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EP 881 Dry German Riesling Tasting

Gary Vaynerchuk nerds it up with some very interesting and high end Rieslings from Germany.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Heymann Lowenstein Schieferterrassen RieslingMosel Riesling
2009 Leitz Riesling Alte Reben Rudesheimer Berg KaisersteinfelsRheingau Riesling
2008 Keller Klaus Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling Trocken GgMosel Riesling

Links mentioned in todays episode.


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Any Riesling fans, if they have not already, should go out and get and read “Reading Between the Wines,” by Terry Thiese. It’s a lovely book, and 3/4ths is spent in some way celebrating German Rieslings.

Great show! Happy New Year – 2011 !!

Tags: review, Riesling, white, wine, wines

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  • Cubatobaco (Ray)

    Randall, I can wholeheartedly agree with your scoring system. I did cigar reviews, and still do from time to time, and a cigar that get in the 95+ is a rare item. I've only been around a handful of 100 pt cigars and you will pay out of the ass for them. Form what I've seen over the years, money drives the points higher.

  • Ufpog91

    Was lucky enough to be at a 2009 Doennhoff tasting at the winery on the Nahe in Oberhausen o.d. Nahe a few weeks ago. We took pictures with Helmut Doennhoff, he autographed a few of our bottles of Auslese, we were dorks, but he was gracious. We also met his daughter at the tasting. A beautiful location, and he is a solid member of the VDP. Been collecting that wine for a while and I think it will age well.

  • Randall

    Cubatobaco (Ray):
    I've smoked my share of cigars, having grown up in Central Florida, where it is State Law that you must:
    1.) Smoke. (chose your poison as long as it's NOT from Cuba)
    2.) Snort Peruvian marching powder.
    3.) Own a truck.
    Anyway, I gave up smoking EVERYTHING (heheh) in 1994, after a long and distinguished career, but I must say that as complicated and nuanced as judging wines/beers is… I cannot IMAGINE trying to judge cigars… Kudos to you, sir…
    🙂

  • WpgGord

    For “ie” and “ei”, I heard the rule was to pronounce the second vowel. So Leitz would be pronounced “lights”, no?

  • Randall

    Jawohl, herr WpgGord!! Like having a “stein” of “bier”!!

  • Jparadisee

    QotD/German Riesling story mashup: I went to the bar I used to work at to watch the USAvEng game the other weekend. The bar was a hot sweaty madhouse jammed to the gills, everyone was having a blast. I kept looking at the girl who was standing next to me drinking a bud and couldn't quite place why she looked so familiar. After the game I was kind of exhausted and needed to collapse. On my way home I popped into the great little wine shop down the block Picado y Vino. Suddenly it made sense, no wonder she looked familiar she worked in the wine shop, and there she was back at work. Well it was time for something refreshing and they helped me pick out a little German Riesling from the Pfalz made by Petri. Sadly the bottle turned out to be off it had more fizz then it should have and tasted of sour grapefruit with a serious lack of that focused acid I expected. I think it may have done a little malo fermentation on it's own in the bottle. However I have since tasted this wine again and can say it is some yummy stuff with that good ripeness and sharp acid I love in good dry Rieslings. So the moral of this fairly random World Cup German wine story is this…Argentina will win the World Cup.

    Go go Summer of Riesling!

  • Tigerz1966

    QOTD: With any luck, Uruguay. Time for a team other than Germany, Italy, Brazil, France to win the Cup … and uruguay is looking quite good …

  • ChrisNY2_uae

    I just had the Leitz Out 2008 Rheingau Riesling this week…I ended up drinking it over a couple days and it changed so dramatically and ended up tasting like Motts Apple Juice and losing all of its dryness. It tasted ok when I first tried it, but it couldn't hold up very well the next day…perhaps because of the low 9% alc?
    The wine shop I go to has a lot of German Rieslings…but I also like to “buy local”..so I picked up the Dr. Konstantin Frank 2008 Dry Riesling and I look forward to trying it

  • Melissa

    Terrific show!!!! I am studying for my CSW and I started studying Germany yesterday. Perfect timing or what???? Boy, the German names are making my brain hurt, but your show helped. It truly did. I'll be searching for the Leitz!

