Restaurant review: Weintor, Palatinate, Germany

May 12, 2012

My parents in front of the German “Weintor”

My parents came to see me when I was in Karlsruhe for a business meeting a couple of weeks ago. They took me for a drive around the southern Pfalz region, which is a major wine producing area in Germany.

It was a beautiful day in spring with mild temperatures and fast moving clouds. After a short rain, the sun came out for a while.

We ended up at a small village called Schweigen-Rechtenbach to have a look at the German “Weintor”, literally translated as the “German wine gate”.

It was built in 1936 and marks the starts of the German wine route which ends in about 85 km further north in a village called Bockenheim.

The terrace

We planned to have lunch in the restaurant at the “Weintor”. The large terrace was very inviting but it was still too cold to sit outside.

The foyer

The stone building looks very traditional from the outside. However, the foyer of the restaurant has a kind of post-modern funky look, “retro” one could also call it.

The entrance to the restaurant

The inside of the restaurant

We sat near the fire place. The staff was very friendly, and convinced us to get started with a sparkling Pinot Meunier, or in German “Schwarzriesling”.

Sparkling Schwarzriesling – Pinot Meunier

This was followed by “greetings from the cook”: a delicious pate, which was just the right starter. It wetted our appetite.

Courtesy of the cook

I could not resist and ordered the house Riesling, a dry wine from the Pfalz region.

Dry Riesling from the Pfalz

My main dish was a trout with almonds, with potatoes and salad. Just wonderfully delicious. It was the right hearty meal which made me forget my jet-lag. I had arrived the very same morning from Bangkok and needed some stimulation to stay awake. That’s why I could not resist the ice cream either.

Trout with almonds

Dessert

Espresso

We had a jolly good time. The food was delicious, the staff extremely friendly, the spring outside inspiring and the company just great. I could not imagine a better welcome to Germany.

On our way out, I noticed the table with the informations about wine events and other local festivities. It was a pity that I could not stay a couple of days longer. The wine route through the Pfalz/Palatinate has so much to offer.

Address:
Deutsches Weintor Restaurant
Weinstraße 4
D-76889 Schweigen-Rechtenbach
T +49 (0) 6342 – 922 788 8
F +49 (0) 6342 – 922 788 9
www.weintor.de/restaurant.html

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Boetzinger, wine from Baden, Germany

May 5, 2012

Boetziner wine co-operative

When I attended the party convention of the German Free Democratic Party (FDP) in Karlsruhe a couple of week ago, I was not so sure that I would have the time for some wine tasting. Alas, the Saturday night party of the FDP showed that there was no reason to worry.

Karlsruhe is located on the right side of the Rhine river in Baden, one of the smaller German wine regions in the South-west, just across the Rhine river from another famous German wine region: the Pfalz (Palatinate).

It goes without saying that wine from Baden was the choice of the organizers, and a good choice it was. One does not expect a “grand cru” to be served at such an occasion. After an excruciating day of debate and discussion the hundreds of party delegates just want to get on with their lives.

However, a decent drop of wine is very much appreciated. Two wines were on offer, a ‘2011 Boetzinger Pinot Gris, Kabinett dry’ and a ‘2011 Boetzinger Pinot Noir, Kabinett dry’, both in their dry variant.

Boetzinger is a wine co-operative, the oldest wine co-operative at the Kaiserstuhl in Baden. It has about 500 vintner members who produce first quality grapes.

We started with the white and followed through with the red, both wines were very pleasant, clean and crisp for easy drinking and dry: in short excellent specimen of their kind.

We drank lots. The waiters kept bringing the stuff. When we got up at about two o’clock in the morning we had a good fill.

And the next morning, you might ask? Well, just fine. The wine not only had a decent taste, it showed its quality also after a huge consumption.

From the Boetzinger website I found that the bottle of Pinot Gris costs only EURO 5.75 and the bottle of Pinot Noir is EURO 6.30, both very decent prices especially when you are dealing with the exorbitant wine prices here in Thailand.

Try the wines of Boetzinger.

