I have already announced and informed you about the 3rd International Symposium on Tropical Wine to be held from 12. to 18. November in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Now the first draft program is out. Gosh there are so many interesting sessions, international and national speakers, and exciting field trips on offer that I might not know where to go. I cannot attend all for them.
Have a look and check it out.
By the way, you should register, I have already done it.
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culture, food and wine, history and culture, vines, vineyard management, Vineyard profile, vineyards, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: 3. International Symposium on Tropical Wine, Chiang Mai, New Latitude Wines, Thai wine, Thailand, wine | 
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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
On a hot summers day somewhere in the Canadian wilderness, a wine drinker needs somthing nice. The LCBD or government booze distributor in Ontario does not carry a very large sortiment of wines, usually industrial ones, which means large and very large wineries offer their wares.
2010 Fifth Leg Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
However, we enjoyed the drink. It was a pleasant wine indeed. I found interesting what the label said.
I quote from the label
“An abundance of snow peas and passion fruit hit the nose with fragrance blossom and freshly muddled lime”
“A generous palate with intense lychee and passion fruit finishes with a crisp apple crunch”.
I never knew that I loved “muddled lime” and “apple crunch” is also something of another world to me.
The label tells the story about the fifth leg
Leave a Comment » | wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Australian wine, Fifth Leg, Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc, Western Australia | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
The Black Prince Winery in Picton
The Black Prince Winery was the first winery we visited after our arrival in Picton, Prince Edward County, Ontario. We came by car on road number 33 from Kingston crossing by ferry to the “island” respectively the peninsula. The ferry ride was somehow a bit romantic and we enjoyed it thoroughly.
The tourist information office in the picturesque town of Picton was our aim. Quickly we found our bed and breakfast accommodation called “Saraswati” which doubles as a cancer and naturopathic care centre. The two guys in this office were extremely helpful.
After we had dropped off our stuff at Saraswati, we had some free time on our fingertips. We used it for a quick winery visit before dinner. The only winery in Picton is the Black Prince.
The vineyards were planted in 2000 and the winery opened in 2003. At that time only two other vineyards were operational in Prince Edward County.
Cellar door entry to the Black Prince
“Total terroir, local grapes, local barrels, local wine located in the heart of beautiful Prince Edward County”, is the motto of this winery.
Where does the name come from?
The search for an appropriate name lead the owners to research the “Edwardians”. One of them was the Black Prince. He was the eldest son of Edward III, and became a legend in his own lifetime. “He was one of the most successful commanders during the 100 years war and a model of chivalry and courtesy”, says the winery’s website. Since he also ruled over parts of Aquitaine, which included Bordeaux, his connection to wine was obvious and he qualified as name giver.
Lots of wine is displayed in the tasting room
We tasted two flights (three wines) of whites and one of reds. The whites included a 2010 Vidal, a 2007 Gewuerztraminer, 2008 Chardonnay, and a Pinot Gris. The reds were a Baco Nero, a 2009 Cabernet Franc, and a 2009 Merlot.
We liked the Merlot best. It had very nice aromas of cherries, was fruity, and medium bodied. The previous vintage of the Merlot was an award winner. At 17.75 C$ is seemed modestly priced for Canada.
We bought the Vidal, a frost resistant hybrid variety widely planted to produce ‘Icewines’ in Canada, the Gewuerztraminer and the Cabernet Franc as well as a bottle of Merlot. More about the Vidal another time.
Because the staff in the tasting room was so friendly we bought a few bottles. We had a great chat with the lady behind the counter and were very enchanted when we left the place. This was a great start to our Prince Edward County wine tasting tour.
I highly recommend visiting the Black Prince.
Address:
The Black Prince Winery
13370 Loyalist Parkway,
Highway #33,
Picton, Ontario
Canada K0K 2T0
Tel: +1-613-476-4888
Fax: +1-613-476-0075
Toll Free: 1-866-470-9463
www.blackprincewinery.com
Comments Off on Winery review – Black Prince Winery, Prince Edward County, Ontario | Vineyard profile, vineyards, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Baco Nero, Black Prince Winery, Cabernet Franc, Canadian wine, Chardonnay, Gewuerztraminer, Merlot, Ontario, Picton, Pinot Gris, Prince Edward County, Vidal, winery review | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
That’s how it started
Near my mother’s place in Trier, there was a car parked on the street, which had caught my attention.
It advertised for a wine bar and shop of which I never had heard off before. “Weinsinnig” was the name of the place.
It took me a while until I had the opportunity to check it out myself. I learned that “Weinsinnig” had already opened in 2009. As a creature of habit I patronize the places I know since many years and somehow neglected the search for the new.
The brochure
We had seen the window of the bar in the daytime and knew it was opening only after 17h (Sunday closed). On our last evening in Trier, a warmish Tuesday night, we went to gain a first hand experience of it.
