Sommeliers and Riesling

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
By LETTIE TEAGUE

I've never heard of a sommelier who doesn't love German Riesling. In fact, I don't think a non-Riesling fan would ever be hired for the job. A dislike of Cabernet can be tolerated, ditto a healthy contempt for Syrah. But Riesling—particularly Riesling from Germany—is the wine professionals' true holy grail.

One reason for this is the grape itself, which is often described as "transparent."

The second reason is ageability

The third reason is affordability

The fourth reason is rather subtle. ... German Riesling offers sommeliers great job security.
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Demystifying German Riesling

. . . . Pete
 
Really? How many wine lists feature German Rieslings? And if they do feature those wines, why are the producers always the same five or six (who admittedly are great) from a total of only three of Germany's wine regions when there are plenty of other regions and tons and tons of other great producers (really, way, way more than you can fathom unless you've done extensive research into German wines)? Ask your next groovy sommelier why there's no (in no particular order) Busch, Wittmann, Koehler-Ruprecht, Rebholz, Horst Sauer, Juliusspital, Mosbacher, Flick, Groebe, Battenfeld-Spanier, Wagner-Stempel, etc., etc., etc. on the wine list, all of whom are imported into the US. and, IMO, are among the very greatest white wine estates on the planet. I usually bring my own wines to restaurants, but if the list is good and reasonably priced, I will order off the list. For those producers, no doubt I'd order off the list.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
Ask your next groovy sommelier why there's no (in no particular order) Busch, Wittmann, Koehler-Ruprecht, Rebholz, Horst Sauer, Juliusspital, Mosbacher, Flick, Groebe, Battenfeld-Spanier, Wagner-Stempel, etc., etc., etc. on the wine list, all of whom are imported into the US.
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I must do something right. I have 5 of these producers in my cellar, Mosbacker being a particular favorite and very well priced as well.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
Ask your next groovy sommelier why there's no (in no particular order) Busch, Wittmann, Koehler-Ruprecht, Rebholz, Horst Sauer, Juliusspital, Mosbacher, Flick, Groebe, Battenfeld-Spanier, Wagner-Stempel, etc., etc., etc. on the wine list, all of whom are imported into the US. and, IMO, are among the very greatest white wine estates on the planet.
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if that restaurant ever uses asparagus, you might also point said groovy sommelier towards battenfeld-spanier's grüner silvaner -- the only truly satisfying match for spargel that i've encountered.

fb.
 
It's actually just silvaner/sylvaner as you know it elsewhere, but in Germany they sometimes add the the word grüner.
 
originally posted by fatboy:
if that restaurant ever uses asparagus, you might also point said groovy sommelier towards battenfeld-spanier's grüner silvaner -- the only truly satisfying match for spargel that i've encountered.

fb.
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Wittmann Scheurebe also works.
 
Eric Asimov links to a restaurant that is bragging about its Rieslings and its wine list in general. They know German Riesling so well that Dönnhoff and Schäfer-Fröhlich are listed as Pfalz producers. (But it's an equal opportunity list: multiple vintages of Ponsot's Clos de la Roche are listed under Vosne-Romanée.)
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
It's actually just silvaner/sylvaner as you know it elsewhere, but in Germany they sometimes add the the word grüner.
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There's a blauer silvaner also, so it makes som sense to state on the label that it derives from the grüner silvaner.

The blauer is rare, but on the rise. All blauer silvaner was thought to derive from Schloss Sommerhausen, but there is another old clone of it in the Saale-Unstrut. Besides Schloss Sommerhausen, Horst Sauer makes a 100% blauer silvaner.
 
originally posted by Arnt Egil Nordlien:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
It's actually just silvaner/sylvaner as you know it elsewhere, but in Germany they sometimes add the the word grüner.
Click to expand...

There's a blauer silvaner also, so it makes som sense to state on the label that it derives from the grüner silvaner.

The blauer is rare, but on the rise. All blauer silvaner was thought to derive from Schloss Sommerhausen, but there is another old clone of it in the Saale-Unstrut. Besides Schloss Sommerhausen, Horst Sauer makes a 100% blauer silvaner.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I don't think I've heard of that before.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Arnt Egil Nordlien:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
It's actually just silvaner/sylvaner as you know it elsewhere, but in Germany they sometimes add the the word grüner.
Click to expand...

There's a blauer silvaner also, so it makes som sense to state on the label that it derives from the grüner silvaner.

The blauer is rare, but on the rise. All blauer silvaner was thought to derive from Schloss Sommerhausen, but there is another old clone of it in the Saale-Unstrut. Besides Schloss Sommerhausen, Horst Sauer makes a 100% blauer silvaner.
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Interesting. I don't think I've heard of that before.
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I think Luckert makes the best of the blau version.
 
originally posted by robert ames:
so the blauer silvaner grape makes a red wine?
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No, white. It has a more golden colour than the grüner if vinified alone. It is fatter and bigger in the mouth, it shares the vegetal character with grüner, but also aromatically it is a bit different. But most blauer silvaner, if a winemaker has any, is just blended in with the grüner.
 
originally posted by georg lauer:
I think Luckert makes the best of the blau version.
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Thanks, I was not aware of this wine. Unfortunately Luckert is not available in my area, but if I ever find a bottle I will surely try it.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm: Ask your next groovy sommelier why there's no (in no particular order) Busch, Wittmann, Koehler-Ruprecht, Rebholz, Horst Sauer, Juliusspital, Mosbacher, Flick, Groebe, Battenfeld-Spanier, Wagner-Stempel, etc., etc., etc. on the wine list, all of whom are imported into the US.
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Claude, Interesting!

The only listing at Spec's for any of the producers you list is WAGNER STEMPEL HOLLENBERG GROSSES GEWACHS 2007 (for around $85, incidentally).

I'm not sure what this fact should indicate about the general availability of the wines.

. . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
originally posted by Claude Kolm: Ask your next groovy sommelier why there's no (in no particular order) Busch, Wittmann, Koehler-Ruprecht, Rebholz, Horst Sauer, Juliusspital, Mosbacher, Flick, Groebe, Battenfeld-Spanier, Wagner-Stempel, etc., etc., etc. on the wine list, all of whom are imported into the US.
Click to expand...

Claude, Interesting!

The only listing at Spec's for any of the producers you list is WAGNER STEMPEL HOLLENBERG GROSSES GEWACHS 2007 (for around $85, incidentally).

I'm not sure what this fact should indicate about the general availability of the wines.

. . . . . Pete
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Some of them have small importers, but if someone is buying and really into German wines, they'll seek those importers out. But Rebholz is with Cellars International/Rudi Wiest (as is Wagner-Stempel from 2010 vintage on), Wittmann with Frederick Wildman, Mosbacher with Peter Weygandt, and Juliusspital with Winesellers, all of which are national importers, and so it should take no special effort to stock the wines if the knowledge and interest are there.

Those of you in or near NYC, tomorrow's 2011 Riesling & Co. tasting (and Stuart Piggot's talk beforehand) is a don't miss (the SF version was yesterday): http://www.germanwineusa.com/news-events/events.html#6.
 
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