Grape Spotlight: Rheinhessen QbA Riesling & Art of Earth

The region has been cultivating grapes for wine production at least since ancient Roman occupation. It is also the home to the oldest surviving records of a German vineyard. Named Glöck, the vineyard was included in a deed for a church and vineyards gifted by Carloman – a duke of the Franks of the Carolingian family and the uncle of the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne – to the diocese of Würzburg in 742.  -- wine-searcher.com

Rheinhessen is Germany's largest region for producing the quality wines of the Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) designations, with 26,860 hectares (66,370 acres) of vineyard as of 2019.  Continuing with wine-searcher.com, "Many of its most significant viticultural areas are favorably influenced by the Rhine river, which runs along its north and eastern borders. The Rhine, along with the Nahe river to the west and the Haardt mountains to its south, form a natural border. Rheinhessen covers an area south of Rheingau, north of Pfalz and east of Nahe, and is located within the Rhineland-Palatinate federal state.

Because of its size, Rheinhessen has variety of soil types and climatic influences. Many of the best-known viticultural areas are close to the Rhine, which forms a steeply embanked valley that is able to trap heat, while the river moderates temperature and reflects sunlight.

The Taunus hills, Odenwald, and Hunsrück Mountains shelter vineyards from harsh weather, giving Rheinhessen a mild climate compared to the rest Germany, with a relatively long growing season. Annual precipitation is also relatively low, roughly 500mm, making it one of the country's driest wine producing areas."

The Art of Earth Riesling 2021 ($11.99) is 100% Riesling grown in the Rheinhessen QbA and is available in the United States through Mack & Schuhle. This is an organic wine as signified by the Art of the Earth brand which is the importers "global search for the finest organic vineyards making wines within classic appellations and their traditional varietals for a pure expression of the region. Our wines are true to their origins and winemaking traditions without the use of pesticides or herbicides." These organically grown grapes originated in the slate soils of the Reinhessen and the wine was vinified in the dry, trocken style. Expect plenty of tropical fruit with a mineral driven acidity that races and lifts the fruit's sugar character. 

#TasteTheNew with German Summer Wines

In 1985, just 16% of German Rieslings were dry and German white wines were known for their general sweetness. Since that year, consumers have demanded drier wines and German wine producers have responded accordingly such that as of 2016, 46.3% of German Rieslings were produced in a dry style. Wines of Germany is publicizing this fact; as well as the increased quality and dryness of other white varietal wines such as Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc; through the #TasteTheNew promotion. Partnering with Snooth they are offering a German-4-pack for $47.80 which can be purchased here. And this week Matthew Kaner (Wine Director & Partner of Good Measure LA, Bar Covell, Augustine Wine Bar, and Dead or Alive Bar) led a discussion and sampling of these wines for various influencers. Here are my thoughts on the wines. Cheers.

Borell-Diehl Muller-Thurgau 2017, Pfalz ($12.99)
Muller-Thurgau was developed by Hermann Müller of the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882 by crossing Riesling and Madeleine Royale - the latter an early ripening table grape. The grape eventually became one of the most widely planted grape varieties in Germany as farmers planted over deflated sugar beets. they found that Muller-Thurgau basically grows like a weed and provides generous yields. Today wineries such as Borell-Diehl crop yields to enhance quality and plant in appropriate locations regarding elevation and soil chemistry. The vines are also grown without systemic pesticides or herbicides and are dry farmed - no irrigation in the vineyards. The resulting wine is delicious heavy with lemon-lime fruit, wet stone, and abundant acids. Kaner recommends enjoying this bargain with oysters.

Koehler Ruprecht Pinot Blanc 2016, Pfalz ($20)
The Pfalz region of Germany has a long history of viticulture where traces of winemaking have been found in Celtic graves as far back as 550 BC. In contemporary history, the Koehler-Ruprecht winery is one of the oldest in the area continually producing wine since the 1700's. Inspired by his grandfather, current winemaker Bernd Phillipi utilizes similar methods as Borell-Diehl with no irrigation, fertilizers or herbicides and systemic treatments against pests or fungal illness are kept to a minimum. In the cellar, Phillipi utilizes long spontaneous fermentations in large, old German oak barrels with extended lees contact. Pinot Blanc shows that this technique produces fuller and creamier white wines without oak influences penetrating into the wine's profile. The wine is floral, creamy, with green apples and lively acidity. Excellent.

