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Dinner at 1-Star Michelin Restaurant Les Berceaux in Épernay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

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Picture: Dinner at 1-Star Michelin Restaurant Les Berceaux in Épernay, with Owner/ Host Lydie Michelon

The night before the end of the Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History, France, we stayed in Epernay, the capital of Champagne and had dinner at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Les Berceaux. Before dinner, some of us went on a tour of L'Avenue de Champagne (The Champagne Avenue) and had a Champagne tasting there. Its name derives from the presence of many leading champagne producers such as Moët et Chandon, Mercier and others.

See: Tour of l'Avenue de Champagne in Epernay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Tour of l'Avenue de Champagne in Epernay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

On the next day, before going to Paris, we had a tour of Mercier. (See separate posting).

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at the Champagne House Mercier in Épernay

Dinner at Les Berceaux

Chef Patrick Michelon spoiled us with an excellent menu. His wife Lydie Michelon greeted us.

Frommer's

Frommer's: In the only restaurant in Epernay with a Michelin star, chef Patrick Michelon creates delicious, beautifully presented dishes made from local and national seasonal ingredients, often with international flavors. Take, for example, the grilled scallops with physallis butter on a bed of endives. Unsurprisingly, the wine list is excellent. For a less-fancy meal, Bistro Le 7 (open daily, in same building) has fixed-price menus 29€–35€ and wines and champagnes by the glass.

Michelin

Michelin: Le chef Patrick Michelon cherche à faire ressortir le meilleur de la gastronomie champenoise, dans une veine classique. Une table plutôt bourgeoise, puisant dans le terroir local.
Le mot de l'inspecteur

1 étoile MICHELIN : une cuisine d’une grande finesse. Vaut l’étape !
Belle carte des vins.
Très bon standing.

Gault Millau

Hôtel-Restaurant les Berceaux 15/20

Gault Millau: Si le champagne est roi chez Patrick Michelon, on peut ajouter que, dans une logique expansionniste, la cave sait trouver les bonnes et grande références classiques dans la plupart des régions, pour s'accorder, en abondance et qualité, avec la riche cuisine du chef le plus renommé de la ville. Les Sparnaciens en sortie chic ne connaissent donc pas d'autre destination en ville, pour retrouver leurs friandises, les escargots au champagne, les carabineros plancha fricassée de cocos et amandes fraîches, le filet de bœuf sauce au pinot meunier et les figues rôties orange confite sorbet sangria d'un beau menu à 79 €.

Pictures: Dinner at 1-Star Michelin Restaurant Les Berceaux in Épernay

Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History (Forthcoming an already relased Postings)

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

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Introduction to the Burgundy Wine Region at Antic Wine in Lyon with Flying Sommelier Georges Dos Santos - Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at La Table de Chaintré (1 Star Michelin) in Chaintré, with Chef Sébastien Grospellier - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

In the Most Prestigious AOC in the Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé, France

Visit and Tasting at Domaine de Fussiacus in Fuissé, Poully-Fuissé, Mâconnais, with Owner/ Winemaker Yannik Pacquet - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Desvignes in Givry, Côte Chalonnaise, with Owner/ Winemaker Gautier Desvignes - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey in Mercurey - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

At Domaine Theulot­-Juillot in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, with Nathalie Theulot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of Château de Rully and Tasting of Domaine du Château de Rully Wines, with Count Raoul de Ternay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Le Chevreuil in Meursault, with the Wines of Domaine Matrot - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Cave Ropiteau Frères in Meursault, Côte de Beaune - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Michel Prunier & Fille in Auxey­ Duresses, Côte de Beaune - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Where Robert Parker likes to Eat: Lunch at La Crémaillère in Auxey-Duresses - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting in the Vineyard in Meursault with Karoline Knoth and the Wines of Domaine Pierre Morey - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet: Vineyard Walk and Cellar Tour, with Patrick Leflaive - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Wine-pairing Lunch at La Table de Olivier in Puligny Montrachet with Patrick Leflaive– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit and Tasting at Château de Chassagne-Montrachet in Chassagne-Montrachet, Côte de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit and Tasting: Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne

Visit: Hospices de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Lunch at Le Carmin (1 Star Michelin) in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château de Pommard in Pommard, Côte de Beaune - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George, Côte de Nuits, with Matilde Nicolas, Communications Director - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit of Château du Clos de Vougeot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Touring the Vineyards of Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, with Armelle Rion, Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion in Vosne ­Romanée, Côte de Nuits - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Guillon & Fils in Gevrey­-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, with Jean-Michel Guillon - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

An Institution: Lunch at Restaurant Chez Guy in Gevrey­-Chambertin - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Côte de Nuits, with Owner/ Winemaker Philippe Bernard - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean­ Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château Long-Depaquit in Chablis, with Technical Director Cécilia Trimaille - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Champagne– An Introduction, France

French Champagne Houses and German Roots

Visit and Tasting at Champagne Jean Josselin, a Grower Champagne House in Gyé­ sur­ Seine – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Tour of l'Avenue de Champagne in Epernay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at 1-Michelin star restaurant Les Berceaux in Épernay

Cellar visit and tasting at the Champagne House Mercier in Épernay

Lunch at La Coupole, Montparnasse, Paris

Dining and Wining on Boulevard Montparnasse in Paris: La Rotonde, Le Dôme and La Coupole, France – Pre-Bordeaux Wine Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France




Located in the heart of the city of Epernay, the capital of Champagne, and a few minutes from the celebrated cellars of the great houses, "The Cribs", a hotel, an atmosphere, two dining options that Lydia and Patrick Michelon and their team will be happy to make you discover.

"If one combines tourism to gastronomy, the address is a must in Champagne. The Cribs, star restaurant in the Michelin Guide, is one of the reference tables in eastern France. At its head, Patrick MICHELON, the delight of gourmets. To ensure this, simply take an article written by the famous food critic, Gilles PUDLOWSKI. " Patrick is a sure classic MICHELON knowing innovate with grace, but without fuss, who concocts up with, put the day before yesterday and tomorrow, rubbed with the times and recharged at the bottom of the old Champagne terroir ". All is said.



Next year, Patrick and his wife Lydia celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their settlement in the Capital of Champagne. Since then, bit by bit, the couple was able to develop this property. Thus Bistrot "7" was born just a few years instead of the "Wine Bar". The Michelon are supported by a loyal team as Maurice LEFONDEUR, Lieutenant kitchen of Cribs.



Champagne side, the cards of the two institutions offer a wide selection of the most beautiful homes in the area while maintaining an affordable price. An address not to be missed. "



Article by Jean-Baptiste DUTEURTRE


Lunch in Bacharach, Mittelrhein Region - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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Pictures: Lunch in Bacharach, Mittelrhein Region - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Following the

Sekt Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Picture: Sekt Cellar Tour, Vineyard tour, and Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai

we left the Rheingau Region and drove to the Mittelrhein Region, where our first stop was Bacharach for lunch and for a visit of Weingut Ratzenberger.

The short journey to Bacharach involved a ferry ride across the Rhine river. There is no bridge across the Rhine river for some 70 miles between Mainz and Koblenz to not destroy the beauty of the Rhine valley.

Pictures: Ferry Ride Across the Rhine Riber, with Kaub

Lunch at Restaurant Altes Haus in Bacharach

Bacharach is an incredibly beautiful, romantic 1000 year old wine village. Its castles, church spires, medieval city wall, and half-timbered houses on the shore of the Rhine rive is pure “Rheinromantik”. This is also the home town of Michael Thonet, the famous designer of the “cult” chairs, still in vogue today.

Pictures: Lunch at Altes Haus in Bacharach, Mittelrhein

Weingut Ratzenberger

Following lunch, we stayed in Bacharach and visited Weingut Ratzenberger. Owner/ Winemaker Jochen Ratzenberger was our host. (See separate posting).

Pictures: At Weingut Ratzenberger with Jochen Ratzenberger

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling - Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Joachim Flick in Hochheim, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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

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

Kloster Eberbach: Overnight-Stay, Dinner, Tour and Aperitif in the Steinberg Vineyard - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Wining in the Steinberg Vineyard– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Lunch, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau, with Owner Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen and Winemaker Arne Willkens - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Sekt Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch in Bacharach, Mittelrhein Region - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tasting and vineyard drive at winery Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ratzenberger, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided tour of Eltz Castle

Tasting at winery Reinhold Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen

Tasting at winery Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm

Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Wine-pairing dinner at winery Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle

Tasting at winery Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Middle Mosel, with Ernst Loosen

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef: Visit of the famous Berncasteler Doctor Cellar and Tour and Tasting at  Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef, with Ownwe Matthias Willkomm

The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Lunch at Restaurant Juffer Flair of Weingut Christian Steinmetz in Brauneberg

Tasting at winery Haart in Piesport, Mosel, with Johannes Haart

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Cellar tour and tasting at winery Peter Lauer in Ayl, Upper Mosel, Saar Valley, with Katharina Lauer and Peter Lauer

Lunch at Weinrestaurant Ayler Kupp at winery Peter Lauer

Tasting at winery H. Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe, with Anne Dönnhoff 

Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Visit and tasting at winery Dr. Crusius, Traisen, Nahe, with Peter and Judith Crusius.

Vineyard tour, cellar tour and tasting at winery Kruger-Rumpf, Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Stefan and Georg Rumpf

Tour, Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Weingut Kruger Rumpf, Nahe, with Stefan, Cornelia and Georg Rumpf– Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard tour and tasting at winery Bischel in Appenheim, Rheinhessen, with Christian Runkel, Owner and Winemaker

Winery visit and lunch at winery Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin Guntrum

Guntrum is Back (Stuart Pigott/ James Suckling): Wine Pairing Lunch and Tour at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Owners Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Mainlust “Desche Otto” – an Ultra Traditional Apple Wine Tavern, with an Innovative Twist, off the Beaten Track in Schwanheim, Frankfurt am Main, Germany  

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Marc-André Hugel and Senior Boss André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

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Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Marc-André Hugel and Senior Boss André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Hugel is one of the major producers of Alsace wine, and has been an important force in the Alsace wine industry in its developments during the second half of the 20th century. For over 370 years and with 13-family generations the Hugel family has unrivaled experience and knowledge of Alsace vineyards and winemaking. Known today for their passion and modern outlook, the dynamic Hugel family, located in the picture-postcard fortified village of Riquewihr, has earned a worldwide reputation for their Alsace wines.

Pictures: Arriving in Riquewihr

Marc-André Hugel was our host.

Senior Boss André Hugel, Marc-André Hugel's grandfather, paid us a visit.

Marc-André Hugel took us on a tour of the estate, which is right in the center of picture-postcard fortified village of Riquewihr, before sitting down in the tasting room for a formal tasting.

Hugel is represented in the US by Frederic Wildmann.

See also: Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Hugel

Hugel was founded in Riquewihr in 1639 by Hans Ulrich Hugel, who was a Swiss national who left his home country during the Thirty Years' War. It has remained in the hands of the Hugel family since then. As a logotype, they use a family crest which was carved in 1672, to decorate the doorway of a house built in Riquewihr by one of Hans Ulrich's sons

In 1902, Hugel moved to its present location in the centre of Riquewihr.

Pictures: At Hugel in Riquewihr

Hugel produces its high-end wines from its own vineyards, and also operates a négociant business, which sources additional grapes under long-term contract from various growers. Hugel is highly export-oriented, with almost 80 percent of the wines produced being exported.

Wine Cellar

Marc-André Hugel took us on a fascinating tour of the Hugel wine cellar.

Wine Dude: Hugel makes about one million bottles of wine annually, exporting them to over 100 countries, and is fond of testing out new tech in the cellar (to wit: they claim to be the first company in the world to employ a robo-palette). But that cellar dates from 1543, and happens to be near the center of the improbably precious town of Riquewihr. The oldest barrel therein dates back to the early 1700s (full disclosure: I might have crawled inside of it… also, they generate some downright impressive tartrate deposits). The combination of relatively large production, modern touches, and ancient surroundings requires the careful use of their restricted (and highly regulated) space.

Pictures: Touring the Hugel Wine Cellar with Marc-André Hugel

Vineyards

Hugel holds slightly over 25 hectares, all located around Riquewihr. More than half Hugel’s 25 hectares are in what the Hugel family now calls Grossi Laüe vineyards, which translated from Alsatian dialect means Great Growth, the equivalent of “Grand Cru” in Burgundy or “Grosses Gewächs” in Germany. This nomenclature change underscores the Hugel family’s proud ownership of these finest estate vineyards. In particular the Schoenenbourg Grossi Laüe and Sporen Grossi Laüe vineyards are a special source of pride, planted to Riesling and Gerwürtztraminer, with small parcels of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.

In addition, grapes from over 100 hectares of Alsace vineyards are bought in for the négociant business.

Pictures: With Senior Boss André Hugel, Marc-André Hugel's Grandfather

The Wine Portfolio

Hugel's range of wines consist of the following levels:

Gentil Hugel - a blend like the “Edelzwicker” but only allowed for blending the four noble grapes of Alsace: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Gewürztraminer

Hugel Classic - basic level wines produced from bought grapes. Includes most Alsace varieties and some blends.

Hugel Estate - A new selection "parcellaire" of carefully chosen plots of the Famille Hugel estate situated in Riquewihr in its most prestigious crus. Most of the plots chosen for this new wine are being converted into organic viticulture

Hugel Tradition - intermediate level wines, from the four "noble" white grapes

Hugel Jubilée - top level dry wines from Hugel's own vineyards

Hugel Grossi Laüe - Grossi Laüe signifies the finest vineyards in Alsace dialect and represents an equivalent to the German Grosses Gewächs or the Burgundian Grand Cru

Hugel Vendange Tardive - late harvest wines

Hugel Sélection de Grains Nobles - wines from botrytised grapes

Tasting

We tasted 5 wines.

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Pictures: Tasting with Marc-André Hugel

The Wines we Tasted

2017 Hugel Gentil

The perfect introduction to Alsace wines as it combines the qualities of all our white varietals. This wine revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines assembled from noble grape varieties were called "Gentil". Gentil "Hugel" allies the suave, spicy flavour of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner.


2014 Hugel Riesling Estate Euro 21.60


2011 Hugel Riesling Grossi Laüe Euro 42.50

Grossi Laüe signifies the finest vineyards in Alsace dialect and represents an equivalent to the German Grosses Gewächs or the Burgundian Grand Cru.

Produced in a selection of the finest plots of the Hugel estate in the heart of the grand cru Schoenenbourg. This fantastic historical terroir has been almost exclusively devoted to Riesling for centuries. Keuper, marl, dolomite and gypsum, rich in fertilising agents, overlaid with fine layers of quaternary siliceous gravel, Vosges sandstone and Muschelkalk, with at its eastern extremity outcrops of Lias marl limestones.


2011 Hugel Gewürztraminer Grossi Laüe Euro 39.90


2010 Hugel Gewürztraminer Vendage Tardive Euro 42.50


Dinner at Brasserie Chez Roger Hassenforder

Following the visit of Hugel we went back to Kaysersberg to our hotel and had dinner at Brasserie Chez Roger Hassenforder. Roger Hassenforder is a famous Alsatian cyclist who was a star of the Tour de France during the 1950s.

Pictures: Dinner at Brasserie Chez Roger Hassenforder

schiller-wine: Related Postings - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Frankreich

Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Dinner and Overnight-stay at Hotel-Restaurant A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel et Fils in Riquewihr, with Marc-André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé  - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Restaurant Gastronomique Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Kilian Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, with Martina Hunn - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, Baden, with Kilian and Martina Hunn - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Eating Well in Alsace - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: June 3, 2019)

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

A Visit of the Vineyards of Alsace– Presented by Annette Schiller at the John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society, USA/ France

Germany meets France: Bourgogne, Baden, Alsace and Pfalz - Tasting with the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), led by Annette Schiller, USA/ France/ Germany

The World Class Wines of Alsace

In the world class white wine region Alsace

Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

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Pictures: Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) which took place in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019, included 2 wine tours: Tour Burgenland and Tour Lower Austria (Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram).

Pictures: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019: Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, Professor Astrid Forneck, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Willi Klinger, Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Christian Schiller - Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE, Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours - Christian Schiller, Herwig Jamek, Weingut Jamek, Wachau, Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE

During the Tour Lower Austria (Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram) my group (there were 4 groups) visited Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau and Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal. Herwig Jamek was our host at Weingut Jamek.

I am preparing 5 postings:

Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf and der Wulka, Burgenland, Austria, with Mag. Gerald Rouschal - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Josef Maier - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Tour Lower Austria - Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram

On the last day, we went on a day trip to the Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal and Wagram, all smaller sub-regions of Niederösterreich/ Lower Austria. We were divided into 4 groups.

We all had lunch togather in Dürnstein.

My group visited Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, before lunch and Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, after lunch.

Picture: Tour Lower Austria - Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram

Wachau

wine-searcher: Wachau is a small but important wine district on the Danube River in northern Austria. It follows the Danube for roughly 20 miles (33km) until Krems-an-der-Donau, the fifth-largest city in Lower Austria and the commercial hub for Wachau and its neighboring districts Kremstal and Kamptal. One of Austria's most famous and respected wine regions, Wachau is known for its full-bodied, pepper-tinged Grüner Veltliner and rich, steely Riesling.

Most Wachau vineyards are located on steep (often terraced) hillsides above the Danube – a naturally sunny location where warm summer temperatures are stabilized slightly by the river below. The most flavorful Wachau wines come from vineyards perched on sun-drenched, south-facing terraces.

Wachau's steep, sweeping, vineyard-lined riverbanks could easily be mistaken for those of Germany's Mosel, even if the wines could not: classic Wachau Rieslings taste richer, riper and more tropical than their counterparts from the cooler, wetter Mosel. They have much more in common with the richest Rieslings of Alsace and Pfalz.

Wachau Grüner Veltliner is arguably the most iconic of all Austrian wine styles in the modern day. Racy, aromatic and intense, these wines are marked by zesty citrus notes and a chlorophyll-tinged zing of white pepper. Neighboring Kremstal and Kamptal are the only other regions on Earth capable of producing Grüner Veltliner like this.

Wachau lies outside of Austria's DAC classifications: instead, the terms Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd are commonly found on bottles of white Wachau wine. This three-tier wine-style classification was developed by the region's producers as a way of communicating the style of their wines, beyond region and grape variety. Steinfeder wines are the lightest: fresh and tangy, with a maximum of 11.5% ABV. The term means "stone feather", and is the name of a wispy, feather-like grass that grows on Wachau's stony terraces. Federspiel wines are the middleweight category (11.5–12.5% ABV), with the racy, precise, elegance of a hunting falcon; federspiel means "falconry". Smaragd wines are the richest and fullest-bodied, with a minimum of 12% ABV. Smaragd translates literally as "emerald" but refers here to a distinctive, emerald-green lizard which basks on the warmest of Wachau's sun-baked stone terraces.

Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek

The visit of Weingut Jamek was a very special and impressive one. We met at the estate but then immediately walked to Ried Kaus, where we had a tasting of the Jamek wines in the vineyard Klaus with  breathtaking view of the Danube River Valley.

winesolutions.com: The late Joseph Jamek is known in the Wachau and greater Austria as the pioneering leader of quality wine production and the father of the modern-day style of dry Wachau wines. For those not familiar with Jamek, especially my fellow Americans, you can think of him like Robert Mondavi and what he did for the Napa Valley. Jamek came to be a winemaker later in his life, but it was still early times for modern vini and viticulture in the Wachau. Jamek’s first single vineyard wine was the 1959 Ried Klaus Riesling bottled in 1960. In the Wachau at the time of Jamek’s rise, the Wachau was not known for dry wines and loaded the sweet wines they already made with a sugar additive that boosted the sweetness level even further. Dry wines existed but were mostly for personal consumption according to a few people I spoke to on my visit.

