Join us this week as we take you from Germany's Mosel Valley to Austria's Kamptal!
Four brilliant white wines, and yes, they are DRY!
German winegrowers produce some of the world’s most distinctive and aromatically pure white wines. The country’s best known and widely grown grape is the Riesling, which at its best is used for aromatic, fruity and elegant white wines that range from very crisp and dry to well-balanced, sweet and of enormous aromatic concentration. Rieslings account for almost two thirds of the country’s total wine production, while the country’s dark-skinned grape varietals are primarily used for the production of Spatburgunder, the domestic name for Pinot Noir.
Germany’s viticulture dates back to Ancient Roman times, sometime from the 1st to 4th century, when western portions of today’s Germany made up the outpost of the Roman Empire. Many grape varietals most commonly associated with German wines, including the Reisling and Pinot Noir, date back to the 14th and 15th century. The most grown variety in medieval Germany was however Elbling, with Silvaner also being common, and Muscat, Reuschling and Traminer also being recorded.
Germany’s 13 primary wine-producing regions produce approximately 1.2 billions bottles per year, which places Germany as the eighth largest wine-producing country in the world. It is also one of the most northern major winegrowing regions, on the same latitude with Winipeg, Canada, and therefore has a shorter wine-growing season. The 13 main regions, but we'll focus on two of the most renowned:
Nahe – situated around the river Nahe where volcanic origins give very varied soils that yield mixed grape varieties but the best known producers primarily grow Riesling, some of which have achieved world reputation in recent years.
Mosel – located along the River Moselle (Mosel) and its tributaries, dominated by Riesling grapes grown in dramatic-looking steep vineyards directly overlooking the rivers. Known for wine that is light in body, crisp, of high acidity and with pronounced mineral character, Mosel is the only region to stick to Riesling wine with noticeable residual sweetness as the “standard” style, although AMAZING dry wines are also produced. I have many fond memories of traveling by train and car (and boat) through this quaint, picturesque area which is almost as perfect as a Disneyland backdrop.
Austria
The eastern half of Austria is the winemaking center for this country whose history proves a passion for winemaking dating back thousands of years. Austrian wines are mostly dry white wines (often made from the Gruner Veltliner grape), as well as some dense sweet dessert wines (made from the ancient Welschriesling). About 30% of Austria’s wines are red, made from the Blaufr-nkisch, Pinot Noir and locally bred varieties such as Zweigelt, which is used in nearly half of the country’s red wine.
Despite a winemaking history that dates back to the Roman Empire, Austria’s wine industry suffered a tremendous blow during the ‘antifreeze scandal’ of 1985, when it was revealed that some wine brokers had been adulterating their wines with diethylene glycol. The scandal destroyed the market for Austrian wine, but in the long term has been a force for good, compelling Austria to tackle low standards of bulk wine production and shift its wine culture towards an emphasis quality. Today Austria lies 17th in the list of wine producing countries by volume, but the wines are now of a quality that can take on – and beat – the best in the world. Nearly three quarters of Austria’s wines are purchased domestically, however its export market has improved significantly as its wines have achieved worldwide respect and recognition
Austria’s wine producing country is divided into 4 wine growing regions, but let's focus on Steirerland and the Kamptal - though many of you might associte the country with the Wagram and Bergenland regions.
area. and Carnuntum, can be divided into three climatic zones: the Weinviertel in the north, the Danube area to the west of Vienna and the Pannonian Nieder-sterreich in the southeast.
In the Kamptal, volcanic soils imparts a distinctive character to the wines, resulting in specialities such as Weinburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Chardonnay, plus elegant red wines.
Steiermark (Styria) is known for producing the freshest and most elegant Austrian wines. All three Styrian wine-growing areas lie more or less in the southern part of this federal state. In the Sausal and along the South Styrian Wine Road, Sauvignon Blanc and Muskateller hold court, made from a critically acclaimed Traminer. The most abundant Styrian wine, the Welschriesling, is known for its lovely green apple bouquet. The region also produces more bodied wines in the Pinot family.
THIS WEEK, we'll be focusing on 4 white wines from Nahe and the Mosel in Germany, along with two wines from Austria's Steiermark and Kamptal regions!
Snap these up... as these are ALL pre-season and LIMITED.
Schlossgut Diel
Riesling Feinherb "Von der Nahe" 2018 - $26 bottle
Nahe, Germany
Selbach-Oster
Pinot Blanc 2019 - $27 bottle
Mosel, Germany
Weingut Karl & Gustav Strauss
Ried Gamlitzberg Sauvignon Blanc 2019 - $26 bottle
Südsteiermark, Austria
Weingut Brundlmayer
Langenlois Ried Loiserberg 1 OTW Gruner Veltliner 2019 - $40
Kamptal, Austria
4pack - $119.00 regular
5% off - $113.05 this week!