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Spring in the vineyards of Palatinate/Pfalz, Germany

May 1, 2012

The border region in Schweigen-Rechtenbach, just north of Wissembourg, Alsace

Spring is a beautiful time in the vineyard. The other day, when we visited the Southern Palatinate wine region, just north of the French border, I was able to witness the spring awakening of the vines.

It was a beautiful day; the sun was out. It was fresh and crisp, but the warmth of the earth was tangible. Needless to say, the birds were singing.

The vineyards were ready to “burst the buds” of the leaves among the fields of yellow rape seed flowers and the willow trees clad in their fresh new green.

The grass in the vineyards was already high, lush and full of vigour. Soon the first tractor will come along and mulch it.

The cane-pruned older vines looked very good, healthy and ready to go.

And the leaves were “breaking out” in full force. One could almost watch them grow with the bare eye. What a time, what a beautiful time.

Visit vineyards in spring; visit Germany now.

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My beloved Mosel river – 1868 map of its terroir

March 6, 2012

I am very excited. Finally, my historical map of the Mosel river, which I had bought some years ago at Karlsmuehle, a winery cum restaurant at the Ruwer river, was put in a proper frame here in Bangkok. It’s a replica and not an original of course. But I looks very nice on my wall.

Vineyard location and quality map of 1868

The map shows the quality of the terroir in different shades of red. The more intense the red is, the better the quality and the higher the tax category. The Royal Prussian government had produced this map in order to streamline their tax collection.

The newly framed map of the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer

I can already see this map hanging in my house in Australia on our vineyard in Glenburn. I will tell my grand-children where I come from and how much I love my native town, Trier, and the Mosel river.

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Restaurant review: ‘Kirchstuebel’ in St Martin, Pfalz

November 23, 2011

The St Martin church, picture taken from the yard of ‘Kirchstuebel’

Just below the church of St Martin in the hamlet of St Martin, Pfalz, a very charming little restaurant is located, named ‘Kirchstuebel’, literally translated as ‘the little parlour of the church’.

The Adam brothers

My brother Wolfgang had taken me there for a reunion dinner, just the two of us, on a dark November night.

The wine village of St Martin, with about 200 ha under vines, is located right at the start of the foothills of the ‘Pfaelzer Wald’, the hilly forest of the Pfazl region.

What a jewel of a little place this is. The country inn ‘Kirchstuebel’ is a rustic, and very cozy family owned and operated restaurant which offers local and non-local food, and a wide variety of local wines.

I was hungry and chose tortellini with porcini mushrooms and parmesan cheese. My brother was less hungry and went for a plate of selected goats cheese which was served with local bread. Boy I tell you how delicious these two dishes were, incredible.

The goats cheese selection contained harder and softer cheeses, some were mellow and creamy, others burly and forceful.

My tortellini were just a dream. They used an excellent olive oil, and first quality parmesan cheese. I was in “Schlemmer”- (gourmet) heaven.

Tortellini ai funghi porcini

Selection of goats cheese

The bread basket

The wine selection is another treasure of the ‘Kirchstuebel’. The list includes many locally made wines from St. Martin and vicinity. There is lots of variety and lots of choice. I, of course, went for the truly local stuff. Where could I get a wine from St. Martin when living in Asia, I thought.

With my tortellini I had a ‘2010 Sauvignon Blanc’ by the Brothers Ziegler Estate (Weingut Gebrueder Ziegler). The Ziegler family looks back at 200 years of experience in grape growing and wine-making. Today, the family business is run be Ulrich (the viticulturalist) and Juergen Ziegler (the wine-maker).

The wine has 12% alcohol, residual sugar of 6.7 g and acidity of 6.8. I loved its freshness, with aromas of tropical fruit.

2010 Sauvignon Blanc by Weingut Ziegler

I somehow sensed that my brother would not finish the goats cheese, and therefore ordered after I had tasted the SB, a red wine. My choice was a ‘2008 Pinot Noir Spaetlese dry’ by Weingut Roessler-Schneider, a family winery also located in St Martin.

Also this wine was very fruity. Cherries and blackberries were the dominant tastes. The colour of the wine is dark red, not the murky red of other Pinot Noir wines. I found it a very feminine wine, round and soft, with a presence.

