yarn and cocktails: what we drank on our summer vacation (guest post from hubby)

Germany's wine country is charming, filled with glorious castles, tons of kitschy shops, and tremendous vineyards producing top notch wines of brilliant character. Germany's wines are what started both of us on our wine adventures several years ago. (Perhaps I took things a little bit further.) This trip has been on my mind for a while - and, though time was to short for me (and perhaps too long for you know who) in the vineyards, we got to taste and see lots!

Though we'd had plenty of dry German Riesling before (yes, it does exist) the biggest discovery were the majestic, rich, and distinctive wines made in the Auslese (selected late harvest) Trocken (dry) style. Producer after producer told us that American importers simply are not interested in bringing them in - "because Americans like sweet wines." What a shame!

Here's a brief glimpse of what we did (and a not so brief look at what we drank):

Dinner at Georg Breuer's Rudesheimer Schloss (Rudesheim)
1970 Staatsweingut Rudesheimer Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese

Dinner at Hotel Krone (Assmanshausen)
NV Weingut Krone Rotwein Sekt
2004 JB Becker Riesling Wallufer Walkenberg
2003 August Kesseler Spatburgunder QbA "Cuvee Max"
2003 August Else Riesling Spatlese (info missing)

Following a thorough tour of famous castles and roof goats, we proceded to the Mosel for our first winery appointment.

Tasting with Michael Stahlmann at Dr. Loosen (Mosel)
2005 JL Wolf Wachenheimer Gerümpel Riesling Spatlese Trocken
2005 JL Wolf Forster Pechstein Riesling Spatlese Trocken
2005 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett
2005 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett
2005 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett
2005 Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese
2005 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese
2005 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
2005 Dr. Loosen Pralat Riesling Auslese

The view from the guesthouse (Gasthaus) at SA Prum of Wehlener Sonnenuhr

Dinner at Graacher Tor (Bernkastel)
2005 Herebert Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett Trocken

Lunch at Spater-Veit (Piesport)
2005 Spater-Veit Weissburgunder QbA
2005 Spater-Veit Piesporter Grafenberg Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken

Tasting with Carl von Schubert at Maximin Grunhauser (Ruwer)
2004 Maximin Grunhauser Abtsburg Riesling Trocken QbA
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Trocken QbA
2004 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese Trocken
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Superior (Auslese old vine)
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Abtsburg Riesling Superior (Auslese old vine)
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Halbtrocken QbA
2004 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett Feinherb
2003 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett Feinherb
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett Feinherb
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Abtsburg Riesling Spatlese Feinherb
2004 Maximin Grunhauser Abtsburg Riesling Auslese Feinherb
2003 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Auslese Feinherb
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Auslese No. 44
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Beerenauslese
2005 Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese

After the tasting with Baron Carl von Schubert

Dinner at Alteste Weinstube (Bernkastel)
2004 Weingut FJ Regery Spatburgunder QbA
2004 Marmann-Probst Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett Feinherb
2003 Weingut FJ Regery Klusserather Bruderschaft Riesling Spatlese

Tasting with Peter and Sylvie Geiben of Weingut Karlsmuhle (Ruwer)
2005 Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2005 Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer Riesling Kabinett Trocken Selektion von Quarzitschiefer
2005 Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer Riesling Kabinett Trocken Selektion von alten Reben
2005 Karlsmuhle Molaris L Riesling Feinherb QbA
2005 Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer Riesling Kabinett Feinherb
2005 Karlsmuhle Kaseler Timpert Riesling Spatlese Feinherb
2005 Karlsmuhle Kaseler Nies' chen Riesling Kabinett
2005 Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer Riesling Spatlese
2005 Karlsmuhle Kaseler Nies' chen Auslese Kabinett
2005 Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer Riesling Auslese

The knitter with the Geibens

Dinner at Karlsmuhle (Mertesdorf)
1997 Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer Riesling Kabinett Feinherb

Tasting with Christoph Tyrell of Karthäuserhof (Ruwer)
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Trocken QbA
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spatlese Trocken
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese Trocken "S"
2004 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Feinherb QbA
2004 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Kabinett Feinherb
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spatlese
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese
2003 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese No. 30
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese No. 33
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese No. 31
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese Gold Cap No. 35
2005 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese

After a day of sights in Trier (including some fabulous Roman ruins) we dined in styal at the Landhaus St. Urbans

Dinner at Landhaus St. Urbans (Ruwer)
NV St. Urbans Hof Weissburgunder Sekt
1983 St. Urbans Hof Leiwner Klostergarten Riesling Auslese Trocken
2004 Clausserath-Weiler Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Auslese**

The Mundus Vini Internationale Weinakademie junket we crashed in Forst where we tasted wines of Lucashof & Eugen Muller (actually, we were kinda invited by Herr Muller)

Tasting at Weingut Lucashof (Pfalz)
2005 Weingut Lucashof Weissburgunder Trocken QbA
2005 Weingut Lucashof Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Spatlese Trocken
2005 Weingut Lucashof Forster Pechstein Riesling Spatlese Trocken

Tasting at Eugen Muller (Pfalz)
2005 Eugen Muller Forster Pechstein Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2005 Eugen Muller Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2005 Eugen Muller Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2005 Eugen Muller Forster Kirchenstück Riesling Spätlese Trocken "Cyriakus"
2005 Eugen Muller Forster Kirchenstück Riesling Auslese

Dinner at Burkin-Wolf's Zur Kanne (Deidesheim)
1999 Burkin-Wolf Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Kabinett Trocken

Dinner at Dorade (Frankfurt)
NV Prosecco (unknown)
2005 Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia (Macedonia, Greece)

Pig-out Alley Weinkart (Frankfurt)
2005 Weingut Manfred Bickelmeier Ostreicher (vineyard unknown) Riesling Spatlese Trocken
2005 Weingut Manfred Bickelmeier Spatburgunder Rose Feinherb

Bistro near Alte Oper (Frankfurt)
2005 Sancerre Rose (unknown)

After two days of urban sights, museums, and mini-golf at the Palmgarten, our final night in Germany ended with a great concert by the London Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Ricardo Muti at Frankfurt's Alte Oper: