My daughter Lucy gave me the above new wine journal as a Christmas gift. Now I can again systematically record the wines I was tasting.
Often I displace my notes and when I want to write about a specific wine a frantic search stands at the beginning of a blog entry.
Alas, order has been restored. Now I only have to use the book for the intended purpose.
I am ready for the wines of 2013 it seems. Bring em on!
Leave a Comment » | 
culture, food, food and wine, vines, vineyard management, Vineyard profile, vineyards, wine, wine bars, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: food, German wine, new wine, records, tasting notes, wine, wine journal, wine judging, wine records, wine tasting | 
Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 72,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Leave a Comment » | culture, food, food and wine, history and culture, Restaurant Review, vines, vineyard management, Vineyard profile, vineyards, wine, wine bars, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Bangkok, best wine of the year, German wine, Mosel, Thai wine, Thai wine industry, The Man from Mosel River, Trier, vintner, wine, wine blogger, wine blogging, wine of the year | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
Selecting the wine
If you want to imagine me happy, imagine me in “Weinsinnig”, my favourite wine bar in Trier, Mosel.
Manuela Schewe and her team are doing a great job. I just love, that the wine bar is also a kind of cellar door for quite a few wineries. Most of them do have a cellar door of their own. However, with Weinsinnig they have a cellar door right in the middle of town.
I love this concept.
Among the wine producers you can find: Winery
Bender
Deutschherrenhof
Heymann-Löwenstein
Jakoby Pur
Lauer
Markus Molitor
Maximin Grünhaus
Nick Köwerich
Pauly
Philipp Kettern
Stephan Steinmetz
Van Volxem
Von Hövel and
von Othegraven
The selection of these, mostly local, wineries guarantees to the wine lover that he or she can choose from a broad range of different wine styles, varieties, terroir and even wine regions.
So far I was not able to try all of them as yet, but believe me I am working on it whenever I visit my lovely Trier. Stay tuned.
Cheers
Address:
WEINSINNIG
Weinbar & Verkauf
Palaststraße 12
54290 Trier
Tel.: +49-651-979 01 56
info@weinsinnig.com
Leave a Comment » | history and culture, wine, wine bars | Tagged: German wine, Manuela Schewe, markus molitor, Maximin Grünhaus, Mosel, Riesling, Trier, Weinbar Weinsinnig, Weinsinnig, wine bar, wine producers | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
2011 Maximin Grünhäuser Riesling trocken
One of the nicest dry Mosel Riesling wine I tasted during our summer vacation in Trier was a ‘2011 Maximin Grünhäuser Riesling trocken’ by Schlosskellerei Maximin Grünhaus C. von Schubert in Mertesdorf, Ruwer.
It was at Weinsinnig, one of my favourite wine bars in Trier, that we sampled this wine with its romantic and old fashioned label. The wine has character. Although just from their “ordinary” dry Riesling class, you get value for money (9.90 EURO/0.75 l. bottle).
2011 Maximin Grünhäuser Riesling trocken
It has the zest, the exuberance, the fine balance of acids, the opulent aromas, the structure and long finish one longs for in a Mosel Riesling. Although I had driven past the winery many times before, I had never tasted a wine from this first class producer in the Ruwer valley.
The MUNDUS VINI award for the best dry white wine in Germany 2011 and the “Big Gold Medal” were bestowed on the ‘2009 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Qualitätswein old vines’, of the estate. I wonder what this wine would taste like.
But I tell you, I will return, and include some more of their wines when I visit the Mosel next time.
Address:
Dr. Carl von Schubert
Hauptstr. 1
54318 Mertesdorf
Tel.: +49 (651) 5111
Fax : +49 (651) 52122
info@vonschubert.de
Maximin Grünhaus
Leave a Comment » | wine, wine bars, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Dr. Carl von Schubert, Germany, Maximin Grünhaus, Maximin Grünhäuser Riesling trocken, Mertesdorf, Mosel Riesling, Mosel river, MUNDUS VINI, Riesling, Ruwer, Trier, vacation, Weinsinnig | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
Weinhaus Gut Suelz
When I was a student at Bonn Univerity and I lived at the right hand side of the Rhein river (they call it the “schael Sick”, the shoddy side of the river), I visited this place in Oberdollendorf regularly.
The building
Sometime we would just walk from Niederdollendorf through the forest to get there, sometimes we would cycle along the Rhain river. It was one of our preferred destinations. We would relax in the garden and enjoy some bottles of local wine.
The garden with the vineyards on the hillside
We came there recently to end our visit to Koeln and Bonn (including a visit to the house of german history). It was the highlight of the day so to speak because my wife and the children had never been there before. I wanted to share with them some of my past.
The weather was a bit cloudy, and it was a Thursday, consequently only young and not so young lovers and retirees where there when we arrived.
