With the basics of German Riesling covered, I will give a brief description of the harvests and sugar levels.  For

sloped German Vineyard

finer Rieslings, the sweetness of the wine is directly related to the ripeness of the grapes at harvest.  German wines can be dry (trocken), off-dry (halbtrocken), or semisweet to extremely sweet (fruity).  The sugar in grapes is measured by “Brix”.  The more degrees Brix present at harvest, the sweeter the grape.  However, sweetness of the finished wine can be modified by Chaptalization (the addition of sugar to the must before fermentation), or addition of unfermented juice (Süssreserve) after fermentation.  Recall that chaptalization is not permitted in Prädikatswein, and Süssreserve is not usually added by top producers.  Instead, skilled winemakers manage to stop fermentation at the desired sugar level to achieve a proper sweeter Riesling.

The first harvest for Prädikatswein is Kabinett, which generally produces off-dry to semisweet lighter style wines.  These can be found at a great value. The maximum sugar content is 200˚ Brix.  This is equivalent to an “early harvest” Riesling from anywhere else, such as California or Washington (or New York).  The next harvest is Spätlese, which literally translates to “late-picked”.  The particularly ripe grapes are harvested and made into wines with more body and sweetness than that of Kabinett.  These extra days of sun give the grapes more

intense flavor and are harvested between 200˚ and 240˚ Brix.  Following Spätlese is Auslese, translating to “out-picked”.  For this late harvest, grapes are individually picked from riper bunches.  The wines produced from this fruit are full and sweet.  They have equivalent sugar levels of a “late harvest” with a minimum of 240˚ Brix.

The next harvests are considered dessert wines.  These rare wines are the product of a mold called Botrytis Cinera, often called “noble rot” or in Germany “Edelfäule”.  This only occurs under special conditions that do not occur every year.  The grapes stay on the vine long enough to begin to shrivel.  As the water leaves the grape, the sugar per juice level increases substantially.  This practice is also common in other places of the world and is well respected in Bordeaux with the Sémillon varietal to produce the world famous sweet wine Sauternes, and in Hungary for the amazing Tokaji.  Although moldy grapes may not sound like a viable source for wine, they make some of the most expensive sweet wines in the world.

The next German harvest, with a minimum of 280˚ Brix at harvest, is Beerenauslese, meaning “berries picked out”.  These rich dessert wines can be very expensive, and as said before may be made only a couple times a decade.  Following this harvest is Trockenbeerenauslese.  Although the word “trocken” means “dry” in German, it does not refer to the wine, but the grape.  For this wine, the practice is to dry the grapes before fermentation.  You may be familiar with this practice of “raisination” if you enjoy Italy’s world renowned Amarone or other reds made in this fashion.  These wines are the most expensive.  They are known for their
Another method used for German Riesling produces Eiswine (ice wine).  For this, the grapes are left on the vine to freeze.  Other dessert wines are made from picked grapes that are later frozen, but they are noticeably different from Germany’s perfection.  These wines are made from pressed frozen grapes whose sugar level by German law must be at least Beerenauslese. nectar and honey-like qualities.  They can be gold in color or even a dark amber.

Different from most wine producing areas, germany’s wine producers have common vineyards, as there are only approximately 3 acres per producer.  You will often see the same vineyard and town name on labels from different wine makers.  This should be no deterrent.  Some of the many great vineyards are Goldtröpfchen, Juffer, and Sonnenuhr.

One of the most important aspects of german Riesling is sunlight.  As stated before, top vineyards are on 60˚ plus slopes, and face south.  The reason for slope and direction are obvious when you think of the process ripening and creating sugar in the fruit, photosynthesis.  If you can recall back to high school biology, photosynthesis is the process turning sunlight into sugar.  With substantial slope and facing into the sun, all the grapes can benefit from maximum quantity and duration of sunlight.  Couple this with the slate stone rich soil and you have a fantastic fruity and sweet wine for your drinking pleasure.

Richter Spatlese in stock

Come by Gates Circle Fine Wine and Liquors to try a Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, or icewine.  For more information on Brix and the measurement of sugar in grapes… check back at a later point, as this is a confusing topic that will not interest most wine drinkers.

Germany may only produce around 3% of the wine in the world, but some of them are among the greatest.  Germany predominantly produces white wines (around 85%), but also makes reds, most notably Pinot Noir (called Spätburgunder).  It is no secret that Germany is well known for their Riesling, and that is because they make world class Riesling.  When looking for one, there are a few pieces of helpful information that can be obtained from the label.  First, look for the word Qualitätswein, this lets you know that the wine is from one of the thirteen quality wine-making regions.  Of these regions, there are four particularly seen in the United States.  These are Mosel, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz.  Over half the vineyards in these regions are planted on 60 degree slopes or greater, and the common soil is slate.  The letters QbA (or Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete) are used to designate ordinary quality wines, while the best are labeled QmP (or Qualitätswein mit Prädikat).  Since the 2007 vintage, QmP has been replaced by the term Prädikatswein, although the definition has not changed.  Another term to look for is gutsabfüllung, meaning estate bottled, ensuring further quality.  Information included on a QmP bottle includes the town and vineyard listed first (in this case Wehlener and Sonnenuhr), grape used (Riesling), and the harvest.  The harvest indicates the ripeness of the grapes, and usually the price.  My next blog will be about the harvests and the brix sugar level system.  The riper the grapes, the sweeter the wine, however this sweetness is different from inexpensive wines.  The process of chaptalization, the addition of sugar before fermenting, is not allowed in German QmP wines.  Other winemakers use this process to increase sugar and alcohol content in wines.  For a German winemaker, it is common practice to pour unfermented juice from the same vineyard back into the wine, increasing sweetness and intensifying the fruit.  This creates a less artificial sweetness.  However, the finest stop fermentation at the proper sugar level, leaving a naturally sweet wine.  If you haven’t tried a great German Riesling in a while, try one next time you’re having spicy Thai, salads, or foie gras.