    QOTD: I'm rooting for USA. I need to admit, however, that I'm a band wagon fan when it comes to the Cup. I love American Football, but don't know much about “Football”! 🙂

  • Gary, love to see the Reisling and will look for the Leitz. The thing that I love about German/Austrian is that you can stumble upon great wines that you have never heard of and in many cases are not overblown from a pricing perspective. Something about the bottle shape just puts me in a good mood, especially with summer now officially here.

    QOTD – If the US can get beyond Ghana, I think they can get to the finals. Overall, Spain has to still be the favorite, but I am going to go for the Netherlands for their first title. The orange will be going crazy if that happens. Either way, go US tomorrow.

  • Rolf Lydecker

    If not the USA, then I'm going for England and Germany.

  • YES!

  • Thursday

    that's the good 'ole

  • Thanks for the info. Morstien impossible here to. There are 12 bottles for sale in Malmoe (way south from me). I guess one could send fot them (free shipping since its a state monopoly) but 90 dollars a bottle is a lot

  • Allan

    YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!!

    Cheers! Salud!

  • Well, we are many, we are just not allowed to express our disdain for this overpriced, fake violent shows for men, featuring overpaid divas and crybabies with who actually are less fit then most athletes with the exceptions of golf players (which btw I do like to play). It is so darn nice that France,and my soccer hate object no 1 Italy is out. I love Italy, the food, the wine, the landscape, the old culture, but not their soccer fanaticism.

  • FullOnNelson

    Great to see a German Riesling show, but I'm still disappointed. I think you could have taken it one nerdy step further and helped the Vaniacs understand the labeling system a little better. One way a buyer can understand a Riesling's pricing structure versus quality is to look for the level of sugar at which the grapes were harvested on the label. This is important because at certain levels like “QbA” the grapes were harvested underripe and chaptalization is allowed. As you progress higher is the ladder grapes are left on the vine longer and achieve higher natural sugar levels. This is a risk for growers because there is always some crop loss along the way. This is why prices for a Spätlese Riesling for example would be higher on average than the previously mentioned QbA. Of course just because you have the higher quality fruit does not mean a better wine. And since the wine can be made in any style from bone dry to sweet, you have to know your terms. And I'm glad you introduced one of them: Trocken. I could go on and on about this (especially if I dive in to the VDP and GG wines), but instead I will refer you to a website that I helped write the content for. The site is for a company called Truly Fine Wines. Now I don't care if you buy the wines or not. My work for the owners was pro bono. I helped them out because they are tiny and blew the doors off what I knew about wines and good wines at that.

    http://www.trulyfinewine.com

    QOTD: The USA of course. It's a soccer marathon tomorrow at by local roasting house Cafe Calabria in San Diego CA.

    My most recent German wine experience? A 2007 Spätburgunder Blanc de Noir Eiswein from the Mosel. I could have honestly died happy after that glass.

  • FullOnNelson

    Here is the direct link that will give you a good breakdown of the classification system on the previously mentioned site:

    http://www.trulyfinewine.com/German-Wine-101_ep…

  • Yes great episode all about the wine and you brought the thunder. keep em coming GV
    QOTD: If the stars align and things break our way, USA will win or make it to the finals, but I think this is Argentinas year. Any one of the bench players would be an automatic starter on other teams.

    German riesling story, only one i have is that Leitz rieslings have become a thanksgiving tradition in our household. cant say which ones i've had cause German labeling gets crazy but haven't had a bad bottle yet. We have 20 adults at our gathering and everybody loves this wine, even my grandmother who doesn't drink, only drinks leitz. Now if we could only find a pinot everyone could agree on…

    Hey how bout a Rose show next, you did say you were going to put a bigger emphasis on them this year Ep #863. brown bag would be great. or how about head to head france vs the world hopefully the wines will do better than the soccer team did.

  • finally the cipher i have been looking for to decode german riesling labels.

  • howlr5

    Chile will win!

