Wines from Germany

On Thursday, May 5, 7:00 p.m. at the Hilton Harrisburg & Towers, we will feature wines from Germany. Although many people expect German wines to be sweet, the wines we will be tasting will be medium-dry to dry. Germany, which annually produces 1.2 billion bottles of wine, is the eighth largest wine producing country in the world. German wine is different from many of the great wine producing countries because of its unique terroir and traditional production methods. These qualities allow Germany to produce some of the finest wines in the world.

German vintners are extremely adept at blending centuries–old experience with the latest in modern viticulture and are exacting in their methods. They harvest the grapes for their wines by hand, use “green” or sustainable production techniques, age their whites in stainless steel tanks and their reds in traditional aged oak barrels.

• Lingenfelder Dornfelder Dry Qba Osterberg Single Vineyard 2008

  This grape is prized on its own as a fragrant, full-bodied, complex wine with fairly tannic acidity. Dornfelder is fermented and/or aged in oak barrels.

• Lingenfelder Scheurebe (“shoy-re-beh”) Kabinett medium dry 2007

  Scheurbe, which ripens in early October, will be light- to medium-bodied, have pronounced acidity and a bouquet and a taste reminiscent of black currants, grapefruit, and sage.

• Prinz Von Hessen H Riesling Kabinett 2007

  This Riesling with pale yellow color and light green reflexes, displays a smell from fresh and juicy fruits. The flavors are orange blossom and grapefruit. It has well balanced acidity and a fine mineral character.

• Becker Spätburgunder Estate Pfalz 2006

  With chalky soil, Becker produces some of Germany’s finest Pinot Noir. The nose is gamey with notes of tobacco and cherry. While this wine is drinkable by itself, it also complements seafood, poultry, fine cuts of beef, and game.

• Langwerth von Simmern Rauenthaler Baiken Riesling Spatlese Trocken 2008

  This wine has long been admired for its fruit, spice, substance and piquant, yet harmonious, acidity. This finesse is derived from the phyllitic-salty soil.

• Von Buhl Riesling Sekt Brut 2006

  The grapes are planted in variegated sandstone and harvested very early. This wine is fruity; light with a citrus fragrance. It is the perfect wine to open any celebration.

• Dr. Heger Ihringer Winkelberg Grauburgunder Spätlese Trocken 2005

  This Grauburgunder has a potpourri of aromas including stone fruit, chamomile, and lavender. The palate is elegant and big with crunchy fruit, and a velvety mouth feel.

• Dr F. Weins-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2001

  This wine has great value, character, and is very elegant. It is a wine that ages well. Now 10 years old, it has begun to take on the typical petrol notes of a mature Riesling.

Ah! It’s that time of the year, when summer is just around the corner and wine lovers of all (legal) ages begin thinking about drinking their favorite white wine on a warm summer night. People tend to think about drinking Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Orvieto, Soave, White Bordeaux and other white wines too numerous to mention in this article. Very little or no thought is given to drinking German wines. When I asked some of my friends as to why they never considered drinking German wines, whether the wines be red or white I was told the following: The wines are too sweet; they did not understand how to read the label; they had little or no knowledge of German wines or what foods they could pair with German wines.

On Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers, we are going to address some of the issues concerning German wines. The tasting itself will consist of 5 white wines, 2 underappreciated red wines and a mystery wine that is being donated by our speaker, Brian Stwalley. All of the wines for the tasting will range from moderately dry to dry. During the course of the evening Brian will demystify the German wine label, tell which German white wines can age gracefully over a 10-year period and he will enlighten everyone on German wine label terms such as Kabinett, Halbtrocken, Trocken and Spatlese.

So hurry, make your reservations now because seating is limited.

It has been at least 5 years since the Pennsylvania Wine Society (PWS) had a German Wine event, and it is long overdue for another tasting of German Wines. Recently, Germany has been developing high quality red wines to go along with their world-renowned whites.

Our speaker for this event will be former PWS Treasurer and German wine aficionado Brian Stwalley. Some long-term members may remember him leading a Pinot Noir tasting a few years ago. A former member of the German Wine Society, Brian regularly travelled to Philadelphia for their events, which were attended by many wine notables such as David Schildknecht, currently writing for The Wine Advocate and a former speaker at several of our early events. Brian has an extensive knowledge of the wines, and is currently helping us with research on those that are available through the state store system.

We plan to present a variety of grapes and styles for your education and enjoyment. So please, come join us at the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 7 p.m. to savor and enjoy some of Germany’s finest wines with our usual assortment of cheeses, bread, crackers, and fruit. We advise you to sign up early to be sure of a seat.

Event Registration Instructions