Mosel Riesling: Versuchungen (temptations)

August 21, 2012

What a beautiful Riesling: Versuchungen = temptations

The wine is made by Andreas Bender, a contrarian of the German wine scene, of Weingut Bender. It is a semi-dry Riesling, usually not a wine style I very much like. But it perfectly machted the spicy Asian soup we had it with. Lovely buquet, fine acidity and a sweetness which was round and compassionate, like a kiss.

The wine is named in allusion to two quotes by Oscar Wilde, who must have said that “I can resist everything, except temptation” and “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it”.

I yielded to it as well. It was modestly priced at Euro 7.50 when I bought it at Weinsinnig, one of my preferred wine barS in My home town Trier.

Versuchungen and the spicy Asian soup

I have not made up my mind about this wine. I need to taste some of the dry wines Andreas Bender produces before I can come to a conclusion. But for the many off-dry wine lovers, this wine is a true temptation.

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Restaurant review: Gasthof zur Saffenburg, Mayschoss, Ahr

August 20, 2012

Castle Saffenburg in Mayschoss, Ahr

All good things come to an end. That applied also to our family vacation. From the Ruhr we made our way back to the Mosel region. Since we had some spare time on our hands, we decided that a short visit to the Ahr wine region would just be the right distraction.

The Ahr wine region is one of the smaller wine region in Germany (about 600 ha under vines). Despite its northern location the Ahr wine region is dominated by red wine production (about 80%),and is most famous for its outstanding Pinot Noir wines.

Country Inn zur Saffenburg in Mayschoss, Ahr

Since we were also hungry we dropped in at a counrty inn called Saffenburg in Mayschoss at the banks of the Ahr river.

The courtyard of the inn

Mayschoss, a small settlement with about 1,000 inhabitants, is also home to the oldest wine co-operative in Germany (founded in 1868).

Today the Mayschoss-Altenahr Wine Co-operative as it is called, has about 400 members and covers 140 ha under vines. It’s cellar door is located opposite the country inn.

Gasthof zur Saffenburg

The first thing I did was oder a glass of Pinot Noir made by one of the famous Ahr producers: Jean Stodden.

Jean Stodden Pinot Noir

This is the “ordinary” Pinot Noir produced by Stodden but a good specimen of what the Ahr has to offer in Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, we had no time for a tasting at Jean Stodden. Instead we planned to pay a short visit to the wine co-operative across the street after our meal.

Nuernberger sausages with Kraut

German cuisine has a lot of very tasty dishes to offer. We went for Nuernberger sausages (photo above) and beef stew (photo below).

Beef stew

I love German cake

Irresistable were the cakes on offer, together with a coffee, they concluded our meal. Needless to say that the food was delicious. We sat on the terrace in the yard. The service at the country inn is exceptionally good. Five out of five, I would say. We had a jolly good time on our last day of our excusion in Germany.

The steep vineyards behind the inn on the other side of the Ahr river

I plan to also inform you about our visit to the wine co-operative in Mayschoss. Stay tuned.

The Ahr wine region is a very popular destination for day travellers but also suitable for longer excursions. I highly recommend the “Rotwein-Wanderweg”, the red wine hicking path crisscrossing the region with breathtaking views of the vineyards and the small settlements. Ideal is to explore the valley on a push bike.

Please also visit my blog entries from November 2007 regarding DAGERNOVA, another wine co-operative and vintage time along the Ahr.

Address:
Gasthof zur Saffenburg
Rotweinstrasse 43
53508 Mayschoss
Tel.: + 49 (0) 2643-8392
Handy + 49 (0) 171–9369257
Fax: + 49 (0) 2643-8100
E-Mail: info@gasthof-saffenburg.de
http://www.gasthof-saffenburg.de

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Sparkle sparkling Crémant de Loire !

August 16, 2012


Crémant de Loire

When visiting in Germany lots of reunions with family and friends await us, usually accompanied by some sort of joyous celebration; and summer is as good as it gets if it comes to sparkling wine.


Crémant de Loire

The other day in Bottrop we had a ‘Crémant de Loire Marquis de Beaucel Brut’ which is available at the discounter Aldi. In fact some good wines are carried by this food chain. For less than 6 EURO you can have a bottle of Crémant de Loire, which makes a refreshing and reinvigorating drink.

The wine is made from Chenin Blanc grapes sourced from the Loire Valley in France. This valley is hiding many great discoveries as regards wine. My last visit was when I was still a student and toured France with my friend Ulrich. I guess I should go again and explore this wonderful part of France.

Here in Thailand Chenin Blanc is also produced as one of the white varieties which grow well in the tropical climate.

