A Rosé From Germany

When we look for a good rosé, we often rely on Provence. There is nothing wrong with that at all, of course. However, would it surprise you to find a high quality rosé that was produced in Germany? It surprised me. 

The 2022 Emma Reichart Rheinhessen Pinot Noir Rosé is a steal at just $5 at Trader Joe's. Alcohol sits at 12% abv. The grapes were grown in Rheinhessen, the biggest of Germany's 13 wine regions. Thankfully, on the label the Pinot Noir does not go by its German name of Spätburgunder.

This rosé has a lovely rose petal pink shade in the glass. The nose offers red fruit, such as cherries and raspberries, along with citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit. The palate has some heft for a pink wine, and it drinks like a rosato. Acidity is fresh but not overpowering and the finish is lengthy and pleasant. For the money, it is a fine rosé.

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German Riesling On A Budget

When I brought the Schmitt Söhne Riesling out of the grocery bag, the blue bottle caused my wife to say, 'What do you have there, Blue Nun?' No, but close. The wine is cited on the front label as being 'crisp and fruity,' and that is a fairly accurate description. 

The Schmitt Söhne winery has a line of five Rieslings, ranging from dry to quite sweet. This one falls in the middle. The Riesling grapes come from regions that will be familiar to fans of the grape - Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and Rheinhessen, mainly. This wine's alcohol level hits only 9.5% abv and the price sticker is less than $10.

This wine has a pale yellow tint once it's out of the blue bottle. The scent of stone fruit and honey dominates the nose, with traces of citrus minerality coming through. The palate has plenty of the fruit and enough acidity to make things interesting. The off-dry style is not a favorite of mine, but this wine would serve very well in a pairing with seafood or salad or as a sipper before dinner. 

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Two Incredible German Riesling Wines

Two wonderful Riesling wines have come my way as part of an online virtual tasting event, each of which demonstrate what there is to love about the different styles of Riesling wine.

Many consumers have a difficult time buying Riesling wines, in part because of the labeling of German wines.  American Riesling producers often put a "sweetness meter" on the label, to help show the wine buyer what's in the bottle.  That is a seldom-seen help on German bottlings.

Schloss Johannisberg bills themselves on the label and the website as "the first Riesling wine estate of the world," born from "1200 years of wine culture."  During the 18th century, the grapes were brought back from harvest to the winery late, infected with noble rot.  Surprise … they liked it that way.  They liked it so much, they put up a statue of the tardy grape carrier.  This wine has an extremely low alcohol content of 8% abv.  It retails for $60.

The 2016 Schloss Johannisberg Rheingau Grünlack Spätlese Riesling wine is made from late-harvested grapes, so it is sweet (spätlese.)  However, it is sweet in a different way than a dessert wine is sweet.  There is no layered sugar, no raisiny note.  I get the sweetness of the grapes, but also the minerals which accompany them.  Stone fruit is apparent, as is the smell of a wet driveway, a whiff of ozone and the faint petrol notes that begin to show in Rieslings over time.  This may be one of the best sweet examples of the grape that I have had. 

The 2018 Schloss Johannisberg Silberlack Trocken is Rheingau Riesling done in the dry style (trocken.)  The wine has a higher, but still quite reasonable alcohol content of 12.5% abv.  It retails for $90.

This wine is dry.  Its nose gives minerals, apricot, a bit of lemon and some slate.  On the palate, acidity is fresh and the minerality is up front.  It is a great Riesling to pair with oysters or crab cakes.  

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