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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
 | | 11/06/2003 3:03 PM |
| Quote:
I want (need?) facts in order to make my own opinions on wine. In fact, I think wine labels should have to include the volume of acidity, residual sugar, sugar the time of harvest (I realize this can be roughly determined by looking at the alcohol), filtration, and cases made for each QmP bottle. Full disclosure is truly the educated consumers friend.
I would also like to add that the Grosslagen/Einzellagen labelling is difficult to wade through. I don't have a resolution to propose for that problem! I guess an educated buying public and trial and error are the answers!
-Brett
There comes a point where enough is enough as far as informaiton. Wine geeks love this stuff but it intimidates the heck out of the average consumer (and the average consumer buys most of the wine in the world). Why not require the bottle to list the name of any consulting enologist, or the age of the vines? There is not end to the informaiton that can be presented, but that does not mean it should be.
As for the grosslage/einzellage issue; I don't believe there should be a "greater" solution. The world is moving too far from personal responsiiblity in choice. Sometimes people have to learn. When we stop thinking and learning for ourselves we will die as a species. Learning German vineyards is not globally important, but at least it exercises the mind. | | | |
| ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:38
| | 11/07/2003 12:26 PM |
| Quote:
...The world is moving too far from personal responsiiblity in choice. Sometimes people have to learn. When we stop thinking and learning for ourselves we will die as a species. Learning German vineyards is not globally important, but at least it exercises the mind...
And that brings us back to ringing the same bell: the majority of wine consumers (I'm speaking of the U.S. market) are not educated enough about Germany. < tongue in cheek>Let them continue buying the QbA Pieceporter Michaelsberg for $4/L and "burdon" us (the educated) with buying the quality German wines!< /tongue in cheek>
:-)
-Brett | | | |
| Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 11/07/2003 1:58 PM |
| You know, I have been sitting here on the sidelines watching this thread develop. Honestly, I am one of the uninitiated. I know, I know, GATC and stemor have been the ones banging the German Riesling drum the longest, but I just have never gotten in to them, nor have I put in enough of an effort. I am so ashamed. 
I suppose that once I am off of wine budget hold, I should consider stocking up on some of the 2002 crop. I think one of the things I find inherently difficult to get past is that I find the sweetness of the things I have tried to be, well, too sweet. Perhaps I have just not tried the right bottles. Perhaps I have not searched wide and far enough for some of the bottles that you dudes have been recommending for so long. Ah well, At least I have the excuse of wine budget hold at the moment to make me fell like I am not a dope for buying some of this stuff and giving it a proper evaluation...  | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
| ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 11/07/2003 2:15 PM |
| Quote:
I think one of the things I find inherently difficult to get past is that I find the sweetness of the things I have tried to be, well, too sweet. Perhaps I have just not tried the right bottles. Perhaps I have not searched wide and far enough for some of the bottles that you dudes have been recommending for so long. Ah well, At least I have the excuse of wine budget hold at the moment to make me fell like I am not a dope for buying some of this stuff and giving it a proper evaluation...
Perhaps it's just not a style you care for. That does not mean that anything is wrong with you, or that you didn't givethe wines a fair shot. I know several people that bought huge amounts of 2001 Germans with no basis in the wines and hate them. Don't fall into that trap. It's not good for you, and it's not good for them.
You don't have to like it. | | | |
| Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 11/07/2003 2:18 PM |
| Quote:
You don't have to like it.
Oh I know that. But I want to. I think that I have only really had some of the lower end Rieslings, which is why I think I have not given them a fair enough shake. You guys keep talking about producers that have this great stuff and I have never seen these bottlings (not that I have tried very hard) much less tried them. I think I do need to experiment a bit before I write off the whole region/varietal. | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
| stemor
Collierville, TN
Wine Thief
Posts:2813
| | 11/07/2003 2:27 PM |
| TJ,
I'm up to 20 cases of 2002 (so far), mostly Spatlese from different mid-to-high end producers. I'll be happy to share with you when we have a chance to get together. | |
Cheers, y'all | |
| Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 11/07/2003 2:31 PM |
| Stemor-- That is because you are one kewl dewd. Totally.  | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
| ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 11/07/2003 5:07 PM |
| Quote:
Quote:
You don't have to like it.