  • waynooo daaa wino

    NIIIIIIIIIIIIICE Old School Episode, Moooochoooo Thanx G !!!!! Gotta find that Leitz
    Vino i got in one of the Secret Packs awhile back…… Now where did i put dat Puppy?????

    qotd1: Don't follow Soccer, It kinda puts me ta Sleep…..

    qotd2: Love German Riesling, but got more experience (stories ??) wit it's Alsace
    Sibling………….

  • QOTD: Brazil.
    Reisling story: I remember hanging out at the Leitz table when the German wine show was in town last year. Good stuff.

  • I have to say Brazil because that is who I want to win, however, they are not playing the way they should be for such a highly ranked team.
    Argentina and Germany are the only teams that are consistent and truly playing as strong teams.

    I don't have a Riesling story yet in my young years so far, but I am on the hunt for the Joseph Leitz because judging from how you described it, I think it will be perfect for my taste. I work in produce and love fresh fruits and greens, and so my taste definitely goes for very clean tasting wines. Thank you Gary.

  • I don't believe in predictions, but Germany is the only team I care about. I have a friend who thinks all German Riesling tastes sweet (which I think is bogus), except for the Leitz (pronounced like 'lights') 'Eins Twei Dry' I had her try. I certainly cannot tell the difference. I just know I don't like non-European Riesling.

  • Anonymous

    Hi Rolf! Been a while… Im great, you? Oh..I dont really care too much about Spain winning..wd love to see USA take it!! <-naturally.

  • ouch, they are eliminated already!

  • Allan

    Yes Yes Yes!!!

    Thnx for doin this show G, the one i've been waiting for. Before you even started i had a sneak suspicion that the Leitz would R-O-C-K. . . . . . . . !

    I admire the way you described the Leitz, i thought it was well put. Kudos.

    Rheingau is king if you are a dry rieslinghead.

    My story; I was on a vacation in Rheingau once (Rüdesheim), and boy o boy i tasted some super wines…. I can only recommend anyone interested in Riesling to go there, if they get the chance. And seek out a producer called Georg Breuer. Amazing wines: Berg Schlossberg, Rottland, Roseneck and Nonnenberg. His Terra Montosa is one the cheaper side, but it is reisling with great minerallity, acid, full flavours. A nice drop. He makes some nice Pinots as well (Spätburgunder).
    One evening before leaving i had bought a bottle of Breuers Berg Rottland and took it up to the vineyards, and sat at the foot of the vineyard and had a couple of glasses before the sun went down. There i got “a sense of place”. I “understood” the vineyard, i “tasted” the vineyard, i saw it. I saw the raw beauty of wine, in that moment. These are the moments you remember. I couldn't score the wine, i didn't need to. It was pointless.

    Wine should all be about a sense of place.

    There are lots and lots of great producers in Rheingau: to name a few i think are worth your money; Robert Weil (Keidrich Gräfenberg is the star vinyard, and also his outragous sweet wines, which are meant to age), Johannishof, Schloss Vollrads (seek out the GG from them), Johannisberg (is a master of sweet wine as well, but they can be very pricey, and last your whole life)

    Well, i'm ramblin' again………………………………………….. 🙂

    Qotd: I think Argentina, i can almost see them lift the trophy.

    Thanks again GV! You ROCK!

  • Allan

    I respect GV more than Parker, simple as that! Bogus, HAHAHAHHAAhhahaa! You gotta just laugh..

  • ErieWineGuy

    What a killer fantastic show!

    You nerded it up quite a bit, and it's about one of my favorite wines – dry Rieslings.

    QOTD: Sorry, I don't get the soccer games and I'm not really following. Besides, today I have something more important to do – I have to bury my dead cat.

    Cheers!

  • Nice meeting you. No offense, but Gary why do all your employees look so young! Damn, I have underwear as rags older than these peeps. 😉

    Keep up the great work Nico…keep Vee on his toes. 🙂

  • Yes Mr. Randall? Did you say something? This is me you are talking too. Fire at will. I can take it. Until I cry like a little girl…

    ;P

  • Randall

    *THUD*
    “…And Randall Goes Down!!”
    ;P

    p.s. I know… you’d think I would have learned by now to stop posting ambiguous, smartalecky answers to ya…

  • kevinkossowan

    Love the 'back to basics'. Also love Riesling – but mostly from Alsace…

  • vanswirlypants

    You guys from jersey must be members of the gayforgary club. No criticism allowed. Threatened from wine thugs. What have we come to?