Pictures: Walking to Ried Klaus

Joseph had a keen palate for fine and dry wines and decided that was the style of wine he wanted to pursue, which today is now the dominant style of wine made throughout the Wachau and all of Austria in regards to Gruner Veltliner and Riesling. Today his legacy lives on with his family farming and tending to 27 hectares of vines in the Wachau, one of the largest landholders in the region.

We met the good Dr. Herwig Jamek, grandson-in-law of Joseph, in the reception house that houses the wine tasting room and the restaurant. He asked what I wanted to see, graciously allowing me to select the details of the visit. Vineyards, of course, were first and then I asked to see the remaining parts that bring the wines to life and tell the story of Jamek.

Being a father himself of 4 girls, one which was a similar age to Camille, was a happy coincidence. Herwig already had a car seat in his van that we hopped into to see the vineyards. Camille took to him pretty easily handling and adjusting the car seat for her and off we went. We drove down the Danube a few minutes and then took a small road that wound up the terraces to the crown jewel of Joseph Jamek, Ried Klaus. This was my first encounter with one of the special “Ried” vineyard designations that look like a small religious monument at the foot of specific vineyards. Think of “Ried” as a high-quality designation like Cru, or more specifically Grand Cru.

The gate of Achleiten and looking up through the gate to the Achleiten vineyard, maybe the most famous “Ried” or Cru vineyards in the Wachau.

Pictures: Tasting in the Vineyard with Herwig Jamek

Klaus was my first look at serious Wachau vines, terraces and grape bunches of Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. The upper portion of Ried Klaus is hard rock gneiss for the Riesling and the lower portions are a mix of gneiss with loess and other more alluvial soils keen for Gruner Veltliner. Adjacent to Ried Achleiten, Ried Klaus faces south, south-east looking down river to Kremstal and across to Mautern and then upriver west to Spitz.

We meandered down a few terraces to a set of terrace walls Herwig wanted to show me as they were in the midst of being rebuilt from a landslide. This was very important and extremely informative as it showed how back breaking the work is to maintain and build these walls.

Pictures: Christian Schiller, Annette Schiller, Karl Storchmann and Herwig Jamek

What happened was the wall buckled and gave way from years of pressure and ultimately rainwater in a storm that built up behind the wall. The portion that broke was composed of masonry binding with cement between the rocks that made up the bricks of a thinner wall. This terrace method has been mostly abandoned as the cement allows no flexibility or drainage under stress and the walls tend to break like a levee. Instead, what we now see are walls that are deeper front to back with longer or wider stones. To seal them smaller stones are wedges in like stoppers to effectively lock the rocks in place. This allows for water drainage so the pressure on the wall is much less. Maintenance is required for some upkeep but the work an effort over time is less.

Back at the Weingut, we toured the winemaking facilities and cellars, adorned with ornate carvings on the large wood tanks that adorn many Wachau Weingut. We saw the family home and the original restaurant that started it all decades ago as one of the early marriages of wine and food that are so common here.

Amongst the family was a heart-warming gesture, they were providing a home for a Syrian refugees family displaced by the terrible war ravaging that country. I was already a fan but this just made me like Jamek so much more.

We finished the visit with a wonderful lunch in the main restaurant which is also the family home on the upper floors. It is here we tasted the wonderful portfolio of wines, tasting the best Federspiel Gruner Veltliner of the trip and one of the best Weissburgunder that had a little age and showed the stuffing to be a long-term ager. Herwig showed us the original Riedel wine glasses that Joseph had commissioned specifically for his wines which really now the gold standard of style in the Wachau. True and original wine antiques they were delicate with a long and medium-sized flit bowl, which a short stem.

I was so excited and enamored with the visit and a little late to get Camille back for her nap I forgot to buy some wines which was a huge mistake as they are not easy to find here back in the US.

Should you be in the Wachau I can’t recommend a visit to Jamek more. You can even stay at the property in a few of the apartments that are fairly priced and nicely appointed.

A bientot!

-Tom

The Wines we Tasted

We tasted 9 wines.


Weingut Jamek, Vierblatt, Gelber Muskateller Federspiel 2018
Weingut Jamek, Ried Achleiten, Grüner Veltliner Federspiel 2018
Weingut Jamek, Ried Achleiten, Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2018
Weingut Jamek, Ried Achleiten, Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2017


Weingut Jamek, Ried Hochrain, Weissburgunder 2017


Weingut Jamek, Ried Pichl, Riesling Federspiel 2018
Weingut Jamek, Ried Klaus, Riesling Federspiel 2018
Weingut Jamek, Ried Klaus, Riesling Smaragd 2017


Weingut Jamek, Ried Klaus, Riesling Beerenauslese 2017


Bye-bye

Thanks Herwig Jamek for an extraordinary tasting.

Picture: Bye-bye

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Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pégau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Winemaker Andreas Lenzenwöger - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Berry Bros & Rudd: The Feraud family of Domaine du Pegau, including daughter Laurence and the father Paul, are fervent proponents of the most traditional wine-making style of Provence and Rhone. It is widely regarded as one of the leading producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The property in Châteauneuf is made up of eleven separate vineyard parcels spread throughout the Courthézon, La Solitude and Bédarrides sector of the appellation.

Picture: Domaine du Pégau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Laurence and Paul Féraud

Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud was our host. We also met cellar master Andreas Lenzenwöger. Laurence took us on a cellar tour, followed by a sit-down tasting of the Pegau wines, including a Domaine du Pégau Cuvée da Capo.

Pictures: Arriving

Domaine du Pégau

SommSelect.com: They may only be in their third decade, but Pégau has already topped restaurant and critics’ lists time after time. Like the illustrious Château Beaucastel, Pégau utilizes all 13 authorized grape varieties in their cuvée and extended aging always occurs in neutral foudres (king-sized oak barrels). The end result is dark, delicious, and remarkably fresh, with profound layers of minerality and spice. No heat, no syrup, just astounding depth, texture, and gorgeous aromatics. Should you be on the lookout for top examples of southern Rhône, Domaine du Pégau is a sure bet, and their “rags to riches” story only adds to the appeal. Once you taste "Cuvée Réservée," you’ll understand why they attract so much fame—their wine is classic, way underpriced, and genuinely ageworthy. We were lucky to get enough to offer six bottles per customer today—bottles any serious collector would be happy to have in his or her cellar.

Pictures: In the Cellar with Winemaker Andreas Lenzenwöger

Daughter-Father team Laurence and Paul Féraud have a grape-growing lineage in southern Rhône that dates to the 1600s and evidence of winemaking from 1733. Still, Domaine du Pégau didn’t formally exist until 1987. At the time, Laurence was living in Paris and returned home to help her father, Paul, farm the family’s 10 acres of vines. The following year, their first vintage was crafted in a roofless winery—it was still under construction. In an interview with the wine blog Vinography, Laurence recalled the bare-bones operation during their inaugural vintage: "We threw the bunches of grapes into the vats and then after 15 or 20 days I got in and took the [grape] must out with a pitchfork. It was my father, me, and one employee."

Pictures: In the Cellar with Laurence Féraud

Money was tight in the beginning years and French wine critic Michel Bettane was their saving grace: He stumbled upon them and penned an article that resulted in much-needed exposure. Soon after, a businessman interested in importing their wines approached them. Upon tasting a few barrel samples, he requested their business, but the Férauds didn’t even have the finances to bottle their wines, so he fronted them cash in order to do so. At the time, Laurence was hand-applying every label—over 800 a day. As years passed, new cuvées were birthed, more vineyards were acquired, and their exports wildly grew. Today, Domaine du Pégau is considered not just one of the great estates of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but the world.

Pictures: Tasting

Laurence Féraud, along with her father—still working in his late 70s—and a small team, farm 14 family-owned parcels around the region. Their vines, some reaching the century mark in age, are situated in various soils, mostly of clay and sand. Other parcels lie atop the classic heat-absorbing galets (round stones) of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Laurence’s holdings are predominately Grenache, but she utilizes all 13 permitted grape varieties of the appellation, both in the vineyard and her "Cuvée Réservée.” They practice sustainable farming and all grapes are harvested by hand. In the winery, a spontaneous ‘whole-cluster’ fermentation occurs in cement tanks, followed by a twice-daily pump over. After completion, aging takes place in large, neutral foudres—never new oak—for 18-24 months. It is always bottled unfiltered.

Region: Southern Rhône
Sub-Region: Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Variety: Grenache 80%, Syrah 10%, Mourvèdre 6%, All Other Permitted Varieties 4%
Alcohol: 14%
Oak: Large Neutral Foudres
Soil: Clay, Chalk, & Sand Beneath Galets
Farming: Sustainable

The Wines Laurence Poured

We tasted 6 wines, including a Domaine du Pégau Cuvée da Capo.


2015 Château Pegau Cuvée Maclura Côtes du Rhône Rouge

Château Pegau is the name of Laurence and Paul Féraud’s newly-purchased 60 hectare estate, located in Sorgues, less than 6 km from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, including 40 planted hectares of vines in the Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhone Villages appellations.

60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault.


2013 Château Pegau Cuvée Setier Côtes du Rhône Rouge

60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre.


NV Domaine du Pégau Plan Pegau Vin de France Rouge

Hogshead.com: This wine is a blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Merlot, and 20% Carignan, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Danlas, Alicante, and Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from vines averaging 40 years of age. The wine was fermented in concrete vats then aged in a mix of concrete tanks and very old French oak casks. Alcohol 13.5%. The flavors show rounded edges with hints of red fruit but overall dry, black fruit comes out by the middle. There is some depth, some minerals, and a dry structure with air. Need a little cellar time.

2013 Domaine du Pégau Cuvée Réservée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge

Sommselect.com: In the glass, Domaine du Pégau’s 2013 "Cuvée Réservée" displays a concentrated and opaque deep ruby core. The nose offers up rich notes of black cherry, currant, licorice, black raspberry liqueur, damp garrigue, purple and red flowers, wild herbs, finely crushed pepper, olive tapenade, smoked meat, and subtle baking spice. The palate is rich and dense but also lifted and fresh. Richness and freshness may sound like a paradox, but it isn’t: mineral precision enlivens your palate even as the dark fruit coats it. It isn’t overly extracted, but instead a perfect example of how satisfying CdP can be. Though this was a trying vintage for the region, the Férauds nailed it, and you can expect this to perform well over the next 10+ years. If consuming now, do so in large Bordeaux stems after a one-hour decant. Try out the attached Provençal take on venison and make sure to monitor your heat and cooking time—you want the meat to be tender, not tough! Bon appétit.

Berry Bros. & Rudd: The Châteauneuf red (a small quantity of white is also produced) is a blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, with the remaining 5% being made up of Mourvèdre, Counoise and other varieties. The grapes are hand harvested and are then fermented without being de-stemmed. The cuvaison lasts for 12-15 days and the wine is then aged for around 18 months in old oak foudres. No fining or filtration is carried out. The Cuvée Laurence is the same wine as the Cuvée Réservée but is kept in wooden cask for another 18-24 months before being bottled. These are rich, robust and concentrated wines, which tend to show at their best with 7-8 years of bottle age.


2015 Domaine du Pégau Cuvée da Capo Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge

wine-searcher average price in US$: 367

‘Cuvée da Capo’ made most years and comes from a plot in La Crau. The lieu dit ‘La Crau’ is a very special plot in the Châteauneuf du Pape vineyard sites and the most famous one. It is the area towards Courthézon and particularily rich in the galets roulés, round rocks or pebbles covering the clay soil, and perfect for retaining the heat.

95-97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Slated to be bottled in January 2018, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo is an impressively endowed wine by any measure. Aromas? Floral, fruity and spicy. Flavors? Black cherries and plums with hints of meat and licorice. Weight and texture? Ample and silky. Finish? Never-ending and nuanced. This big but balanced beauty should drink well for at least two decades. (JC) (10/2017)

95-97 points Vinous

Saturated ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of ripe dark berries, incense and garrigue , accented by a sexy Asian spice nuance in the background. Plush, seamless and alluringly sweet, offering intense black raspberry, cherry liqueur and floral pastille flavors that reach every corner of the palate. Smooth, seamless and deeply concentrated but lively as well; velvety tannins add shape to an extremely long, spice- and mineral-accented finish. The interplay of richness and vivacity here is awfully impressive. (JR) (3/2017)


2015 Domaine du Pégau Cuvée Laurence Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge

justerinis.com: An enticing, smokier tone to this than the 2013 Cuvee Reservee. Smouldering dark berry fruits with notes of cigar box. The texture is silky and the fruit lively but generous, flavours of Morello cherry and rock salt, hints of bramble. Sumptuous and free-flowing. Cuvee Laurence is the result of one cask of Cuvee Reserve being singled out by Laurence Feraud for extended ageing, which amounts to an extra two years in large oak foudres. This is only done in certain vintages. The blend is therefore the same as that of Cuvee Reservee, approximately 80% Grenache with the rest made up of Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise and a smattering of the other permitted varieties. Approximately 600 cases were made.

Bye-bye

Many thanks Laurence for a most interesting cellar tour and tasting.

Pictures: Bye-bye

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Picture: Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland. See: See: Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Germany is one of the largest sparkling wine markets in the world. One out of four bottles of sparkling wine produced in the world is consumed in Germany. Sparkling wine produced in Germany is called Sekt. Sekt can range from inexpensive mass Sekt to premium and ultra-premium Sekt made in the méthode traditionnelle.

Deutscher Sekt Preis 2018/ German Sekt Competition 2018

For the fifth time, Meininger Verlag organized a Sekt Competition in July 2019 in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse. A total of more than 500 Sekts were tasted. Only premium and ultra-premium Sekts (made in the méthode traditionnelle) could be submitted.

Three years ago (but not this year) Annette Schiller was one of the tasters.

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Volker Raumland and Boris Maskow at the Tasting Two Years Ago (Photos: Facebook). See: Best German Sparkling Wine (Sekt): Meiningers Deutscher Sektpreis 2016, with Annette Schiller as Judge

Sekt Basics

Sekt is made in all German wine regions, both in the méthode traditionnelle and charmat method. There are three groups of Sekt makers: (i) large and (ii) smaller Sekt houses, who only make Sekt and (iii) winemakers, who make predominantly wine, but complement their wine selection by a few Sekts. The Sekts produced by large Sekt estates tend to be in the demy-sweet and sweet range, while the Sekts of smaller estates and the wine makers are mostly in the brut and extra brut range. In addition to Sekt, Germany produces semi-sparkling wine, which is called Perlwein. But the production of Perlwein is small.

Large Sekt Houses

There is a dozen or so large Sekt houses. They produce more than 2.000.000 bottles each annually. Most of these large Sekt houses were established in the 1800s. At that time, there was only one method known to produce Sekt, the méthode traditionnelle. But in contrast to the champagne houses, the large Sekt houses have all moved to the charmat method as main method of the second fermentation after World War II. Like the champagne houses, Sekt houses do not own vineyards, but purchase the base wine from winemakers. More than three quarters of the base wine used to make Sekt is imported from other EU countries, essentially Italy, France and Spain. Sekt can only be labeled as Deutscher Sekt if it is made exclusively from German grapes, which is rare in the case of the large and the smaller Sekt houses. Most of the Sekt houses have beautiful chateau-type facilities with old underground cellars for the second fermentation and storage. Overall, these Sekts are reasonably priced, are of good quality, but with the introduction of the charmat method are no longer in the same class as their counterparts in the champagne region.

The Rotkäppchen-Mumm conglomerate is now the largest Sekt producer. Rotkäppchen was founded in Freiburg (Saale-Unstrut) in 1856, in the eastern part of Germany, and has experienced a phenomenal expansion since reunification of the two Germanys in 1989. It introduced the charmat method in 1956. Mumm was founded in 1827, initially as a champagne house, by the German banker and wine merchant P. A. Mumm. His sons J. and H.G. Mumm created the famous “Mumm Cordon Rouge” at their estate in France and also branched out to Germany. A few years ago, the French branch was bought by Pernod Ricard and the German branch by Rotkäppchen, and the Mumm estates separated. Henkell-Söhnlein, also a conglomerate, is the second largest Sekt house. Henkell was founded in 1832 in Mainz (Rheinhessen). Its most famous “Henkell Trocken”, made of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc, is available in the US with (supposedly) the same taste as in 1894, when this cuvee was created by Adam Henkell, although then, the charmat methode had not yet been discovered.

Smaller Sekt Houses

The smaller Sekt houses, like the large Sekt houses, do not own vineyards, but also buy the base wine from winemakers. They also tend to have a long history and often links to the champagne region, beautiful facilities and old cellars for the second fermentation and storage. The big difference is that they typically have not gone the route of tank fermentation but continue to ferment in the méthode traditionnelle.

Geldermann in Breisach makes its Sekt exclusively from French wines imported from the Loire valley. The two Germans Deutz and Geldermann founded a champagne house in 1838 in the champagne, and the Breisach (Baden) outlet became their German branch in 1904 for tax reasons. Another one is Kessler, in Esslingen (Baden-Wuerttemberg), the first German Sekt house, founded in 1826 by Georg Kessler, who had worked for Veuve Clicqot. Fürst von Metternich Sekts are produced in a beautiful castle overlooking the Rhein river in the Rheingau. Von Metternich received the castle from the Austrian Emperor Franz I in 1816 as a gift for his skillful negotiations as his Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Vienna congress (1814 -15). The von Metternich Sekts are all Rieslings from von Metternich vineyards.

Small Sekt and Wine Producers

Finally, increasingly, there is a number of top quality winemakers, who, in addition, to their still wines, have started to include Sekts in their portfolio. These Sekts are typically vintage Sekts, from a specified vineyard, made of specific grapes, often Riesling, in the méthode champenoise and with little or not dosage (brut or extra but). While the first fermentation typically takes place at the winery, the second fermentation is often not in the cellar of the winemaker but in the cellar of a Sekt house that bottle-ferments for other wineries. One of those is award-winning Volker Raumland in Rheinhessen. He bottle-ferments for himself and for others. He keeps the bottle sur lie up to 12 years before corking and labeling the bottle for sale. There is a large and growing number of winemakers who have started to produce world class Sekts. Unfortunately, their production is very limited and they are difficult to find in the US.