The vineyards in a theater facing the South
The Weinhaus Gut Suelz is located at the bottom of a kind of natural theater, sourrounded by vineyards with the forests on top of the hills, at the edge of the village. The vineyards, however, do not belong to the ‘Weinhaus’, Suelz does not have it’s own production. But I knew one of the vinteners of these vineyards, the Bloeser family. Indeed I have written about them years ago on the Man from Mosel River.
Blauer/Blue Portugieser by the Bloeser winery
I did not fancy a Riesling but instead wanted something special, something local. The Blauer Portugieser (in France known as Portugais bleu), a traditional grape variety from Austria (yes, Austria and not Portugal) wine seemed just the right stuff.
It is a light, but dark red wine, with a medium to light body, soft tannins and low acidity, an uncomplicated wine one could say. very good for a sensitive stomach. It meant home to me somehow, or as we Germans call it “Heimat”.
Apple juice from ‘Streuobstwiesen’, a traditional biotop under threat
The service was very good. We ordered “Flammkuchen” (a traditional dish from the German Southwest and the French East -Alsace) which seems to have gained the upper hand when it comes to dishes one orders together with wine these days.
Flammkuchen
You can see from the photo above that this was truly worth it.
My tip: if you are in the vicinity, drop in. There is a great choice of wines, not only local ones but many more from around Europe. And enjoy.
Address:
Weinhaus Gut Sülz GmbH.
Bachstraße 157
53639 Königswinter – Oberdollendorf.
Tel.: +49-22 23 – 30 10.
3 Comments | vineyards, wine, wine bars, wine regions | Tagged: Bonn, German wine, Portugieser, Rhine, Weinhaus Gut Suelz, wine | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
One of my favourite wine bars in my home town Trier is “Weinsinnig”, located right in the center of town.
The name of the bar is a kind of word play on “Wahnsinnig” (in English “mad” or “crazy”), and composed of two parts, a nomen, “Wahn” or “mania” (in English) and an adjective “sinnig” which can be translated as “plausible”, “make sense”, “evident”, “sensible” or “witted”. In the combination with “Wein”/”wine” it becomes something new, a compound with a new meaning which could be translated as “in the mood to enjoy wine”, “wine is sensible” or “crazy for wine”.
Weinsinnig is also a kind of cellar door for wineries from the Mosel. Moreover, it offers selected culinary delights, for instance “Flammkuchen”, a tarte flambe. And last but not least, Weinsinnig offers various activities related to wine and the people making it.
In front of the ‘walk along wine list’
It was a rainy summer’s evening when we visited and therefore we sat inside. Weinsinnig offers also a couple of chairs and tables outside. One sits on the pavement on a narrow street. Fortunately, warm blankets are on offer.
My choice: a dry Riesling from the Ruwer
I love their selection of local wines, many of them produced by young and innovative vintners. I chose a ‘2011 Maximin Gruenhaeuser dry Riesling’ by one of the top producers from the Ruwer valley, von Schubert’sche Gutsverwaltung. I also bought some more of this wine and will only say that this is a Riesling to die for.
2011 Maximin Gruenhaeuser dry Riesling
Inside
By the way TripAdvisor rated it 4 of 5 on 16 Jun 2012 and ranked Weinsinnig as 69 out of 182 restaurants in Trier. In my view Weinsinnig belongs to the “must visit” category in Trier. Check it out.
Address:
Weinsinnig
Palaststraße 12
54290 Trier, Germany
Tel.: +49-651 9790156
Leave a Comment » | wine, wine bars, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: German wine, Maximin Gruenhaeuser, Mosel, Riesling, Ruwer, Saar, Trier, tripadvisor, von Schubert'sche Gutsverwaltung, Weinsinnig, wine bar | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
SIP Wine Bar and Tasting
Since a long time I want to write about my favourite “watering hole” in Bangkok. It is a small and unassuming place in Soi Ekamai, just a couple of meters from my office. I pass by there every day when walking to and from work.
It’s name is SIP Wine Bar and Tasting. Victor, the owner and manager is a great guy, passionate about wines and extremely knowledgeable. SIP offers value for money. So it is no wonder that tripadvisor gives it 4 1/2 stars out of five.
No space to hide
The other day when we were dropping in for a quite evening sip, we found ourselves in a large group of customers. The place was choker blocker full because the Bangkok Wine Club and about 30 of it’s members had flocked to SIP for their monthly get together.
Our wine
We met some interesting people and had some interesting conversations. The ‘2011 Yellowwood Tree Pinotage’ from the Western Cape in South Africa was a medium bodied wine with nice fruit aromas, a wine for easy drinking.
Victor has a good collection of wines from all over the world. Moreover, given the fact that wine prices in Thailand are astronomical (among other because of the high taxes), SIP offers value for money. You will not regret it. I suggest you check it out yourself.
