August 2018 Cellar Club
August 2018 Cellar Club
The German Wines
The Curious Case of Mistaken Identity.
This August makes the two-year anniversary of The Cellar Club!
In reviewing our past selections we noticed the complete absence of the amazing wines of Germany, a country with a history of winemaking dating back to 100 BC! Roman conquests lead, as always, to the cultivation of grapes and winemaking. The Middle Ages saw Monasteries, such as the Cistercian Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau, which can trace continuous wine production since 1200 AD, continuing the craft. German wines were as exalted as those of Burgundy or Bordeaux not so long ago, but in the U.S., they developed a shoddy reputation as sugary plonk in the postwar era when the market was flooded with third rate offerings meant for making a quick buck. Thankfully, the identity of what a German wine is and can be has begun the arc towards a full circle return to past glory.
It is with this in mind that we have selected what we hope are two wonderful surprises for any out there who may have doubted Deutscher Wein.
Cheers and thank you for being a member of The Cellar Club!
Wine Pick #1:
2016 Hild
Elbling Trocken
Mosel, Germany
Pair one of Europe's oldest grape varietals, nearly forgotten by all but a passionate few, with a winemaker whose devotion to the art of transmuting the elements of the upper Mosel into the epitome of simple pleasure, and you have this remarkably honest white wine. This is the German equivalent of bracingly crisp Txakoli from Spain or quality Vinho Verde from Portugal. Deceptively complex wine with simple attributes. A Quaffer with brains!
Wine Pick #2:
2014 Heger
Pinot Noir
Baden, Germany
Weinhaus Heger is located in the Kaiserstuhl region of Baden not terribly far from Alsace, France. Vines here are planted on the topography of the stump of an extinct volcano that rises above the Rhein River Valley. You could not find a more suitable combination of soil types, (volcanic with windblown loess from the last Ice Age) sun aspects and diurnal temperature shifts to grow Pinot Noir, a.k.a. Spatburgunder in Germany. Hand harvested and sustainably farmed, there's none of the over-extracted, over-oaked characteristics that beset so many lesser Pinot Noirs.
CHEESE PAIRING OF THE MONTH:
Vermont Creamery Quark
European-style Fresh Cheese
German for "fresh curd," quark is a fresh and slightly drained cows' milk cheese that is similar to old-fashioned cream cheese.
At the creamery, Quark is made from fresh local milk that is coagulated overnight into fresh curd, then drained in cheesecloth and whipped with a trace of crème fraîche. Its low butterfat content and smooth texture make it a great base for fluffy cheesecakes and mousse. Top with granola for breakfast or mix with anything from mashed potatoes to boysenberries, and it earns its keep with flair.
German for "fresh curd," quark is a fresh and slightly drained cows' milk cheese that is similar to old-fashioned cream cheese.
At the creamery, Quark is made from fresh local milk that is coagulated overnight into fresh curd, then drained in cheesecloth and whipped with a trace of crème fraîche. Its low butterfat content and smooth texture make it a great base for fluffy cheesecakes and mousse. Top with granola for breakfast or mix with anything from mashed potatoes to boysenberries, and it earns its keep with flair.
Also, check out our simple but delicious
recipe of the month
(perfect with German Wines or BBQ):
Quark Potatoes
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