Deutscher Sekt Preis 2019/ German Sekt Competition 2019: 6 Categories

The Sekts were grouped in 6 different categories:

Riesling brut
Burgundy Grapes brut
Burgundy Grapes brut premium (on the lees for at least 36 months)
Rosé
Other Grapes brut
Sekt trocken

Kategorie I - Riesling Sekt Brut/ Riesling Sekt Brut

1. Platz 2014 Riesling Prestige Extra Brut, Griesel Sekt - Sekthaus Streit, Hessische Bergstraße, 90 Punkte, 21,00 Euro

2. Platz 2016 Dürkheimer Schenkenböhl Riesling Sekt b. A. brut, Lebenshilfe Bad Dürkheim e.V, Pfalz, 90 Punkte, 12,00 Euro

3. Platz 2016 von Buhl Riesling brut, Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl, Pfalz, 90 Punkte, 14,90 Euro

Pictures: Extensive Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, with Richard Grosche - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Kategorie II - Burgunder Sekt Brut/ Burgundy Grapes Sekt Brut

1. Platz 2015 Pinot Brut Nature, Griesel Sekt - Sekthaus Streit, Hessische Bergstraße, 92 Punkte, 23,00 Euro

2. Platz 2015 Grande Cuvée Dosage Zéro, Griesel Sekt - Sekthaus Streit, Hessische Bergstraße, 91 Punkte, 29,00 Euro

3. Platz 2014 Chardonnay extra brut, Weingut Gutzler, Rheinhessen, 91 Punkte, 13,60 Euro

Picture: 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

Kategorie III – Prestige-Burgunder Sekt Brut (mind. 36 Monate Hefelager)/ Premium Burgundy Grapes Brut (minimum 36 months on the lees)

1. Platz 2008 Vintage Chardonnay Extra Brut, Sekthaus Raumland, Rheinhessen, 93 Punkte, 69,00 Euro

2. Platz 2008 Vintage Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Sekthaus Raumland, Rheinhessen, 93 Punkte, 69,00 Euro

3. Platz 2014 Grande Cuvée Dosage Zéro, Griesel Sekt - Sekthaus Streit, Hessische Bergstraße, 93 Punkte, 29,00 Euro

Pictures: Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland. See: Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Kategorie IV – Rosé Sekt Brut/ Rosé Sekt Brut

1. Platz 2015 Pinot Rosé brut, Weingut Franz Keller, Baden, 91 Punkte, 16,00 Euro

2. Platz 2014 Pinot Rosé brut, Weingut Rings, Pfalz, 91 Punkte, 19,00 Euro

3. Platz Rosé Brut, Privat-Sektkellerei Reinecker, Baden, 91 Punkte, 14,00 Euro

Pictures: With Friedrich and Fritz sen. Keller, Weingut Franz Keller. See: Weingut Franz Keller in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Fritz Keller– Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Pictures: Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Rings in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Andreas Rings - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Kategorie V – Sortenvielfalt Sekt Brut/ Other Grapes Sekt Brut

1. Platz 2016 Grüner Veltliner dosage zero, Sektmanufaktur Schloss Vaux, Rheingau, 91 Punkte, 20,00 Euro

2. Platz Baden Crémant Brut, Privat-Sektkellerei Reinecker, Baden, 90 Punkte, 12,00 Euro

3. Platz 2017 Britzinger Nobling Extra Brut, Winzergenossenschaft Britzingen eG., Baden, 90 Punkte, 8,90 Euro

Kategorie VI – Sekt Trocken/ Sekt Off-dry

1. Platz 2017 Sauvignon blanc extra trocken, Weingut auf den fünfzehn Morgen, Rheinhessen, 91 Punkte, 9,50 Euro

2. Platz 2017 Pinot Rosé trocken, Weingut Erich Stachel, Pfalz, 90 Punkte, 9,50 Euro

3. Platz Spätburgunder Rotsekt trocken, Weingut Leonhardt, Pfalz, 90 Punkte, 8,20 Euro

Sonderauszeichnungen/ Speical Awards

Kollektion des Jahres/ Collection of the Year

Sekthaus Raumland, Rheinhessen

Bester Sekt Brut Nature (Sekt ohne Dosage)/ Best Sekt Brut Nature (Sekt without Dosage)

Riesling Brut Nature, Frank John - Das Hirschhorner Weinkontor, Pfalz, 90 Punkte, 27,00 Euro

Picture: Frank and Gerlinde John, Weingut John, Pfalz. See: Véritable - a very Special Wine Trade Fair - 2019 in St. Martin, Pfalz, Germany

schiller-wine: Related Postings

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Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: August 1, 2019)

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German Wine Makers in the World: Anton Mueller Invented the Remuage Technique Revolutionizing Sparkling Wine Drinking, 1800s, France

German Wine Makers in the World: Eduard Werle --- Owner of the Veuve Cliquot Champagne house (France)

German Wine Makers in the World: Robert Alwin Schlumberger--the Father of Austrian Sekt (Austria)







Cellar Tour and Tasting at Mercier in Épernay- Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

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Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Mercier in Épernay- Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

The last stop of the

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

before having lunch in Paris at La Coupole, Montparnasse, after which the tour ended,

was in Épernay, the capital of Champagne, at Maison Mercier, one of the famous Champagne Houses on l'Avenue de Champagne. We had a tour of the impressive cellars of Mercier and a tasting.

Mercier is the #1 selling brand of Champagne in the French market. Today the house is under the umbrella of the LVMH group, along with

Moët & Chandon
Dom Pérignon
Ruinart
Vve Clicquot
Krug
Mercier

One does not visit Mercier for sipping Champagne. It is the monument and craziness of its nonconformist founder that is interesting to experience. It was in 1858 that Eugène Mercier, a daring and visionary entrepreneur, broke with champagne tradition and created a "champagne for all occasions". To get people talking about his champagne, in 1870 he decided to build the largest wine cask in the world! With a monumental gage of over 20 tonnes, measuring 5 meters in height and able to hold up to 200,000 bottles, the cask was one of the major attractions of the 1889 Exposition Universelle, a competition won by the Eiffel Tower. In 1871 Eugène Mercier began the construction of his cellars in Epernay. It took six years to build the 18 kilometers of impressive underground tunnels that are home to the Mercier heritage. Once the immense cellars were open, Eugène Mercier, who always had an eye for creating significant events, had visitors tour the tunnels in carriages pulled by four horses. The tour was even taken by the President of France, Sadi Carnot, when he visited Mercier in 1891.

Picture: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Mercier in Épernay- Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Mercier

Mercier Saga

Mercier: Our family saga began during the reign of Napoleon III, in the Second Empire, a period of thriving economic prosperity. When he was only 20 years old my great-grandfather Eugène Mercier established his own House and revolutionized the world of champagne. He took up an incredible challenge: make the wine of the era’s elites into a champagne accessible to everyone without ever sacrificing quality. A brilliant innovator and communication visionary, Eugène Mercier always knew how to surprise and amaze the public… He launched numerous and original communication operations during the course of the 19th century: a filmed commercial with the Lumière brothers, the creation of unusual promotional items and grand wine tastings of Mercier champagnes at Universal Expositions.

Picture: Picture: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Mercier in Épernay- Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

The Odysses of the Mercier Champagne

At the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris Eugène Mercier created an original and attention-getting floating bar in an anchored hot air balloon. Attached to the foundation of the Vincennes Castle, the balloon took visitors to an altitude of 300 meters where they had the pleasure of a stunning panoramic view of Paris while enjoying a flute of Mercier. But destiny curiously intervened to transform the beautiful ascent into an unexpected adventure… The wind made off with the balloon and carried it to Epernay and well beyond, continuing its wild race all the way to Belgium. Yet all’s well that ends well, and the accidental travelers returned safe and sound.

Mercier in Epernay

Mercier is in Epernay, in the heart of France’s Champagne country, but the house has always had strong ties to Paris. In 1871, as soon as the cellars were built, a direct railway line transported the wine to the City of Light. And the connection went both ways, as Mercier’s reputation meant that it was always welcoming champagne lovers to the rolling hills of its vineyards. In 1904 a Paris-to-Epernay auto race was established, with the spectacular finish line located on the Avenue de Champagne, right in front of Mercier’s doorstep.

The Cellars

In 1871 Eugène Mercier began the construction of his cellars in Epernay. It took six years to build the 18 kilometers of impressive underground tunnels that are home to the Mercier heritage. Once the immense cellars were open, Eugène Mercier, who always had an eye for creating significant events, had visitors tour the tunnels in carriages pulled by four horses. The tour was even taken by the President of France, Sadi Carnot, when he called at Mercier in 1891.

Designed and decorated to impress, to this day the Mercier cellars are among the most often toured cellars in Champagne and receive over 100,000 visitors every year. One of the most remarkable objects to be seen on the Mercier tour is the “giant wine cask,” which bears witness to another of the founder’s flashes of genius. Eugène Mercier arranged the building of the world’s biggest wine barrel, which was designed for assemblage. His genius for communications inspired him to surmount every obstacle to have his exceptional cask displayed at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. The Mercier cask even won second prize at the Exposition—first prize went to the Eiffel Tower!

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Mercier in Épernay- Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

3 Questions to Christophe Bonnefond, Chef de Cave, Mercier

Can you tell us a little about the immediate reactions of visitors when they first see the Mercier cellars?

​« Visitors are surprised by the grandeur and the unique decor of our cellars. They’re not expecting to discover such a magnificent heritage and they realize how important our brand has been throughout the years. At the same time, they appreciate the amazing contrast between our traditional heritage and the originality of touring the cellars in a little train. »

Can you describe the atmosphere of the cellars and tell us if it impacts your everyday work?

« The atmosphere of the cellars is rich with our century-old history and they show a love of grandeur that was uniquely Eugène Mercier’s. When you are in the cellars you want to perpetuate the legend of Mercier Champagne and that’s what I focus on every day, continuing the “fresh, fruity, intense, spontaneous” Mercier style. »

How are these cellars different from the cellars of France’s other major houses?

​« The Mercier cellars were the first to be constructed according to a rational plan based on an architectural drawing and designed to be open to the public. The high, arched ceilings, the sculpted decor and the theatricality create such atmosphere in these cellars that are, above all and to this day, the place where our wines mature, an organized, functional production space just as it was in the beginning for Eugène Mercier. »

Mercier Champagne Portfolio

Brut: An assemblage of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay with a pale yellow color.

Brut Réserve: The bouquet is redolent of candied citrus, dried apricots and raisins.

Brut Rosé: A shimmering, salmon colour, with the vivacious aroma of red fruits and a palate as sweet as it is refreshing.

Blanc de Noir: The floral and fruity aromas of rose and lychee complete the green freshness of leafstalks and red currants.

Demi-Sec: An assemblage of Pinot Noir and Meunier, MERCIER DEMI-SEC is of a splendid antique gold color.

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Mercier in Épernay- Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Lunch at La Coupole, Montparnasse, Paris

Following the visit of Mercier in Epernay we drove for ab out an hour to Paris for our final meal, at the iconic La Coupole, Montparnasse, after which the tour ended.

La Coupole is a historic Montparnasse café / restaurant (and an official French historic monument), which opened in 1927. This huge restaurant is a temple of Art Déco. It still symbolizes the “roaring twenties”. In was and still is to some lesser extent one of the hotspots of the intellectuals of Paris and abroad. Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemmingway, Picasso, Man Ray, Camus, James Joyce, Josephine Baker, Henri Miller, Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin and countless others were regulars at La Coupole.

Pictures: Lunch at La Coupole

Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History (Forthcoming an already relased Postings)

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Lunch at La Coupole, Montparnasse, Paris

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Tasting and Vineyard Drive at Weingut Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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Pictures: Tasting and Vineyard Drive at Weingut Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

The grandfather of the current owner, Jochen Ratzenberger, purchased this 300 year old wine estate in 1956. It lies in a beautiful narrow valley bordered by extremely steep vineyard sites. The winery itself is also very beautiful with vast, historic vaulted cellars. A significant portion of the 35 acres of vineyards are planted with vines more than 50 years old, which give the wines substance and at the same time elegance. Jochen Ratzenberger also produces some very delicious Sekt, which is kept on the lees for at least 30 months.

Jochen Ratzenberger was our host.

Most of the time was taken up by a tasting of the Ratzenberg wines. Before leaving, Jochen Ratzenberger took us on a vineyard tour which included a breathtaking view of the Rhein valley.

Pictures: Arriving at Weingut Ratzenberger

Weingut Ratzenberger

Weingut Ratzenberger is located in  Bacharach in the Mittelrhein wine-growing region in Germany. It is owned and run by Jochen Ratzenberger, the third generation to do so. The vineyard area totals 12 hectares, with holdings in such top-rated sites as Kloster Fürstenthal, Posten and Wolfshöhle (Bacharach), as well as in the St. Jost site in Steeg. More than three-quarters of the area is planted with Riesling (8,5 ha), as well as with Pinot Noir (1,5 ha), Pinot Gris and Rivaner. Sustainable, integrated vineyard practices are followed. The estate is a member of the VDP (Verband deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitäts-Weingüter) association.

The grandfather of the current owner, Jochen Ratzenberger, purchased this 300 year old wine estate in 1956. It lies in a beautiful narrow valley bordered by extremely steep vineyard sites. The winery is also very nice with vast, historic vaulted cellars. A significant portion of the vineyards are planted with vines more than 50 years old, which give the wines substance and at the same time elegance. Jochen Ratzenberger also produces some very delicious Sekt, which is kept on the lees for at least 30 months.

Tasting with Jochen Ratzenberger

We started the visit with a tasting.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Ratzenberger

The Wines Jochen Poured

Jochen Ratzenberger poured 9 wines.


2014 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Riesling Sekt Brut


2017 Weingut Ratzenberger Schloss Fürstenberg Riesling trocken


2015 Weingut Ratzenberger Steeger St. Jost Riesling trocken

Moore Brothers (2014): This is ripe, stony, and dry wine, from the steeply sloped St. Jost vineyard directly behind the small Ratnzeberger winery in the village of Steeg. This is wine so accurately crafted and balanced that fruit, acidity, minerals and spice are all impeccably integrated even at this early stage. Riesling such as this pairs with a tremendously wide variety of foods, from simple seafood preparations (sushi!), to rich roasts of pork and veal. (US$29)


2015 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Wolfhöhle GG trocken


2017 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Riesling Kabinett

Princeton Corkscrew Wine Shop (2015): Weingut Ratzenberger, located in the beautiful Renaissance town of Bacharach, is in the heart of the Mittlerhein. The vineyards are steeped and terraced, blessed with excellent sunshine even for its northern latitude. The Rhine River protects these vineyards from strong winds and helps to regulate temperatures. The Rieslings of the Mittlerhein typically have great extract and structure, yet are always marked by outstanding acidity, making them excellent candidates for dry or sparkling wines. In the towns of Bacharach and Steeg, where Ratzenberger owns vines, the soils are pure devon black slate and lie on a single hillside, about a kilometer wide. The vineyards St. Jost, Wolfshöhle, and Posten are so steep that they can only be tended by hand. Jochen Ratzenberger produces wine with fine aromatic elegance, length, and structure.

The Bacharacher Riesling Kabinett Feinherb is loaded with flavors of tangerine, peach, and ruby red grapefruit held together by bright acidity. The classic mineral and savory flavors imparted by the steep slopes of the Bacharach vineyards keep all the fruit in balance while each quaffable glass is enjoyed. Pair with lobster, crab, monkfish, salmon, and sausage.


2016 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Posten Riesling Spätlese halbtrocken

Moore Brothers (2010): Powerfully structured and rigorously bright, this Spätlese redefines our perception of German wine (did anybody say sweet?). The Posten vineyard contributes not only the intense acid that will allow this wine to evolve for several years to come, but also a lush, truffle-infused fruit that compliments pork, poultry, earthy cheeses and mushrooms.

2009 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Posten Riesling Spätlese


2015 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Spätlese

2015 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Spätlese

2011 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Spätlese

2010 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Spätlese

Moore Brothers (2010): This spätlese fructig wine from the Wolfshöhle offers compelling, developed aromas of dried fruit, stone and spice harmoniously integrated in a plush palate supported by bright acidity and a creamy texture.


2005 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Auslese

2002 Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Kloster Fürstental Riesling Auslese


Vineyard Tour

After the tasting, Jochen Ratzenberger took us on a breathtaking tour of his vineyards Kloster Fürstenthal, Posten and Wolfshöhle in Bacharach and St. Jost in Steeg.

Pictures: Vineyard Drive at Weingut Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

McDuff wine (Ratzenberger Producer Profile): ...Standing on a precipitous, narrow footpath between two sections of the St. Jost vineyard, we were able  to take in the view of nearly the entire estate. We were also exposed to the full force of the damp, cold, February wind blowing up the valley off the river, gaining a clear sense of just how peripheral this area is to viticulture. On the steep slopes above Bacharach and Steeg, Jochen’s vines are perfectly poised to receive every last ray of the sun, without which they would fail to ripen sufficiently for the production of quality wine. In cool climates, southern exposure can make the difference between a good site and a great one. In the Mittelrhein, southern exposure is an absolute must. And site is everything.

The tiny village of Steeg, home to the Ratzenberger family and winery, sits in the crook of a valley, due west from Bacharach at a point where the Rhein flows almost perfectly north to south. The Ratzenbergers’ property is based primarily on three einzellagen (single vineyards) perched on the northern face of the valley slopes:

Bacharacher Posten, nearest to the river at an average elevation of 150 meters, Bacharacher Wolfshöhle, a Großes Gewächs site, next up the valley at an elevation of 300 meters, and Steeger St. Jost, also Großes Gewächs, the westernmost site perched between 400-500 meters directly above the tiny hamlet of Steeg.

A fourth vineyard site, Kloster Fürstental, lays one valley to the south of Steeg. Due to the special climate and exposure of Fürstental, which is kept dry by breezes from the river and by wider than average row spacing, its Riesling now goes to the production of just two styles: Sekt and Eiswein.

... His vineyards are dominated by blue and black slate from the Devonian era. On the upper slopes, little if any topsoil is in evidence. Labor is almost entirely manual and in many spots necessitates a system of guide wires which he utilizes while working to prevent tumbles down the perilous inclines. Jochen makes the most of his land by farming to low yields and working the soil and plants as naturally as possible. Fertilization is completely organic. Pheromones are used, both to attract beneficial insects and put-off malevolent ones, in place of insecticides. Fungicides are used in small quantities to prevent vine diseases which can thrive in this cool, damp arena.

Moore Brothers Imports Weingut Ratzenberger Wines in the USA

Moore Brothers: It was dumb luck that brought us to Weingut Ratzenberger on a rainy afternoon in July of 2000, and in fifteen passing years since that first meeting, I’ve stayed with the Ratzenberger’s so many times that Blücherstraße 167 in Bacharach feels just like home. “It’s a music,” Jochen’s father tells me every time we taste their beautiful Rieslings together. “A melody.” Which is as much as I ever understand of his spontaneous, invented “English.” But once, a few years ago, while Kate and I were loading up our little rented Skoda, preparing to leave “home” in Bacharach one more time, I had no trouble understanding what he meant when he put a hand on my shoulder and said: “We are old brothers now.”

See also: Riesling Crawl in New York City – Or, Where to Buy German Wine in Manhattan: Schiller's Favorite Wine Stores, USA

Bye-bye

Thanks Jochen for a most exciting tasting and vineyard tour.

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling - Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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Lunch in Bacharach, Mittelrhein Region - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling


Tasting and vineyard drive at winery Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ratzenberger, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley

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Guided tour of Eltz Castle

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Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

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Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

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Visit and tasting at winery Dr. Crusius, Traisen, Nahe, with Peter and Judith Crusius.

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Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Bergholtz, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

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Picture: Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Bergholtz, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Dirler-Cadé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

This winery exists since 1871. It came into existence in its current form when Jean Dirler, 5th generation of the Dirler family, married Ludivine, daughter of Leon and Nicole Hell-Cadé, winegrowers in neighboring Guebwiller. In 2000 Ludevine’s parents plots of vines were integrated into the Dirler estate and the domaine was renamed Dirler-Cadé.

Jean Pierre Dirler, the father of Jean Dirler, hosted us, assisted by his wife and by Ludevine Dirler-Cadé.

Upon arriving, Jean Pierre joined us on our bus and showed us his vineyards. We then went to the tasting room of  Domaine Dirler-Cadé for a formal tasting.

See also: Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Arriving at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Bergholtz

Domaine Dirler-Cadé

The integration of Ludevine’s parents plots of vines into the Dirler estate in 2000 took the total estate to 18 hectares, of which 42% are Grand Cru:

Saering, with its clay/limestone/sandstone soils and quivering acidity;

Spiegel, more sandstone/stony in its make-up, ensuring an ethereal finesse;

Kessler, rich in sandy/clay/sandstone is famed for its power and ageing potential;

while the sandstone/volcanic/sandy Kitterlé brims with perfumed spicy aromas on the nose and great persistence on the palate.