2008 Pinot Noir Spaetlese dry by Weingut Roessler-Schneider

Needless to say, we had a great time. I wish for some more of these reunions.

Anyway, I will have to come back to this place in the daytime. The village of St Martin seemed so charming in the night, with its narrow little lanes, the old stone and timber framed houses. One must have a great view over the flats of the Pfalz.

If you visit the Pfalz region, you should definitely make time for St Martin and explore its wineries and country inns.

Address:
Weinstube Kirchstuebel (wine bar and restaurant)
Kirchstrasse 9
67487 St Martin/Pfalz
Tel:+49-6323-949131
www.kirchstuebel.de
For opening hours, please visit the website!

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The other day in Germany 3: 2005 Lemberger by Count Neipperg Estate

November 19, 2011

Lemberger

Another very good wine which I had tasted last time I visited Germany was a ‘2005 Lemberger’ by Count Neipperg Estate in Wuerttemberg, the 4th largest wine region in Germany (about 12,000 ha under vines).

Lemberger (also called Blaukraenkisch), a late ripening grape, is variety imported from Slovenia in the 19th century. Ever since it is a major variety in Wuerttemberg.

The wine is rich in tannins and has a somewhat spicy character. I liked the fruity bouquet. Because of its complex composition of acidity Lemberger has a good aging potential. The locals love it and deem the Lemberger wines superior to any other.

The Count Neipperg Estate is located in Schwaigern, near the city of Heilbronn in the north of the Wuerttemberg region. The estate has a long tradition (eight centuries!). The most important locations (terroir) are the ‘Neipperger Schlossberg’, ‘Schwaigerner Ruthe’ and ‘Klingenberger Schlossberg’. Apart from Lemberger, Trollinger, Riesling and Traminer grapes are grown among others.

Since 1971 the Neipperg family has also invested in the French wine industry (Saint-Emilion and Sauternes for instance). Since 2005 vineyards in Bulgaria were added to the portfolio.

Address:
Gräfl.Neippergsche Hauptverwaltung
74193 Schwaigern/Württ.,Schloss
Tel.: +49-7138-941400
Fax: +49-7138-4007
Mail: info@graf-neipperg.de
http://www.graf-neipperg.de/

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The other day in Germany 2: 2008 Johannisberger Vogelsang Spaetlese dry Riesling by Trenz Estate

November 18, 2011

2008 Johannisberger Vogelsang Spaetlese dry by Weingut Trenz

This was the white wine served at the before mentioned business dinner in Germany. I just loved this fresh, crisp and bone dry Riesling from the Rheingau.

The ‘2008 Johannisberger Vogelsang Spaetlese dry’ by Trenz Estate is a wonderful wine, full of typical Riesling falvours, with a good body and a long finish. It has a Spaetlese ripeness and the elegant dryness of an exquisite German Riesling wine.

I had never heard of the producer, I must admit. Weingut Trenz is a family winery located in the heart of the Rheingau.

Johannisberg is one of the most famous locations (terroir) in this lovely wine region.

Michael Trenz is a vintner with “body and heart”, as we say in Germany. He carries the family wine-making tradition which goes back for about 105 years!

You should visit the place if in Germany. Enjoy the scenery and the wines.

I will, when coming from the airport the next time.

Address:
Weingut Trenz
Schulstraße 1
65366 Johannisberg

Tel: +49-6722–75063-0
Fax: + 49-6722–75063-10
E-Mail: info@weingut-trenz.de

Opening hours offuce and sales:
Mon. – Friday 8:30-12.00 h; 13.00 – 17:00 h
Sa. 10:00-15:00 h

Trenz Cellardoor
Tel: +49-6722 – 75063-11
Fax: +49-6722 – 75063-12
E-Mail: gutsausschank@weingut-trenz.de

Open:
Med. to Sa. from 17:00 h
Sun. and holidays from 12.00 h

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Riesling from the Nahe – 2008 Monzinger Halenberg by Emrich-Schönleber

October 21, 2011

I love to eat fish. Red snapper is a good one. That one can prepare it with mushrooms was new to me. Alas there is Marcella Hazan and her cookery book which are always an inspiration.