Weinreich Basisweiss Pinot Gris 2017, Rheinhessen ($12)
In German speaking countries, Pinot Gris goes by Grauburgunder and specifically in Germany as Ruländer named after Johann Ruland -- who in 1711 discovered wild Pinot Gris vines in a now non-existent vineyard.  Marc and Nina Weinreich created a certified organic version labelled Grauburgunder that is an absolute steal. For $12 you receive a fantastic wine with layers of creamy

Von Winning ‘Winnings' Riesling 2015, Pfalz
Riesling is Germany’s most widely-planted grape variety and the 'Winnings' explains why the dry style is the current rage.  Although the wine is vinified dry, its character oscillates between sweet and dry with tart lemon, steely minerals and acids. The grapes are grown on the Von Winning Grosses Gewächs vineyards -- these GG sites are considered the best vineyard plots according to the German VDP classification system that is overseen by a group of producers called the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP). Winemaker Stephan Attman employs a minimalist approach in the cellar naturally fermenting the juice in oak and the gravity flow creates a "distinctive indigenous and very elegant style". I agree,

Angel Funding Wine Makers Through NakedWines.com

Crowd Sourcing has been a capital raising phenomenon for a number of years and NakedWines.com has leveraged that idea to fund dozens of winemakers across the globe. This capital is available to the winemakers up-front to use how they deem appropriate whether in acquiring grapes, vineyard support, or the physical production of the wine. The source for the funds are over 100,000 Angels or subscribers to NakedWines.com. These customers deposit $40 a month into their account and have access to the funded wines at 40-60% off the retail price. And Angels can always withdraw their funds at any time. That's a nice deal, specifically for these value wines produced throughout the world. Recently NakedWines.com sent me a sampler pack of mostly German inspired wines to verify the quality and value of their service. Impressive.

Bruno Santa Lucia Highlands Riesling 2016 ($18.99, Angels $10.99). Made by Richard Bruno, a 20 year veteran with stints at Francis Ford Coppola and Don Sebastiani, this wine is sourced from a cool climate vineyard near Big Sur. It is a quite unique Riesling - crisp tropical fruit, but a creamy honey middle, then finishing with long with light acids.

Petit Villebois Sauvignon Blanc 2016 ($19.99, Angels $11.99) by Joost de Villebois is a contrast to New Zealand. This Loire Valley wine is bright with citrus (but no lemongrass) and minerals on the palate and finishing with fresh acids. Villebois mentions that they Green Harvest - a thinning method used to decrease the crop yields and improve the flavor concentration of the remaining grape bunches - and utilize a technique called 'effeuillage' - the reduction of leaves to increase the sun and light exposure of the grapes.

The next four wines were made by Gerd Stepp, a 25 year veteran who; after working in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Tuscany Italy, Stellenbosch South Africa, and the UK; eventually returned home to Germany's Pfalz wine region. This region contains over 56,000 acres of vineyards and is noted for its fruit-driven wines with a distinctive stony character.

Stepp Pinot Blanc 2016 ($21.99, Angels $12.99). This is a fantastic wine, crisp and floral with a wet rock mineral character. Plenty of acids too.

Stepp Pfalz Riesling 2016 ($24.99, Angels $13.99) A German driven Riesling with petrol, floral, and mineral characters; plus racy acids.

Stepp Pinot Gris 2016 ($24.99, Angels $13.99) Powerful aromas, fleshy citrus, and bright acids. Another Pinot Gris that is enticing back to this grape variety.

Stepp Pinot Noir *8* Pfalz 2016 ($29.99, Angels $17.99) Chalky, dusty, and spices. Balances with red fruit and appropriate tannins. Nicely done.