Pictures: Jean Pierre Dirler and his Wife, Ludevine Dirler-Cadé and Jean Dirler

Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris account for over 60% of the vines, the remainder made-up of Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner, Muscat, and Chasselas.While the vinification is essentially traditional, using both large oak foudres and stainless steel, it is in the vineyard where the most marked changes have taken place: since 1998 all the vines have been farmed organically and biodynamically.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour

In the 19th century Domaine Dirler was pioneer with the Domaine Dopff of Riquewihr in producing sparkling wines according to the Méthode Champenoise, called Crément d’Alsace.

In 1998 Jean Dirler and his father decided to convert the estate to a Biodynamic agriculture. They introduced ploughing with a draft horse. The conversion process finished in 2004 and from the harvest of 2007 the estate is 100% Biodynamic, and obtained the label “AB” (biological agriculture) and the label “BIODYVIN” for biodynamic agriculture.

Tasting

Domaine Dirler-Cadé divides its wines into 4 groups:

First, AOC Alsace Grands Crus (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz), from 4 grands crus vineyards: Saering, Spiegel, Kessler and Kitterlé (42% of the farmed area)


Domaine Dirler-Cadé: On the map above, we clearly visualize in blue the Spiegel Grand Cru, in yellow the Saering Grand Cru, in green the Kessler Grand Cru and in red the Kitterlé Grand Cru. The black spots correspond to the estate plots.

Second, AOC Alsace Lieux-Dits, with Belzbrunnen, Schwarzberg, Bux, Schimberg and Bollenberg

Third, AOC Alsace Single Grape Variety (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz), Riesling, Gewurz Traminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Sylvaner

Fourth, AOC Crémant d’Alsace, made of the varieties Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Auxerrois

Pictures: Tasting

The Wines Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé Poured

The current wine list of Domaine Dirler-Cadé comprises about 90 items. We tasted 12 of the wines.


Crémant d'Alsace

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Crémant d'Alsace 2014 Brut Nature AOC Crémant d'Alsace


Muscat

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Muscat 2016 AOC Alsace (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Muscat 2016 Grand Cru Saering AOC Alsace Grands Crus (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)

The Saering was mentioned for the first time in 1250 about a quarrel opposing the nobility of Guebwiller and the Murbach Abbey. Those wines are classified among the bests in the archives of the city of Basel, which had many monasteries that had grapes in the region of Guebwiller.

In the North-East of Guebwiller, adjacent to the Kitterlé, the Saering represents an East and South-East exposed front-hill, at a height from 260 to 300 m. 26,75 ha. Marl-limestone-sandstone soil.


Riesling

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Riesling 2016 Lieu-Dit Belzbrunnen AOC Alsace Lieux-Dits (de Guebwiller)

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Riesling 2016 Grand Cru Saering AOC Alsace Grands Crus (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Riesling 2016 Grand Cru Kessler AOC Alsace Grands Crus (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Riesling 2011 Grand Cru Saering Vendages Tardives Doux AOC Alsace Grands Crus Vendages Tarvides (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)


Pincot Gris

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Pinot Gris 2016 Lieu-Dit Schimberg1/2 sec AOC Alsace Lieux-Dits (de Guebwiller)

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Pinot Gris 2014 Grand Cru Kessler moelleux AOC Alsace Grands Crus (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)

The Alsatian name “Kessler”, which means vat, cooking pot or cauldron in English and also the central part “Heisse Wanne”, hot basin in English let us think that the ancients have always been aware of the higher temperatures on the Kessler and even more in the Heisse Wanne that in the other surrounding plots. At the 16th Century, the “Wanne” had such a reputation that it was quoted in a saying that says: “the bests wines of the country grow in the Rangen of Thann, in the Wanne of Guebwiller and in Turckheim in the Brand”. The Kessler is mentioned from the year 1394, it benefits from a separated Vinification and is sold under its own name since 1830.

The vineyard of the Kessler grows on the East side of the Unterlinger hill, at a height of 300 to 390 m and on a pretty steep and uniform slope. As the name suggests, the Kessler is formed, in its center, of a small valley, mainly south-east exposed, which protects it from the north winds and the cold air currents brought by the valley of Guebwiller. Sandy-clay-sandstone soil.


Gewurz Traminer

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Gewurz Traminer 2015 AOC Alsace (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Gewurz Traminer 2016 Grand Cru Saerig moelleux AOC Alsace Grands Crus (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Gewurz Traminer 2011 Grand Cru Spiegel doux AOC Alsace Grands Crus (Terroir de Gruebwiller et Bergholz)

A sandstone frieze of the 1st Century, found in the region of Rouffach, proves that the grape existed in the region at this time. Near 900, 170 towns like Guebwiller and Bergholtz were listed as wine grower. The Commandry of Issenheim quotes as “lieu-dit” of vineyard: “Schwartzberg” (hill where the Spiegel is located), “Hohenrod” (near to the current Spiegel Grand Cru), “Stein” (center of the current Spiegel Grand Cru). The Spiegel is renowned and valued since more than 70 years, during which this cru’s producers have attached importance to preserve its originality.

The Spiegel stretches at mid-slope on the side of Bergholtz and Guebwiller. On an average slope of 260 to 315 m, it is turned to the East and to the South. Marl-sandstone soil.


Bye-bye

Thanks for a great tour and tasting.

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Frankreich

Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Dinner and Overnight-stay at Hotel-Restaurant A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

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Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé  - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Restaurant Gastronomique Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

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Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Kilian Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, with Martina Hunn - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

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Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Owner/ Winemaker Josef Maier - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

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Pictures: Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Owner/ Winemaker Josef Maier - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) which took place in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019, included 2 wine tours: Tour Burgenland and Tour Lower Austria (Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram).

Pictures: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019: Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, Professor Astrid Forneck, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Willi Klinger, Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Christian Schiller - Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE, Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours - Christian Schiller, Herwig Jamek, Weingut Jamek, Wachau, Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE

During the Tour Lower Austria (Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram) my group (there were 4 groups) visited Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau and Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal. Herwig Jamek was our host at Weingut Jamek.

I am preparing 5 postings:

Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf and der Wulka, Burgenland, Austria, with Mag. Gerald Rouschal - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Josef Maier - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Tour Lower Austria - Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram

On the last day, we went on a day trip to the Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal and Wagram, all smaller sub-regions of Niederösterreich/ Lower Austria. We were divided into 4 groups.

We all had lunch togather in Dürnstein.

My group visited Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, before lunch and Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, after lunch.

Picture: Tour Lower Austria - Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram

Kremstal

wine-searcher: Kremstal is a small, prestigious wine district at the very heart of Austria's top winemaking zone. On either side of it lie the aristocracy of Austrian wine regions; to the northeast is Kamptal, to the southwest, Wachau. As implied in its name, Kremstal centers around Krems-an-der-Donau, a historic wine town on the Danube river 35 miles (55km) northwest of Vienna. The district's vineyards produce world-class Riesling, and characterful, full-bodied Zweigelt, but the flagship Kremstal wine style is rich, round, aromatic Gruner Veltliner.

The majority of Kremstal's vineyards are located on the northern side of the Danube. Starting right at the river's edge, they stretch up into the rolling hills above Krems, northwards as far as Stratzing and eastwards to Gedersdorf. Beyond these two points, the vines belong to the Kamptal district.

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Josef Maier

Owners: Ilse & Josef sen. Maier and Maria & Josef Maier

bluedanubewine.com: 400 Years in wine. Ilse Maier’s mother’s family has lived in the hilltop village of Oberfucha since the 16th century where the family began in agriculture and brickworks. In the 17th century, Maria Theresia, archduchess of Austria, granted the property owner, whose name was Geyer, a concession to transport wine on the Danube in trade with Hungary and other regions along the river. The ship on the wine label refers to this trade. Today, the winery is housed in a 16th-century structure built of brick, with cellars beneath it constructed between the early 1300’s and the late 1700’s. Among these, the “French cellar” where Napoleon’s army stored their wine rations during a battle in nearby Wagram.

Pictures: At Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria

In 1986, after studying agriculture in Vienna and spending time in San Rapael, Argentina, Ilse joined her father in wine production. Today her som Josef is in the lead.

Geyerhof organically farms roughly 20 hectares located on the hillsides around the winery. Promotion of beneficial species, sowing of nitrogen-absorbing plants, use of compost and rock flour for plant nutrition, and abstaining from the use of all pesticides, insecticides, botrytis and weed control substances as well as soluble mineral fertilizer are all standard practices.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Owner/ Winemaker Josef Maier

Loess and alluvial soil east of the winery (Gaisberg and Rosensteig), primary rock to the northwest (Steinleithn and Kirchensteig), and loamy soil to the south (Hoher Rain). 60% of the vineyard area is planted to Grüner Veltliner, 20% to Riesling, and the balance to Zweigelt, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, and Gelber Muskateller. Recent clonal selections came from the famous Knoll vineyards. Asked if biodynamic viticulture has ever seemed to be a next step, Ilse says she doesn’t believe it to be necessary—bio is not a “step up” from organic, just a different approach.

Pictures: Cellar Tour at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Owner/ Winemaker Josef Maier

Fruit is handpicked and strictly sorted in the vineyard. Healthy clusters are pressed whole, and the must is intentionally oxidized in the press tray resulting in deeper flavors and greater age-ability. Wines are fermented and aged in 3,000 liter temperature controlled stainless steel tanks.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Owner/ Winemaker Josef Maier

The slow, even fermentation never exceeds 22 °C. A small percentage of whites and the red wine are aged in neutral oak tanks or barrels. Spontaneous fermentation is preferred, but never at the expense of quality. Malolactic fermentation is avoided in the whites. No other additions are used except for sulfur before bottling. Wines remain on the lees until just before settling, gentle filtration and bottling.

The Wines we Tasted

We tasted 7 wines.


Weingut Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Ried Hoher Rain 1988


Weingut Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner StockWerk 2018 Kremstal DAC


Weingut Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Ried Rosensteig 2018 Kremstal DAC


Weingut Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Ried Hoher Rain 2018 Kremstal DAC


Weingut Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Ried wildwux 2018 Kremstal DAC


Weingut Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Ried Steinleithn Erste Lage 2016 Kremstal DAC


Weingut Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Gutsresrve 2011


Evening: Pina Bausch Dance Theater Group Performance at the Burgtheater

We ended the Vienna trip with a most impressive performance of Pina Bausch's Dance Theater Group at the Burgtheater (Masurca Fogo/ 1989).

During intermission I had a Grüner Veltliner of Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz (where we went the night before) as my last Austrian wine before flying out the next morning.

Pictures: Pina Bausch Dance Theater Group Performance at the Burgtheater

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Lunch at Pont du Gard - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

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Pictures: Lunch at Pont du Gard - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Following a tour and tasting at Domaine de Pegau in the monring

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pégau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Winemaker Andreas Lenzenwöger - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

we drove about an hour to the Pont du Gard.

The most visited ancient monument in France, listed a world heritage site by Unesco, the Pont du Gard aqueduct remains one of humankind's great masterpieces. A marvel of Antiquity and a true technical feat, it is also a stupendous site that has regained its unspoiled state since its refurbishment.

We had lunch at Restaurant Les Terrassesat at Pont du Gard, including Coteaux du Pont du Gard wines and spent about an hour touring the Pont du Gard.

Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard is an impressive ancient Roman aqueduct that served as the main component of the 50km-long canal that carried water between the spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Created 2000 years ago in the 1st century AD, this aqueduct to this day remains the highest elevated Roman aqueduct of all time, and together with Aqueduct of Segovia one that was best preserved.

Built over the period of just around 15 years in 50AD using 30 million shelly limestones, Pont du Gard aqueduct has the form of three arched bridges placed one atop of other. The top of the bridge features water-carrying channel with a constant gradient of just 2.5cm from one side of the bridge to another. The Roman architects had access to very impressive construction techniques, which enabled them not only to create this 50-kilometer Nîmes aqueduct network in short period but also to have it loose only 17 meters in height over its entire structure that passes via underground passages and through numerous mountains. The overall gradient of the entire Nîmes aqueduct network is just 1 in 18,241, which is much lower than many other Roman aqueducts.

Pictures: Lunch at Pont du Gard - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Pont du Gard today stands 48 meters (160 feet) tall and 275-meter-long, but in its original state, it was much longer at 360 meters (1,180 feet). Its three-tiered arched design was revolutionary for its time, managing to span Gardon river below it with a central arch that is 24.5m wide, a record for any structure that was built in 1st century AD. The entire construction featured 64 spans (6 in the lowest section, 11 in mid and 47 in highest), although the top section is today missing 12 of the arches.

The aqueduct was in use between 1st to 4th century AD, with some part of the network remaining operational even to the 6th century. By that point entire structure fell into disuse, and natural clogging and lack of maintenance caused a buildup of natural material that blocked the flow of water. Instead of falling to ruin like the majority of the original Nîmes aqueduct network, Pont du Gard managed to survive due to its ability to be used as a pedestrian bridge. Local lords and bishops were required to preserve the bridge in the operational state, collecting tolls and keeping this structure in the good state.

By 17th century bridge was still operational, but some of its stones were damaged, missing or were looted. By the 18th century, this historic aqueduct started gaining more and more attention from both the local governments and the international community, and it eventually became a popular tourist landmark. After the 18th century, several organized efforts by the French state and local authorities led to restoration and preservation of the Pont du Gard bridge structure. In 2000, Pont du Gard was finally fully transferred into a site of historic heritage, transferring pedestrian traffic from it and into a nearby visitor’s center. The aqueduct and the scenic area immediately surrounding Pont du Gard are protected by French “Monument Historique” (1840), French law (1930) and as UNESCO World Heritage Site (1985), where it was described as a mark of masterpiece of human creation, in the same way as Taj Mahal and Great Wall of China.

Lunch at Restaurant Les Terrasses at Pont du Gard

The Restaurant Les Terrasses is perhaps 100 meters from the Pont du Gard. We had lunch there, with Coteaux du Pont du Gard wines.

Pictures: Lunch at the Pont du Gard

IGP Coteaux du Pont du Gard Wine

Coteaux du Pont du Gard is an IGP title covering wines from an area of the Gard department of southern France, at the meeting point of the Languedoc, Rhone and Provence wine regions. The catchment area of the IGP stretches along the western edge of the Rhone river, and also covers a significant amount of the plains to the south of Nimes. The Coteaux du Pont Du Gard IGP jostles for space with the more famous vineyards of the Costieres de Nimes AOC appellation.

The denomination is named for the famous Pont du Gard aqueduct which was constructed by the Romans in the 1st Century to bring water from a spring in the mountains to Nimes. It was around this time that the first vineyards in the region were planted, and viticulture has been a steady presence since.

Though the IGP’s delimited area is rather large, the climate is fairly uniform and can be broadly described as Mediterranean. Mild winters are followed by long, hot summers with very low rainfall. The Mistral wind from the northwest brings cooling influences, although its collision with lighter, warmer winds from the Mediterranean can cause sudden, heavy rain storms, particularly in autumn. Well-drained, sandy limestone soils help to mitigate the negative effects from this.

Picture: IGP Coteaux du Pont du Gard Wines

As in many of the IGPs that cover land in southern France, Coteaux du Pont du Gard IGP wines are made up of traditional Mediterranean grape varieties like Grenache and Mourvedre, as well as the more internationally-recognized favorites Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. Though the wines produced in this part of France are typically blends, varietally labeled wines are becoming more common as trends change.

The Coteaux du Pont du Gard IGP was known as Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Pont Du Gard until 2009, when Indication Géographique Protégée began to appear on labels instead. This change was implemented by the French government in order to throw off some of the poor consumer image associated with the Vin de Pays designation, while bringing French labeling conventions closer to those of the European Union.

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France (Already Released and Forthcoming Postings)

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Rhône Valley Tour December 2017: From Lyon to Avignon - Wine, Food, Culture, History

Understanding the Wines of the Rhône Valley: The Classification - AOC/ Vin de Pay/ Vin de France

The Rhône Wine Region in Southern France and its Wines: History, Classification, Northern and Southern Rhône

Cellar Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Éric Texier in Charney, with Laurence Texier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Drive at E. Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Maison Clusel-Roche in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Domaine Georges Vernay in Condrieu, Northern Rhône, with Owner Paul Ansellem-Vernay - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Hôtellerie Beau Rivage in Condrieu, with Chef Chef Ludovic Mounier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Maison Delas-Frères in Saint Jean de Muzols, Saint Joseph, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant La Grappe d’Or in Saint-Péray, with Chef Pierre Yves Jacques Sébastien - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Paul Jaboulet Aîné in Tain-l’Hermitage, Hermitage, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tasting at Domaine Laurent Habrard in Gervans, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Owner and Winemaker Laurent Habrad - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Combier in Pont de l’Isère, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Laurent Combier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at La Grand Table de Michel Chabran, 1-star Michelin, in Pont d l’Isère, Northern Rhône, with Chef Michel Chabran - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Les Bruyères in Beaumont-Monteux, Northern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker David Reynaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Martinelle in Lafare, Ventoux,  with Owner/ Winemaker Corinna Kruse Faravel - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Marcel Richaud in Cairanne, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Claire Richaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Baudry - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant Le Dolium (Rhonéa Vignoble Coopérative) in Beaumes-de Venise, Southern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting of Wine and Olive Oil at Mas Saint Berthe, Les Baux de Provence, with Winemaker Christian Nief - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner and Overnight-stay at Hôtel/ Restaurant Benvengudo in Les Baux de Provence - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pégau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Winemaker Andreas Lenzenwöger - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

At Pont du Gard: Lunch at Restaurant Les Terrasses

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme

Cellar tour and tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet

Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château la Nerthe, Châteauneuf du Pape

Wine-pairing dinner at Restaurant Château des Fines Roches, with Chef Hugo Loridan-Fombonnet

New Year’s Eve at Château des Fines Roches in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France 

Lunch at La Coupole, Boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

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Pictures: Lunch at La Coupole, Boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

We had our final meal of the

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

at La Coupole, 102 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 75014 Paris

La Coupole is an institution. Josephine Baker took a bath in the fountain, which sits in the middle of the brasserie. Jean-Paul Sartre dined here. Hemmingway, Fitzgerald and Joyce consorted here. Henry Miller came here for his morning porridge. Man Ray and Matisse were also part of the local fauna.

Pictures: Arriving at La Coupole

La Coupole is on the Boulevard du Montparnasseis, very close to three other famous places of the literary world: La Rotonde, Le Dome and La Closerie des Lilas.

See: Dining and Wining on Boulevard Montparnasse in Paris: La Rotonde, Le Dôme and La Coupole, France – Pre-Bordeaux Wine Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

La Rotonde, 105 Boulevard du Montparnasse: Located on the Carrefour Vavin, at the corner of Boulevard du Montparnasse and Boulevard Raspail, La Rotonde was founded by Victor Libion in 1911. La Rotonde has retained much of its bohemian charm and continues in operation to this day as a popular spot for the Parisian Intelligentsia. Picasso portrayed two diners in the cafe in his painting "In the cafe de la Rotonde" in 1901. It was the preferred place of the Russian crowd, includng Trotsky and Lenin. Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and T.S. Eliot were also patrons there.

Le Dôme, 108 Boulevard du Montparnasse: From the beginning of the 1900s, it was renowned as an intellectual gathering place. A poor artist used to be able to get a Saucisse de Toulouse and a plate of mashed potatoes for $1. Le Dôme later became the gathering place of the American literary colony and became a focal point for artists residing in Paris's Left Bank. It was widely known as "the Anglo-American café." Today, it is a top fish restaurant, with a comfortably old-fashioned decor. The food writer Patricia Wells said, "I could dine at Le Dôme once a week, feasting on platters of briny oysters and their incomparable sole meunière."