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Kloster Eberbach, Rheingau

August 7, 2012

The Rheingau wine region

Because of a flight delay we had a couple of hours on our hands with nothing to do. This provided us with an unexpected but welcome opportunity to visit the Rheingau wine region. So where to go and what to do?

Some years ago I had been to Eltville, one of the many small and pretty settlements with extensive wine culture and history. Last year in November I met a couple of professors from the famous wine institute in Geisenheim, Rheingau at the 3rd International Symposium on Tropical Wine in Chiang Mai, which further nurtured my curiosity in the Rheingau wine region.

So I typed “Kloster Eberbach” into the navigation system of the hired car and off we went to this place near Eltville which I had always wanted to visit. We were looking for some mix of culture and wine. In no time we were cruising the country roads of the Rheingau.

Vineyards and farm buildings

The region on the right side of the Rhein river between Wiesbaden and Assmannshausen is like a Garden Eden of the modern world. The slopes of prime vineyard land descend gently towards the Rhein river. The land is very fertile and the climate very suitable for the production of first class wines, mainly Riesling.

The top of the mountain ridges of the southern Taunus are crowned with deep forests. Many of the villages and settlements are very beautiful. Every year millions of tourist flock to places like Ruedesheim, Geisenheim, Erbach and Eltville.

The Eberbach monastery

Our destination, the Eberbach Monastery, formerly a Cistercian Abbey, is a kind of museum today. We had a look at the old church, the cloister and the various rooms used by its monks from the 12th century until the French revolution and the secularization of church property under Napoleon.

Fortunately, the grape-growing and wine-making tradition of the monks has been preserved. Today the state of Hessia is the owner of the vineyards and winery “Kloster Eberbach”. The monastery offers a range of programs related to wine, special tastings for instance in the historic wine cellar, and has a “vinothek”, a kind of cellar door or wine shop.

The wine shop of Kloster Eberbach

The “vinothek” wine shop does not only offer the wines of Kloster Eberbach but also of vintners and wineries of the surrounding villages and terroirs. The shop was packed with buyers on this Sunday afternoon. I browsed through the various shelves with wines from different locations and of different quality categories. I tried to stick to a certain budget which did not allow for grand cru wines.

My selection

In the end I settled for three wines only, one Riesling and two Pinot Noir wines. The Riesling came from the most famous and oldest terroir called “Steinberg” (stone mountain) right behind the monastery. The Pinot Noir Spaetlese from Assmannshausen was a bit pricier (17.40 EURO). It should turn out to be the best Pinot Noir I drank while holidaying in good old Germany.

Address:
Kloster Eberbach Winery
65346 Eltville am Rhein
Tel.: +49-6723-6046-0
www.kloster-eberbach.de

PS: When I studied agricultural economics at Bonn University, my master thesis was (among others) also dealing with the farming activities of the Cistercian monasteries and how they influenced land markets. I had visited Himmerod Abbey, a Cistercian monastery near Trier, but had never visited the equally famous Eberbach Abbey.

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“Weinsinnig” – wine bar in Trier

August 4, 2012

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

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The Nahe wine region: Schaefer-Froehlich Winery in Bockenau, Nahe

August 1, 2012

A vineyard in Bockenau, Nahe

Every year when we visit Germany in summer, we start our family vacation with a hearty breakfast in Bad Sobernheim, Nahe. We drive to this picturesque little town on the banks of the Nahe river right from Frankfurt airport.

After we have fortified ourselves, we usually pay a visit to one of the wineries in the vicinity. This year’s choice was the family winery of Schaefer-Froehlich in Bockenau, Nahe.

Regular readers of my blog know how fond I am of the Nahe wine region. Family tradition and my own history somehow tie me to this very diverse grape growing region. I nurture these emotional links through the enjoyment of the region’s excellent Riesling wines.

The Schaefer-Froehlich winery is highly decorated and its outstanding wines regularly win awards in national and international wine events. In 2010 Tim Froehlich was selected by Gault Millau as the wine-maker of the year. And Eichelmann awarded it the winery-of-the-year award in 2011.

The entrance to the vintner’s house

I called the winery to make sure that someone was there to receive us. Very often I just go and take my chances. It was good that I called, the voice on the other side told me that they were very busy with the bottling of the last vintage, and that it was not a good time to visit. But I was able to convince the person to welcome us since we came from far away and because we would not stay long.

Bottling in full swing at Schaefer-Froehlich winery

We were received by Nicole Froehlich. She led us to the cosy tasting room up on the first floor, where we started right away with serious business. Wine tasting so early in the morning has its challenges.

Nicole Froehlich introducing the wines

I did not want to waste the host’s time and overstay our welcome. Therefore I restricted the tasting to two wines only, both dry Riesling wines, one grown on volcanic soil, the other one on slate. Both are excellent wines, young and exhilarating with aging potential and great character. This is Riesling as I like it.

