When one thinks of wines from Germany and Austria, what comes to mind is typically Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, respectively. And indeed, they are some of the best examples of these particular varietals. However, there are many other types of wine - red, white and sparkling - that also deserve recognition and serious tasting, including Spätburgunder (Merlot), Gewürztraminer, Blaufränkisch (Lemberger), Zweigelt and St. Laurent.
In my most recent classes, I featured dry and dry-ish Rieslings as well as Gewurztraminer, Gruner Veltliner, Zweigelt and Spatburgunder. (Currently, all the wine shops seemed to be out of Lemberger and St. Laurent, but you can get the former at many Finger Lakes wineries if you happen to be visiting that area.) Contrary to popular belief, most German Riesling are actually dry, it's just that most of the sweet version are exported to the US. I give some hints below on how to determine if a Riesling is likely to be sweet or dry.
In any case, these are some of selections available in local wine shops which were all enjoyed by those attending my classes.
Prost!
P.S. I include my own personal ratings (PWG) for the first time on this blog!
Hirsch Kamptal Gruner Veltliner 2022 ($22, Wineworks, NJ)
Origin/Classification: Kamptal
DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus -
Austrian Qualitatswein), Austria
Varietal: 100%
Gruner Veltliner
Production/Tasting Notes:
Loess soil; stainless steel maturation; biodynamic; organic; expressive fresh
citrus aromas with wild herb and chamomile notes; delicate fruity character on
the palate; crisp, yellow apple taste; touch of white pepper spice. (PWG: 90 points)
Food Pairings:
Wienerschnitzel; tuna salad; zucchini quiche
Alcohol: 11.5%
Hiedler Loss Gruner Veltliner 2023 ($17, Wineworks, NJ)
Origin: Niederosterreich,
Austria
Varietal: 100% Gruner
Veltliner
Production/Tasting Notes:
Loess soils – lime, dolomite, quartz, mica, clay; hand-harvested; maceration
for several hours; fermented in stainless steel; matured on the lees for 4
months; floral scent; white flowers; Mirabelle; lemon zest; minerally palate;
bright fruit character; fresh apple; juicy; crisp acidity. (PWG: 93 points)
Food Pairings:
Kartoffelsalat (potato salad); salad Nicoise
Alcohol: 12%
Donnhoff Riesling Dry 2023 ($19-22, Wineworks, NJ)
Origin: Nahe, Germany
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Production/Tasting Notes: Stony
(slate, quartzite; porphyry, melaphyre) volcanic weathered soils; 15–30-year-old
vines; fermentation and maturation in stainless steel and oak barrels; delicate
stone fruit, floral and citrus aromas; light to medium body; bracing minerality;
fine acidity. (93 points, James Suckling; PWG: 92 points)
Food Pairings:
Softshell crab; lobster with rich sauce; scallops
Alcohol: 12%
Villa Wolf Gewurztraminer 2023 ($12, Wineworks, NJ)
Origin: Pfalz, Germany
Varietal: 100%
Gewurztraminer
Production/Tasting Notes:
Delicate aromas of spice, exotic fruits, fresh roses; juicy texture;
touch of sweetness; ight bodied. (PWG: 88 points)
Food Pairings: Spicy
Asian cuisine
Alcohol:
11.5%
Borell Diehl Gewurztraminer Kabinett 2023
Origin/Classification: QmP, Pfalz, Germany
Varietal: 100% Gewurztraminer
Production/Tasting Notes: Very aromatic; fragrances of rose, lychee; orange spice; slightly sweet; light-bodied. (PWG: 89 points)
Dr. Loosen “Red Slate” Riesling Dry 2022 ($18, Wineworks, NJ)
Origin: VDP Gutswein
(Estate Wine) Mosel, Germany
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Production/Tasting Notes:
Fermented in 3,00 liter neutral oak casks; aged on full lees for 12 months; soft,
round structure; floral, spicy, citrus blossom aromas; hints of grapefruit,
tangerine, apricot, geranium, anise, herbs; lively acidity; intense minerality;
flavors of wet stone, citrus, stone fruit; harmonious; expressive texture. (PWG: 90 points)
Food Pairings:
Teriyaki
Alcohol: 11.5%
St Urbans Single Post Mosel Riesling Kabinett 2020 ($16, Wineworks, NJ)
Origin/Classification: Pradikatswine;
Mosel, Germany
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Production/Tasting Notes: Tangerine,