La Closerie des Lilas, 171 Boulevard du Montparnasse: Also situated in Paris' Montparnasse is La Closerie, which opened in 1847 and attracted everyone from Henry James to Leon Trotsky to Gertrude Stein and Hemingway, who references nearby statues and descriptions in The Sun Also Rises.

Pictures: La Coupole, Le Dôme and La Closerie des Lilas at the Beginning of the 1900s

Lunch at La Coupole

Parisunlocked.com: ...Walking through the doors transports you to Paris circa 1927, the height of the jazz age and a feverishly innovative period in the arts. It isn’t a stretch to imagine regular patrons such as Simone De Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, André Dérain, Colette and Tamara de Lempicka coming through the heavy glass and metal doors, then sashaying through the enormous Art-Deco dining room to their regular tables. In later years, it’s been favored by the likes of Edith Piaf, Hemingway, Albert Camus, Serge Gainsbourg and Patti Smith. At one of the tables, Camus celebrated his Nobel Prize in literature with friends and fellow writers. At another, Josephine Baker frequently sat.

Pictures: Lunch at La Coupole, Boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris

The End

After lunch the tour ended. Annette and I went back to Frankfurt by train.

Pictures: Going Back

Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris - Wine, Food, Culture and History (Forthcoming an already relased Postings)

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

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Introduction to the Burgundy Wine Region at Antic Wine in Lyon with Flying Sommelier Georges Dos Santos - Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at La Table de Chaintré (1 Star Michelin) in Chaintré, with Chef Sébastien Grospellier - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

In the Most Prestigious AOC in the Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé, France

Visit and Tasting at Domaine de Fussiacus in Fuissé, Poully-Fuissé, Mâconnais, with Owner/ Winemaker Yannik Pacquet - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Desvignes in Givry, Côte Chalonnaise, with Owner/ Winemaker Gautier Desvignes - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey in Mercurey - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

At Domaine Theulot­-Juillot in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, with Nathalie Theulot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of Château de Rully and Tasting of Domaine du Château de Rully Wines, with Count Raoul de Ternay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Le Chevreuil in Meursault, with the Wines of Domaine Matrot - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Cave Ropiteau Frères in Meursault, Côte de Beaune - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Michel Prunier & Fille in Auxey­ Duresses, Côte de Beaune - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Where Robert Parker likes to Eat: Lunch at La Crémaillère in Auxey-Duresses - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting in the Vineyard in Meursault with Karoline Knoth and the Wines of Domaine Pierre Morey - Burgundy (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Paris

Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet: Vineyard Walk and Cellar Tour, with Patrick Leflaive - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Wine-pairing Lunch at La Table de Olivier in Puligny Montrachet with Patrick Leflaive– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit and Tasting at Château de Chassagne-Montrachet in Chassagne-Montrachet, Côte de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit and Tasting: Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne

Visit: Hospices de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Lunch at Le Carmin (1 Star Michelin) in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château de Pommard in Pommard, Côte de Beaune - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George, Côte de Nuits, with Matilde Nicolas, Communications Director - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Visit of Château du Clos de Vougeot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Touring the Vineyards of Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, with Armelle Rion, Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion in Vosne ­Romanée, Côte de Nuits - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Guillon & Fils in Gevrey­-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, with Jean-Michel Guillon - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

An Institution: Lunch at Restaurant Chez Guy in Gevrey­-Chambertin - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Clos St. Louis, Côte de Nuits, with Owner/ Winemaker Philippe Bernard - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean­ Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château Long-Depaquit in Chablis, with Technical Director Cécilia Trimaille - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Champagne– An Introduction, France

French Champagne Houses and German Roots

Visit and Tasting at Champagne Jean Josselin, a Grower Champagne House in Gyé­ sur­ Seine – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Tour of l'Avenue de Champagne in Epernay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at 1-Star Michelin Restaurant Les Berceaux in Épernay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Mercier in Épernay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Lunch at La Coupole, Boulevard de Montparnasse, Paris - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2018, France

Dining and Wining on Boulevard Montparnasse in Paris: La Rotonde, Le Dôme and La Coupole, France – Pre-Bordeaux Wine Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Tasting at Weingut Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

“That things would be hard for us was clear. What we hadn’t expected was that they would also bring so much joy.” — Angelina and Kilian Franzen

Our first stop in the Mosel Valley during the

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

was at Weingut Franzen in Bremm, where we did a portfolio tasting with the charming Angelina Franzen. Her husband Kilian was working in the vineyard. Before the tasting we had lunch at Weinhaus Berg in Bremm, a recommendation of Angelina Franzen.

The wines of Angelina and Kilian Franzen are available in the USA, imported by Schatzi Wines.

The Franzen family has been making wine in Bremm for centuries. It is here where you find the steepest vineyard world-wide, the Bremmer Calmont (68 degree incliniation). And it is the Franzen family who worked hard to preserve this extraordinary terroir of oxidized red Devonian slate and Quarzite. In the 1800 and 1900s, the entire Calmont -50 acres- was planted with Riesling vines and the wines belonged to the most expensive and sought-after bottles of the world. Phyloxera and two world wars ruined the market for German wines, and a younger generation did not deem it worthwhile to work in the very steep vineyards. By 1980, the only 9 acres vineyards left on the Calmont were vineyards down by the road along the Mosel and the entire mountain was covered in roses and wild vines.

In 1999, Ulrich Franzen decided to start buying up as much Calmont as he could. He was able to purchase 112 contiguous parcels, from 112 different owners. Within three years he planted 7,900 Riesling vines into the steep slate ground. This gave him 1.2 ha in the heart of the Calmont, an amphitheater-shaped section near the center of the mountain, facing south.

Today, the winery is run by the young couple Kilian and Angelina Franzen. They belong to Germany’s young, very ambitious winemakers who have their own philosophy of winemaking. The grapes are crushed by feet in large boxes and macerated for 2-4 hours. Then they are pressed, and settled for 12 hours prior to fermentation. All ambient yeast ferments here, and nearly all the wines go through malolactic fermentation.

Pictures: Lunch at Weinhaus Berg in Bremm

Weingut Franzen (Schatzi Wines)

Schatzi Wines: Angelina and Kilian Franzen’s story is every bit as moving as their wines. It begins in the Mosel’s Bremmer Calmont. After millennia of cultivation, these sheer vertical vineyards — among the world’s steepest — had, by the 1980s, been abandoned. One wine grower embraced the daunting prospect of recultivation: Ulrich Franzen. “His vision was to bring the Mosel Terraces, especially the Bremmer Calmont, back to where it once was: at the top of German wines,” explains his son, Kilian. Tragically, in the middle of this heroic project, Ulrich lost his life. Kilian and his future wife, Angelina, then still students, returned home to take over the estate. Today, the Franzens have 5 hectares in the Calmont and holdings in the venerated Neefer Frauenberg and Kloster Stuben vineyards nearby. The focus is, naturally, riesling, with small plantings of elbling and pinot varieties. Vines are up to 90 years old, their roots driven into the terraced slate, giving immense concentration to the wines. Perhaps because so much has been forced in the vineyards and in the Franzens’ young lives, nothing is in the cellar. Fermentations are spontaneous, some taking nearly two years to complete. The wines go through malo and GGs are bottled late. All this accounts for wines that are as much about texture, herbaceousness, and salinity as they are fruit. They display remarkable freshness and animation as well as power and echoing length. Because so little wine is made from the Calmont, the wines have largely remained a secret, even among riesling connoisseurs. Through pure dedication and heart, the Franzens have made it the source for some of the most arresting wines in all the Mosel.

Pictures: Arriving at Weingut Franzen

History

Wine growing in the Mosel valley dates to around 280 AD, when Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus lifted the ban on cultivation outside what is now Italy, and cultivation spread throughout the Rhine and the Mosel. The Mosel Terraces form a unique landscape, very different from that of the more famous Middle Mosel. Topography and soils are paramount here. The microclimate is warmer, the vineyards more vertiginous, and viticulture more difficult here. The hand-built terraces that give the region its name have always been essential to enabling vines to grow in the cold macroclimate and steep terrain.

Even the Romans called the Bremmer Calmont mons calidus, hot mountain. By the 19th century, the Calmont’s suitability to riesling had become obvious: the entire mountainside was planted to riesling. The upper portion, known as the Fachkaul, was awarded the highest classification on tax maps of the time. Yet after WWII, lack of manpower and will to meet the intensive demands of the vineyards led to abandonment of these parcels, one by one. By the 1980s, the mountain was covered in roses and wild vines; only the parcels along the road and river remained under cultivation.

The Franzen family has been rooted in Bremm for centuries. Kilian’s grandparents had parcels in the Calmont. Kilian says it was always the dream of his father, Ulrich, to have productive vines up there again. “When my father took over operations from my grandparents in the early ‘80s, he changed the orientation of the estate and put the emphasis on the production of dry, lower-acid wines. Beyond that, the preservation of the steep sites was dearest to his heart.” In 1999, Ulrich resolved to buy all the contiguous Calmont plots he could. Napoleonic law had long since splintered the vineyards into tiny parcels, all with different owners. The only way to find out who owned what was to comb through town records. It took Ulrich three years to track down 112 different owners — from Australia to China to the U.S. — and purchase their plots. This enormous effort yielded a glorious prize: the steepest parcels, united in a magnificent, south-facing amphitheater in the very heart of the Calmont.

Painstakingly, Ulrich and a small team cleared and replanted the vineyards, all by hand. Within three years, they had anchored nearly 8,000 riesling vines in the obstinate slopes. The only concession to mechanization was the installation and operation of vineyard monorail lines — 500 meters of track ascending from the Mosel’s edge to the top of the Fachkaul.

This work “was my father’s life’s dream,” Kilian recalls. But before it could be fully realized, a tractor accident claimed Ulrich’s life in 2010. “Completely overwhelmed after the death of my father,” Kilian recounts, “Angelina and I took over the winery from my parents. We were in the middle of our studies and would have loved to travel after finishing. Instead, we came directly from Geisenheim to Bremm.” But the last thing you’ll hear from Kilian and Angelina are complaints: “Even though the maintenance of the steepest vineyards in Europe is one of the most physically demanding and intensive tasks we have, the preservation of this cultural landscape and continuation of hundreds of years of tradition fills us with pride and motivation every day. We tumbled into the adventure of our lives and know to treasure every moment of it.”

Winemakers

Angelina and Kilian were childhood sweethearts who went on to be classmates at Geisenheim, a winemaking team, husband and wife, and now parents to a young daughter who, in Kilian’s words, “is our life.”

Angelina is from Bullay, two villages downriver from Bremm, and her connection with winemaking runs just as deep as Kilian’s: “My family has also been involved in viticulture for many generations,” she explains. “My father has a winery a few miles away. My father’s cousin is Rita Busch, the wife of Clemens. It was many years after I decided to become a winemaker that I realized what an important role Clemens and Rita Busch play in German viticulture. But it was my parents and brother who shaped my path. My father has always mastered the profession of winemaker with 100% passion and rarely showed me the difficult sides. My brother went the same way and I saw every day how happy he was with it. My mother and stepfather have always supported me. I was always free in what I do and I chose the most beautiful profession in the world.”

At first, Kilian seemed set to tread a different course: “My parents put a lot of energy into the recultivation and suffered a lot. For me it was clear that this work is not just sunshine. So I decided to study something else. But when my parents reaped the first fruits after recultivation, I knew: that will be my life, too. I did not have to ask my wife if she was going this way with me: there would never have been another way for her.”

When Kilian and Angelina were called home to take over the estate, Kilian says, “For a while, we tried to balance study and the winery. Unfortunately, that did not work very long.” They hired Angelina’s brother and asked Kilian’s uncle and other winemakers to “show us how everything works.” It was a very difficult time. “The sadness, the terrible autumn of 2010, the setbacks.”

Little by little, Kilian says, “We learned and we grew in our tasks. We exchanged views with many winegrower colleagues. No matter if Reinhard Löwenstein, Clemens Busch, Johannes Leitz, Julia Bertram or Benedikt Baltes. Everyone stood by us in word and deed.” They have now made Franzen truly their own — though they are the first to give credit to everyone else.

“Today we have a job that requires a lot of time,” Kilian explains. “If we make some free time, then for our daughter. She is our happiness. She explains the world to us and opens our eyes every day. We are the fifth generation to make wine here, and hopefully she is the sixth.”

Pictures: Angelina Franzen

Region

Bremm sits about midway between Bernkastel and Winningen, at a point where the Mosel pulls into a tight bend and the Calmont rises imperiously above its north bank. The Calmont itself stretches some 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), forming what is essentially an enormous concave mirror, open to the south. The mountain rises some 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level, and its summit, covered in trees and shrubs, shelters the valley from northern winds and cold. To stand at the Mosel’s edge and look up at the Calmont, the cliff appears “almost threatening,” Kilian acknowledges. “Many passages, even steeper than 65 degrees, rise almost vertically. The steepness can only be grasped once you climb into its terraces. There is no single contained vineyard, but rather sections of earth, intermingled with steep rock walls and rough ledges. To make the cliff useful for cultivation, growers built terraces with support walls. However, these walls, unable to withstand the pressure of the mountain for long, collapse, and must be constantly repaired or rebuilt.” The terraces are also essential for retaining the sun’s warmth to moderate diurnal shifts and for guiding the vines’ root systems into the slope.

You would think such terrain would have earned the wines of this region renown, not obscurity. But, as Kilian explains, “the Calmont remains a secret among wine connoisseurs, partly because its size yields tightly limited quantities. Everywhere in the world, the Mosel is known for its steep slopes and riesling grown on slate. However, Mosel does not equal Mosel. There are countless flat areas on the Mosel with hardly any slate. But if there is a place that is 100% steep slopes and Mosel slates, it is the Calmont. There is no better situation for riesling.”

Pictures: Tasting

Vineyards and Farming

The Franzens’ vineyards are concentrated in the Calmont, with additional holdings in the Neefer Frauenberg and Kloster Stuben just opposite. The Frauenberg and Kloster Stuben (the former Augustine monastery that thrived here for six centuries before secularization) are sited on a hilly peninsula formed by the Mosel’s hairpin bend, offering a second, though less dramatic, bank of south-facing vineyards.

“We now have a little more than 10 hectares in total — about 5 just in the Bremmer Calmont. The largest single parcel is the Fachkaul, with its now 1.8 hectares. Bremmer Calmont has about 12 hectares in cultivation. The remaining seven hectares are shared by about 20 other winemakers,” Kilian notes.

The Calmont vineyards are dominated by quartzite and red slate, the color coming from oxidized iron content. The ground here warms faster and stores heat better than elsewhere in the Mosel due to the optimal exposition, numerous rocks and walls, and high percentage of stone in the soil. Kilian points out: “The slate stores the sunshine during the day and releases it to the vines at night. Throughout the terraces, the foliage walls cast no shadow so each leaf can absorb the heat.” The vines’ root systems struggle for water and cope with limited supply by giving lower yields and smaller berries, making the Calmont wines in Kilian’s words, “a bit more powerful, a bit wider, and with a little more character.”

By comparison, the Frauenberg has more weathered gray slate, with more humus and smaller rock fractions, making the Frauenberg wines, as Kilian sees it, “finer, with slightly more fruit and finesse.” This is also where the Franzens have their oldest vines, ranging from 60 to 90 years old. For the estate wines, such as Quarzit Schiefer, Kilian “likes to take the vineyards from the part of the Calmont exposed a bit east. The wines are a bit clearer, a little less complicated, and a bit easier to drink.” Kloster Stuben is a lower, sandier site, well suited to the earlier-ripening traditional variety of the Lower Mosel: age-old elbling.

“We spend a lot of time and work in the vineyards. It all starts with well thought out pruning, lots of foliage and ground work,” explains Kilian. “In older vineyards, we still have a lot of single pole training. In the newer vineyards, we have moved to wire frames.” For the moment, Kilian says, “climate change is still OK for us. Every year we adapt to the current weather. If it is hotter and drier, we leave more leaves on the sunny side and take them away on the shaded side. If it rains a lot, we give the vines more possibility to dry quickly by more defoliation.”

No roads lead through the Calmont, only narrow paths that wind across the mountain and stairways that climb over the terraces. “Machines could never be used. On the back of the wine grower, fertilizer is transported up in the spring and grapes carried down in the fall,” Kilian makes clear. “The effort of the wine growers is arduous and the expenses involved with the cultivation and preservation of the vineyards on the Calmont have always been high.” To do this work is truly a calling. “We prune, tie, harvest, then fill about 60,000 bottles of wine each year — and love every single one of them. Our life is a succession of many small and some larger, often dramatic, events, which the vines store as information in their grapes,” Kilian muses. “These moments leave traces in our riesling.”

Pictures: Calmont

In the Cellar

“When we took over the winery, we wanted to do everything differently. We saw only what we had newly learned at Geisenheim and wanted to upset everything. We had to realize that much of what was old was good. We did not stick to old data for the perfect reading time, but turned to the grapes. We reap maturity rather than time. We want lighter, clearer wines that retain their character, not feel heavy. The wines should decide in which direction they develop — not us,” notes Kilian.

In the cellar, grapes are foot-crushed in large boxes and macerated for two to four hours. After that, Kilian explains, “we really try not to interfere in the fermentation. In healthy years, we like to work with mash time, press very gently, and allow the must to settle for one night. Then the clear must is poured into stainless steel tank and we wait until fermentation starts with the wild yeasts. It challenges us, requires patience and time. Of course it can go wrong -– and sometimes does. Our riesling “Zeit” is the best example of this. A wine can bubble for almost two years. But that’s OK for us. Sometimes the wines also taste difficult, my wife would say ‘awful.’ But so far, these have come to be really great wines.” Beyond this, there is no fining and SO2 is used to prevent oxidation. The estate wines are usually bottled between February and April, the vineyard wines between May and July. The GGs only after the vintage. “But even there,” Kilian cautions, “we do not always go to the calendar, but to the feeling. And the wine.”

The wines are nearly always dry. But, Kilian explains, “Every year, one tank takes forever, and what can we do? We wait and wait and if it doesn’t get dry, it must be where the wine wants to be.” In 2015, they decided to start bottling the results as “Zeit” (“time,” in English). Though extraordinary today, the wine harkens to a time when this kind of élevage was normal. The 2016 version fermented for more than 400 days.

A key element to this overall approach is allowing the wines to go through malolactic fermentation as well.

Pictures: "Der Sommer war sehr gross" - Series (since 2011)

Malo in Riesling

If you talk malolactic fermentation with 10 riesling producers, nine will say, “That’s not what we want in our wines. We like purity and finesse.” One will tell you, “Yes, our wines go through malo — if it’s what nature wants.”

Malo in riesling is completely misunderstood in the U.S. and possibly nearly everywhere else. People tend to think it dulls the precision for which riesling — above all of the Mosel — is cherished. Many also believe riesling’s high acidity to be inimical to the lactic acid bacteria that cause malo. You’ll hear a pH of 3 bandied about as the number below which malo “doesn’t happen.”

In fact, malo can and does. It is part of some producers’ expression of terroir and can contribute a rounder acid profile and richer texture to riesling. It’s also quite possible that malo occurs in riesling far more often than we or even the winemakers — not all of whom control for malo — know.

Malo is not a true fermentation at all, but a bacterial conversion of malic acid to lactic acid. The lactic acid bacteria are typically on the grapes when they come into the cellar from the vineyard. But, as in the Franzens’ case, they can also be in the cellar. Primary alcoholic fermentation and the addition of SO2 at crushing significantly reduce the bacteria population. But by spring following harvest, nutrient and free SO2 levels typically have tipped back in favor of the resurgent bacteria, just as cellar temperatures begin to climb to a hospitable degree, allowing malo to occur.

