Country inns in Germany: Forsthaus Altenhof, Trier

September 10, 2012

The city of Trier – photo taken from Kockelsberg

During the month of July, we spend some glorious days in my home town Trier. On a splendid Sunday, wen went to have brunch with music at a country inn called Altenhof, at the edge of the forest surrounding the city.

A leisurly walk through a lovely forest (mainly sweet chestnut trees) of about one or one and a half hours will get you there.

Signpost in the forest

So what is the place like, you might ask? Well, it is a former forester’s lodge cum country inn, which was built in 1874 on the site of an old farm going back to 1406.

Country inn – Forthaus Altenhof

In my youth the place was a popular destination for family outings to enjoy a drink or two in the company of family and friends.

We went there for a breakfast brunch with music. The duo Wollmann and Brauner was playing blues and jazz.

We got there quite early, and the garden of the Altenhof was still empty. But it should fill up fast. Many families made the pilgrimage and brought their young children as well as their old parents along. In the early afternoon, it was difficult to find an empty table.

Wollmann and Brauner Duo

We were craving for some blues our most favourite music, reminiscing about lovely live music events in Yarra Glen and Healesville, Victoria. The two musicians did not disappoint us. They played among others some of the classic songs from Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton; so just the right stuff. It was great music and we had great fun.

Viez – local apple & pear cider

One of the specialities is the apple and pear cider called Viez in the local German dialect. I love it. It is usually very dry (one could say sour), and so it should be.

Riesling by Weingut Linden

My wife preferred the Rieslnig wine on offer by Weingut Linden, Mosel. The ‘2010 Riesling Spaetlese dry’ is a very solid wine, and displays the wonderful character of the Mosel terroir and climate.

Riesling Spaetlese

We also had food, hearty German delicacies. Unfortunately, I have no photo of the various dishes we consumed from morning to afternoon. But rest assured you get value for money. These were the best prices offered to me while I was in Germany.

It was such a pleasant day. The ambience was just wonderful. Everybody was relaxed. Because of the spatious surroundings, children could play ball, horse rider could tether their horses, people could walk around etc. If you have the time and opportunity visit this extraordinary place.

Address:
Forsthaus Altenhof
Aacher Weg 86
D-54293 Trier

http://www.altenhof-trier.de

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Food and wine pairing: Sushi and Sashimi with Vinho Verde from Portugal

September 8, 2012

A selection of sushi and sashimi

We had a kind of quick lunch today. We bought a selection of sushi and sashimi. The question was what wine to have with it? Well, we had not much choice because my wine fridge is almost empty.

So I picked out of distress (I did not want to take one of my great Riesling wines) the last bottle of Vinho Verde we had, a bottle by Casal Mendes, which can be obtained in Bangkok super markets at relatively low cost.

Casal Mendes Vinho Verde

Woh, what a surprise: it worked wonders, I thought. The Portuguese Vinho Verde with its low alcohol and freshness was just the right wine with the raw fish and the rice. What an excellent choice this was. I highly recommend to try this pairing of Eastern food with Western wine.

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The power of social media

September 7, 2012

As you know, I usually do not write about negative things. Wines which I did not like, I do not report about. Similarly I deal with restaurants I visited and dishes which I found wanting.

In more than 5 1/2 years as food and wine blogger, the Man from Mosel River has only twice issued a critique. In both cases it was about wineries I visited where I felt ill treated. One was about Punt Road Winery in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. The second about Weingut Von Othegraven in Kanzem, Saar, Germany.

In both cases senior management of the wineries in question has apologized to me. Punt Road got back to me within days, Von Othegraven respondedn within two weeks. In both cases I have accepted the apology. And in both cases I was invited to visit again. The wine-maker of Von Othegraven offered a wine tasting to make good for the sloppy service I encountered when visiting the place last July.

I find this very remarkable. It shows that in the time of the fast internet and social media, businesses cannot afford not to respond to queries. This is a very positive thing. Consumers have not only purchasing power but also the power to influence the public perception, the image of a company.

This experience confirms that my cautious use of negative critique is justified, and effective.

Cheers everybody

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Luxembourg and its wines – “wine study path” in Wasserbillig

September 4, 2012

The Mosel view towards Trier which is further donwstream

I have written about Luxembourg and its wines before. When I visit my home town Trier I almost always include also an excursion to the Gand Duchy. I love the place, its people and its wines

The vineyards of Wasserbillig in Luxembourg

When I visited in July, I discovered a so called “wine-study path” (Weinlehrpfad in German) right on top of the hills above Wasserbillig, a small town right across the border from Germany and very popular for its cheap petrol and the petrol stations selling coffee and also wines.

