Press

Culinarily speaking, Germany is known best for its bratwurst, pretzels, sauerkraut and beer. But in the wine department, Germany is near-synonymous with riesling.

The story goes that ice wines were discovered by accident when a German baron left his estate one summer’s day for one war or another, neglecting to tell his peasants to pick the grapes and make wine in the fall.

Wilhelm Haag of Weingut Fritz Haag in the Mosel, one of Germany’s most heralded Riesling producers and a figurehead in the region, passed away December 16, 2020 after a recurrence of cancer. He was 83 years old.

Good wine has the power to transport. As we now approach a full year locked in pandemic freeze-frame, with many people largely confined within their national borders, wine still provides an opportunity to taste the world.

Riesling is a magnificent grape but a something of a challenge for the consumer. If you ask one of the grape’s many devoted admirers, they will tell you that Riesling is the noblest white grape in the world. The problem is to know if it is dry or sweet.

Sparkling wine encompasses more than just Champagne. It is made all over the world. Local grapes often inform the blend or varietal base wine, such as Chenin Blanc in Crémant from the Loire Valley or Riesling in Sekt from Germany. 

Travel, restaurants and vineyards were all virtually off limits. But a lot of bottles were opened at home, creating a different sort of history.

Germany’s scintillating 2019 vintage (maybe its best ever) produced numerous perfect and unique wines – here are the best we tasted over the past 12 months.