A spring delicacy in Germany
It is the asparagus season in Germany and I had the opportunity to indulge myself into quite a few “asparagus orgies”. Fresh white asparagus is so delicious. I like it with just some melted butter, a few potatoes, and maybe some fresh German ham.
Tender asparagus tops
Delicious potatoes
What wine do you drink with asparagus? Well, I had a simple Riesling from the Rheingau. But almost all white wines pair well with white asparagus. Germany is a Mecca for white wines. The recent edition of the “Weinwelt” (wine world) magazine identified four best buy whites to consume with asparagus. All were of different grape varieties (Vinho Verde, Silvaner, Sauvignon Blanc and Grüner Veltliner but no Riesling), and all can be purchased for under € 7.-, what a bargain. They were:
– ‘2008 Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde’ by Sogrape Vinhos, Portugal;
– ‘2008 Grüner Silvaner, dry’ by Weingut Manz, Rheinhessen;
– ‘2008 Tour de Pocé Sauvignon Blanc Réserve’ by Pierre Chainier, Touraine, France;
– ‘2008 Grüner Veltliner Hundschupfen, dry’ by Weingut Hagn, Mailberg, Austria.
I have not tried any of them as yet but reading the review brought tears to my eyes, my nose was hallucinating, and my taste buds seemed to feel the crispness of the wines.
My “simple” Rheingau Riesling
The Man from Mosel River 
I love asparagus and am enjoying the lower prices of it at my local supermarket while it’s still in season.
I’ve often heard that Gruner is the perfect choice for it, but it’s neat to learn about other good pairings.
Random fact: Weingut Hagn also makes chocolates that they mix with concentrated Gruner Veltliner or fill with a Blauer Zweigelt cream filling.
Time for dessert.