There is much more at play than pH alone: Temperature and rate of fermentation. Timing of malo relative to primary alcoholic fermentation. Lees exposure. Early versus late bottling. And of course, timing and levels of SO2 additions. These factors can partially or fully block malo or alter the perceptible sensory effects of malo on the wine.

In discussions of malo in riesling, most consideration is given to its effects on acidity. According to research reported by Jamie Goode, malo increases pH by 0.1 to 0.3 units and reduces total acidity by 1 to 3 grams per liter. There are also concerns that it may add nutty or buttery aromas. But when managed correctly, malo can offer a desirable roundness of acidity and textural complexity. And malo’s characteristic aroma and flavor impacts, it turns out, can be absorbed by the lees, given adequate exposure.

(To be clear, here we’re only talking about spontaneous malo in dry riesling. Off-dry styles generally require SO2 additions for stability at levels that block malo.)

The Franzens are not the only Schatzis who let their dry rieslings go through full or partial malo: Stagård, Dreissigacker, and Knebel do the same. For their part, Kilian and Angelina say, “We work with malo. This is not really typical for Mosel riesling, but exactly what makes our style. Our spontaneous fermentation is very slow (up to 23 months). Our malolactic fermentation runs parallel to the alcoholic fermentation. It is part of our philosophy of giving the wines space and time. Ph is certainly one of the reasons for the malo. The other is the flora of lactic acid bacteria in our cellar. We have been doing malo for 30 years. The malo tastes and aromas are absorbed by the yeast. For us, the best case is if you do not smell or taste the malo at all.”

There is debate as to whether malo belongs to the historical style of the Mosel. Some argue that up until the 1890s, this was the norm for the dry wines. Others contend acidity levels of the time would have made this impossible. What matters to the Franzens is that malo is inherent to their terroir and style. They wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Wines Angelina Poured

Angelina poured 8 wines.


2018 Weingut Franzen Elbling
2018 Weingut Franzen Quarzit Schiefer Riesling
2018 Weingut Franzen FranZero Riesling


2017 Weingut Franzen Neefer Frauenberg Grosses Gewächs Riesling
2017 Weingut Franzen Bremmer Calmont Grosses Gewächs Riesling
2017 Weingut Franzen Fachkauf Grosses Gewächs Riesling


2018 Weingut Franzen Bremmer Calmont Kabinett Riesling


2011 Weingut Franzen Bremmer Calmont Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling


Bye-bye

Thanks Angelina for a great tasting.

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling - Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Attending the 2019 VDP.Weinbörse - Vintage 2018 - in Mainz - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Joachim Flick in Hochheim, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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

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

Kloster Eberbach: Overnight-Stay, Dinner, Tour and Aperitif in the Steinberg Vineyard - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Wining in the Steinberg Vineyard– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Lunch, Cellar Visit and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau, with Owner Gerko Freiherr zu Knyphausen and Winemaker Arne Willkens - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Sekt Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch in Bacharach, Mittelrhein Region - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tasting and Vineyard Drive at Weingut Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Weingut Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tasting at winery Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm

Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Wine-pairing dinner at winery Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle

Tasting at winery Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Middle Mosel, with Ernst Loosen

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef: Visit of the famous Berncasteler Doctor Cellar and Tour and Tasting at  Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef, with Ownwe Matthias Willkomm

The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Lunch at Restaurant Juffer Flair of Weingut Christian Steinmetz in Brauneberg

Tasting at winery Haart in Piesport, Mosel, with Johannes Haart

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Cellar tour and tasting at winery Peter Lauer in Ayl, Upper Mosel, Saar Valley, with Katharina Lauer and Peter Lauer

Lunch at Weinrestaurant Ayler Kupp at winery Peter Lauer

Tasting at winery H. Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe, with Anne Dönnhoff 

Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Visit and tasting at winery Dr. Crusius, Traisen, Nahe, with Peter and Judith Crusius.

Vineyard tour, cellar tour and tasting at winery Kruger-Rumpf, Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Stefan and Georg Rumpf

Tour, Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Weingut Kruger Rumpf, Nahe, with Stefan, Cornelia and Georg Rumpf– Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard tour and tasting at winery Bischel in Appenheim, Rheinhessen, with Christian Runkel, Owner and Winemaker

Winery visit and lunch at winery Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin Guntrum

Guntrum is Back (Stuart Pigott/ James Suckling): Wine Pairing Lunch and Tour at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Owners Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Mainlust “Desche Otto” – an Ultra Traditional Apple Wine Tavern, with an Innovative Twist, off the Beaten Track in Schwanheim, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Lunch at Restaurant Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

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Pictures: Lunch at Restaurant Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Following

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé  -  Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

we had lunch at Restaurant Philippe Bohrer in Rouffach.

Philippe Bohrer has curriculum vitae as a chef that is  most impressive, in particular during the early stages of his career.

His base has always Restaurant Philippe Bohrer in Rouffach, where we had lunch. For more than 2 decades it had a Michelin star but lost the star in 2014.

In addition, Philippe Bohrer was owning/ running at some point 26 restaurants in Alsace, including the world-renowned Au Crocodile in Strasbourg. He took it over from Émile Jung in 2009. Au Crocodile moved into the 3-stars Michelin group of restaurants in 1989 and stayed there until 2002, when it was downgraded to 2 stars. Philippe Bohrer took over in 2009. He lost in the following years both stars and finally sold Au Crocodile, which in the meantime has regained one star. In 2018, the Trip Advisor chose Au Crocodile as the best Gourmet Restaurant in the world.

Philippe Bohrer trained under Paul Bocuse, Jacques Lameloise, Bernard Loiseau and Philippe Gaertner.

Philippe Bohrer also was the head chef at the Palais de l’Élysée during the presidencies of
Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand.

Pictures: Lunch at Restaurant Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach

Restaurant Philippe Bohrer - Gault Millau 14/20

Dans un magnifique relais de poste du XVIe siècle, le confort moderne n’a pas abîmé l’authenticité des lieux, essentiellement décorés dans une veine très traditionnelle et bourgeoise, pour une expérience alsacienne au plus près des images d’Epinal. A table, l’expérience est prolongée par les assiettes de Philippe Bohrer, qui revisite le terroir local avec force d’expérience : pressé de foie gras de canard et truite du val d’Orbey fumée par nos soins, filet de turbot laqué au jus de morille, pesto de pimprenelle et jus verjuté, pigeon de la ferme Kieffer en viennoise de livèche, ravioles d’oignon au miel et suc de genièvre… Prix logiques.

Pictures: Lunch at Restaurant Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach

Restaurant Philippe Bohrer - Guide MICHELIN 2019

Belle carte des vins.
Assiette MICHELIN : une cuisine de qualité.
Très bon standing.

Une belle demeure régionale à l'élégance bourgeoise et champêtre, pour une cuisine gastronomique associée à un judicieux choix de vins, notamment régionaux. Ambiance conviviale à la Brasserie Chez Julien, aménagée dans un ancien cinéma. Le mot de l'inspecteur

Pictures: Lunch at Restaurant Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach

schiller-wine: Related Postings - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Frankreich

Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Dinner and Overnight-stay at Hotel-Restaurant A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Marc-André Hugel and Senior Boss André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé  -  Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Lunch at Restaurant Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Kilian Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, with Martina Hunn - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, Baden, with Kilian and Martina Hunn - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

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Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme and Winemaker Rémy Chauvet - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

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Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme and Winemaker Rémy Chauvet - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Robert Parker Jr. of The Wine Advocate, who pinned Mordorée as "one of the world’s greatest wine estates" in a 2007 issue of the Wine Advocate:

"With 135 acres spread throughout some of the most impressive appellations of the southern Rhône, Christophe Delorme and his brother...have done nothing but produce one exquisite wine after another. Of course, the top cuvees of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are rare and expensive, but this is a place to find terrific Cotes du Rhones and Liracs as well. Delorme is equally adept at dry whites as well as reds, and turns out some stunning roses both under the Cotes du Rhône and Tavel appellations..."

Unfortunately, in 2015, the remarkably talented Christophe passed away at the age of 52.

Christophe’s legacy and his talent live on through his daughter Ambre, as well as a talented team at Domaine de la Mordoree that includes winemaker Rémy Chauvet, who worked as Christophe’s cellar manager. Last year, Jeb Dunnuck praised the estate for the quality of their first vintage without Christophe, saying the Domaine was “obviously still in incredibly capable hands.”

Owner Ambre Delorme was our host. She toured with us the winemaking facilities, where we also met Winemaker Rémy Chauvet and tasted with us the wines of Domaine de la Mordoree.

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme and Winemaker Rémy Chauvet

Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône

This domaine came into being in 1986 and the first wine was produced by Christoph Delorme in 1987. Up until that time the estate had been little more than a hobby for his father Francis Delorme, an industrialist with two great passions; shooting and wine. Christoph’s brother Fabrice joined the business in 1999 and it did not take them long to project this estate into the Premier League. Domaine de la Mordorée is one of the more widely dispersed domains in the Southern Rhône. Their 100 acres of vineyards are in Tavel (16 acres), in Lirac (36.5 acres of top notch plots), 40 acres generic Côte du Rhône, and 7,5 acres in Châteauneuf du Pape. The wines are dvided in two lines in most appellations, the introductory cuvée ‘La Dame Rousse’, and the top cuvée ‘La Reine des Bois’. In some very good vintages they also produce a super cuvée –only in Châteauneuf du Pape- ‘La Plume du Peintre’ from 100 year old Grenache vines.

Pictures: Annette Schiller with Madeleine Delorme, Ambre Delorme and Rémy Chauvet

Winery Acreage: 135 acres (55 hectares)

The vineyard consists of 55 hectares  on 38 different parcels, which provide with a rich, wide range of soils and climates. The soil is a mix of clay, chalk and sand with pebble stones.

The soils are the result of millions of years of plate tectonics, climate changes, the growth and melting of glaciers, submersion by seas, lakes or huge rivers. All those events contributed to the formation of successive layers, the vineyards striking their roots only in the last top meters.

Varietals Produced: Red: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarese, Counoise, Carignan
White: Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Picpoul, Clairette , Bourboulenc, Picpoul Gris

Winemaker: Rémy Chauvet

Pictures: Cellar Tour at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme and Winemaker Rémy Chauvet

TAVEL - Domaine de la Mordoree's vineyards are located on the Vallongue plateau, in the villages of Palai, Roquanaute and Romagnac. They are planted with 60% Black Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault, 5% Bourboulenc and White Clairette.

CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE - vineyards are located in the villages of La Crau, la Nerthe, Cabrières, Le Bois de la Ville. They are planted with 70% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault, 5% Counoise, 5% Syrah, 5% Vaccarese.

LIRAC - vineyards are located mainly in the plateaus of Lirac and Tavel, Les Baumes, as well as an area called Les Châtaigniers, meaning the chestnut trees, which are quite unusual in those areas.

COTES-DU-RHONE - soils are made up mainly of pebbles, clay, stones, broken-stone deposits.

CONDRIEU - vineyards lie on the eastern slopes of the Massif Central. A single variety wine - Viognier. The appellation is named after the commune of Condrieu, meaning a corner (coin) of land where two streams meet (rieu, akin to the Spanish rio).

Pictures: Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme and Winemaker Rémy Chauvet

Wine Advocate Issue 227: "Since the untimely death of Christophe Delorme last year, the winemaking at Domaine de la Mordorée has fallen to Rémy Chauvet, who was the cellar manager under Christophe for a number of years. Based on these 2015 barrel samples, the estate is obviously still in incredibly capable hands. - Jeb Dunnuck" - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 227, October 28th 2016)

Wine Advocate Issue 215: "I've yet to see these guys put a foot wrong, and regardless of the vintage, they're able to make superb wines. In addition to their terrific Châteauneuf du Papes, they continue to raise the quality of their Lirac and Côtes du Rhône releases. Also, while these all have the ability to drink nicely on release, they age beautifully. - Jeb Dunnuck" - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 215, October 2014)

The Wines Ambre Delorme Poured

Ambre poured 7 wines.


Les Rosés‎

2017 Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, La Dame Rousse

"Crushed stone, lime and strawberries aromas appear on the nose of the 2017 Tavel La Dame Rousse. Plump and medium-bodied, it shows excellent concentration and admirable persistence on the finish. I've had better vintages of this wine, but it's remarkably consistent from year to year. - Joe Czerwinski" - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (June 15th 2018), 90 pts


2017 Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, La Reine des Bois

"Bold, intense and flavorful, the 2017 Tavel La Reine des Bois continues to set the standard for the appellation. It's a rich, full-bodied rosé, with lush, mouth-filling flavors of cherries, raspberries and white chocolate, underscored by lime zest and refreshing brine notes. The price is creeping up, but it remains a benchmark in terms of quality. - Joe Czerwinski" - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (June 15th 2018), 93 pts

Les Rouges

2017 Domaine de la Mordorée, Vin de France, La Remise Sans Souffre

40% Marselan (Marselan is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache), 40% Merlot, 20% Grenache


2016 Domaine de la Mordorée, Lirac, La Dame Rousse

"Plush layers of preserved plum and cherry are speckled by darker tones of licorice, granite and dried earth in this plump, enveloping red. Full bodied and rippling like silk, it's a powerful yet open-knit wine with a soft, cocoa-powder finish. Enjoy now–2023. - ANNA LEE C. IIJIMA" - Wine Enthusiast (March 2019), 92 pts


2016 Domaine de la Mordorée, Lirac, La Reine des Bois

"Violet and licorice candy lend spice and perfume to this plump, penetrating blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. It's loaded with sun-kissed cherry flavor but shaded by umami notes of mushroom and leather too. Luscious but sleek, this polished wine is marked by fine, feathery tannins. Ready now it should improve through 2026. - ANNA LEE C. IIJIMA" - Wine Enthusiast (March 2019), 93 pts, Editor's Choice

La Dame Voyageuse is a more approachable version of the La Reine des Bois. It is meant to be enjoyable early compared to her sister Cuvée which is made for the long run.

Color : deep ruby red, opaque.
Aromas : red fruits, changing to touches of leather, black truffles and coffee.
Palate : fat, concentrated and full flavored with a very long liquoriced and fruity finish.
Ageing potential : 6 to 10 years.


2016 Domaine de la Mordorée, Châteauneuf du Pape, La Reine des Bois

"I tasted several components of what will likely become the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reine des Bois, all of which were remarkable. A Syrah from vat was stunning, offering flamboyant blueberries and spice along with silky tannins, while a Grenache component from barrel was incredibly rich and layered. I suspect my projected score is conservative. - Joe Czerwinski" - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 233, October 31st 2017), 94-96 pts

Le Blanc

2016 Domaine de la Mordorée, Condrieu

Domaine de la Mordorée owns the vineyards in the condrieu appellation. The vineyard was abandonned back in the 1960 as the work couldn't be done by machine. Christophe Delorme found some old plantings of Viognier in the middle of the growing vegatation that took over the piece of property. The planting was completly redone in 2004.


Bye-bye

Many thanks for a great visit.

Picture: Bye-bye

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

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

We had an extaordinary tasting at Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm, which is without doubt one of the most exceptional producers of wine in Germany. Although the Prüm family was well established as viticulturists and winemakers, having been tending vines along the banks of the Mosel since the 17th Century, the Joh. Jos. Prüm estate only came into being in 1911, when the property was divided up among seven heirs. One of them, Johann Josef Prüm (died 1944), laid the foundation for the estate as it is today, his son Sebastian (died 1969) continued his work. Today it is run by the third and fourth generation, Dr. Manfred Pruem and his daughter Dr. Katharina Prüm.

Amei Prüm, the mother of Katharina Prüm and the wife of Dr. Manfred Prüm, joined us towards the end of the tasting.

Pictures: At Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm

Today there are at least seven wineries that bear the Prüm name several generations later: including Alfred Prüm, Dr. F. Weins-Prüm, Jos. Christoffel Jr. (formerly Christoffel-Prüm), Studert-Prüm, Weingut Steffen Prüm, S.A. Prüm, and J.J. Prüm. Several more Prüm intermarriages and mergers are also responsible for several more prominent names in German wine, including Dr. Loosen.

The estate has 33.5 acres of vineyards planted with Riesling. The Joh. Jos. Prüm portfolio includes a number of great vineyards, but it is undoubtedly the vines in the Wehlener Sonnenuhr on the opposite bank to the town of Wehlen and the Graacher Himmelreich that are most readily associated with the estate.

Naturally Sweet Rieslings

The Riesling vines of Weingut JJ Pruem are grown on the region's decomposed blue slate soils, at incredibly steep inclines. The vines are own-rooted (non-grafted). Grapes are meticulously hand harvested and destemmed before being gently crushed into steel tanks where they ferment almost always with native yeasts before being moved into 50-plus-year-old, 1000-liter oak casks where they age until bottling. There is minimal CO2 pumping. As Joelle Payne notes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide Germany, the JJ Pruem cellars are, as they always have been, barred to visitors and Dr. Manfred Pruem is usually silent when asked for details of his vinification process, although I am sure there is nothing to hide. These are wines of great aristocracy, renowned for their precision, focus and finesse. The JJ Prüm wines have a reputation for being very long-lived.

Stuart Pigott: 10 Things Every Wine lover Should Know About... J.J. Prüm

wine.searcher December 12, 2013

No. 1. Mosel idol: Take a look at Wine-Searcher's summary of the world's 50 most expensive wines, and you'll find that none has as many white wines listed as Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm. This estate, located in the village of Wehlen in Germany's Mosel wine region, is also known to wine lovers around the world as “J.J. Prüm,” or simply “J.J.”

Its Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) takes 6th place in the most-expensive list, with an average price of $5,647. At no. 32 is the estate's Riesling Beerenauslese (BA), and the Riesling Eiswein is at 43. All of these wines are from the famous Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard site.

Recent auction results at Zachy’s give an idea of J.J. Prüm's desirability. In September, 12 bottles of 1983 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese "Gold Cap" sold for $2,450, and at the La Paulée auction in March two lots of 3 bottles of 1959 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling TBA each went for $15,925.

What makes this achievement all the more remarkable is the fact that as a category, sweet whites still struggle to gain the popular recognition which experts accord them, and all the “J.J.” wines stand out for their finesse and delicacy rather than their power.

Picture: Christian Schiller with Katharina Prüm at Wegmans in Virginia

Picture: Manfred Pruem, Weingut JJ Pruem and Annette Schiller at Weingut Robert Weil

Picture: Dr. Christian Schiller with Dr. Manfred Pruem in 2011

No. 2. It's all about longevity: It’s not without justification that wine lovers and collectors are skeptical about the aging potential of white wines – just think of how many white Burgundies of excellent provenance from vintages in the 1990s faded prematurely. What has won the J.J. wines their global following is a flawless track record on aging. Even the basic Joh.Jos. Prüm Riesling Kabinett, which retails for an average $25 excl. tax, will keep for at least five to ten years if well cellared. The Riesling Kabinett from the famous Wehlener Sonnenuhr site will keep much longer, with the 1981 Riesling Kabinett from J.J. still tasting lively.

The higher you climb up the ladder of the Prädikat system (in ascending order of sweetness and price, the classifications are Spätlese, Auslese, BA, TBA/eiswein) the longer the wines need to reach their best form and the longer they will keep. The top wines of the 1930s, '40s and '50s are still generally in excellent condition, though extremely hard to find.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel

No. 3. "Struck-match" aroma: Even some of the world’s most influential wine critics have been mistaken about the distinctive "struck-match" aroma of young J.J. wines. It is not caused by sulfites, as commonly supposed (these wines having no more added sulfites than most other rieslings from the Mosel).

