Zellar Schwarze Katz

[Buechl]

Can someone tell me about Zellar Schwarze Katz? My family drinks it for Christmas and Thanksgiving each year but I would like to know more. Does it get better with age? What would be the longest it should be kept?

[Kcwhippet]

Buechl,

Welcome to the Wine Board. Your Zeller Schwarze Katz is made as a light, fairly innocuous Riesling. It's not a wine to put down in the cellar, and it should be drunk very young. If your family likes Riesling with their turkey there are some very nice ones that would go much better from Alsatian producers Trimbach and Hugel. Use the Zeller Schwarze Katz as an apperitif wine for sipping before the meal.

[hotwine]

Please don't dismiss German Rieslings in favor of Alsatians. I for one prefer the style of the Mosel-Sahr-Ruwer. There are many available that are major improvements over the Zeller stuff.

[Kcwhippet]

I didn't mean to dis the Germans. It's just that I prefer the Alsatian style. There are indeed many wonderful German Rieslings and I like them too, but I don't think Zeller Schwarze Katz is one of the better examples.

[hotwine]

You're right; I've never been a fan of the Zeller.

Buechl, suggest you use the holidays as an opportunity to expand your family's wine-tasting experience. Any decent retailer should be able to offer you a selection of the wines we're described. They're not expensive, maybe $10-$12 per bottle. I think you'd find it well worth the effort.

[Thomas]

I haven't seen the Zeller S K in years--does the label say Riesling? If not, I doubt there is any Riesling in the wine.

[Kcwhippet]

The labels do say Riesling. There are a number of producers and they make the wines around the town of Zell on the Mosel from what is apparently lesser fruit.

[Thomas]

Yeah, it would have to be lower grade fruit, for Riesling comes at a much higher premium than ZSK indicates.