lemon flavors; hints of caramel and saffron; delicately sweet; light bodied,
lean; juicy; fresh-fruited. (PWG: 89 points)
Food Pairings:
Soft cheeses; white meat
Alcohol: 7.5%
Villa Wolf Pinot Noir 2022 ($15, Wineworks, NJ)
Origin: Pfalz, Germany
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Production/Tasting Notes: 12
months in French oak barriques; medium-bodied; firm acidity; black cherry
fruit; juicy, ripe, and forward with spicy mid-palate; smoky depth; touch of
earthy tannins. (PWG: 88 points)
Food Pairings:
Smoked Salmon; lamb; antipasti; salami; risotto; burgers; pork
Alcohol: 13%
Pfaffl Vom Haus Zweigelt 2023 ($16, Narberth, PA)
Origin: Niederosterreich,
Austria
Varietal: 100% Zweigelt
Production/Tasting Notes: Loess
soils; fermentation in stainless steel tanks; 30% maturation in used oak
barrels, 70% in stainless steel tanks; cherry and sour cherry aromas; juicy,
full, round and spice on the palate; gentle, soft tannins; round body. (PWG: 89 points)
Food Pairings:
burger; pizza; pasta
Alcohol: 13.5%
Familie Allendorf Assmnanshauser
Spatburgunder Trocken 2019 ($25, Narberth, PA)
Origin/Classification: Assmanshauser
VDP Ortswein, Rheingau, Germany
Varietal: 100%
Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)
Production/Tasting Notes:
Slate soil; richly concentrated yet racy; ripe, luscious black cherry and plum
flavors; supple texture; high-toned acidity; bracing structured feel; finish
marked by notes of crushed black pepper, tar, ash with rim of smooth, silken
tannins. (88 points, Wine Enthusiast; PWG: 89 points)
Food Pairings: roast lamb;
Alcohol: 12.5%
VDP
(Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter) Classifications
Grosses Gewachs (Grosse Lage) (Great
Growths) – Made in a dry style with a minimum
spätlese ripeness.
Erste Gewachs (Erste Lage) (First Growth)
– Same as GG, but pertains only to Rheingau region.
Lagenwein (Ortswein) (Terroir Wines) – Wine
from a top estate bearing the name of the vineyard where the grapes were grown
with strict harvest laws.
Gutswein (House Wines) – Labeled
with a proprietary name of a village or region with high quality reflecting
regional character.
German
Wine Labels
QbA (Qualitats bestimmter Anbaugebiete: Everyday
table wines from any of the 13 growing regions; vary from sweet to dry.
QmP (Qualitatswein mit Pradikat): indicates
standard of production for top level of German wines with the following levels
of ripeness:
·
Kabinett: first
level of ripeness, generally the lightest of QMP wines; usually driest.
·
Spatlese: harvested
later than Kabinett with greater level of ripeness; medium-weight wine; dry or
sweet.
·
Auslese: later
harvest than Spatlese; medium to heavyweight wines; drier versions pair with
richer game meats, cheeses, spicy food.
·
Beerenauslese: individually
hand harvested late to create special dessert wines; made from botrytized
grapes.
·
Trockenbeerenauslese:
shriveled, botrytized grapes are individually hand harvested to produce even
more intense dessert wines;
·
Eiswein: grapes
harvested while frozen resulting in the extraction of pure intense juice.
Tips
to Determine if a Riesling Is Likely to be Sweet or Dry
·
Alcohol Percentage: 11.5%
ABV and above tend to be dry; below 11% will be sweeter; late-harvest wines at
9% or below are all but certain to be very sweet.
·
Trocken: meaning
“Dry” in German, this word is the best indicator of a dry Riesling with a
maximum of 9 grams of residual sugar per liter
·
GG: the
term ‘Grosses Gewachs” for members of the VDP is used to indicate dry wines
made from grapes grown on a single vineyard, commonly recognized as the best
dry wines in Germany.
·
Regions that begin with the letters
A: these
regions – Austria, Australia, Alsace – are best known for their dry Rieslings,
particularly Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal in Austria
·
Cooler Climates: these
tend toward dry Rieslings, such as the Finger Lakes.
·
Ask a knowledgeable sales person or
merchant: Any responsible wine seller worth his/her salt, should
be able to point you in the direction of a dry or sweet Riesling.