J.J. has a tradition of always doing wild yeast fermentation, and of minimal handling of the young wines in order to preserve their more delicate aromas and freshness – for which the technical term is reductive winemaking. Put very simply, oxidation accelerates the aging process while reduction puts the brakes on. Certainly, the residual fermentation aroma which the J.J. wines have when they come onto the market isn’t always appealing to those unfamiliar with it. But if this aroma were to be knocked out of them in the cellar, then they wouldn’t have that amazing aging potential and would also lose aroma as a result.

The struck-match scent naturally disappears with bottle aging. The lighter wines need some months for this process, while some of the high-end wines require a couple of years before their peach, exotic fruit and floral aromas properly unfold.

Picture: With Joh. Jos. Prüm

No. 4. Staying sweet: Every now and again, the estate produces a dry wine in response to requests from particular clients and when the vintage makes this possible (they always choose grapes with no botrytis). However, these wines are almost never exported. Director Dr. Katharina Prüm isn’t fundamentally against dry rieslings from the Mosel, but she told Wine-Searcher: “This isn’t our main thing, and I don’t want to make it that, because obviously Joh. Jos. Prüm stands for the sweet wines."

No. 5. Barely a century old: Joh. Jos. Prüm was founded in 1911, and it wasn’t until the 1920 and '21 vintages that the first sweet Auslese wines were produced. The first BA followed in 1934, and the first TBAs in 1937 and '38. World War II seriously interrupted the estate’s development (there was no harvest at all in 1945), but with the 1949 vintage it was back on course with great Auslese, a BA, two TBAs and the estate’s first eiswein (made from grapes picked frozen by accident!).

No. 6. Pivotal trio: Although many people have worked with dedication to quality at the estate since 1920, and continue to do so, just three members of the Prüm family have steered J.J. during that period. The first of these was Sebastian Alois Prüm (1902–1969), who started working at the estate aged just 18. After his sudden death in early 1969, he was followed by his son Dr. Manfred Prüm. Since 2003, Manfred has been assisted by his elder daughter, Katharina, and the first vintage which she was properly responsible for was 2007. By the way, she and her father are both doctors of law, not medicine or winemaking.

No. 7. At J.J., the times are NOT a changin’: “My role isn’t to change the Joh. Jos. Prüm wines,” Katharina told Wine-Searcher. She made it plain that so far she’s only made small adjustments and doesn’t expect to make many more. The only one you might have noticed is that there’s now a clearer difference in sweetness levels between the (drier) Kabinett and (sweeter) Spätlese wines.

Customers who drink the drier styles are quite different from those buying Prüm’s rieslings at the sweeter end of the spectrum. Jeff Zacharia sells J.J. Prüm through Zachy's Scarsdale retail store and at auction. He explained that in the retail area, interest is focused on recent vintages of the estate’s kabinett and spätlese, whereas “interest at auction is much more geared towards the limited production sweet wines – so auslese and TBA."

Zacharia added: "The buyer base tends to be a smaller percentage of our clients who seek a variety of the most renowned wines in the world, including the best of Germany. I see this as a niche market composed of highly knowledgeable connoisseurs with a well-rounded passion for the best producers and vintage.“

Pictures: Tasting with Amei Prüm

No. 8. Other great vineyards: The precipitously steep, southwest-facing Wehlener Sonnenuhr, with its grey slate soil, is certainly the most important vineyard site for the estate, accounting for almost 20 of its 50 acres of vines. However, in some vintages the wines from the J.J. holdings in the Graacher Himmelreich site (almost southwest facing and very steep) are as good as those from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr – although they sell for somewhat lower prices.

Occasionally, there are also spectacular wines from other sites, such as the 2006 Riesling BA from the Bernkasteler Badstube. In that case, the grapes were so heavily botrytized that almost none of the labor-intensive and time-consuming selective picking usually necessary to produce such a wine was needed.

No. 9. Not every Prüm estate is J.J.: The Prüm family has been in Wehlen since at least the late 18th century, so the family has many branches and there are a handful of other estates in the town with Prüm in their name. There are also a couple of producers outside Wehlen entitled to include the family in their estate names. Some have chosen to remove any mention of the Prüm connection from the label in order to avoid confusion, like Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel. Others keep the name, such as the Dr. F. Wein-Prüm estate run by Bert Selbach next door to J.J. on the Uferallee, the riverbank street of Wehlen.

In both of these cases the quality is high, but the wines have rather different styles from the Mosel rieslings made by Dr. Katharina Prüm.

10. What does the Prüm family drink? Asked about her preference for current drinking is, Katharina said: "At the moment, mostly 2004, ’07 and ’08. Of course, I enjoy older vintages when they’re available. If our stocks from the 1990s and '80s were larger I’d drink those wines more often!”

Those three vintages of the last decade were all very good, although even 2007 doesn’t quite belong up there with 1949, '59, '71, '76, '90 or '05 (the greatest vintages for the estate). The main advantage of such years is that the wines are not quite so powerful or concentrated, and therefore have a harmony that makes them extremely appealing after only a few years of bottle-aging. The excellent 1988s, '89s and great '90s are now at their best, except at the BA and TBA level. However, these wines are now hard to find and command serious prices due to the reputations of those vintages.

Although all these wines are sweet, the Prüm family often drinks them at the dinner table with guests. Hard as it might be to imagine, an auslese with some bottle age is a great match with roast venison or wild boar! That’s a classic combination for the Prüms.

The Wines we Tasted

We tasted 9 wines.


2017 Weingut JJ Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett
2016 Weingut JJ Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese


2004 Weingut JJ Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese


2009 Weingut JJ Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese
2009 Weingut JJ Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Auslese


2003 Weingut JJ Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Auslese
2007 Weingut JJ Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese


Bye-bye

Thanks for this extraordinary tasting, Frau Prüm.

Pictures: Auf Wiedersehen Frau Prüm.

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Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Kaufmann in Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Family-style Wine-pairing Lunch at Weingut Hans Lang - Kaufmann, with Owners/ Winemakers Urban Kaufmann and Eva Raps - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Sekt Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Laquai in Lorch, Rheingau, with Gundolf Laquai - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Lunch in Bacharach, Mittelrhein Region - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Tasting and Vineyard Drive at Weingut Ratzenberger in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Jochen Ratzenberger - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Rhine River Cruise in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Weingut Franzen, Bremm, Terrassen-Mosel, with Angelina Franzen - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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

Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Wine-pairing dinner at winery Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle

Tasting at winery Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Middle Mosel, with Ernst Loosen

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef: Visit of the famous Berncasteler Doctor Cellar and Tour and Tasting at  Weingut Dr. H Thanisch - Erben Mueller-Burggraef, with Ownwe Matthias Willkomm

The Wines of the Berncasteler Doctor, Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Lunch at Restaurant Juffer Flair of Weingut Christian Steinmetz in Brauneberg

Tasting at winery Haart in Piesport, Mosel, with Johannes Haart

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Cellar tour and tasting at winery Peter Lauer in Ayl, Upper Mosel, Saar Valley, with Katharina Lauer and Peter Lauer

Lunch at Weinrestaurant Ayler Kupp at winery Peter Lauer

Tasting at winery H. Dönnhoff, Oberhausen, Nahe, with Anne Dönnhoff 

Wine Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Dönnhoff with Christina Dönnhoff– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Visit and tasting at winery Dr. Crusius, Traisen, Nahe, with Peter and Judith Crusius.

Vineyard tour, cellar tour and tasting at winery Kruger-Rumpf, Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Stefan and Georg Rumpf

Tour, Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Weingut Kruger Rumpf, Nahe, with Stefan, Cornelia and Georg Rumpf– Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard tour and tasting at winery Bischel in Appenheim, Rheinhessen, with Christian Runkel, Owner and Winemaker

Winery visit and lunch at winery Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin Guntrum

Guntrum is Back (Stuart Pigott/ James Suckling): Wine Pairing Lunch and Tour at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Owners Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Mainlust “Desche Otto” – an Ultra Traditional Apple Wine Tavern, with an Innovative Twist, off the Beaten Track in Schwanheim, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 

Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2019)

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Pictures: Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2019)

Annette and I threw our Annual Riesling Party at our Washington DC area home August 25, 2019. This is a casual wine tasting and socializing event taking place inside well as outside on our decks. Each guest has to bring a bottle of Riesling/ German wine. Annette prepares typical German food to enjoy with the wines.

Lamost all of the pictures in this posting are mine, except for a few that I took from the facebook pages of people who came to the 2019 Riesling Party and posted pictures on facebook.

Pictures: Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2019)

Riesling

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

Dry and Sweet Riesling

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

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

However, modern cellar methods allow winemakers in Germany (and elsewhere) to produce wines with a bit of residual sugar with these grapes. These are exceptional wines, essentially made by not letting the fermentation going its full course so that natural sugar remains in the wine. Alternatively, German winemakers are allowed to add sweet-reserve (sterilized grape juice) to increase the sweetness level in the wine, but today, this is mostly done, if at all, for fine tuning the residual sweetness. These fruity-sweet wines are the wines that are so popular among the fans of German wine in the world. These sweet-style wines have lost popularity in Germany, although there appears to be a comeback, but in any case remain very popular outside of Germany, for example in the US.

Schiller's Riesling Party 2019

This year, 85 Riesling/ German wine lovers followed the call and showed up with a bottle of wine. The center of the party was our lower deck, where I had arranged the wines according to their sweetness level.

Klaus Teuter brought 6 older wines from his personal collection, including 2 Auslese wines from 1976 and a Beerenauslese from 1989.

The Food

The food - German sausage and home-made potatoe salad as well as starters, cheese and dessert - was served in our dining room.

Pictures: German Sausage and Kartoffelsalat, with Spundekäs.

The Wines

There was a total of 90 bottles. 2/3 of the wines were from Germany, mostly Riesling. Other well represented regions were Alsace, Austria and the Finger Lakes (USA). Klaus Teuter brought 6 older wines from his personal collection, including 2 Auslese wines from 1976 and a Beerenauslese from 1989.

Pictures: The Wines

Lower Deck

The lower deck was the center of the party for most of the time.

Pictures: Lower Deck

Upper Deck

There were always people on the upper deck, but everybody who was still there moved to the upper deck when Klaus Teuter poured his 6 special wines.

Pictures: Lower Deck and Klaus Teuter's 6 Special Wines

Klaus Teuter's 6 Special Wines

The 6 wines were all in good shape and we enjoyed them very much allthough they all had aged excessively and were dark brown. What a treat. Thanks Klaus for your generosity.

Pictures: Kluas Teuter's Special Wines

Inside

Pictures: Inside

Invitation

Hello wine folks,

this year again we will host a Riesling Party in the dead of summer (to show you that a Riesling is the perfect thirst quencher).

WHEN: Sunday, August 25 at 4.30 pm
WHERE: at our home in Mclean
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: bring one bottle per person of Riesling (from anywhere in the world). You may also bring a bottle of bubbles or a red one if you are not such a Riesling fan.

We will provide: food, water, glasses - everything that makes a party great - AND: a very special Riesling!

Please let us know if you plan to come. I will then provide you with our address.

So much looking forward to seeing many old wine friends and perhaps some new ones!

CHEERS and see you soon!

Annette & Christian
aschiller@ombiasypr.com

Roland Young on Facebook

Roland Young on Facebook: Went to a wonderful Riesling soiree at Christian and Annette Schiller’s house in Mclean, VA, Sunday. It is an annual event and the weather this year was absolutely perfect. Everyone brought a bottle of Riesling to share. I brought a nice 1995 Zind-Humbrecht Clos Hauserer that was still nicely drinkable. However, someone for some unknown reason brought a 1990 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes. Tickie flushed it out of its hiding place and she and I devoured the entire bottle with glee. The one who brought it must have not known what they had. 1990 was one of the best vintages of the 20th Century and it was a top Chateau. Rated a 95 by Wine Spectator, it was a Botrytis bomb! Deep gold color with spicy almond and Toffee character with pineapple overtones. Full bodied with good acidity and very very ripe. A blistering long finish. Great German food was had. Towards the end, someone began opening some 40+ year old German Riesling dessert wines to sample including one from 1976 that had the color of treacle in the decanter. Lots of fun!

Donna Christenson on Facebook

Thank you so much to Annette Schiller and Christian Schiller for hosting such a wonderful Riesling party. In addition to a wide range of currently available wines, we were treated to a rare opportunity to try a range of vintage Rieslings from as far back as 1976. Multiple decks of the Schillers' gracious home offered the perfect summer evening setting to enjoy wonderful wines, an array of delicious German food and good conversations! Thank you for including me!

Previous Riesling Parties at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia

This was our sixth annual Riesling Party in McLean, Virginia:

Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2017)
Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund
Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2015)
Riesling Summer at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2014)
Summer of Riesling with Annette and Christian Schiller in Washington DC, USA (2013)

2019

2018

No Annual Riesling Party

2017

Pictures: Annual Riesling Party 2017

2016

Pictures: German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund

2015

Pictures: Denman Zirkle, Owner of Weingut Richard Böcking, Mosel and Annette Schiller

2014

Picture: Annette Schiller, German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner and Christian Schiller

2013

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Austrian Wine Importer Klaus Wittauer, with his Rieslings from Weingut Anton Bauer and Weingut Tegernseehof.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: August 1, 2019)


Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

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Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, was the last estate we visited on our

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Frankreich

Annick Rieflé was our host. We started the visit with a tour of the cellar and then sat down in the tasting room  for a formal tasting.

See also:
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

Last year, Annick's husband, Jean-Claude Rieflé spent a week in the Washington DC area "to work the market". Annette and I attended a fabulous winemaker dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill as well as a winetasting at McLean Wine Outlet in McLean, Virginia.

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Christian Schiller, Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, and Chef Bart Vandaele at Belga Café. See: Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

Domaine Rieflé-Landmann

Viticulture has been a Rieflé family affair for 6 generations, since 1850. From the 1980s, Annick and Jean-Claude Rieflé were at the helm. They were joined at the domaine by their sons, Thomas and Paul, in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Thomas manages the vineyard and Paul is in charge of sales and marketing. Recently, the Rieflé family took over the vineyards of Seppi Landmann and renamed the estate to Domaine Rieflé-Landmann. The vineyard area totals 23 hectares, including a plot in the Grand Cru vineyard Steinert.

Picture: Arriving at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann

Domaine Rieflé-Landmann (Stephan Reinhard/ Robert Parker)

Stephan Reinhard (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate): Domaine Rieflé-Landmann is the new name of the former Domaine Rieflé, which is located in a beautiful old winemaker's house that was built in Pfaffenheim, Southern Alsace, in 1609. That's because the Rieflé family took over the vineyards from the vigneron and bon vivant Seppi Landmann, a living legend who started his late winemaking career in 1982 without owning a winery. Landmann had rented a cellar in Soultzmatt where he produced some remarkably good, if not mythic wines beyond all traditions (Cuvée Sophie Marceau, Cuvée Erotique, Hors La Loi, Vallée Noble, Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé...). His personal brand still exists (otherwise he would not have sold his vineyards) so that's why the renamed Domaine Rieflé-Landmann markets its wines under two different signatures: the well established Domaine Rieflé and the Seppi Landmann brand.

Pictures: In the Vineyard with Paul Rieflé. See: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

The family, today represented by the young brothers Thomas (who cares for the vineyards) and Paul Rieflé (who does all the marketing things and showed me the vineyards and the wines), farms 79 different blocks adding up to 23 hectares (57 acres). The vines are located close to the winery in Pfaffenheim and Rouffach and, since Landmann sold his vines, also in Westhalten and Soultzmatt. They are classified for six different appellations: Crémant d'Alsace, Alsace, Alsace Côte de Rouffach, Alsace Vallée Noble, Alsace Grand Cru Steinert and Alsace Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé. Paul hopes that the lieu-dits of Pfaffenheim -- Bergweingarten (a small single vineyard within the Côte de Rouffach and adjacent to the Grand Cru Steinert which is, and always was, planted 90% with Gewurztraminer) and Bihl (east of the village) -- will receive Premier Cru status one day.

The Rieflé brothers share a humanist and socially responsible approach to winemaking. Faced with the realities of a global market, they took inspiration from the famous quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: "We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

Pictures: In the Cellar with Annick Rieflé

Since years, the domaine farmed their vineyards organically and with the recently released 2014 vintage, Rieflé-Landmann is an AB-certified organic wine producer. Unusual enough yet visionary, perhaps the manual work is outsourced to a local association for professional reintegration, what Paul Rieflé calls "a part of our humanist approach and support for the local community." It also "engenders a strong identity which cannot be delocalized, and which is a guarantee of sustainability in a rapidly changing world," Paul believes...

Although by far I did not taste all the wines produced at Rieflé-Landmann -- curious to taste the Bergweingarten once -- the wine quality is very good if not excellent, whereas the prices are still extremely fair. This is a very promising domaine to discover and some of the wines should (or will) be available in the US.

Pictures: Tasting with Annick Rieflé

The Wines we Tasted

Stephan Reinhard (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate): The domaine produces a wide but well structured range of wines -- variety wines for every day, villages wines for more ambitious wine lovers and the grands crus and late harvested wines for hedonists -- that reflect the originality of the Alsatian wine culture and the specific terroirs. The most prominent single vineyard of the former Domaine Rieflé is the Grand Cru Steinert which overlooks the village of Pfaffenheim, in which the family holds 65 ares. It is based on an oolitic limestone massif, which is scarcely covered by topsoil in several places. Whereas Riesling is planted on the uppermost part of the cru, Pinot Gris likes it halfway down on the flattest parts. To stress the influence of the terroir, Rieflé produced a blend of Riesling and Pinot Gris under the Grand Cru Steinert appellation in 2014; whereas in 2013 the Seppi Landmann Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé was already an assemblage of four varieties. Will this be the future at Rieflé-Landmann: selling terroir instead of varieties? This would be courageous and pioneering.


2018 Ad Quatratum L'Étoffe Domaine Rieflé Dry

The perfect partner for grilled meats and soft cheeses such as Camembert and Brie. It is also a good match for middle eastern dishes such as lamb tajines and couscous. Pinot Noir.


2018 Ad Quatratum L'Aplomb Domaine Rieflé Dry

L’arabesque = wisps, volutes, oriental, jazzy, fanciful. It is an off-dry, structured, tasty, spicy and very fruity wine. Gewurztraminer based blend.


2018 Ad Quatratum L'Eclat Domaine Rieflé Dry

L’éclat = the burst, the rock shard, the splinter, the shine. It is a dry, fresh and crisp wine with briliance and fruitiness. Blend based on Riesling.

2015 1er Cru Bihl Domaine Rieflé Dry

Its name is derived from the Indo-European term behl* meaning ''bright'', ''burning'', ''shining'' and ''radiant''. The Gallic god Belenos, God of the Sun, is blessed with such attributes and represents sunlight on the surface of the Earth.

The Rhine plain was formed around 50 million years ago as a natural response to the collapse of the Vosges-Black Forest mountain range. Marine deposits settled during this phase and add to the complexity of the surficial geology of the vineyard today. The Bihl is composed of very hard limestone originating from these marine sedimentary deposits. The surface has a beige-yellow coloured layer of earth about 20cm thick. The limestone stretches across a thick layer of limestone.

Riesling is the perfect tool for revealing the true expression of this terroir and produces powerful wines that retain their elegance and delicate acidity. They also display an element of salinity making them very palatable. Characteristic aromas include citrus fruits, citronella and pineapple in their youth with more mineral notes developing with age. Wines produced here always have good cellaring potential.