  • corkscrew

    Sorry just can't get into Rieslings…not my cup of tea..more of a Chard or Viognier fan. QOTD-would love to see USA but most likely Urguary or Argentina. http://www.winelx.com

  • Tofferotti

    The episode I've been waiting for. You always talk about how in the wine nerd caves they drink riesling. I've been interested in some of the upper end of the category. Recently tried a whole cross section of the Loosen Bros rieslings and the one that impressed me most was the under ten dollar Dr L. Now I can't wait to pick up the Leitz.

    QOTD: looks like Uraguay has what it takes to do it. But none the less, GO USA!!!

  • Randall

    🙂
    Sounds like some of our baseball players…

  • mattgmann

    QOTD: what is this “world cup”?

    Thanks for the back to basics show G. Strong effort. I can't wait to try that Leitz.

  • Enjoyed today's show, still trying to learn more about whites.

    As for QOTD: Gotta go with Brazil

  • Trevor Palen

    Gary, This is my first post, and while I hate for it to be a correction, the German pronunciations are killing me:

    1. Anytime you see ei or ie (or any combination of two vowels for that matter), it's always pronounced with the second vowel
    2. “w”s are “v”s, “v”s are “f”s, “f”s are “f”s, “s”s are more often “z”s than “s”s
    3. any time you have “st” it should be pronounced “sht”

    You actually do some of these things right, and some of them wrong. But German anything is always VERY organized, and so you will rarely find variations in pronunciations of similar character combinations

    Pronunciation guide for wines tasted (follow german rules for double vowels, ie pronounce the second vowel)
    Wine #1: Hay-mahn Lo-ven-shtein Reez – leeng
    Wine #2: Lei-ts Reez-leeng Ahl-tuh Ray-ben Roo-de-shei-muh Behrg Kai-zuh-shtein-fels (maybe a z sound at the end, not sure)
    Wine #3: Kel-uh Klows (like clown with an s) Vest-hoh-fen Keer(ch)-shpeel Reez-leeng Troh-ken (the ch is is that hissing sound you make to imitate cats)

    Good show

    QOTD: Relax Riesling – Worst wine I've had….obnoxiously sweet to the point that it is almost too difficult to drink.

  • Let me guess. You like watching Golf? ;-P

  • Your a turnip. 😛

  • TheSmirkingLurker

    Gary V:

    Ahhh!!!

    SHOWS LIKE THIS are why I used to get so damn excited about watching WLTV. Brand equity is of course important, and building it is a passion of yours. But remember your base. *This* is why we care enough to tune in, and why some of us have been tuning in for 881 shows. I know none of us pay for your service, but your reviews are really great, and the branding, the guests that don't inform your audience, the damn Sopranos, have a tendency to cause amnesia, that is, cause us to forget why we all take the precious minutes we take, from our numbered days, to tune it.

    Keep shows like this one coming.

  • Thomas_DK

    THAT is a show. these shows are why i keep following WLTV.

    QOTD: Spain, but newer count out the Germans

  • Randall

    What is this “soc-cer” of which I'm hearing about lately?
    Is it the same thing as “hoc-key”?
    Or “cric-ket”?

  • Randall

    Rheingau!! Rheingau!! Rheingau!!

  • icht leiben dict =i love you in german sorry love this episode love germany took down the berlin wall with a whole slew of others in 1990 thanks for doing this show. i love you inunendoes they are so cool . sorry about the german spelling i just dont feel like digging through the books to find my german dick . tionary. see you peace love wltv

  • ich liben dick ok found one of my german dicktionaries

  • Awesome show. I also think that Riesling is largely misunderstood and under-appreciated by a great many people. Missed the couch. That would have rocked. Will be looking out for Leitz, as I had heard it mentioned in conversation before as well.

    QOTD1: Pulling for Chile or USA, though I think that Brazil or Argentina are more likely. Spain is not to be dismissed either, but their performance tends to have a game-to-game variation.

    QOTD2: No stories that were that interesting, honestly. My wife mostly drinks Mosel, though I do love the Rheingau myself.

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