The two dry Riesling wines by Schaefer-Froehlich

Interestingly enough the volcanic one appealed to me more than the Riesling grown on slate, despite its greater complexity and finesse. My wife preferred the “slate Riesling”.

I wonder what the grand-cru wines are like when the “ordinary wines” of Schaefer-Froehlich are such delicacies. Guess what” I will tell you after my next visit to this wonderful place.

The wine tasting crew from down under

I highly recommend this winery, it’s wines are outstanding and service is just great. Please call them before you rock up.

Address:
Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich
Schulstraße 6,
55595 Bockenau, Nahe
Tel.: +49 6758 6521
Fax: +49 6758 8794
www.weingut-schaefer-froehlich.de

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Rheingau Riesling

July 31, 2012

When traveling through Frankfurt, I always try to pick up a bottle of German wine on the airport. This time it was a ‘2011 Riesling Classic dry’ by the Kloster Eberbach winery in the Rheingau.

Little did I know at the time that I would be visiting this place during my holidays a few weeks later. In fact I would return to this wine region twice within two weeks time.

To say it in a nutshell, Kloster Eberbach is a fabulous place.

It used to be a Cistercian Monastry (by the way in my master thesis I wrote about Cistercian monastries and their farming enterprises which were quite modern as regards organization and management).

Grape production and wine-making have a long tradition in this place. Today it is owned and operated by the state of Hessia.

This is their “normal” Riesling wine brand, nothing fancy but just a solid German Riesling, the way I like it. The wine is crisp and fresh with great aromas and a good body.

I will tell you more about Kloster Eberbach soon,

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The art of blogging and wine from Caves Alianca Dao, Portugal

July 11, 2012

No blog entry for two weeks, goodness me. Why I am so busy? It seems this is a terible time. No time for my blog. Moroever, I am going on an extended trip to my hometown Trier, Germany (this time on vacation), where I have very ittle access to the internet. Therefore the prospects are grim. Please bear with me. I plan to continue my blog despite the odds.

Today I have a last entry before the blog-free seasons starts. The good news is that I will be visiting the Mosel and its tributaries. This also means that I will probably visit some wineries and taste some delicious wines. I should come back to Bangkok with many more stories to tell and share.

A beautiful dark red colour

Last night, we had with our meal a beautiful red. It was a ‘2009 Caves Alianca Dao Reserva’, a blend of various Portuguese grape varieties (the label says: Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro, Jaén, Touriga Nacional).

The Dao wine region is consistently producing outstanding wines. Ever since our holiday along the Douro river, I am a big fan of Portuguese wines.

Caves Alianca Dao Reserva

With 14% alcohol this wine is big and mighty. It is also very smooth with lots of forest fruit. There is some hint of vanilla (from the oak). The wine has a good mid-pallet weight and a long finish.

The back label of the Alianca Dao

In Europe the wine retails for about 7 Pounds.

We had this beautiful and delectable wine with very spicy green beans and a beef fillet. Woh, that meal was super delicious and the wine was just a perfect match. I wish we had more of it. Well.

Soon we will be at the shores of the Mosel river and ive into the tasting of Riesling. What a consolation.

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Buying wine online in Bangkok

June 26, 2012

Last Saturday I did what I have never done before: I bought wine through the internet. Through facebook I found Bacchusonline. I ordered three bottles, some random selection basically, so that the total value was above Bath 2,000.

In that case, Bacchusonline said that they would deliver for free. This was done at 10 in the morning and at 16 h we had our three bottles deliverd. We paid cash and that was it. Fantastic. What great service.

In another post I will tell you what I bought.

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Dr. Loosen Riesling from the Mosel and spicy prawn pasta

June 24, 2012

While in transit at Frankfurt airport I picked up a bottle of German Riesling. I just could not help it.

The ‘2011 Dr Loosen Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett’ was just too tempting. i forcked out eleven EURO and the bottle was mine.

It only has 8% alcohol which is pretty low. This off-dry wine would go very well with spicy Asian food, I thought. And so it was.

In the end I had it with a spicy prawn pasta. What a wonderful sensation. This mineral driven semi-dry Riesling from my native and beloved Mosel river was the perfect match to the soft chillies used for the pasta.

The fine acidity with the remaining sweetness of the Riesling was mouth watering, refreshing and extremely pleasant on the palate. I was glad that I did not go for a bone dry wine but instead opted for a “Kabinett”. And I have to add that I usually avoid off-dry wines.

A salute to Dr Loosen and his fine wines from the Bernkastel region along the “Mittelmosel”.

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