The ‘wine-study path’ from Wasserbillig to Mertert

The path leads from Wasserbillig to the neighbouring hamlet of Mertert. The walk through the vineyards is just magnificient. A multi-faced billboard at the start of the walk informs the casual visitor about the vineyards and the wine industry of this part of Luxembourg.

Map of the Mosel river and the mouth of the Sauer, a tributary

Billboard about the wines of Luxembourg

Luxembourg mainly produces dry white wines and sparkling wines called Crémant de Luxembourg. Since the soils are so different here from the soils further donwstream (where we find mostly Devon slate), also the wines are different. The keuper marl soils of Remich and the calcareous soils of Grevenmacher produce distinct whites reflecting the “taste” of these soils.

Wines and gastronomy in Luxembourg

The main grape varieties are Mueller-Thurgau (Rivaner), Auxerrois Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Elbling, Gewuerztraminer and Chardonnay. Some Pinot Noir is grown as well. All the wines are cold climate and usually dry. Very little semi-dry and sweet wines are produced.

Vines in “full swing”

I highly recommend this walk, and , of course, a tasting of wines made in Luxembourg.

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My Dukan experience

September 2, 2012

You might be interested how I go with my Dukan diet. Well, let me update you on my progress.

“I started out in early February with about 90 kg life weight (recorded in the morning, right after getting out of bed). Today, I have reached 82 kg. My goal, however, is 80 kg, so I have still a bit to go”.

Well, this is what I wrote on March 15, 2012. I never reached the 80 kg. Life was just too busy for me given my frequent travels, business dinners, etc.

Until the sumer holidays, about mid July, however, it was not too bad. I had about 83 kg. But during the four weeks in Germany, I regained about 5 kg.

My aim – Drawing by Lucy Adam

From tomorrow onwards I will start again with a Dukan diet. I am very confident that I will reach my aim. Moreover, I also visit the gym regularly. My prospects are bright.

Alas, Pierre Dukan is French. This means that he is a product of French culture to which inevitably wines made from the noble grape is an integral part. Therefore, wine drinking is not forbidden.

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Summer wine – Merlot Rosé from the Mosel River

August 31, 2012

The sun in a glass of rosé

When we arrived in germany the temperatures were not excactly summer like. However, that changed over the course of the four weeks. Luckily there is plenty of “summer wine” available, young wines with low alcohol levels which excite the palate also of the non-wine drinker.

Nothing is better fitting a barbecue than a nice and clean rosé wine. My friend Josef’s main house wine producer is the winery of Rudolf Hoffmann in Detzem, Mosel. This is partly because vintner Hoffmann has leased some of his vineyards from the Arnoldi family, and my friend Josef is married to an Arnoldi girl. Both love to drink wines made from the vineyards which were once cultived by the parents and grand-parents.

Lovely Merlot Rosé by Rudolf Hoffmann, Detzem

And here we are with a ‘2010 Esprit Merlot Rosé’ by Rudolf Hoffmann from Detzem, Mosel. This is exactly how you want a rosé to be. The Merlot’s fruitiness is here a bonus as well as the alcohol of only 11%. I suggest: drink more of this type of Mosel wine.

If German summers would just be a bit warmer…..

Address:
Weingut Rudolf Hoffmann
Neustraße 19
54340 Detzem, Germany
Tel.: +49-173 3573982
www.weingut-hoffmann.de

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Assmannshausen Hoellenberg Spaetlese – Best Pinot Noir of my summer holidays

August 28, 2012

View of the Rhine from Bingen looking downstream

Well, if you could just see around the bend in the river, you could see Assmannshausen and its steep vineyards. The vineyards you see in the distance on the other side of the Rhine river here in the photo above are in fact the ones of Ruedesheim. However, you will get a good idea how steep these terroirs are and what a hell of a lot of work it is to cultivate the grapes on these steep slopes.

‘Hoellenberg’is the name of the location (terroir) which means in English (freely translated) ‘mountain of hell’, a quite common name for steep slopes in the Rheingau wine region.

In short, the best Pinot Noir (spaetlese, late harvest) I tasted during my five weeks in Germany was a ‘2010 Hoellenberg Pinot Noir Spaetlese’ from Assmannshausen produced by Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau.

2010 Assmannshausen Hoellenberg Spaetlese – Pinot Noir

I bought the bottle in the wine shop at Kloster Eberbach for about 17-18 Euro, I think and it turned out to be a treasure. Pinot Noir of the finest kind. Pinot Noir the way I like it, full of flavours but well balanced, earthy with a vibrant acidity, a good body, structure and a long finish. A wine with character.