Ernst Loosen Discusses Dry Riesling

The Mosel Valley is one of the few areas where phylloxera won't survive in its porous sandy soils. Thus vines are planted "ungrafted" on original rootstock. And many of these ungrafted vines are well over 100 years old. These were a few of the many facts I learned from Ernst Loosen during a recent Dry Riesling seminar at Cork Wine Bar. During this event, the popular and influential owner of Germany's Dr. Loosen winery discussed his family's history, the topography of Mosel as well as Pfalz (home to his Villa Wolf brand) and poured many delicious dry Rieslings.

In the Mosel Valley, vineyards are generally steep, south facing, and in many cases comprised of red or blue slate soils. Ernst spent considerable time discussing these slate soils -- particularly with a map displaying vineyards by soil type. Besides being well drained and nutrient poor (forcing the roots to dig deep), the slate also radiates heat creating mini micro-climates. The vineyards are also protected from "foul" weather drifting over from France by the Rhenish-Westphalian Slate Mountains. And as stipulated by an edict from the 1700s, only Riesling can be grown in the Mosel Valley.

Ernst also discussed the Dr. Loosen pedigree as the estate has been in the same family for 200 years. His grandparents had two separate estates and these were joined by marriage with the current winery coming from his grandmother's holdings. Interestingly one side of the family only produced dry Rieslings whereas the other only sweeter versions. Today, the winery's six major vineyards are designated as “Erste Lage” -- equivalent to grand cru -- as designated in the 1868 Prussian classification of Mosel vineyards.  Wines from these estates are designated single-vineyard whereas all other Dr. Loosen wines are labeled as estate wines. 

Ernst also stressed how Dr. Loosen Rieslings can age, both in the bottle as well as in the large oak casks used for fermenting and aging. In fact, through a friend of his grandfather's he learned about a method of extreme aging.. He conducted his own experiment and by creating a reductive environment with continual topping off and making sure the yeast were still active, he was able to validate that a wine could age 17 years in cask was still by lively and vibrant. The extended maturation in the cask, on full lees, stabilizes the wine naturally and provides time for it to develop structure and deeper complexity.  Seventeen years is by no means a standard practice but they do age most of their Rieslings on the lees for at least a year -- and usually for two.

2014 Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry ($12)
This is the winery's entry level wine made from contracted fruit that Dr. Loosen's vineyard manager oversees. Most of these vineyards reside in blue slate soils. For such an inexpensive wine there is a pronounced floral aroma, a touch of minerals and racy acids.

2014 Dr. Loosen “Red Slate” Riesling Dry ($18)
This wine is made from red slate estate vineyards in Erden and Ürzig and fermented on its less for 12 months in the 3,000-liter oak casks. This is a richer, rounder, and more elegant wine, with intense minerals that compliment the citrus profile. The finish is more subdued but plenty refreshing.

2013 Wehlener Sonnenuhr (The Sundial of Wehlen) Riesling GG Alte Reben ($54)
This single vineyard GG wine comes from the steep and rocky blue slate vineyard (VAY-len-er ZON-en-ooer) where the vines are well over 100 years old. The wine is fermented and aged in traditional 1,000-liter Fuder casks on less for one year. The result is a full bodied, yet feminine wine showing more apple over citrus and still plenty of acids for a refreshing finish. Ernst refers to this wine as a graceful ballet dancer.

2012 Erdener Treppchen (The Little Staircase of Erden) Riesling GG Alte Reben ($54)
Long ago, in order to tend the vines, workers built stone steeps into the hillside of this red slate vineyard. Ernst referred to this wine as a "mountain climber", not only referencing the stone steps, but also because it is a muscular wine - complex and intense. There is also a considerable mineral content - almost minty in flavor that helps transition the wine from its wet stone aroma to the finish.

2013 Ürziger Würzgarten (The Spice Garden of Ürzig) Riesling GG Alte Reben ($54)
The steep Ürziger Würzgarten (ERTS-ih-ger VERTS-gar-ten) vineyard was planted in red volcanic soil over 100+ years ago. Like the other GG wines, this one is fermented and aged in Fuder cask for one year before bottling. The herbal aroma is overpowering with the palate exploding with tropical and mineral driven flavors. Another intense offering.

