Tag Archives: german rieslings

March Sweet Club: Iowa

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Sweet Wine ClubEroica Riesling wine bottleEroica
Riesling
Columbia Valley, Washington State

NECTAR WINE STYLE

This wine showcases the elegant purity of truly great Riesling. Sourced from cool climate vineyards, Eroica shows exuberant freshness with inviting stone fruit, citrus, and floral notes. Drink now to experience the youthful charm or age this wine for added complexity.

Blend: 100% Riesling
Analysis: 11% alcohol / volume
pH: 3.14
TA: .86 g/100ml
RS: 1.90 g/100ml
Appellation: Ancient Lakes AVA, Columbia Valley, Washington
Recommended Food Pairings: Crab, scallops, sushi, asian dishes, Indian curries

WINE AND CHEESE PAIRING RECOMMENDATION: Try this wine with triple-cream cheese, its rich, creamy texture and mild, buttery flavor stand up nicely to the Riesling’s fruitiness and crisp acidity. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

WINEMAKING NOTES:
To protect flavor intensity, grapes were harvested at night when the vineyard temperatures were coldest. Berries went direct to press, avoiding the possible loss of freshness caused by a crusher/de-stemmer. Aged 10 months in 100% stainless steel to heighten the vibrant flavors in the wine.

VINTAGE NOTES:
Despite extreme cold weather in January, the majority of vineyards across Washington state demonstrated remarkable resilience, with minimal winter damage and normal yields. The 2024 vintage saw typical temperatures, requiring less canopy and crop management, which allowed the vintage to naturally showcase its character. Favorable harvest conditions, with warm days and cool nights, created an ideal balance of tannin and acidity, leading to exceptional fruit quality. Both red and white varietals thrived under spectacular ripening conditions producing decadent, intense and well-balanced wines.

VINEYARD NOTES:
Eroica begins in the vineyard taking close consideration the proper site selection, irrigation management, crop levels and canopy management. Vineyard managers work to adjust yields and manage fruit exposure to prolong the ripening season for added flavor development. The Riesling was sourced from the Evergreen Vineyard located in the Ancient Lakes AVA.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
Launched in 1999, Eroica is a labor of love for two of the world’s great Riesling producers—one from the Old World, Dr. Loosen estate of Germany, and the other from the New World, Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington state. Named from Beethoven’s Third Symphony, Eroica reflects its heritage: elegant yet bold from Washington roots and refined from German inspiration. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Eroica – All Rights Reserved.

August Kesseler Riesling wine bottleAugust Kessler
Riesling
Rheingau, Germany

NECTAR WINE STYLE

This everyday sip wine is fruity, mineral and well balanced. Typical flavors of ripe fruits, aromatic apples & peaches. Well-structured and delightful as well. In the mouth, the interaction of mouth-watering fruits and minerals are positively shimmering – very delicate and refreshing on the palate.

Varietal: Riesling
Analysis: 10.5% alcohol / volume
Acidity: 7.9 g/L
RS: 28 g/L
Region: Rheingau, Germany
Vinification: Stainless Steel
Temperature: 50-54ºF
Aging: 2029
Allergens: Contains sulfites
Green Practices: EcoStep Wein Plus
Pairing Suggestion: Chicken, turkey, salads, fish and seafood

WINE AND CHEESE PAIRING RECOMMENDATION: Try this cheese with a Gruyère, its firm texture and nutty, slightly savory flavor work really well with Rheingau Riesling’s bright acidity and citrus-driven profile. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

VINEYARD:
August Kesseler’s “R” comes from vineyards in Rüdesheim, Geisenheim & Erbach. The sites are characterized by slate, Taunus quartzite, loess and loam.

VINIFICATION:
Each parcel is vinified separately. Shortly before bottling we are assembling the cuvée. The 2023 vintage has been manufactured in a double stored cellar from 1792.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
When August Kesseler took over his parent’s establishment founded in 1924, he was only 19 years old. Back then, mainly bulk wine was produced and the area covered was not larger than 2.5 hectares. Under August Kesseler’s guidance the estate has become one of the flagships in the Rheingau area. Down to the present day it has also acquired high international reputation. Today the vineyard estate contains 32.5 ha in some of the best Rheingau sites like: Assmannshäuser Höllenberg, Rüdesheim Berg Schlossberg, Lorchhäuser Seligmacher, Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen and many more. They produce 60 % Riesling and 40% Pinot Noir and a member of the VDP and the German Barrique-Forum. Max Himstedt is the estate’s most experienced and ambitious winemaker who pushes forward the production of word class wines. For a couple of years August Kesseler and especially Max Himstedt have been joined by another ambitious and young oenologist: Simon Batarseh. Together with the first two mentioned and the whole team, Simon is going to lead the estate into the future. Thus, the course is set to keep producing quality wines at the highest stage. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © August Kesseler and Vineyard Brands – All Rights Reserved.

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December Sweet Club: Iowa

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Sweet Wine ClubSchloss-Vollrads_QbA_Riesling-BottleShot-bowSchloss Vollrads Estate
Qualitätswein Rheingau
Riesling
Oestrich-Winkel, Germany

NECTAR WINE STYLE

It doesn’t always have to be dry! This Riesling captivates the palate with its full fruit aroma of yellow apples, vineyard peach and white blossoms. With its well-balanced sweetness and acidity, this wine is a real pleasure to drink. Tastes great solo or with spicy, hot dishes.