High quality Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir wines are also produced in the Bihl vineyards.
The Riesling produced here is the perfect accompaniment for all fish and white meats and will add a special touch to relaxed, festive occasions.


2014 Grand Cru Steinert Steinstück Domaine Rieflé

The Grand Cru Steinert vineyard lies 13km south of Colmar and overlooks the village of Pfaffenheim. It sits just below the Schauenberg mountain, known as the mountain of contemplation, which is considered to be an important place of natural energy.

Steinert literally refers to the stony nature of the terroir. It lies opposite the Alsace plain, the Rhine and the Black Forest and faces towards the rising sun. The hard, homogeneous, dry and filtering soil sits directly on the oolithic limestone bedrock which is partially visible on the surface. Oolites are small spherical grains, shaped like fish eggs, that were formed on the surface of the rocks by marine microfossils. Wines from the Steinert vineyards are characterised by their powerful structure combined with a subtle finesse and underlying menthol notes.

Domaine Rieflé has 65 ares of vines on this terroir. Riesling is planted on the uppermost part of the parcel and Pinot Gris half-way down on the flattest parts.

2018 Ad Quatratum L'Arabesque Domaine Rieflé Semi Sweet

L’arabesque = wisps, volutes, oriental, jazzy, fanciful. It is an off-dry, structured, tasty, spicy and very fruity wine. Gewurztraminer based blend.


Bye-bye

Many thanks Annick for a great event.

Picture: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Postings - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Frankreich

Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Dinner and Overnight-stay at Hotel-Restaurant A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Marc-André Hugel and Senior Boss André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé  -  Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Lunch at Restaurant Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours

Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace

Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Kilian Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, with Martina Hunn - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France

Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, Baden, with Kilian and Martina Hunn - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Eating Well in Alsace - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France vv

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

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Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

On the last day of

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

we focused on Châteauneuf du Pape.

We started the day with a vist of Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape. Owner Véronique Bonnet was our host. We briefly met her brother/ owner/ winemaker Eric Bonnet.

Pictures: Arriving at La Bastide Saint Dominique

Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique

Owner Véronique Bonnet: La Bastide Saint Dominique estate lies in the heart of Provence, right in the foothills of Chateauneuf du pape, buffeted by the gusts of the Mistral wind and bathed by the bright southern sun.

Located at the heart of the Southern Rhône Valley, a stone’s throw away from Châteauneuf du Pape, La Bastide Saint Dominique estate enjoys optimal climate with the unique Mistral wind and very hot and dry summers.

Picture: Châteauneuf du Pape and Courthézon

Built around a former 16th century chapel, the estate was created by Marie-Claude and Gérard Bonnet with only a handful of hectares. With strong commitment and passion, the Bonnet’s have expanded the estate to a total area of 50 hectares, producing Appellations d’Origine Protégée (AOP) Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Cairanne, Châteauneuf du Pape and Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) Méditerranée.

Since 1999, their son Eric has been working with them and now takes care of the whole process from production to vinification with a more innovative approach, both on technical and marketing levels.

Our award-winning wines can be found at various establishments around the world, starting with the UK, Benelux, Scandinavia, Germany but also the USA, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, to name a few. Committed to the environment, we registered for the French AB (Agriculture Biologique) Organic farming certification in 2011 and starting with the 2014 vintage, our wines are now certified.

Pictures: Tasting

The Vineyards

Owner Véronique Bonnet: Our particular combination of unique soil makeup, a rich assortment of grape varietals, and old vines ensure that La Bastide Saint Dominique wines are of exceptional quality. Our vines are planted in safre on the surface, resting on limestone. The rest of the vineyard is composed of red clay and round pebbles which contribute to maintaining heat and regenerating it when needed.

All our cultural practices match the requirements of the Organic Farming regulations, as it is our priority to maintain both soil and vines with precise pruning methods, green harvest etc. Yields are naturally low and the whole estate is harvested by hand. Star grape varietals are those of the Rhône Valley, Grenache and Syrah of course, along with Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Clairette, Roussanne, Viognier, each bringing its own value and specifics to obtain a beautiful portfolio.

Cellar: Tradition and Modernity

Owner Véronique Bonnet:: At La Bastide Saint Dominique, while conserving our traditional methods of winemaking, we have invested in modern equipment. Relentlessly in pursuit of quality, we sort our grapes upon harvest at the vineyard, and a second time upon arrival at the cellar. All grapes are destemmed carefully, and each varietal is vinified separately. We personally take great care of the blends and the final bottling steps. We focus on the authenticity of the grape varietals and our unique “terroir”. This enables each varietal to express its utmost at the blending stage, which has an impact at the consumer level, allowing for enjoyment of our wines at various aging stages.

Pictures: In the Cellar

The Wines we Tasted

Already recognized during Roman times, Rhône Valley wines strongly benefited from the Popes’ time in Avignon during the 14th century when they set up their summer residence in Châteauneuf du Pape. As France’s second largest wine region, the Rhône Valley offers a diversity of soils, and its star grapes Grenache and Syrah are at their best. Located in the Southern Rhône Valley, between Orange and Avignon, our estate enjoys a hot and dry climate, typical of the Mediterranean region. Hot sun and Mistral, combined with the unique characteristics of our soils, give our wines most desirable traits and delightful flavours. Our wines are generous, cheerful, full-bodied, sun-filled, and still elegant and refined.


IGP Méditerranée

Our IGP Indication Géographique Protégée, standing for the new classification “Protected Geographical Indication” are cheerful, sun-filled and expressive wines. Available in 3 colours, as grape wines or blends, they grow on 5-60 year old vines between Courthézon and Orange. Grape varietals include Syrah and Merlot as well as Grenache for the Reds and Rosé and Roussanne in White.

Côtes du Rhône

Gourmand, fruity, delicately spiced, our portfolio of Côtes du Rhône and Cotes du Rhône Villages is based on blends where Grenache or Syrah are the stars. They are cultivated mainly on North/South-facing hills, and originate from 15-55 year-old vines.

2017 La Bastide Saint Dominique Cotes du Rhône Villages Rouge

- 50% Grenache
- 20% Syrah
- 15% Mourvèdre
- 15% Carignan

18 days of vatting in stainless steel tanks. Punchcapping, pump-over, with control of the temperatures (max 28°c). Ageing of 12 months in vat before blend and bottling.


Cairanne

Known for its rich, complex and expressive nose, the most recently named Cru of the Côtes du Rhône (Cairanne became a “Cru” in February 2016), is the most recent entry in our portfolio. Back in 2013, we took over the former Cairanne based Estate “Aéria” and elaborated a first of the kind. 12 hectares, located 22 km away from Courthézon, 15 – 50 year old vines, clay-limestone grounds on areas known as “Estévenas”, “les Douyes” and “les Guarrigues”, make a perfect age-worthy type wine alongside our Châteauneuf du Pape.

2016 La Bastide Saint Dominique Cairanne

- 25% Grenache
- 25% Syrah
- 25% Mourvèdre
- 25% Carignan


Châteauneuf du Pape

A unique terroir, discovered by the Popes as early as the 12th century and enhanced by the initiator of the Appellations d’Origine Controlee system of Baron Le Roy, Châteauneuf du Pape benefits from a long tradition of high quality wines. The region’s unique bottle, with engraved keys of Saint Pierre and the Pope’s tiara, is a pledge for authenticity. Our Châteauneuf du Pape are mainly on plateaux and small hillsides, sandy soil and clay soils with the terroir’s famous round pebbles. Aged between 25 and 100 year old, our vines are located on the celebrated areas of Pignan, les Bédines, Valori, Saint Georges and Guigasse.

2016 La Bastide Saint Dominique Châteauneuf du Pape Rouge

- 80% Grenache
- 10% Syrah
- 7% Mourvèdre
- 3% Cinsault


2015 La Bastide Saint Dominique Châteauneuf du Pape Les Hesperides Rouge

- 50% Grenache
- 50% Mourvèdre


Bye-bye

Many thanks Véronique and Eric.

Picture: Bye-bye

A Few Years Back: Eric Bonnet in Washington DC

Annette and I met Eric Bonnet for the first time a few years ago in McLean, Virginia, at a winemaker dinner: Dinner with Owner/Winemaker Eric Bonnet of Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France/USA

Pictures: Dinner with Owner/Winemaker Eric Bonnet of Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France/USA

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France (Already Released and Forthcoming Postings)

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Rhône Valley Tour December 2017: From Lyon to Avignon - Wine, Food, Culture, History

Understanding the Wines of the Rhône Valley: The Classification - AOC/ Vin de Pay/ Vin de France

The Rhône Wine Region in Southern France and its Wines: History, Classification, Northern and Southern Rhône

Cellar Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Éric Texier in Charney, with Laurence Texier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Drive at E. Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Maison Clusel-Roche in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Domaine Georges Vernay in Condrieu, Northern Rhône, with Owner Paul Ansellem-Vernay - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Hôtellerie Beau Rivage in Condrieu, with Chef Chef Ludovic Mounier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Maison Delas-Frères in Saint Jean de Muzols, Saint Joseph, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant La Grappe d’Or in Saint-Péray, with Chef Pierre Yves Jacques Sébastien - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Paul Jaboulet Aîné in Tain-l’Hermitage, Hermitage, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tasting at Domaine Laurent Habrard in Gervans, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Owner and Winemaker Laurent Habrad - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Combier in Pont de l’Isère, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Laurent Combier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at La Grand Table de Michel Chabran, 1-star Michelin, in Pont d l’Isère, Northern Rhône, with Chef Michel Chabran - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Les Bruyères in Beaumont-Monteux, Northern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker David Reynaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Martinelle in Lafare, Ventoux,  with Owner/ Winemaker Corinna Kruse Faravel - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Marcel Richaud in Cairanne, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Claire Richaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Baudry - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant Le Dolium (Rhonéa Vignoble Coopérative) in Beaumes-de Venise, Southern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting of Wine and Olive Oil at Mas Saint Berthe, Les Baux de Provence, with Winemaker Christian Nief - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner and Overnight-stay at Hôtel/ Restaurant Benvengudo in Les Baux de Provence - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pégau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Winemaker Andreas Lenzenwöger - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Pont du Gard - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme and Winemaker Rémy Chauvet - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château la Nerthe, Châteauneuf du Pape

Wine-pairing dinner at Restaurant Château des Fines Roches, with Chef Hugo Loridan-Fombonnet

New Year’s Eve at Château des Fines Roches in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France 

Wine Dinner at Weingut Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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Pictures: Wine Dinner at Weingut Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Following the tasting at Weingut Jos. Jos. Prüm in Wehlen:

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

we drove to Traben-Trabach for dinner at Weingut Richard Böcking, with Owner Denman Zirkle.

Weingut Richard Böcking is a Mosel producer with a long history that was virtually unknown a few years ago, but is now being revived. Interestingly, 2 of the main protagonists in the revival process – Deman Zirkle and his daughter Sigrid Caroll - are Americans and based in the US.

Denman Zirkle is an American, who married into the Richard Böcking family while he was on an external assignment for IBM in Frankfurt.

In 2010 it seemed wise to sell the estate but a new generation of Böckings (Denman Zirkle and Sigrid Caroll) hailing over from the United States invested heavily into the winery and a re-awakening of the historic wine estate took place. Today winery Richard Böcking again produces stunning Riesling wines in the best Mosel tradition.

Owner Denman Zirkle was our host. At the request of Annette, we had a traditional German dinner, which is bread with butter and cold-cuts.

Pictures: Arriving

History

Denman Zirkle: The entrepreneurial story of the Böckings began at the onset of the 17th Century with the formation of their trade and exchange company (“Handels and Wechselcomptoirs”). At the beginning of the 18th Century, the successful businessmen and financiers risked expanding into iron smelting and lumbering industries. Their growing reputation was enhanced by successful trading in wine, spices, coal, and salt, which led in the 18th Century to a trading monopoly negotiated with the Electorate of Trier for the area including Nassau-Saarbrücken and Pfalz-Zweibrücken; the upper reaches of the Mosel and the Saar. The Böckings, however, also attained a lucrative and dominant banking operation, a business that began with their position as the regional treasurer (“Landeskassierer”) for the Prince of Palatinate. Vestiges of their property, like the magnificent family residence overlooking the Mosel that Johann Adolph Böcking (1695-1770) built in 1750, can still be seen in Trarbach today. Since the 1970’s the Böcking villa has been home to the Mittel-Mosel-Museum.

In the 18th Century the prosperity of the Böcking family was at its zenith and had its greatest influence on the wealth of Traben and Trarbach. (The two towns were joined together in 1898 with a bridge that spanned the Mosel River and unified the two into a single municipal government in 1904.)

The fact that Traben-Trarbach was a Protestant enclave amidst a sovereign Catholic region made it the first connection for the wine trade with England, the Netherlands, the Protestant Church, and Friederich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, with whom Heinrich Böcking had a personal relationship.

In the middle of the 19th Century, the wine trade was a stable and self-sustaining industry. At the turn of the 20th Century, Traben Trarbach, along with Bordeaux, were the largest wine trading towns in Europe. During this period the Böckings acquired Ungsberg and Schlossberg, in Trarbach, and Geyerslay, in Wintrich, along with the present day Juffer and Juffer-Sonnenuhr, in Brauneberg-all vineyards with a reputation for exceptional quality.

The well-known 14th-Century “Kaisersaal,” or Rittersaal (Knights hall), is the largest secular building from the Middle Ages on the Mosel. This building, erected as a wine cellar for the vineyards (present-day Burgberg) located just below the Grevenburg Castle, was under the ownership of Louis Böcking and Franz Langguth. In the middle of the 20th Century the Langguths’ part of the building was purchased by the Böckings and, today, it is used for wine storage, guest events, and as the administrative office of the winery. After the devastating town fire of 1857, the foundation and walls of the 400-square meter (4,306 square feet) building remained, but the roof had to be rebuilt. While in need of repair, the building has a historic, romantic ambiance of yesteryear. Today, the Rittersaal stands not only as the center of the wine operation, but is a historic legacy of the Böcking family and the town’s once-mighty wine trade.

At the beginning of the 20th century, fortunes changed for the Böcking family. After ten generations of successful mercantilism, the entrepreneurial spirit of the family died in 1903 with Adolph Böcking. With the marriage of his daughter, not only did most of the family’s fortune pass into the ownership of the wine-trading dynasty of the Huesgen family, but also the prized vineyard of Geierslay as well. Though the Trarbach sites remained with the Böckings, they did not prosper in the historic and economic hardships that followed.

In 2010 a decision faced the descendants of the Böckings: sell the traditional but marginally profitable winery and the accompanying vineyards, or pursue a new vision and direction. The decision occupied the family; nostalgia and economics both needed consideration when reaching an agreement on the proper course to take.

Today a new generation of Böckings owns and manages the vineyard business. They have combined tradition and history with confidence and entrepreneurial vision to lead the family enterprise into the future and reestablish its international following.

Pictures: Sekt Reception

Vineyards

Denman Zirkle: The character of the wines is shaped by the distinctive, steep-slope Grand Cru vineyards. Richard Böcking has 17 acres under cultivation in vineyards that lie in Traben-Trarbach in the famed Middle Mosel River valley, one of the finest Riesling growing regions in the world. These vineyards are shown on the official Prussian vineyard map published at the end of the 19th Century, and their reputation as especially worthy slopes can be traced to the beginning of the 17th century.

The Grand Cru Böcking Vineyards: Trarbacher Schlossberg, Burgberg, Ungsberg and Hühnerberg. In these vineyards grow our “Alte Reben” (old vines) vines from 40-90 years old, along with more recent plantings. Among our Grand Cru vineyards, the Ungsberg is especially dear to our hearts, as it is here that our long family history is anchored. Evidence shows this vineyard was cultivated by the Romans. It was also an early area for cultivating healing herbs and salves. Over 25 different herbal varieties have been identified on its slopes.

The classic village vineyard: Trarbacher Taubenhau. Predominately from this vineyard comes our popular “Böcking Riesling.” This vineyard is a prominent member of the Trarbach community, and was an early example of how vintners came together and rebuilt old steep slopes into more efficient tracts.

Winemaking Philosophy

Denman Zirkle: Richard Böcking develops their wines by hand, from the vineyard to the bottle. Unadulterated; with an originality that can be produced only in a natural vineyard environment. From this tenet springs Böcking's fundamental philosophy—a philosophy of allowing a wine to develop naturally. In the steep-slope vineyards, this philosophy means the small vineyard parcels are cultivated individually and by hand. All wines are developed as bio-dynamically as possible, using naturally occurring yeast and introducing only the sparest amount of sulfur. This meticulous attention to natural agriculture and production create beautifully finished wines while sustaining the vineyards for the future.

Our Grand Cru wines are fermented spontaneously with native yeasts. For these wines we use the traditional 1,000-liter Mosel Fuder casks. For our more structured wines, we use smaller wooden barrels, such as older 225-liter barriques.

Our prized, ungrafted, old vines are found in our Grand Cru vineyards. From these vines we select, for our Grand Cru wines, the ripest and healthiest grapes, at just the right time. Many of these grapes are from “Alte Reben” or old growth vines.

The Grand Cru grapes are pressed, slowly and gently for twenty-four to thirty hours. All of our other wines are gently pressed for eight hours. Clarification of the must takes place naturally.

Pictures: Dinner

Denman Zirkle

Denman Zirkle is an American from Virginia. He married into the Böcking family while he was working for IBM in Frankfurt. His wife was the late Dagmar von Maltzahn, a granddaughter of Kurt Böcking.

Denman Zirkle’s first visit to Traben-Trarbach was in October 1971, just after the birth of his daughter Sigrid in Frankfurt. He returned with his family to the United States in 1974 to continue a professional career with IBM. Later on, his work took him to Franklin Templeton Investments, where he was an executive in finance and marketing. With his family, he often returned to Traben-Trarbach, usually to hike along the ridges overlooking the Mosel River.

In early 2014 he left his position as executive director of a Virginia foundation to begin working directly with the winery in Traben–Trarbach. Bringing his management and financial skills, he is now working with the team on the renovation of existing and newly-acquired vineyards and production facilities.

He was educated at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and received his M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

The Wines Denman Poured

Denman poured 8 wines.


NV Weingut Richard Böcking Privat Sekt Dry


2016 Weingut Richard Böcking Riesling Off-Dry


2018 Weingut Richard Böcking Weisburgunder Dry


2017 Weingut Richard Böcking Spätburgunder Rosé Dry


2016 Weingut Richard Böcking Devon Riesling Dry


2016 Weingut Richard Böcking Burgberg Dry


2016 Weingut Richard Böcking Schlossberg Off-Dry


2015 Weingut Richard Böcking Hühnerberg Dry


2015 Weingut Richard Böcking Schlossberg Spätlese M (Prädikat)


Bye-bye

Many thanks for a lovely dinner, Denman.

Pictures: Bye-bye

Looking Back: Weingut Richard Böcking at the 2015 Riesling Party

Denman Zirkle was the special guest at our 2015 Riesling Party in McLean, Virginia: Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2015)

Pictures: Denman Zirkle at our 2015 Riesling Party. See: Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2015)

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling - Published and Forthcoming Postings)

Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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Lunch at the Weingut Schloss Johannisberg Gutsrestaurant - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

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Wining in the Steinberg Vineyard– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

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

Wine-pairing dinner at winery Richard Böcking in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, with Owner Denman Zirkle

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Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

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An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

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Tour, Tasting, Dinner and Overnight Stay at Weingut Kruger Rumpf, Nahe, with Stefan, Cornelia and Georg Rumpf– Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

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