2012 Ürziger Würzgarten (The Spice Garden of Ürzig) Riesling GG Alte Reben Reserve ($92)
 This reserve wine is the same fruit from the previous wine, but kept in oak for 24 months and then aged a year in the bottle before release. Whereas the GG version was intense, this wine is smooth and elegant - almost delicate. The acids are soft, but still refreshing. Fantastic.

#WineStudio Presents Germany’s Lesser Known Varieties: Pinot Noir & Lemberger

Moving on to our third #WineStudio Session XII – Germany’s Lesser Known Varieties from the Rudi Wiest Selections Portfolio session. This week Protocol Wine Studio & Rudi Wiest Selections featured two red wines, the Friedrich Becker Family Pinot Noir 2011 ($20) and Schnaitmann 2011 Lemberger ($20).





In Germany, Pinot Noir is known as Spatburgunder and for the past decade one of the top producers - according to Gault & Millau - is the Friedrich Becker Family. As the name implies, this operation is a family affair. Fritz Sr. took over the estate from his father in 1973 and in 2005 Fritz Jr. took over the winemaking responsibilities while his father continues to manage the vineyard. Fritz Jr. is now the 7th generation family winemaker. Almost 70% of their vineyards are located in Alsace, a historical anomaly since the family vineyards have crossed the French-Germany border several times. Since the end of WWII, the Becker’s vineyards are actually straddling these two countries. One of these vineyard sites is Kammerberg (GG), a steep single vineyard near Wissembourg that the family recovered  in 1966. The other site is St. Paul (Grand Cru), which was first cultivated in the 14^th century by the Cistercian Monks of Wissembourg. "German growers with holdings between Schweigen-Rechtenbach and Wissembourg are permitted to market the wines produced from their “French” grapes under the German appellation Sonnenberg." (German Wine)  And 80% of the Becker Family 2011 Pinot Noir are sourced from the limestone rich Schweigener Sonnenberg region. The wine  starts with a dark fruit aroma, then velvety, chewy, cherry flavors on the palette turning to an earthy barnyard; and finishing with very soft tannins. This is a very approachable wine. 

Schnaitmann Winery also produces a well received Pinot Noir, but for this tasting we focused on their 2011 Lemberger.  Rainer Schnaitmann is a relative newcomer to the Germany industry having operated for only 15 years. The vineyard is located in Württemberg where 80% of the grapes planted are red grapes - quite a unique situation in Germany. According to our hosts, "Lemberger is cultivated almost exclusively in Württemberg, where it accounts for more than 14% of the region's vineyard area. Lemberger is a black skinned grape variety. It buds early, ripens late & thrives best in a warm environment to fully mature." In many instances Lemberger wines are very similar to Pinot Noir with more dark fruit flavors and a little more spice on the tail. This completely describes the Schnaitmann 2011 Lemberger. The nose opens with dark fruit and licorice, followed by a creamy blackberry flavor, finishing with a slight spicy character.My favorite characteristic of Lemberger or Blaufränkisch.

Thanks to Protocol Wine Studio and Rudi Wiest Selections for an interesting and enjoyable three weeks of tasting:

#WineStudio Presents Germany’s Lesser Known Varieties: Silvaner and Scheurebe

#WineStudio Presents Germany’s Lesser Known Varieties: Pinot Gris & Pinot Blanc

#WineStudio Presents Germany’s Lesser Known Varieties: Pinot Gris & Pinot Blanc

Moving on to our second #WineStudio Session XII – Germany’s Lesser Known Varieties from the Rudi Wiest Selections Portfolio session. This week Protocol Wine Studio & Rudi Wiest Selections featured two more white wines, the 2012 Rebohlz Estate Pinot Blanc and the 2012 Graf von Schonbom - Schloss Hallburg Estate Pinot Gris.

