Dirk and Ellen Scherschlich operate the Bacharacher Hof Hotel and Restaurant. Dirk elevates traditional German fare to high art, and Ellen runs a tight ship on the floor of the restaurant. We raided the wine list on our two visits to the restaurant (both were great meals), and were looking for the best way to “re-create” the experience at home after a tough week.

Slowly-cooked, tender veal in a cream sauce with chanterelles, bracketed by red bliss potatoes, and spargel (asparagus) was as close as I could get, and I took the occasion to pamper ourselves with one of the most extraordinary wines I’ve had from Jochen Ratzenberger – his 2002 Wolfshöhle Großes Gewächs, a selected, late harvested Riesling (auslese) fermented dry. An incredible pairing!

A little of this wine is still available in all three of our stores ($60 per bottle), and it’s a bargain. Perfectly mature, and complex, and a perfect example of terroir. This brilliant wine could not have been produced anywhere else on Earth. Bravo, Jochen! Here’s our “official” tasting note:

The Ratzenberger family moved to the Mittelrhein from East Germany in the 1950s, and young Jochen Ratzenberger first began to make wine in 1994. The 8-hectare estate, west and north of the town of Bacharach, includes holdings in the three steep vineyards of blue-black Devon slate: Steeger St. Jost, Posten, and Wolfshöhle.

In 2002, the membership of the VDP (Verbund Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) issued regulations governing the production of Großes Gewächs (Grand Cru) wines; only approved varieties of grapes, from approved parts of classified vineyards are allowed. The grapes must qualify as Spätlese in ripeness, and the wines must be either dry, or lusciously sweet. The rules permit chaptalization, so Großes Gewächs wines may not be labeled as QmP (Qualitätswein mit Prädikat).

The Wolfshöhle Großes Gewächs was harvested at auslese (selected late harvest) ripeness and fermented dry, producing a wine of amazing aromatic and textural complexity rivaled only by the Premier, and Grand Cru of Burgundy.

Our earliest contact in Germany came by way of Thomas Hähn, a young German who worked with Dave when he was at WineAccess, the company that developed and hosts our e-commerce web sites. Thomas’ sister Irmy is married to Andreas von Canal (shown in photo), proprietor and winemaker at Weingut Freiherr von Heddesdorff in the village of Winningen near Koblenz, where the lower Mosel joins the Rhine.

Weingut von Heddesdorff is in the first rank of producers in the district (and one of the oldest – the winery has operated continuously since 1424), and in addition to supplying Moore Brothers with distinctive, creamy textured, mostly dry Rieslings, Andreas and Irmy have generously housed, fed, and encouraged us with information leading to some of our favorite producers in other regions.

Posted by Greg Moore

The history of Provence can be traced back to Neolithic cave paintings. The first settlers were Ligurians who were absorbed by Celtic invaders from the north. Phocaean Greeks settled Masalia (Marseilles) in 600 BC and the Romans had completed their conquest by 124 BC.

Evidence of all these (and succeeding) cultures can still be seen in the cities and fortified villages of the region. These diverse cultures have left an indelible mark on the art, literature and cuisine of Provence. Mont Victoire, named for the victory over the Franks in 107 BC, dominates the barren hillsides surrounding the ancient Roman city of Aix. Sparse pine forests and olive trees give way to vineyards that are planted to both Mediterranean and Atlantic varieties.

The marvelously varied cuisine of Provence and the Southern Rhône is defined – but not limited – by its geography. Proximity to the sea and the mountains often results in plates that combine fish and meat and produce, along with the ubiquitous olive tree. Two classic regional dishes reflect this diversity: brandade melds salt cod, potatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh cream; bouillabaisse brings together local fish such as racasse, langoustine, skate, and squid, plus sausages, served in saffron-scented stews. Abundant game adorns restaurant menus: boar, duck, antelope, and rabbit (often as rillettes) are common plats du jour. Game birds like capon and pigeon are roasted with the wide variety of local herbs. Lamb, also a staple, sometimes appears in form of lamb a la ficelle, a leg hung by rope over an open flame. Anchovies from Collioure are eaten grilled and served with rosé. The distinctive olive oils produced here are blended with fresh olives and herbs to make tapenade.

David Moore

Jochen “Opa” Ratzenberger

The view through the bedroom window is dominated by the towering hill of the Steeger St. Jost. We linger over an old Kabinett with “Opa”in his rose-garden. He thinks I’ll understand more of his musical German if he gets very close and speaks very slowly. I always feel at home here…
Greg Moore

Weingut Ratzenberger in New Jersey
Weingut Ratzenberger in Delaware
Weingut Ratzenberger in New York

Posted by Greg Moore

A frequent customer posed an interesting question earlier today, when she asked for my opinion on the following story in last Saturday’s Montreal Gazette:
It’s a Question of Yeasts
…in case you didn’t follow the link, it’s an article about the growing use of “cultured” yeasts in “winemaking.”

Here’s what the Encyclopeadia Britannica has to say about Saccharomyces:
Genus of yeasts belonging to the family Saccharomycetaceae (phylum Ascomycota, kingdom Fungi). An outstanding characteristic of members of Saccharomyces is their ability to convert sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol by means of enzymes. The yeasts used to ferment sugars in the manufacture of baked goods, beers, wines, distilled spirits, and industrial alcohols are all strains of one species, S. cerevisiae. One such yeast cell can ferment approximately its own weight of glucose, the simplest form of sugar, in one hour.
(http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9002436)

One of the many components of terroir, is the particular strain of yeast that thrives in a particular vineyard…which may be different than that in an adjacent vineyard. Terroir is not just about “soil.”

We tend (all things being equal) to prefer naturally produced wines that haven’t been sterilized and inoculated with “cultured” yeast. Granted, if you’re trying to produce industrial quantities of wine, using what are called “indigenous” yeasts isn’t practical – it’s much better to just “nuke” the juice, and introduce a “predictable” yeast.

This is why so many fake wines and garbage “Beaujolais” taste so similar.

Last year while having dinner at Ratcliffe in Charlotte, I ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir from Oregon – from a property whose wines I’d had (and liked!) in the past. It tasted like cherry cough syrup – very woody, cherry cough syrup.

So, I did a little investigating and found that the winery in question did, indeed, sterilize the juice from their beautiful, organically grown fruit, and introduced the following yeast strains: (76%) Assmanhausen, (19%) RC212, (5%) RA17…hmmm…nothin’ says “Burgundy style” quite like ‘em.

Turns out, this is the norm these days. These “cultured” yeasts provide “flavor profiles” that the wine press “likes” (just like kids like sugar), and the resulting wines garner “high ratings.”

Wines that are produced naturally teach us more about wine than manipulated wine “products.” They taste real, and they’re idiosyncratic, and smart people appreciate ‘em – this must be true, because we’ve only got smart customers, and they come back time and again, for the real McCoy.

So, ask me how I really feel about “cultured yeasts” in “winemaking.”

Posted by David Moore