If you are like me, you enjoy great food and fantastic wine.  That is my curse, as I have extended my palate

not the best photographer

far beyond my wallet.  So, instead of going out and spending a hundred bucks (or considerably more) on two plates and a decent bottle, I cook late dinners for myself and friends.  Many of them work in fine dining and share the same work hours as I do.  Now, back to saving money.  I have become quite good at preparing meals for little cost without sacrificing flavor, and less importantly nutrition.  Now that I’m back to blogging, I will start sharing my ideas with you.  For instance, when drinking a bottle of Coudoulet de Beaucastel ($33.99), while well worth it, my dinner budget takes a hit.  This is a blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault, grown literally just across the street from Chateauneuf du Pape.  This wine is as complex as a four course meal on it’s own, but I’ve

paired it many times with just as many different meals.  Most recently, a cheap stir fry; these are actually easy to do.  Also, light on dishes to dirty.  I am rarely eager to clean after a big meal and a few glasses of grape drink.  This here is pork cutlet, broccoli, asparagus, red bell pepper, jalapeno, and noodles.  Of course they are cooked with garlic, ginger, soy, sriracha…     Feel free to ask about food and wine ideas if you are still interested.  What was great here, is that the most expensive ingredient was the red bells, as they were not on sale.  $4 per person b.y.o.b.  Or be a better friend and supply wine for all.  Wine from Gates Circle of course.

You may be wondering why we at Gates Circle always have good things to say for just about all the wines in the store.  This isn’t because we like all wine, lie, or are just to nice to be honest.  It is because we taste our wines before we subject you to them.  So, for your enjoyment I will show you my raw notes from a tasting I did at home one night.  Don’t worry, we opted not to stock these wines.  If you want them you can probably find them at the nearest wine warehouse, but never at Gates.  I have left the names out to protect the innocent.  You’re welcome.

nose: lemon, apricot or peach?, mild vanilla, paint-thinner
palate: butterry briefly with light tropical fruit and lemon, then chemical

(especially when warm)

finish: nutty (stale), tropical citrus acid, lingering medicinal note
overview: oaked chard character present, but $h!##y.
rating: 1.2/5, liked the crisp but creaminess for a whole minute, need to be

served over-chilled to hide chemical taste
worth: ($7) at best

now the next one!

nose: citrus fruit almost tropical, mold
palate: sour green fruit (green apple?), semi-spoiled cream
finish: contemplating suicide
overview: unpleasant sour, dirty old wood furniture at mid-palate, confusing

acidity (sour), cruel and certainly unusual punishment, my sink didn't even like it,

probably better suited to scare off wild animals when camping
rating: 0.2/5, bad product, sour dust, i would drink this for a small sum of money
worth: (-$4) seriously, you'd have to pay me

Sadly, I tried to consume a decent wine next. This is what I thought (already a few glasses in)

nose: light
palate: ruined from the last 2 bottles
finish: ???
overview: don't drink $h!##y bottles first

So, that is what I thought.  Hope you enjoyed.

Hello.  I would like to inform you of this exceptional Cab at a great price offered by Gates Circle Fine Wines

 and Liquor.  This impressive Cabernet Sauvignon is a great example of structure.  With a short period of breathing time it can be enjoyed now, or can be left alone to evolve in a cellar for a decade.  The nose is unique for a Napa Cabernet, with cassis (black currant) playing a supporting role to red currant, black cherry, plum, sweet oak, and a spicy anise note.  A little stone mineral bit can be found if you really get in there.   As I said, it is drinking quite well now.  This guy takes it’s just short of full body and delivers loads of ripe red and black fruit (red currant and plum stand out), a pleasing note of vanilla, and a tinge of licorice.  Interesting notes of stony earth and eucalyptus arrive on the finish.  By the last glass, I found pie filling fruit on the palate.  The gracious tannin leave this wine with an intense long finish, and a mouthfeel that gets better and better as you sip.  The best Silverado I’ve had in years.  I enjoyed it accompanied by a steak sandwich with peppers, onions, and broccoli.  Yes, broccoli on the sandwich.  That’s a three pan sandwich, but this wine deserved it.  Currently on sale for $37.99, try it for yourself and see why The Wine Advocate called it “a gorgeous example of elegance allied to power”, as I can’t say it any better.