We started our tasting with the 2012 Rebohlz Estate Pinot Blanc ($20) and honestly it was gone before I blinked. Darn dinner guests. No wonder winemaker Hans-Jörg Rebholz was chosen Winemaker of the Year in 2002 and the estate was awarded Collection of the Year in the Gault-Millau 2013. In fact, the Rebholz name translates to “wood of the vine” and the family has been involved in viticulture since the 16th century, with the current winery belonging to the family for the past 100 years. And according to Protocal Wine Studio, "Rebholz has lately become the prime source for naturally made, terroir-driven, dry wines in Germany". The estate, “South-Pfalz”, contains 70 plus year old vines thriving in limestone soils and farmed bio-dynamically. Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder in German) is a genetic mutation of Pinot Noir and a late-ripening, thin-skinned, tight-clustered grape.  The 2012 Rebohlz starts with white fruit and stoney minerals on the nose with the earthiness continuing on the palette along with a creamy peach-lemon flavor. There is great acidity in the tail - real refreshing. Quite a nice wine. One other note - winemaker's Hans-Jörg's handwriting is the "font" written into the label.

In our previous post we reviewed the 2011 Graf von Schönborn – Schloss Hallburg Silvaner Dry, Estate ($20) and for this week we turned to the same winery's 2012 Graf von Schonbom - Schloss Hallburg Pinot Gris ($20).  The estate is farmed organically and is mainly gypsum marl, gravely loess, and clay. The Pint Gris exudes a lemony peach aroma followed by minerality and depth on the palette, and another refreshing acidic finish. I used to think Pinot Gris was too bland; not the Schloss Hallburg.

Next up, reds Lemberger and Pinot Noir. Cheers.

#WineStudio Presents Germany’s Lesser Known Varieties: Silvaner and Scheurebe

Every Tuesday I normally tune into Protocol Wine Studio's #WineStudio Twitter chat in order to learn about under appreciated wine regions and wine grapes. For the next few weeks, I'm more enticed about the sessions since I've received a package of wine from Rudi Wiest Selections to accompany they latest topics: #WineStudio Session XII – Germany’s Lesser Known Varieties from the Rudi Wiest Selections Portfolio. For the next few weeks we will learn about the German production of Silvaner, Scheurebe, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Lemberger from the forgotten wine regions of Franken, Pfalz, and Württemberg. Pretty cool.

Last night we started with the Silvaner and Scheurebe wines from Franken, a region located in northwest Bavaria and the only wine region in the federal state of Bavaria. It is an old wine region, dating back more than 1,000 years and known for dry white wines - Fränkisch trocken (Franconian dry). Many times Franconian wines can be identified from the short, rounded and flattened bottle called Bocksbeutel.

We started with the 2011 Graf von Schönborn – Schloss Hallburg Silvaner Dry, Estate (Franken) $20. For those unfamiliar with Silvaner, it is the offspring of a spontaneous crossing of Traminer and Österreichisch Weiss (literally Austrian White) and was once the most planted grape variety in Germany. Silvaner is considered a blank canvas for the expression of the specific vineyard. Schloss Hallburg is currently practicing organic farming (should be certified in 2015) where the vineyards consist of gypsum marl, limestone, gravely loess/loam and layers of clay soil. The result is a dry wine with powerful peach aromas leading to a saline green apple flavor, finishing with a lemon and citrus slightly acidity tail. A noticeably less acidic finish than Riesling, but enough to balance the fruit and minerals - in the words of  Protocol Wine Sudio "elegant, but not pretentious".

We moved on to the real suprise of the evening, the 2012 Wirsching Scheurebe Dry, Iphöfer (Franken) $27. Scheurebe (shoy-ray-beh) was bred in 1916 by Prof. Georg Scheu and is a cross of Riesling and an unknown wild grape. (The pairing was previously thought as Riesling & Silvaner, but modern DNA eliminated Silvaner while confirming Riesling.) The result is a Riesling type wine known as  "Riesling’s evil, horny twin.” -- Terry Theise. The Wirsching Estate has an interesting history, now in its 14th generation, the Wirsching family has been making wine since the 1630's. But it wasn't always predestined. In the late 19th century the vineyards were ravaged by the phylloxera plague that devastated the European wine industry. The patriarch at that time was Andreas Wirsching, who passed away at an early age - possibly ending the family's winemaking tradition. But after WWI, his son Hans returned from the war and replanted the entire vineyards by hand using American rootstocks. In the early 1950's Hans obtained Scheurebe cuttings and planted them into their Kronsberg vineyard. Today Wirsching is among the best known & largest wine estates in Franconia. As for the 2012 Scheurebe, the nose is powerful - combination of tropical fruit and lemon - followed by a pineapple flavor. I mean - a big flavor, finishing with refreshing acidity. This is a very cool wine, ready to pair with your favorite Asian or spicy dishes.  

