Know your étiquette! Wachau Federspiel Riesling
Austria has a very rich wine-growing heritage, and it has made incredible strides in spreading its story over the past few decades. Domäne Wachau is one of the estates that has helped get the message out. Here, I pick up a bottle of Domäne Wachau’s Riesling from the Bruck vineyard to help you decipher the not-so-hidden symbols on a $40-bottle of single-site wine from this special, and highly picturesque, region.
Know your étiquette: Fantasienamen and the Rheingau
We go a little off-piste this week, with a look at something that sits outside the boundaries of the typically prescriptive German labelling laws. Fantasienamen - fantasy names - are what the Germans call fancifully titled cuvées. Now, what’s in the bottle here might be a dry Riesling lover’s fantasy, but there’s nothing weird about it. In fact, this is a fine example of what the best vineyards of the prestigious Rheingau region conjure from this grape variety.
It comes from one of the country’s pace-setters with site-specific dry Riesling, the Georg Breuer estate in Rüdesheim. And Theresa Breuer happens to be a wonderful person with talent to burn.
Know your étiquette! Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Grosses Gewächs
Wine writer and educator Ed Merrison of Vininspo! takes a look behind the label of a prominent European wine to help you decipher clues as to what to expect when you open a bottle. Having discussed the VDP and its Grosses Gewächs classification in somewhat abstract terms, this episode looks at something concrete, or should we say slaty? It’s Dr Loosen’s 2021 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling GG.
Know your étiquette! VDP: Easy as ABC!
Wine writer and educator Ed Merrison of Vininspo! takes a look behind the label of a prominent European wine to help you decipher clues as to what to expect when you open a bottle. This episode focuses on Germany’s VDP organisation to understand its structure and what it means for wine style, quality and providence.
Know your étiquette! Nahe Riesling Spätlese
Wine writer and educator Ed Merrison of Vininspo! takes a look behind the label of a prominent European wine to help you decipher clues as to what to expect when you open a bottle. This episode focuses on Spätlese Riesling from the Nahe in Germany, specifically Dönnhoff’s wine from the Kirschheck vineyard in Norheim.