German wine plays the field

German Ambassador Rolf Schulze recently hosted a tasting of wines from his homeland at his residence. On offer were the best of four Rhine River wineries – Weingut Allendorf of Rheingau, Weingut Fuerst Castell of Franken, Weingut Berweiler-Pauly of Mosel and Weingut Schales of Rheinhessen.
On arrival, the guests were served Allendorf Raffinesse Brut Sekt and Frenzi Fraenkischer Frizzante from Fuersrlich Castell, which were refreshing and well suited to a hot climate.
Schulze toasted 150 years of friendly relations between Germany and Thailand before winemaker Ullrich Allendorf of Weingut Fritz Allendorf introduced each wine.
German soil began growing wine grapes 2,000 years ago, when still part of the Roman Empire. Today almost 140 grapes are cultivated, of which around two dozen are important in the market.
Of course northern white wine predominates – led by Riesling and Mueller-Thurgau – but there are also the reds, German Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Dornfelder, originating further south, in Wuerttemberg and Baden.
Ecological growing practices are catching on, and German quality management is subject to complete control. An independent commission checks everything before release. Such control means that German wine isn’t as “consumer-friendly” as that of other countries. You have to study the label before you buy to ensure you’re getting the right quality.
The ambassador’s tasting covered everything from dry Riesling and Silvaner and fruity samples to Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir) and sweet wines such as Riesling Auslese, Riesling Spaelese, Rieslaner Beerenauslese and Gelber Muskatelller.
The wineries are old but now modernised, such as Weingut Allendorf, founded in the 11th century. Only in 1773 did the tradition of family wineries begin. Monks and aristocrats did the work prior to that.
In the 18th century Rheingau was credited with first recognising the value of harvesting the crop at various stages of ripeness, from which “Praedikat” – superior quality – evolved. Like others, the family primarily banks on its Rheingauer Riesling.
Allendorf introduced Fruehling Riesling medium dry, which set a new standard in whites. Then in 1981 the Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir) was planted, to produce notable red wines, two of which we tasted.
One was Pinot Noir Red Dry 2008, which was light and fruity, and the other Pinot Noir Rose Fruity 2010, which was quite refreshing. Rheingau is famous for its whites, but the Pinot Noir did not disappoint at all.
Weingut Fuerst Castell dates to 1057. The owners today are particularly proud of their Silvaner plantation, under cultivation since 1659. We tried Casteller Hoenart Silvaner Kabinett Dry 2009 and Castell-Castell Rivaner (Mueller-Thurgau) Dry 2010. Both were fuller-bodied than wines from other areas, and dubbed the “most masculine” of Germany’s wines due to the climate in Franken.
The Riesling plantation in Castell was first noted in 1832. Besides other varieties, the family focuses on Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Spaetburgunder. Since 1972 they also produce sparkling wine – the aperitif that greeted us.
Weingut Pauly-Bergweiler began production in the 16th century on the Mosel River, which flows into the Rhine. Wines from the Mosel and its tributaries share a family resemblance: the fragrance of spring blossoms, pale colour, light body and refreshing, fruit acidity.
We tasted Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese 2010 and Wehlener Kloster Riesling Spaetlese 2010. The latter has less residual sugar than Auslese, but Thais might find both a little too sweet.
Rieslaner is a cross between Riesling and Silvaner, as we learned while sampling the Schales Rieslaner Beerenauslese 2005 along with Schales Gelber Muskateller (yellow Muscat) Dry 2010 from Weingut Schales in Rheinhessen.
Schales looks back on eight generations of winemaking over two centuries in Germany’s largest wine region. In fact, many Germany’s aromatic, early-ripening new crossings were bred there.
The Rieslaner was soft, fragrant and medium-bodied with mild acidity, a pleasant and easy-to-drink wine. Most of us agreed that the Beerenauslese was too sweet to drink alone.