Next Up, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Cheers.

Learning about Wurzelwerk with German & Austrian Riesling

This week I was invited to an intimate tasting of German and Austrian wine hosted by Rudi Wiest Selection, the "leading importer of fine German wines in the United States market".  The tasting was held at B Too, the latest restaurant from Chef Bart Vandaele (Belga Café) and featured wine from three young winemakers who have just ascended to the wine making thrones for their respective family operations: Johannes Hasselbach, Gunderloch in Nackenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany; Max von Kunow, von Hövel in Oberemmel, Mosel, Germany; and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Jurtschitsch in Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria.  These three are not only friends, but family considering that Hasselbach's sister, and initial heir to the family's wine making venture, married Jurtschitsch with von Kunow serving as his best man. Before taking over their respective wineries, each traveled and interned at wineries from Australia and New Zealand to Canada. And surprisingly, a common thread was that each winery had become quite large under their parents such that the new wine makers turned towards more traditional methods. For instance Alwin Jurtschitsch re-introduced more organic farming methods and Johannes Hasselbach to

Since these three obviously spend quite some time together discussing and sampling wine, one topic that constantly surfaced was a particular wine the result of the vineyard site or actions by the winemaker.  They decided to experiment and shared a portion of their 2012 grapes (the first year each took over operations) grown in their grand cru vineyards in a project called Wurzelwerk or root work.  Each then made three separate wines using the grapes from each winery.  They attempted to eliminate by letting the grapes ferment outside using the yeast clinging to the grape's skins.  The result, I don't know. I was unavailable for the evening event which featured these wines but will link to Christian Schiller who posted about the project here.

Instead this lunch focused on two wines from each winemaker from their estate grapes.  We started the lunch with the Jurtschitsch Grüner Veltliner Loiserberg 2012 Kamptal DAC Reserve, Erste Lage and 2011 Zobinger Heiligenstein Kamptal Reserve Reisling, with Alwin introducing us to their 150 year old winery. The winery itself includes a 700 year old cellar and is located in the Kamptal DAC,  northwest of Vienna and west of . The steep hills of Heiligenstein ("holy rock") contain a unique blend of desert sandstone and volcanic soil which adds a salty minerality to the Riesling - a perfect match with our oysters appetizer. The Riesling also possessed a green apple flavor with plenty of acidity accumulated from the cool nights. The Grüner Veltliner has a more floral aroma, with a silky texture after being fermented in neutral oa and spending 10 months on its lees. These are two delicious wines.

We then moved to the two Rieslings from Gunderloch, with Johannes describing the winery's three vineyards sites situated above the Rhine river and the 120 year family history operating the winery.  An interesting story is that the harvest help has traditionally come from Poland, and as that country has become wealthier, the Polish workers still arrive for harvest, now using their vacation time to pick grapes. The first Riesling was the "entry" level 2012 Estate Dry Riesling ($15), but there was nothing entry level about this wine. It's a blend of grapes from the three vineyard sites and starts with green apples finishing in firm acidity. Very tasty and refreshing. The second wine was my favorite of the lunch, the 2012 Gunderloch Riesling Dry GG, Pettenthal ($42). The Pettenthal is the only site on the Rhine with red clay soil and this single vineyard wine is equally fruity and acidic. But it's the creamy texture that allows the wine to melt in your mouth.

