Wines of Germany and the European Union Present Destination Riesling: Riesling & Co. 2008 Tasting Events

Events Unveil over 100 Wines from Germany, Alsace and Austria

May 13, 2008

Wines of Germany and the European Union have embarked on a nationwide tour to showcase Riesling and other fine wines from Germany as well as Riesling from Alsace and Austria. The Destination Riesling: Riesling & Co. 2008 Tour commenced in San Francisco, Monday, May 12, continues Tuesday in Chicago, and ends in New York City on Thursday, May 15.

Destination Riesling: Riesling & Co. Tasting Events:
In San Francisco, eight German producers featured their wines at Spruce restaurant, to be followed by an event with 10 German producers at Powerhouse restaurant in Chicago on Tuesday, May 13. Both events feature pairing menus as well as stand up tastings for key media and trade.

Over 40 winemakers from Germany, Alsace and Austria will attend the New York tasting at Tribeca Rooftop, 2 Debrosses St. on May 15. Producers will pour wines at a stand up tasting for media and trade from 1- 5 pm, followed by a consumer tasting from 6 – 9 pm, open to the public. Tickets for the consumer tasting can be purchased for $30 at (search “Wines of Germany”) or at the door.

The Riesling & Co. 2008 tasting events are part of a three-year campaign, underwritten by Wines of Germany and the European Union, to market European Rieslings in the U.S. The campaign seeks to increase interest and awareness for European Riesling among consumers and the trade.

2007 Vintages Support the 2008 Tastings:
Thanks to early bud burst and optimal autumn weather, the 2007 vintage in Germany had good yields of excellent quality. German wine grapes had an unusually long growing season, so the year’s harvest was relatively unhurried and took place over several weeks. Grape musts and young wines showed well, with a fabulous wealth of aromas, high ripeness and extract levels, and a well integrated, harmonious – yet marked – acidity.

“We are delighted with the results of the 2007 vintage, and excited to promote world-class wines at our 2008 Riesling & Co. events, ” said Monika Reule, Managing Director, Deutsches Weininstitut in Mainz, Germany. “The excellent quality of the wines, coupled with the above average yields of the year is encouraging, and we anticipate that the press and trade will share our excitement after tasting the wines.”

The Austrian and Alsatian harvests were equally as good. In almost all wine-growing areas in Austria, the harvest was finished by mid-October. The high quality of the grapes has proven ideal, revealing at full ripeness, moderate sugar levels and good acidity structure.¹ Alsace, along with the southern Rhône, were the only wine regions of France where the 2007 vintage received the perfect “A” mark by Wine Spectator.²

About Wines of Germany
Wines of Germany, formerly known as the German Wine Information Bureau, is the exclusive U.S. office of the Deutsches Weininstitut. Wines of Germany is focused on creating greater awareness to further enhance the image and increase sales of wine in the U.S. through educational and promotional activities. It is the primary information source on wines deriving from the 13 German wine growing regions for members of the wine trade, the media, and U.S. consumers. The promotional and educational efforts of Wines of Germany focus primarily on Riesling, the most famous German grape variety.

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¹ “The Austrian Wine Vintage 2007 - Fine and Fruity”, AWMB Press Release, November 2007 http://www.weinausoesterreich.at/news/info_071105.html

² “2007 Vintage Report Card: Part 2”, Wine Spectator online, Dec. 19, 2007. http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4179,00.html