Back from Germany!

So in the sprit of the reverence and irreverence of Rockss and Fruit here is an uncensored look at my incredible trip to Germany. With apologies to Gaut-Milau.


Collection of the trip: Wittman

Best Sparkling Wine: 2002 Sekthaus Raumland Weissburgunder Brut Prestige

Best Red Wine: 2005 Rebholz Spatburgunder "vom Muschelkalk" Spatlese Trocken (like drinking Richebourg!)

Best white Pinot: 2006 Rebholz Im Sonnenschein Weissburgunder Grosses Gewachs/2006 Wittman Weissburgunder Trocken "S"

Best Dry Riesling: 2006 Wittman Wetshofener Morstein Grosses Gewachs

Best Off-Dry Riesling: 2006 Kesselstat Scharzhofberger Kabinett Feinherb

Best Spatlese: 2006 Ansgar Clusserath Piesporter Goldtropfchen Spatlese (her first time with Goldtropfchen)

Best Auslese: 2006 Kesselstat Scharzhofberger Auslese LGK # 10 (sick wine!)/2006 Karthausherhof Auslese #35

Best BA: 2006 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr BA*

Best TBA: 2003 Wittman Albalonga TBA ('04 and '05 are still fermenting!)

Best old wine at dinner: 1996 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese


Prum of the trip: 1997 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Halbtrocken (something that NEVER comes over here)

Best old wine pulled out at a winemaker's tasting: 1989 Wittman Morstein/1992 Kesselstat Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Auslese/1983 Wirsching Silvaner Spatlese

Biggest surprise from a wine I thought was going to suck: 2003 Dr. Heger Ihringer Winklerberg Gewurtraminer Auslese ('03's are starting to come into balance!)

Best uncomplicated wine I could drink by the gallon: 2006 Dr. Heger Silvaner Kabinett


Weirdest wine of the trip that was good: 2006 Schnaittman Muscat Trollinger Rose (best 2006 European rose I have had)

Weirdest wine of the trip that was not so good: 1992 Dr. Thanisch Riesling Trocken (I have never had such a fruitless high acid wine ever!)

Coolest winemaker : Konrad Salwey (most unpretentious winemaker I have ever met, seriously soulful guy.)

Hottest winemaker's daughter: Maris-Luisa Raumland


Best Vineyard Dog: Lissy at Rebholz (little bouncing yappy Jack Russel type terrier that had a ridiculous amount of personality)

Quickest tasting: Selbach-Oster (we had a 1/2 hour before dinner and Johaness powered through fifteen wines . . .something I thought I would never see in Germany as sometimes they talk about their QBA trocken for a 1/2 hour before even pouring it!)

Longest tasting: Dr. Heger (two years in a row he takes the crown. Only 29 wines this time. Joachim was not even there. His assistant Timo was there. He was instructed him well.)


Coolest animal living in a wine cellar. There are two frogs that live in the 500 year old cellar at Gunter Steinmetz's in Brauneberg.


Best "bizarre food" of the trip: Saumagen which is a local Pfalz specialty. It is pork stomach that is stripped and then stuffed with herbs, vegetables, potatoes and then sliced like a sausage. Phenomenal. It is in the upper right of the plate. The other two items are liver dumpling and bratwurst. And of course the sauerkraut was profound.
A special mention to a snail soup I had in Wurttemberg that easily was NY times 3 star quality. Had a bit of cream in it too. Also the snail soup place served the best tripe I have ever had in my life.

Best hotel: Hotel Richterhof in Muhlheim. This place was a spa too and overlooks the vineyards in Muhlheim. Amazing service and killer restaurant winelist. Had the aforementioned 1996 Molitor ZS Auslese for forty-one euro and the '97 Prum for like nineteen euro. They came and cleaned my room an average of three times a day.

I am tired as the jetlag is killing me . . .but I will reprise and update as I remember more.