The final presentation was given by Max von Kunow who brought along one von Hövel produced by his father and a second of his. The von Hovel estate was a acquired from Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 ( a mini Louisiana Mosel Purchase) and Max is the 7th generation wine maker. Before Bonaparte confiscated the land, the manor house and cellar was the retreat for St. Maximin and are over 800 years old. And the wines match the winery's amazing history, these extremely low alcohol wines (7.5%-8%) are extremely fruity with a sense of sugar - yet 100% bone dry. The elder Kunow's wine was the 2008 von Hovel Riesling Kabinett, Scharzhofberger ($15) and has a peachy-apricot flavor, followed by a creamy mid and a refreshing acidic finish.  The younger Kunow's 2012 von Hovel Riesling Spatlese Dry, Estate ($35) is all tropical fruit, again a creamy mid, with balanced acidity. There's no way these flavors come from an 8% alcohol dry wine. Pretty amazing.

If you have a chance to find these wines from Rudi Wiest Selection or a retailer, grab them. I learned today that the 2008 von Hovel Riesling Kabinett, Scharzhofberger is available online at Last Bottle. And I hope to post more on the Wurzelwerk project. Cheers to German and Austrian wine.

Notaviva Vineyards Hosts Melodies of the Danube 2015 - a European River Cruise

Stephen Mackey, owner of the Virginia winery Notaviva Vineyards (Purcellville), is hosting a wine and music European river cruise next year - where travelers can enjoy fine European and Virginia vinifera and Central European music. The Melodies of the Danube 2015 starts in romantic Budapest where you spend the day touring Buda and Pest. I highly recommend an hour in the Central Market Hall and the Tokaji wine bar.  Learn to appreciate dry Furmint as I did many years ago. Also, if you have a chance to sample Soproni Kekfrankos or anything from Villany - drink it.

From Hungary, the boat travels to Austria and while gently cruising along the Danube, Mackey will be leading several wine lectures throughout the journey.  He will be pouring wine from Notaviva and showcasing why Virginia is a rising wine region as well as leading comparative tasting between the Virginia and Austrian wine.

1) Onboard Wine Tasting - "Austrian Varietals in America" Host Stephen Mackey leads a discussion of Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt and Gruner Veltliner. Enjoyed with Notaviva Vineyards "Vierzig" Blaufrankisch inspired by Mozart's 40th symphony.

2) Onboard Wine Lecture #1 - "Wine and Music Pairing Experience" -- Led by host Stephen Mackey, guests will enjoy two blind tastings of Virginia wines, accompanied by diverse music playlists and and engaging, interactive evaluation of how various musical genres accompany different wine styles. Includes discussion on the science of cognitive neurology and emotional receptors as they relate to the sensory perception of wine.

3) Onboard Wine Lecture #2 - "Introduction to Music Theory" -- Enjoy a carefully chosen selection of Virginia and Austrian wines while host Stephen Mackey analyzes works from Beethoven, Mozart and Strauss and explains the core technical elements of Western music such as melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, dynamics, form and tone color. Each composer's work will be paired with an appropriate wine, and there will be fun quizzes and prizes!

4) Paired Wine Dinner - "Ottantotto" barrel-fermented Viognier, "Vierzig" (Mozart) Blaufrankisch, "Ode to Joy" (Beethoven) Meritage

5) Onboard Wine Lecture #3 - "TasteLive!" -- Host Stephen Mackey will conduct the first-of-its-kind live International tasting of Austrian and Virginia wines from the ship while connected via social media and video conferencing with passengers' friends, family and Virginia wine industry colleagues back in Loudoun at the Notaviva Vineyards tasting room.

Wachau - courtesy of AWMB / Gerhard Elze

The boat spends four days in Austria - Vienna, Krebs, Durnstein, and Linz where the spotlight remains on wine but the classical music of Strauss and Mozart as well as traditional folk music are introduced. There are several opportunities to explore medieval villages and sample wine from various Austrian wine regions: Wein, Wachau, Kremstal, Wagram, and more. Here you will get your fill of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, and perhaps a smooth Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder). The final destination is Passau, Germany where Octoberfest and beer come into play. And for even more fun, AMAwaterways, the host travel agency, is also offering pre and post cruise tours of Budapest, Munich, and Prague. To learn more about the host winery, Notaviva Vineyards, check out this profile in Northern Virginia Magazine. Cheers and happy
cruising.