Kallstadt! Let the Wine Tasting Begin!

Along the Wein Straße

Another weekend of wine.  First tasting of the year was the ‘Open Cellars’ Day in the tiny town of Kallstadt on the German Wine Road (Deutsche Wein Straße).   Not sure where that is?  Count on me to fill you in.

Next Question.  What is an open cellar day versus a wine fest?  A wine fest is an all-vintner production in the city streets, teeming with crowds of the ever thirsty.  Booths of wine and beer and schnaps.  The scent of roasting Wurst floating temptingly past your nose and dashing all hope of moderation.  Throngs of gallant wine guzzlers doing their best to stimulate an economic recovery.

On the other hand, an open cellar day is far more intimate. You pay one price, in Kallstadt it was 15 Euros, then you walk down the street, going from vintner to vintner, strolling their cellars, taking selfies in front of huge wine casks, sipping wine, chatting with your hosts, discussing the pros and cons of this wine and that. Drinking more wine.  Damn, this glass never gets empty!

But, do vintners just specialize in one type of wine?  How many questions do you have????  Ok.  Patience.  Fortitude.  Often, even the small growers have several species of grapes, which they sometimes combine, and which they ferment to different levels of sugar and alcohol.  The most popular grape in Germany is Riesling and the tiny town of Kallstadt has its share.

In Germany, Riesling is KING!

On our visit, we arrived late and only got to two vintners, but they were special.  Our favorite was Roland Christ, not nearly as large as some of the others, but a jewel of a winery.  When we walked along the cobblestone courtyard and through the solid door, into the tasting room, it was as though we’d stepped into the middle of a family gathering.  Big family.  Maybe fifty people.  The wine selection ran from white to red to rosé and varied in sweetness from super dry to dry to mellow and sweet.

Just to give you a hint.  Everyone has personal preferences, but no matter which you choose, there are NO bad wines in Kallstadt.  We bought a number of bottles and carefully tasted and savored many more.

For those of you who have not been to Germany in a while, let me offer a tip about German wines in general.  Tastes in Europe have changed dramatically.  No longer are German reds, such as Dornfelder and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) something to avoid.  Also, thirty years ago the whites were only different levels of sweetness.  Now there are dry and semi-dry and any number of other levels before you get to the sweetness so common decades ago.  Nor can you go by the old rules of Spätlese and Auslese always being very close to dessert wines.  Not familiar with the terms?  Spätlese is a late harvest picking.  Auslese is a select picking from very ripe fruit. Ice wine is a pressing when the grapes are frozen.  Here’s a quick glance:

But, dry or not-so-dry, or sweet, one thing most Germany wines have that other countries don’t is a wonderfully heavy nose of fruitiness.  Give me a glass of Pinot Grigio and I’ll tell you it tastes good or doesn’t.  Give me a German Riesling and the pungent essence of apples and pears come bursting through like you’re standing in an orchard.  Why is that?  My, you’re full of questions, but fortunately for you, here I am.  Riesling is grown in other countries, but it won’t taste the same.  As the nose-in-the-air (or glass) experts say, Riesling is “terroir-expressive.”  Even a novice wine swiller such as yours truly can tell in a sniff and a taste that German Rieslings are not the same as French Rieslings, which are grown only 45 minutes away.

A final question?  Ok, shoot.  Why are you giving us this information on an open cellar day that is past?  Oh, ye of little faith.  The wine tasting season is just beginning and I’m here to pique your interest.  Next weekend, par example, the Deutsche Wein Straße features the celebration of the blooming of the almond trees.  Really?  Yep.  Not making that up.

But, celebration or not, wine fest or not, you can drive through any wine growing region in Germany and do a Wein Probe – a wine tasting.  Just spot a vintner with a sign outside, park the car, sip a while, chat a while and prepare to become a connoisseur of some of the most flavorful wines in the world.   Meanwhile, I’ll see you this weekend on the Deutsche Wein Straße at the Almond Bloom celebration.  Prost!