Dinner in the making

Mushrooms on the fish

Unfortunately, I messed up the pictures of the food on the plate. I do not know how it happened. At times I am just too stupid to handle my new camera, it seems. Sorry folks, you have to be content with the two pictures above. I assure you that the fish was delicious. We served it with a bean salad in onions but had also some peeled tomatoes as a salad. We did not need carbohydrates.

A delicious fish, I usually enjoy with a good wine, not always white, sometimes red, but tonight it was white. From my last visit to Germany I had brought a bottle of my favourite winery in the Nahe valley, Weingut (winery) Emrich-Schönleber in Monzingen, a small village next to where my grandfather used to live (Martinstein) and where I spent almost all my school holidays.

The winery Emrich-Schönleber is one of the best wineries in the Nahe region and in Germany. It is famous for its dry and off-dry Riesling wines, mainly from the locations Halenberg and Fruehlingsplaetzchen. I usually visit them coming straight from the airport during my annual sommer break or home leave as it is called.

It is hard for a German Riesling lover who resides in Bangkok to find good Riesling wines. I am spoiled in this, I know.

But look at this colour? Golden, pure, with a fragrance of delicious grape fruit and citrus flavours. It has some residual sugar, so it’s not bone dry but the wine is creamy and dense, round and full, with good structure and a wonderful long finish.

It stays on the palate. If you ask me, it could stay there for ages. I was in paradise for the duration of the meal and woke up to the hard reality: no more Riesling from Emrich-Schönleber in my wine fridge.

Sigh, life can be hard.

2008 Monzinger Halenberg R by Emrich-Schönleber

Address:
Weingut Emrich-Schönleber
Soonwaldstraße 10a
D-55569 Monzingen
Tel.: +49-67 51-27 33
Fax: +49-67 51-48 64
www.emrich-schoenleber.de

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Ruwer Riesling – Van Elkan semi-dry, slate Riesling, Mertesdorf

September 18, 2011

Many of my friends in Trier just love off-dry Riesling wines. One of them is my old high-school friend Juergen Olk who lives in Eitelsbach.

When we visited him and his family in July he produced this wonderful bottle of Riesling from the Ruwer valley. The Ruwer river is a tributary to my beloved Mosel.

I did not know the Van Elkan winery. Although I am not that much a lover of semi-dry (or semi sweat) wines, I must say that I liked this wine.

Christina and Marco van Elkan started their venture into the wine industry in 2003. Their philosophy of low yields and minimum intervention pays off. The quality of their wines is already well recognized.

2010 Van Elkan semi-dry, slate Riesling

The van Elkan wines are reasonably priced (7.00 to 9.80 EURO per bottle).

I wonder what the dry wines of the van Elkan family estate taste like. Something to explore further.

Address:
Christina and Marco van Elkan
Rieslingweg 1
54318 Mertesdorf
Tel: +49-651-9954475
Fax: +49-651-9954476
info@vanelkan.de
www.vanelkan.de

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How to say good bye to Germany – would a Riesling do?

September 17, 2011

A wine cooler at Frankfurt Airport

We left Germany in style, will say, we had a bottle of German Riesling while waiting for our plane to Bangkok.

A bottle of ‘2010 Frankhof Weinkontor Riesling’ was my choice. I had never heard of this producer.

Later I found out that it belongs to the Steigenberger Hotel chain. In 1873 a wine cellar was founded in the basement of the Frankfurter Hof hotel. Albert Steigenberger bought the place in 1940 and made it his flagship hotel.

2010 Frankhof Weinkontor Riesling

The wine is a good specimen representing German Riesling quite nicely. It is nothing special though, just a good Riesling, fresh and full of lemon flavours, in short the way I like it.

But the fact that we had a good Riesling served in a wine cooler relaxed us somehow. We could conclude our summer holiday in a setting which reminded us about the many great wines we had tasted, the places we had visited and the people we had the great opportunity to meet.

Summer 2011 was wonderful for our family; we had a great time in Canada and Germany.

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