Oh I know that. But I want to. I think that I have only really had some of the lower end Rieslings, which is why I think I have not given them a fair enough shake. You guys keep talking about producers that have this great stuff and I have never seen these bottlings (not that I have tried very hard) much less tried them. I think I do need to experiment a bit before I write off the whole region/varietal.
TJ,
I get down to your area 2 or 3 times a year (in laws in Bal'mer), so some time we can get together and open a couple of the big boys. | | | |
| Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 11/07/2003 5:31 PM |
| You just let me know, Rieslingfan. I'm definitely game. If we're really up for something, we can see if more of the DC Crü is available too.  | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
| GATC
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2420
| | 11/08/2003 2:09 AM |
| TJ, if you don't like what Rieslingfan or Stemor provides, chances are you won't like German rieslings. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. There are a lot of knowledgeable people who like lot of different wines that don't like German rieslings. One comes to mind, but I haven't given up on him yet.
The sweetness comment is interesting to me. I only like sweet wines if they are balanced. The ones that I love the most first hit me with the purity of fruit, then comes sweetness, sourness, acid, slate, then fruit again. Just because I love German rieslings, people think that I like sweet wines. But, I don't like Sauternes or port. | | | |
| Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 11/08/2003 3:00 AM |
| | Interesting points, GATC. I especially like the comment about the fruit hitting you the first and best and that being what you search for in the best wines. I'll have to keep that in mind when (if) sampling. heh heh | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
| skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 11/08/2003 6:52 AM |
| | GATC, I think I know the "one" you are talking about. Give up on him so we can still get product. If he starts liking Rieslings he will make you and Stemor look like minor purchasers. | | | |
| ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:38
| | 11/10/2003 1:17 PM |
| Quote:
... I think one of the things I find inherently difficult to get past is that I find the sweetness of the things I have tried to be, well, too sweet. Perhaps I have just not tried the right bottles. Perhaps I have not searched wide and far enough for some of the bottles that you dudes have been recommending for so long...
TJ,
Welcome to this thread. I was pretty much a lurker untill this thread.
When I first started drinking wine, I was initially attracted to it by a delicate and sweet-ish (different that Swedish) riesling. My wife and I began enjoying the off-dry rieslings and slowly aclimated ourselves to the drier styles as well as to more red varieties. After 6 (+/-) years, I (and my wife more-so) still don't like the brutally dry reds. This is our personal taste preference. Your preference is for the drier styles. That is A-Ok.
You may find it difficult to find a good dry-style riesling (from any country) in the US. In Michigan, we have very few well stocked wine shops. I hate to say it, but to really get a feel for what "German" rieslings are like (the full range from the tafelwein to the best QmP), you may have to visit Germany. What I think we have been hinting at in this thread, is that there is very little demand for truly good rieslings, or truly dry rieslings (from Germany or anywhere else) in the U.S.
As much as I would liek to be, I'm not like Stemor. I have 3-4 cases of wine on-hand total! This is a mix that includes about 30% German riesling. I have yet to try many of the high-end producers from any vintage. I buy using a limited budget too, and I rarely buy more than 2 bottles of anything. Am I missing out? Sure: I would love to enjoy many of the bottles I taste in 10 years! Assuming you can't jump on your personal jet to Germany (the way it seems the WS and WA writers can), I would suggest visiting as many local shops (and this includes Costco and Sam's) in search of a few individual bottles. Look for Alsacian rieslings. Although more expensive, these are almost always dry. Or, look for German bottles with Trocken or Halb trocken on the label. Short of finding those, stick to Kabinetts.
In the end, maybe you won't like Rieslings! Much as I'd like to, I have accepted that I don't like Chard([censored])onnay!
-Brett (aka, LongWindedOverlyOpinionatedUnableToSpell) | | | |
| Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 11/10/2003 2:08 PM |
| bv002-- Thx for the thread-welcome, dude.
I have tried some rieslings, and I do enjoy some of them, but I have not been 'WOW-ed' by one -- yet. Your suggestion about trying some Alsatian (sp?) rieslings is interesting. I do enjoy a good Alsatian wine now and again, but I have mostly stuck with (Tokay) Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc in the past. Perhaps I should branch out there and try some rieslings and Gewurz....
Thx for the tips dude. | |
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