The wine list on the wall
“Weinsinnig” was a very pleasant surprise. Made for the young, with innovative ideas and concepts, it offers with a wine experience of a different kink. It starts with the absence of a wine list. Instead one can “walk the wine list”, which means along the wall the wines on offer by the glass (see photo above) are displayed (a bottle and a short description of the wine/winery). You walk along an select your wine.
A larger shelf displays the wines sold by the bottle either for home consumption or for enjoyment on thew premises.
Food is limited to “Flammkuchen”, the German-Alsatian equivalent to a simple pizza. Once a month a tasting with a wine-maker is scheduled in the form of a quiz, which seems to be a lot of fun.
Since we had sampled a lot of the local wines from the Mosel during the past couple of days, I went for a wine from the Pfalz (Palatinate). My choice was a ‘2007 Kalkmergel Pinot Noir’ by the Knipser winery, in Laumersheim.
The first Knipser wine was ‘credenced’ to me by my old friend Norbert in 1991 when we both worked in Beijing, China.
2007 Knipser Pinot Noir, Pfalz
2011 has been a ripper year for the Knipser family. Three of the most respected wine guides awarded the Knisper Estate the highest recognition level (5 stars/grapes, etc.). It’s white wine collection was awarded by the Eichelmann wie guide “the best collection of the year” for the Knipser Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay wines.
2007 “Kalkmergel” Pint Noir by Knipser, Pfalz
The wine is round and full with aromas of raspberries and cherries. It has fine tannins, a good balance of the acids and a good structure. I liked the long finish.
Trier at night
“Weinsinnig’ was a true find. The service is excellent, the wine prices moderate and if you need blankets or cushions because the temperature outside is a bit on the lower side, they will oblige and help to keep you warm.
If you visit Trier, I recommend you reserve an evening for a wine tasting at this young and modern wine bar.
Address:
Weinsinnig Weinbar und verkauf
Palaststr. 12
D-54290 Trier
Tel.: +49-651-9790156
www.weinsinnig.com
Weingut Knipser
Johannishof
Haupstraße 47
D-76229 Laumersheim/Pfalz
Tel.: +49-6238-742
Fax.: +49-62384-377
www.weingut-knipser.de
1 Comment | wine, wine bars, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Der Feinschmecker, Eichelmann, Gault Millau Wine Guide, German wine, Knipser, Laumersheim, Mosel, Pfalz, Pinot Noir, Spaetburgunder, Trier, Weingut Knipser, Weinsinnig, wine bar | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
Bangkok August 2011: rainy season but with splendid mornings
How nice to be back home again. This time “home” means our flat in Bangkok.
After about four weeks on the road which brought us, among others, to my home town Trier in Germany and Ontario in Canada, we are finally back in Thailand and our “normal life” can resume.
Needless to say, we had a great time. Not only visited we family and friends but we also had gone on often spontaneous short trips for instance to Metz the capital of Lorraine, France, and Echternach in Luxembourg where we explored local culture, food and wine (Auxerrois wines in Lorraine and Elbling in Luxembourg).
Our visit to Ontario, Canada was mainly aiming at seeing friends of old student times. Two of my best friends, Dominik Franken and Gerd Eilers, had migrated to Canada after they finished their masters degrees in agricultural economics. After more than 20 years, it was time to renew our friendship and catch up with each other. That’s what we did.
We also used the opportunity to learn more about the “wineland Canada” as well, especially two regions were in our focus: the Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County, a marvel of a new and coming, cool climate wine region just south of Kingston, Ontario.
I have collected many stories, pictures, tasting notes, leaflets and brochures of wineries and other places we visited which will keep me busy blogging.
This abundance of material will also nurture my curiosity to learn more about the wines we tasted and the wineries we visited and embark on more research.
Due to the erratic availability of internet connectivity I have neglected my blog. The good news is that the Man from Mosel River is back. Now I just need some free time and opportunity to bring my notes into shape and share with my esteemed readers our recent wine experience.
Postscript
Question: What did we do after we arrived after a 10 hours flight from Fankfurt?
Answer: Well, we had a pasta, “bucatini alla amatriciana”, and a wine from Carnuntum, Austria which I had picked up while in transit on Vienna Airport.
The ‘2008 Redmont’ by Markowitsch, a blend of Zweigelt (50%), Blaufraenkisch (15%), Cabernet (15%), Merlot (10%) and Syrah (10%), was an inexpensive wine which I had grabbed without much thought, turned out to have a mighty nose and great aromas, which caught me by surprise.
The wine is well balanced and full bodied. I really enjoyed it. The only thing I did not like was the slight bitter after-taste one could feel on the palate. But I plan to buy another one of Markowitsch’s wines when I am in Vienna next time.
