The Great Dry Whites of Germany!
3/21/2008 -
The great dry wines of Germany, labeled Grosses Gewachs or Erstes Gewachs or Trocken, feinherb or halbtrocken are some of Europe's best white wine values. These wines originate in the greatest vineyards and are rated according to ripeness just like the classically fruity wines. (Kabinett, Spatlese and Auslese) In addition Grosses Gewachs and Erstes Gewachs must be of at least Spatlese level ripeness. Here is the easiest description from the VDP website of Grosses Gewachs. I would try and describe it but this says it perfectly.
Wines from the best vineyards of Germany
Dry wines are designated Grosses Gewächs**
Fruity wines with natural sweetness are denoted by the traditional Prädikats
A site's absolutely finest, narrowly demarcated parcels with discernible terroir qualities.
Designated grape varieties and taste profiles. Maximum yield of 50hl/ha. Selective harvesting by hand. Minimum must weight equivalent to Spätlese. First release on 1 September the year after harvest for white wines, red wines a year later
When compared to White Burgundies or White Rhônes these wines are right up there in complexity, richness, ageability and their ability to go with food. The dry and off-dry (halbtrocken, trocken) movement is really becoming a force in the marketplace, especially over the past three years. With the Euro going nuts against the dollar these days these wines are a relative steal and they are being made all over Germany which is very key as there is such a diversity of terroir. From Baden, Franken, Pfalaz and Wurttemberg in the South to the Mosel, Rheingau and Ruwer in the North there is a wealth of great dry and off-dry German wines for the devoted and lucky consumer.
From Rebholz's baroque and majestic Rieslings from the Birkweiler Kastanienbusch in the lower Pfalz to Rudolf Furst's profound Burgstadter Centgrafenberg "R" from Franconia to Hans Wirsching's top of the line Julius Echter Berg Silvaner Spatlese Trocken "S" there is enough to feed everybody's palate. This offer represents some of the best dry and off-dry German wines that are in the United States now. Most are here but others will be arriving in the next couple of months. With the current exchange rates these wines could perhaps be 10-20 percent more in the 2007 vintage. So jump in with both feet as this is one of the most exciting offers we have put out this year.
As an aside we will be having an amazing tasting of some new German producers to the US. If you have been shopping here this year you know about the brilliant wines of Clemens Busch, Gunter Steinmetz, Knebel and Stein. They will all be here in the store on April 17th including Gernot Kollman who is wine-maker extraordinaire for most estates and is an encyclopedia of German wine. A tasting not to miss. There will be eight to ten wines being poured and is a rare opportunity to meet some of Germany's top winemakers and most of them speak English!
