Wine Lesson Wednesday- A Weekly Feature

Before I start this weeks lesson I thought I would tell you about what could be an interesting way to enjoy wine. While reading the Feb./March issue of Fine Cooking Magazine Great Finds section, I came across a company called Mercer's Dairy where they take their premium ice cream and blend it with wines from some of the oldest vineyards in America. So if your looking for a different way to enjoy your "glass" of wine you may want to check them out. 

Now for this weeks lesson.

  Last week I covered both German and Austrian wines, as well as some of the many grapes used to produce them. For this weeks lesson I will be talking about 2 wines I have discovered from the region. 

Molitor ( Karl Molitor Wine Estate ) 

Riesling - Rheingau, Germany - 2007 *

Karl Molitor inherited the estate from his father in 1971 and runs the winery with his eldest son Klaus. With a degree in winemaking, Klaus brings a modern perspective to the estate. The winery is very much a family affair with the extended family members doing most of the work from pruning the vines to bottling. 

This wonderful Riesling has a velvety texture with notes of apricots, kumquat, and tangerine zest. 

George Albrecht Schneider

Dornfelder- Rheinhessen, Germany- 2006 *

The George Albrecht Schneider estate has been in the Schneider family for seven generations, with three generations still hard at work producing excellent wines. The Dornfelder grape is a hybrid created in 1955 and named after an 18TH century German finance minister who was a friend to the wine industry. 

This wine reminds me of a cross between a Pinot Noir and a Sangivoese , although it's heritage is from just about every German red grape grown. It has a spicy floral flavor with hints of boysenberry, loganberry , as well as raspberry. kirsch cherry liquor and a tiny bit of menthol.

* As of today I am unable to find any online wine sellers that sell either of these wines. If your interested in trying either , you may want to inquire with your local wine seller to see if they can import some for you. Ours was given to us by a business associate of my husband who lives in the area.

Next week I will be covering A Pinot Blanc from France and a Cabernet, Shiraz, Merlot from South Africa. Until then Salute!