Leave a Comment » | culture, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Austrian wine, Auxerrois, Bangkok, Blaufraenkisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canada, Carnuntum, Elbling, Mosel, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Prince Edward County, Syrah, Trier, Zweigelt | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
Traveling through Canada, my wine of the week is the ‘2008 No. 99 Wayne Gretzky Chardonnay’ which we drank the other night at my friend Dominik’s house in Stratford, Ontario.
It is well known that not only dentists and medical doctors get lured into the wine business but also sport stars. Wayne Gretzky the famous Canadian ice hockey player being one of them. His winery, the Wayne Gretzky Estate, which opened in 2007, is located on the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario.
This unoaked Chardonnay is a very pleasant wine. We had it with a pizza. The wine has all the good characteristics of a good ‘Chardy’. It won some awards (silver and bronze) as well. I liked the peach notes and the fine balance of acids. It is also a very affordable wine (12.95 Canadian $). We had great pleasure sampling it.
Address:
Wayne Gretzky Estate Winery
3751 King Street
PO Box 55
Vineland ON L0R 2C0
CANADA
www.gretzkyestatewines.com
2 Comments | vineyards, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Canadian wine, Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Ontario wines, Stratford, Wayne Gretzky, wine | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
Bruce peninsula
This is just a teaser, a reminder that the Man from the Mosel River is still alive and kicking.
We are traveling through Canada. In fact we are visiting our friends Dominik and Kym Franken in Stratford on the Avon river in Perth County, Ontario. Stratford is the Shakespeare and music town of North America. It is most famous for its annual Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
Dominik and I, we go back many years, in fact decades. We shared a flat during our university years in Bonn. He also loves wine and good food, a passion we share.
But before I can write something about Canadian wines, I will have to visit a Canadian winery, which has not happened yet because we are exploring some of Ontario’s nature and wildlife parks right now.
But, as always, there is light at the “wilderness tunnel”. In a couple of days from now, we will visit Prince Edward County, one of the three wine regions of Ontario. The other two are the Niagara Peninsula, Canada’s largest wine growing region and Pelee Island at Lake Erie, Canada;s most southerly wine region.
I will write more about Canada and its wines later. Stay tuned.
Leave a Comment » | culture, vineyards, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Canada, Canadian wines, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Pelee Island, Prince Edward County, wine regions of Canada | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
Brass Razu Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand
A very nice white wine is the ‘2008 Brass Razu Sauvignon Blanc’ from the Marlborough wine region in New Zealand. Apart from Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favourite white wines.
Brass Razu is a wine brand produced by Warburn Estate formerly called Riverina Wines in New South Wales, Australia.
The company has about 1,000 ha under vines and a crash capacity of about 40,000 tonnes, not exactly a boutique winery. But the firm is still a private business and independent.
The Brass Razu Sauvignon Blanc is made from grapes grown in Marlborough, New Zealand. The wine is a typical specimen of a good Marlborough SB, technically well made and very pleasant to drink.
“Brass Razoo” is an Australian and New Zealand expression defined as “a non-existent coin of trivial value”. Is is used in “I haven’t got a brass razoo” indicating the speaker is out of money.
Address:
Warburn Estate
700 Kidman Way
Tharbogang, 2680
New Zealand
www.warburnestate.com.au
2 Comments | vineyards, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Australia, Brass Razu, Marlborough, New South Wales, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc, Warburn Estate | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
I love seafood pasta and thought that we still had a beautiful bottle of white wine from Slovenia which was given to us by our friends Giuseppe and Lucjia which I opened for the occasion. I should have looked at the bottle more carefully. It turned out that it contained a red wine. Well, it was a Pinot Noir, the bottle was open and I did not mind to try it with seafood.
Light red colour of the Pinot
In fact the ‘2008 Modri Pinot’ by Kristančič winery from Slovenia is a wonderful wine and a good match for fish and seafood as well. The brothers Dušan and Marko Kristančič are doing a good job in their vineyards and the winery. Today three generations of the family work on the farm.
The front label of the Kristančič Modri Pinot
Their outstanding quality has been recognized internationally. Decanter for instance awarded gold and bronze medals for its wines in 2010. The website could me more informative, I think. However, the wines speak for themselves. I just wished to have a few more of them.
Back label: 14% alcohol is big in the Kristančič Pinot Noir
Thank you dear friends for providing us with this elixir from Slovenia, a country whose wines are not so well known as yet. No doubt, however, that they deserve to be further explored. So if you look for a holiday destination Slovenia might be the ideal choice for a vacation in Europe.
Address:
Kristančič Winery
Medana 29a
5212 Dobrovo
Goriška brda
Slovenija
Tel.: +386 5 39 59 533
Fax: +386 5 39 59 534
Mob.: +386 41 690 699
Leave a Comment » | food, wine, wine regions, wineries | Tagged: Decanter, Dušan Kristančič, Kristancic, Marko Kristančič, Modri Pinot, Pinot Noir, Slovenian wine | Permalink
Posted by themanfrommoselriver
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The Man from Mosel River
The Man from Mosel River 