It's time again for Wine Blogging Wednesday, the online tasting event started by Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours. This month, Wine Blogging Wednesday is hosted by Tim Elliott of Winecast, and his theme is Old World Riesling. Rieslings are great summer wines, with their fresh flavors and typically low alcohol levels, so I have been looking forward to this month's theme for a while now.The wine that I picked--the 2006 Max Ferd. Richter "Zeppelin"Riesling--certainly qualifies as an "Old World" Riesling. This label has loads of fascinating history behind it. First, Weingut Max Ferd. Richter has been operated by the family for the past three centuries. Second (I love this part), Rieslings from the Mülheimer Sonnenlay vineyard where the grapes for this wine were grown was the wine most often poured on Zeppelin flights during the 1920s and 1930s. That's why even now the bottle has a glorious Art Deco image of a Zeppelin on it. I don't think you can get much more "Old World" than that!
The 2006 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter "Zeppelin" Riesling was one of the better lower-price German Rieslings I had lately. ($14.99, domaine547; it looks like they've got the 2007 in stock now) This Riesling was one giant lime fest. There were aromas of apple, honey and lime zest, which were as enticing as the bright golden color. Flavors of fresh squeezed lime juice and lime zest kept it tangy and lively in your mouth. A tiny bit of stoniness in the back of your throat during the finish kept the wine interesting down to the very last drop. Very good QPR.
Like most Rieslings, this was a very drinkable and food-friendly wine that would be best with spicy food or grilled sausages--something with lots of flavor. We had it with an amazing chicken salad that combined honey-mustard dressing with mangoes, cucumbers, red pepper, and greens. The salad had great synergy with the wine. The dressing was made with lime juice and honey mustard which brought out all the lime flavors and aromas. And the honeyed aromas in the wine turned into mango-like flavors you sipped it after a bite of salad. This was a terrific pairing, and really showed you the power of the perfect wine and food pairing.
Thanks to founder Lenn, our host Tim, and to all of the participants who make this a great event every month. See you back here in June when I'll be your host. Stay tuned for an announcement of the theme following Tim's roundup.
9 comments:
Wow, I love that label. I am often label driven in my purchasing habits and you can guarantee I would have picked this one right off the shelf. I love it's vintage look.
The Riesling sounds great. A lime fest huh? Sounds like it would go with some great summer foods.
Thanks for the review.
Just to repeat Noble Pig - I love that label! Not a wine I've seen over here (not that I've looked much) but will have to get it for the label alone.
I'm reviewing the same wine as I bought the WBW pack from Jill. Will compare and contrast with an aged Riesling from the cellar. Thanks for participating, Deb.
Cheers,
--
Tim
Great notes as always, Deb. There's an interesting cultural contrast in the wine you've selected. The history behind it clearly speaks to the Old World origins of the wine. Yet its packaging, even with the abundance of German, is decidedly designed for a New World market. More and more producers in Germany are branding some of their wines like this, presumably to create eye appeal on the export market and perhaps also to appeal to the new generation of buyers on the home market.
Hi Debs -
It was interesting to see the reviews of this riesling from you and Tim compared to mine. I got loads of charteristic petroleum notes on the nose and palate and I didn't see any mention of that from you guys. Wine is so cool like that. Great post.
John
:)
sounds like a great meal you found to pair with it, too. I've got to get back into the WBW swing of things, fun.
Sorry for the slow response, but thanks for the great comments. I love the label, too, and am intrigued by the old/new world contrast that David mentions. John, I got no petroleum at all, so was equally intrigued to see that feature in your review. And David, the salad is great--good to have in the recipe file for summer.
Sounds like you had as much fun with your Riesling as I did on this Wine Blogging Wednesday!
Wine is a beautiful and delicate drink and it set a beautiful mood when consumed in a nice candlelit evening.there are so many flavors also to it...makes a wonderful gift idea also.
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