Address:
SIP Wine Bar and Tasting
33/32 Sukhumvit Soi 63 Ekamai
Klongton-nua, Wattana,
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel.: +66-27142223
Mobile: +66-816998748
e-mail: victor2sipwinebar.com
www.sipwinebar.com
Leave a Comment » | wine, wine bars | Tagged: 2011 Yellowwood Tree Pinotage, Bangkok, SIP, SIP Wine Bar and Tasting, South Africa, Thailand, Victor Gomez, Western Cape, wine bar | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
The main market place in Trier
My favourite wine bar: Kesselstatt
The view from the Kesselstatt garden
Pinot Noir from the Mosel
If you visit my home town Trier, please explore the wine bars in this beautiful old Roman town. Kesselstatt should be among them. Apart from the Mosel Riesling wines, you should also try the Pinot Noirs. The Mosel produces some of the finest Pinot Noir wines in Germany.
Leave a Comment » | culture, wine, wine bars | Tagged: German Riesling, Mosel, Pinot Noir, Trier | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
The Dom, the cathedral of St. Peter in Trier – view from Weinstube Kesselstatt
Some of you might know my favourite wine bar. It is “Weinstube Kesselstatt” in my home-town Trier. Every time I visit the place of my birth, I also visit this wonderful place.
The parsonage of the Church of our Lady
I just love to sit in its front garden and look at the two churches, and the other surroundings, watch the people passing by and enjoy being alive, and home.
In summer and autumn the leaves of the vines are green and later full of colour, and the vines bear grapes. It invites to think about times gone by and times to come.
Reminiscing (or in a German dialect ‘simmeliere’) about the past is a privilege of the ageing cohort.
Enjoying the results of hard work in vineyard and winery is something shared by all, it goes beyond the borders of biology.
My tip: try the Pinot Noir.
All the Rieslings on offer are excellent but last time I tried the Pinot, and that was marvellous.
It is a paradise this wine bar. When in Trier do not forget to visit Weinstube Kesselstatt.
1 Comment | wine, wine bars, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Mosel, Riesling, Trier, Weinstube Kesselstatt | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
One of the good things when in Trier is that one is very close to Luxembourg and France. Both countries are ideal destinations for day tours. It was a cloudy day when we set out. Our first stop was at Nennig where we visited the Roman villa with its fantastic tessellated floor.
When the weather changed and the sun cam out, we spontaneously decided to continue our tour and visit Metz, the capital of the Lorraine region of France, just about an hour from the German-French border.
My last visit to this historic and picturesque town was when I was at the gymnasium, about 40 years ago. Because I belonged to the “French branch” of my high school, and French was our first foreign language, school trip brought us regularly to neighbouring French regions. My family had never been there, and of course Metz is also situated at my beloved Mosel river, and French vintner produce good wines as well.
When another rain shower surprised us during our city walk, we found refuge in a wine bar which we had spotted earlier; Le Sommelier, it was called. While writing this blog entry I learned that Le Sommelier gets extremely good ratings in trip advisor which doesn’t surprise me at all. The service was just excellent.
Wine bar Le Sommelier ‘cave à vin’
The entrance to ‘Le Sommelier’ with the blackboards with wine list
The bar
Shelves with wine bottles
The lady behind the counter was very friendly, rearranged chairs and tables to accommodate the four of us. The children had soft drinks and we adults embarked on a tasting of Moselle wines. We were also served a platter of various cheeses and cold cuts, delicious stuff. The wine list if short but there are many more bottles on the shelves which one can buy.
A well kept secret: Pinot Noir from the Moselle
The Saint-Stephen Cathedral of Metz just opposite of ‘Le Sommelier’ with some stained glass windows by Marc Chagall
We settled for two wines by ‘Le Domaine les Béliers’ in d’Ancy-sur-Moselle, Moselle. The Maurice family is working the vineyards at ‘Domaine les Béliers’ since 1650. The total area under vines is only about 4 ha. This is a small vintner to my liking. The main varieties are Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Pinot Gris. No Riesling, as the Riesling lovers will notice.
We tasted the Auxerrois and the Pinot Noir, which we liked best. Needless to say that we bought some bottles of these wines. More about the wines and the winery another time.
Visit the cities of the Moselle/Mosel Metz, Thionville, Trier and all the rest. Its truly worth it.
Address:
Le Sommelier
Cave à vins
27 place de chambre, 57000 METZ, France
Te.: +33-3 87 36 84 91
Open Weekdays 9:30am-1pm, 3pm-8:30pm; Sat 9:30am-1pm, 9:30pm-8:30pm;
also open Sun
Leave a Comment » | Vineyard profile, vineyards, wine, wine bars, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Auxerrois, d'Ancy-sur-Moselle, France, French wine, La Lorraine, Le Domaine les Béliers, Le Sommelier, Marc Chagall, Maurice family, Metz, Mosel, Moselle, Nennig, Pinot Noir, Saint-Stephen Cathedral, wine bars | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
You are currently browsing the archives for the wine bars category.
The Man from Mosel River
The Man from Mosel River 