Wednesday, July 8, 2015

New Riesling by the Glass

by Jim Lannen

This week, we introduce what should be a welcome addition for those who enjoy the lighter, moscato-type wines during the warm summer months. During a recent tasting, we tried an amazing Kabinett Riesling and quickly added it to our glass list for the summer. We hope you have a chance to stop in and try it for yourself.

With 10 different wine selections by the glass, we feel we offer a broad spectrum of wine body styles to choose from. From light to full body in both red and white, we are sure that you will find one that fits your taste.

Despite our careful selection, we still get asked why we don't have something specific on our list. Although we would love to offer more, too many choices would be hard to sell. We feel that 10 is the magic number because it offers enough variety without having bottles open for more than a day.

Fresh wines are more important to us than variety. So we always train and coach our servers to offer suggestions in place of a requested wine we do not carry. If you like moscato wines, then this Kabinett is the wine for you.

Also known by its much more lengthy name - the St. Antoniuskellerei Kreuznacher Kronenberg Kabinett - the Kabinett Riesling 
is an example of an amazing tasting, great-value, white that we wanted to introduce to the area.  It is fruity, fresh, and elegant with a bouquet reminiscent of summer flowers. 

A product of Germany - home of the world's largest vineyard devoted to Riesling grapes - the Kabinett hails from the Nahe region situated between the Mosel and the Rhine. The wines from the Nahe vary considerably due to the different soil types.

Found in several different styles throughout Germany, Riesling has enjoyed a rise in popularity in recent years. Kabinett is the least-ripe of the spectrum, and wines in this category are usually light and fresh. Grapes for Spätlese wines were left on the vine a little longer to get more sugar, and the resulting wine is likely to be more powerful and rich... plus sweeter than the Kabinett. Auslese wines are even more honeyed and bold, made from riper grapes than Spätlese.

Riesling is one of the few grapes that can produce wines in the complete sweetness range - from totally dry to extremely sweet - and still maintain its distinctive fruit character and structure. The best Rieslings are only pure fruit, vinified as simply as possible to reveal the true character of the vineyard. Because of Riesling’s bright, pure fruit and elegantly poised structure, it has no need for the cosmetic enhancements of new oak, malolactic fermentation or high alcohol.


Drink in a taste of summer with a glass of Kabinett Riesling on your next visit!

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