The Riesling Report - announcing a wicked little hobby project

[MiranK]

So…I realise some passion is needed to fuel this endeavour. First drove 680 km this morning to the very southern tip of Sweden to catch the ferry to Germany. 10 hours later I’m on German soil and now some 600 km of driving left for tomorrow’s appointment at Horst Sauer in Franken. Let the madness begin…

No need for filters… It actually looked like this.

[adam_caldwell]

Exciting times, can’t wait for the reports and pictures. Best of luck and travel safely.

[MiranK]

So…what started as 0 km on the dash board is no longer zero kilometers. The Grand European Tour for The Riesling Report has now surpassed 4000 kilometers and so far gone to Franken, Rheinhessen, Rheingau, Nahe, Mosel, Champagne and now Switzerland to pick up som bottles for a very, very special dinner at the next destination: Barolo. Stay tuned…

But before anything else…this tour would be absolutely nothing if it weren’t for the incredibly warm-hearted help by winemakers who hopefully see the passion behind this project. So no trip like this without the help from people like Daniel, Sandra, Philipp, Peter, Caroline, Armin, Sylvain, Sebastian, Klaus-Peter, Matthias, Florian, Egon, Rolf, Alfred, Thomas, Theo, Willi, Christoph, Andrea, Erni, Johannes, Ulli, Aurelien. So many people, so many stories, so much passion. I’m in debt over my ears and in my soul. Many thanks.

And for those of you wondering about the 2019 vintage. No, it’s not the best vintage in a century but it might be one of the better vintages I’ve had the privilege to taste in quite some time. You notice the touch of elegance combined with the crystalline and clear-cut minerality in estate after estate. Simply put, it seems to be a brilliant vintage.

[Jim_Stewart]

So cool what you are doing, Miran.

[G_Curd]

Wow! You are going 100 mph! That’s amazing Miran. This is great to follow your adventures.

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

What a fabulous undertaking - I am looking forward to your reports. Are you a photographer as well? Will you be including pictures of vineyards, cellars, vignerons, etc.?

[Jay_Miller]

Bill,

My friends David and Jean are absolutely fabulous and an incredible source of information for the area they cover. Highly recommended.

So looks like I’m getting some requests of winemakers to visit - many seem to be asking about Egon Müller - I have sent them an inquiry, so lets hope for the best. I will also try to visit Julian, Hofgut Falkenstein and a bunch of others along the Mosel valley. Robert Dentice is nagging about Ulli Stein, so he will be visited. ) And I will also make my way to some producers in Nahe and Rheinhessen.

But…I will first start with Franconia. How come people so seldom talk about wines from this region? Is it because they are not good enough or because they are simply under the radar for most consumers outside of Germany?

In my case it’s because of the bottle shape. Love the wines, but storing them…