At 12.5. % alcohol, this wine is not overpowering but elegant, regal I would even say. I immediately regretted that I had not bought more bottles. I was to fast, as always, impatient. At the time I did not want to stand in line for the tasting on this busy Sunday afternoon when we had dropped in the cellar door at the monastery in Eberbach.

A selection of cheeses and salads

We had the wine in a very casual way with some summer dishes, salads and typical German dinner cold cuts and an insalata caprese. The wine would have matched almost any food except some spicy Asian dishes. but it is worth being enjoyed as stand alone drink.

My rating: four and a half out of five stars, 19 of 20 points, 90 Parker points. I could not be more subjective, I guess. In hindsight and given my memory lapses, I consider this the best wine I drank during my summer vacation.

The only one exception maybe was the wine tasting at Karthaeuserhof in Eitelsbach which I attended at the last day of the holiday, but then we merely tasted (small amounts of excellent wines in big glasses and without food) and did not drink a bottle of wine.

More about this event, another time. Stay tuned to the Man from Mosel River.

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Roman Villa Urbana in Longuich, Mosel

August 27, 2012

Vineyards near Longuich – Opposite the steep slopes of the Mosel

The cultivation of grapes along the Mosel river and its tributaries Saar and Ruwer is more than 2,000 years old. For the Romans wine was an important commodity. All along the Mosel river one can find traces of the Roman wine industry, among them wine presses and fermentation tanks, vineyard implements, residues of grapes, statues of gods and godesses etc.

Among the treasures are the ruins and foundations of many Roman rural villas. One of them can be found in Longuich-Kirsch, just a few kilometers downstream from my hometown Trier. Various types of these villas can be distinguished. Some of them contain large mosaics as the villa in Nennig.

The villa in Longuich is a “villa urbana”, the seat of a retired high official. It is very large (110 x 28 meters). It was built in the 2nd century after Christ and includes an extensive Roman bath consisting of a Caldarium (hot bath), Tepidarium (warm bath), Sudatorium (sauna), Frigidarium (cold bath) and Praefurnium (fire and heating system).

The foundations of the villa were accidentally discovered during land consolidation and reconstruction work in 1984. Next to the villa some agricultural buildings we found as well.

The villa urbana was restored and is today open to the public. Various billboards inform the casual visitor about various aspects of roman life including the two thousand years of grape and wine production.

Imagine that so long ago people were working in vineyards and wineries in the very same places where also todays wine is produced. Amazing. The work was even harder than today, I guess.

The production techniques of the Romans are well researched. The billbords explain todays challenges and how they were mastered recently. I loved the way ancient history was linked to contemporary modern life. I highly recommend visiting these villas. The view over the valley and its vineyards is another great experience.

Fortunately, the vineyards in the vicinity of the villa are still productive, and many wineries and vintners are happy to welcome visitors and introduce them to their excellent Riesling wines.

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Von Othegraven Winery in Kanzem, Saar

August 25, 2012

Regular readers of my blog will have noticed that I usually abstain from writing negative comments about any wine experience. Today I will break with this tradition making a slight dent in my otherwise immaculate positivism.

Summertime in Germany is also the time of wine festivals and the time of visiting wineries and cellar doors. And keeping in the spirit of things, my family and I, we set out on a beautiful day in July to pay a visit to one of the wineries along the Saar river.

I needed a birthday gift for a dear friend of mine and I intended to honor him with a first class bottle of wine from a first class winery. Since my friend lives in the Ruwer valley, a location with excellent Riesling terroir, I wanted to contrast the Ruwer wines with a specimen from the Saar, the other tributary of the Mosel where excellent Riesling wines are produced.

My choice was the Von Othegraven winery in Kanzem, a small hamlet on the banks of the Saar river. This winery is quite well known in Germany because Guenther Jauch, a celebrity TV moderator and talk show host, is the owner of the place.

I could not have been more wrong in my choice.

We rocked up without an appointment (which we would regret), drove into the courtyard of the estate at the outskirts of Kanzem at the bottom of the steep vineyards of the Kanzemer Altenberg, the grand cru vineyard of the area.

We innocently rang the bell of the manor house but where greeted by a very grumpy vintner (it was the manager, not the wine-maker), who let us know immediately and in a very impolite way that we were not welcome, and should “buzz” off.

Uff, we were mentally not prepared for such a rude reception, and deeply regretted that we had bothered to come in the first place.

So my recommendation to the casual wine tourist is not to visit Von Othegraven. It is a waste of time. If you are still interested in their wines, go to my favourite wine bar, Weinsinnig in Trier, and buy a bottle of the outstanding Altenberg Riesling.

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Weinhaus Gut Suelz revisited

August 22, 2012

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.

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