel, Muller-Catoir, von Buhl, Donnhoff, Gunderloch and Weil, among others.
- toddabod - 09-13-2002
Kabinett and Spaetlase are the quality of the grape used and when it is picked, which has nothing to do with the sweetness of the wine. Sweetness of the wine has to do with the amount of sugar in the wine. 8 grams per litre or less is considered trocken, 8-18 or there abouts is halb trocken and anything above 18 is considered suss or lieblich. Auslese's are typically the grape picked from the top of the vine, but in some areas of the Mosel, the best grapes come from the bottom of the vine where the slate rocks warm the grapes the best. I enjoy halb trocken reislings because they are not too sweet or dry, and if I get a certain type of Bernkastler Doctor, I shoot for a spaetlase because the auslese is too sweet.
You can chill a reisling too much which makes the wine taste very fresh, but it masks the fruit. Slightly about room temperature is very nice for a spaetlase or auslese. The fruit comes out nicely.
[This message has been edited by toddabod (edited 09-13-2002).]
- hotwine - 09-13-2002
I tend to ignore Rheinhessen, even though I once lived in that area. Too much of what's imported from there into the States is of the Liebfraumilch ilk (gag!). My own preferences in German Rieslings began in Rheinhesse, then went to the Rheingau, and are now firmly rooted in the Mosel, due to their prices, quality, availability and versatility. Those of the Rheinfalz are also interesting (and inexpensive), and seem closer to Mosels in characteristics than to wines of the other German regions.
- bvrush - 09-13-2002
Thanks for all the replies. It can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out wines from Europe.
I quickly checked to see if some of the wines mentioned above are available in my area. I came across the following:
Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Kabinett - Moselland 1998 & 1999
Riesling Rheingau Kabinett - Weingut Robert Weil 1999
Are these one worth trying?
Thanks again for all your help!
- Innkeeper - 09-13-2002
Emphatically yes. Bet you like the Rheingau best.
- Bucko - 09-13-2002
Being more specific, German wines are defined as Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein. These are determined by the sugar levels in the grapes at harvest, not by the sugar levels in the final wines. Auslese can therefore be dry if the sugar has been fermented out and the label will also say ‘Trocken’ - dry or ‘Halbtrocken’ - half dry, although this is usually not the case.
Kabinett - Wines made from fully ripened grapes.
Spätlese - Literally the late harvest wines, harvested at least one week after the main harvest, producing a riper, more intense wine. May be produced in dry, medium dry or sweet styles, although usually slightly sweet.
Auslese - wines made from selected bunches of overripe grapes, even more intense in taste and aroma. Auslese wines are usually sweeter than Spätlese wines and are often considered sppropriate as dessert wines.
Beerenauslesse (BA) - a rich, sweet dessert wine made from individually picked, overripe grapes, often affected by botrytis cinerea, the mold that concentrates the grape must. BA’s are rare and expensive, and cannot be produced from every vintage.
Eiswein - a rich, concentrated wine made from fully-ripened grapes that were left on the vines long past the main harvest to be picked and pressed while frozed at 8 degrees Celsius or lower. Eiswein is characterized by unusually high amounts of sugar balanced by ripe acidity.
Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) - the rarest of Germin wines, made from dried, raisined, botrytised grapes, individually hand-picked. TBA’s usually occur only once or twice in a decade, and are very expensive.
"In General" as you move up the list, the wines get sweeter, thus my original reply. If you want a lightly sweet wine, get a Kabinett or Spatlese without any qualifiers.
- Kcwhippet - 09-13-2002
Wow!
- hotwine - 09-13-2002
It's strange how Riesling grapes can produce wines of such completely different flavor profiles as, say, Mosel and Rheingau. I really enjoyed Rheingau while living in Wiesbaden in the mid-'70's, but I think a lot of that enjoyment came from pairing it with traditional dishes of pork and cabbage prepared in the particular style of the Wiesbadeners. Recall that it was also delightful with Edam and Gouda cheeses. Yet its characteristics don't lend themselves so readily to pairing with seafood, or poultry, IMO, or a pasta dish - yet a Mosel handles those chores with ease. I've never done any research on the production methods in those regions, simply assuming, rightly or wrongly, that the differences were attributable to terroir. I do recall that the Germans seemed to regard Rheingau as a more regal wine than the slightly journeyman Mosel, but maybe that was simply the inate snobbery of the Wiesbadeners showing through in their preference for wines produced on their doorsteps. For whatever reason, I lost my taste for Rheingau a long time ago, and there are very few representatives in the cellar - a Kloster Eberbach or two, and maybe three or four others. One thing the mere sniff of a Rheingau can do in my head is conjure up visions of some young German ladies I knew in those days..... yes, they're best left in the cellar....
- Bucko - 09-13-2002
**One thing the mere sniff of a Rheingau can do in my head is conjure up visions of some young German ladies**
WOW!! I'm surprised no one has run with that opening......... you're slipping Gil -- did a cow kick you in the head?
- hotwine - 09-14-2002
Yeah. But it's true, the German ladies were v-e-r-y nice. Most hospitable. And Rheingau reminds me of a couple of 'em in particular. Funny how aromas/flavors trigger associated memories: CdR - Christine, a French chick. Schnapps - Sue, a Swedish chick. Rheingau - Uschi and Marie. Ch. Lafite R. - my lovely frau. Then, of course, there's cordite and "nape". Yes, indeed.
- Duane Meissner - 09-15-2002
Are there regulations for controlling harvest time and bottle labels in Germany? For example, is it possible for a producer to slap a trokenbeerenauslese label on a bottle of auslese and jack up the price? And if there are indeed regulations, what are the specifics?
DM
- hotwine - 09-15-2002
DM, the answers to your questions are beyond the scope of a simple posting on this board. Suggest you consult some of the specialized texts, such as the Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine and the Oxford Companion to Wine; both of those contain excellent descriptions of German wine classifications and legal regulations. Are there regulations? Of course. But they're still evolving, even after (at least) 2,000 years of wine production.
- winer - 09-15-2002
In reading the thread, I.m surprised that no one has mentioned the various "quality" designations for German wines. I don't know them all myself, but I know enough to look for wines categorized as "Qualitatswein" or even better, "Qualitatswein mit Pradikat".
(Bucko - perhaps you, or someone else can expand on the various categories, and what they mean.)
- Kcwhippet - 09-15-2002
It looks like Bucko did that back on 9/13.
- winer - 09-18-2002
Thanks, KC. I didn't realize the different categories in Bucko's message were describing Qualitatswein mit Pradicat (QmP) wines. I went looking and found the following site (http://www.meijer.com/wineguide/world.html) which has a good summary of the terms and what they mean.
- winer - 09-18-2002
Thanks, KC. I didn't realize the different categories in Bucko's message were describing Qualitatswein mit Pradicat (QmP) wines. I went looking and found the following site (http://www.meijer.com/wineguide/world.html) which has a good summary of the terms and what they mean.
- wondersofwine - 09-23-2002
Hotwine, on your question about differences in Mosels and Rheingaus, I suspect (but I'm not sure) that terroir is indeed the difference and possibly climate adds a little. I know M-S-R vines grow on slate soil (not clay or gravel or limestone)and that may not be the case with Rheingau and the other German regions. I prefer M-S-R wines most of the time but still enjoy an occasional Rheingau or Rheinpfalz. Was never too taken with Franken wines (many from the Sylvaner grape rather than Riesling). I have ordered two Erbacher Marcobrunn (Rheingau) as part of a mixed case of 2001 German wines from a dealer in D.C. that will be available for pick up in October or November.