Varietal: Reisling
Analysis: 9% alcohol / volume
Residual Sugar: 40.7 g/L
Total Acidity: 8.8 g/L
Quality Level: Qualitätswein b.A.
Region: Rheingau, Germany
Winemaker: Ralf Bengel and team
Vinification: 100% Stainless Steel Vinification
Serving Suggestion: A suitable complement to Spicy Asian dishes (soup meat or stir-fry). Well chilled, it also makes an excellent aperitif.

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Pair with a mild blue cheese to complement the fruity notes of this wine. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

Terroir: The soil is a mixture of Taunus quartzite, argillaceous shale and calcareous loess soil. Their vineyard slopes are all south facing, allowing them to capture the best sunshine. The Taunus mountain range offers protection from the northern winds with its forests and creates the ideal conditions for their vines.

Vintage/Winemakers Notes: A great comeback of classic Rheingau Riesling. Schloss Vollrads were able to harvest twice in 2021, once in February and once in October. Sounds unusual but it was not due to climate change. It was due to the fact that they were able to conclude the 2020 vintage with an ice wine harvest on February 10, 2021, a chilly day with -9° C, the Riesling ice wine 2020 was harvested with a good must weight of 189 degree Oechsle. As the year progressed, the weather in 2021 turned out to be very capricious and unpredictable. After three exceptionally hot and dry years, it was finally humid and cooler in 2021. As a result, they had a long winter and a cool spring, which led to a late bud break in the end of April. Humid weather, frequent rain and only a few bright sunny days summed up the weather in summer. Vineyard employees were challenged, and through their enormous effort, they had ensured that losses due to mildew could be avoided. Due to the late bud break, ripening also began later than in previous years, in the last days of August. The grapes had taken their time and the harvest did not begin until October.  Which is a convenient time, because the ripening phase at cooler temperatures allows the Riesling grapes to develop a finely fruity aroma, and the wines can develop into the typical Riesling elegance and filigree.   With a hard-working harvest, the grape quality had developed to the ideal level of Kabinett and Spätlese. With a selective harvest technique, they were able to harvest the vineyards at the right time. The grapes from their prestige sites could be characterized with abundant and mesmerizing aromas, it was then, again with experienced harvest hands, the grapes were carefully selected and picked.

Photo and Information courtesy of © Schloss Vollrads Estate – All Rights Reserved

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October Sweet Club Iowa

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Sweet Wine ClubWilli Haag Juffer RieslingWilli Haag
Juffer Brauneberg Auslese
Grosse Lage Riesling
Mosel, Germany

NECTAR WINE STYLE

Honeysuckle and crushed minerals give a modest introduction to this light-footed Auslese (select harvest) wine. The palate is bursting with ripe flavors of yellow-peach and pineapple. The wine’s sharp, zippy acidity lends balanced to a long finish.

Analysis: 8.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: Riesling
Region: Brauneberg, Mosel, Germany
Critical Acclaim: 91 points – Wine Enthusiast

WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section also pair well with an herbal cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

ABOUT THE WINERY:
The Willi Haag Estate has been in the family more than 500 years – now run by Marcus Haag, the grandson of Willi Haag. Marcus took over the entire management in 1997 after completing his viniculture studies. Today, Marcus combines his family’s wine-making traditions with modern viniculture approaches to produce award winning wines. Learn more about the winery and its vineyards here.

© Photo by Willi Haag Estate
© Photo by Willi Haag Estate
© Photo by Willi Haag Estate
© Photo by Willi Haag Estate
© Photo by Willi Haag Estate

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Summer Wine Tips

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DougFrostInterview with Doug Frost, Master of Wine and Master Sommelier

What wines or sparkling wines do you advise people to select to enjoy over the summer?
First off, I always insist that people should drink whatever they like, and stop worrying about the “right” wine, whatever that is. As the temperature rises, most are thinking of cool, refreshing drinks, and that leaves lots of wine options. For reasonably priced bubbly, Prosecco from Italy and Cava from Spain have been the go-to wines for years. I’m a big German wine fan, and I go through lots of German Rieslings during the summer. The tangy, incipient tartness of Riesling is ideal for a touch of fruity sweetness. When you add that to spicy foods and even tangy BBQ sauces, it’s a surprisingly adept grape.

What white wines do you suggest to pair with popular summertime dishes?
If people use lighter vinaigrettes for their salads, crisp and tangy wines are just ideal. Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino and many Italian white wines make a lovely marriage, especially when you toss some grilled shrimp, fish or chicken on top of the salad.
Grill marks have a certain bitterness, even when they appear on grilled vegetables. Try either a fruity wine to offset the grill marks and the smoke (something fruity like Beaujolais, Dolcetto or Barbera) or use a wine that has a bit of bitterness, like more astringent Italian reds (Sagrantino, Sangiovese or Nebbiolo).

What are your tips for storing wine during the summer months?
Make sure never to leave wine bottles in a hot car. Heat can damage a wine in only a few minutes. If it’s too warm to leave your beloved pet in the car, don’t leave your favorite bottle of wine, either.