Perfect Pairings Asian Luncheons

February 29, 2012- New York

March 2, 2012- San Francisco

The luncheons celebrated Jeannie’s new 52-page booklet on pairing German wines with eight different Asian cuisines. "Perfect Pairings: German Wines and Asian Flavours" is part of a yearlong collaboration with the German Wine Institute that aims to provide a better understanding of how authentic Asian flavors can be enjoyed with the refreshing array of wines from Germany.

Attendees in both cities were served a Blanc de Noir Sekt as an aperitif before dining on four courses, each paired with two German wines specifically chosen to complement the dish. The pairings included a range of German Riesling, in addition to other varietals such as Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Scheurebe, and Silvaner.

The New York City luncheon was held at Buddakan in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. The wines selected paired with a menu of Chinese dishes, including Tuna Tartare Spring Roll and Deviled Tuna Tartare, Black Bean Silken Tofu and Roast Duck Noodles, Kung Pao Monkfish, and Peking Duck.

The tour continued in San Francisco at Ame Restaurant inside the St. Regis San Francisco Hotel. The Japanese-influenced menu was created and prepared by Chef Hiro Sone, and included Ikejime Tai Snapper Carpaccio, Tartare of Tuna in Dashi Broth, Lobster in Coconut Broth, and Grilled Miso Marinated Quail.

If you are a member of the trade and are interested in copies of the brochures for sales and educational purposes, please contact megan.mcmonagle@rfbinder.com.

"German Pinot producers get serious"

Beverage-industry news-platform "the drinks business" reports about the German Pinots: "The younger winemaking generation in particular is using experience gained working in wineries around the world to improve the quality of Germany’s Pinots."

Author Rupert Millar continues:

"Axel May of Weingut Steinmühle in Rheinhessen told the drinks business: “Germans are taking production more seriously, especially the younger generation, and they should be. Germany is capable of producing really good Pinot Noir.”

May himself is typical of many younger winemakers having worked at wineries in the US, New Zealand and Australia that produce Pinot Noir.

However, he believes that what gives Germany an edge is the more classically Burgundian style of wine it can produce thanks to its soils and climate.

“New World Pinot is very fat with big fruit,” he continued, “German Pinot is lighter, more Burgundian. The 2009 is a bit too fat for me, I like to look for fruit and use Burgundian techniques.”

The increasing use of French rather than German oak is another indication of Germany’s intent, with Fritz Wassmer – not strictly one of the younger generation – saying that Germany’s coopers have not perfected the art of toasting their barrels as well as their French counterparts.

He said: “German oak has no effect (on the wine) because the toasting is not right. Many good German producers are now using French oak.”

Meanwhile, the competition created in the German market between producers is also helping them to up their game thinks Johannes Thörle, who’s 2008 Winzerhof Thörle Spätburgunder Hölle came third in a blind tasting of Pinot Noirs from around the world last year.

Thörle admitted that the marketing and understanding of German red wines was still “just at the beginning” but May was adamant that Germany needed to show it was “not just Riesling” and thought that by focusing on a few varieties and the on-trade in particular there was much to achieve."

Source: thedrinksbusiness.com

Improved revenues for German wine exporters

German exporters recorded the highest growth rates in the average price per wine in Denmark (+22.7 percent) and Sweden (+22.4 percent). Finland (+17.5 percent), the Netherlands (+14.9 percent) and Belgium (+11.8 percent) also showed double-digit growth.

"This development can be attributed to the reduced supply, due to the extraordinarily small harvest of 2010 and a simultaneously sustained high demand for our wines. It corresponds to the efforts of the German wine economy to primarily increase the creation of value and not the sales in exports. After all, in an international comparison, we have high production costs, and the volume of wine for exportation is limited by nature," DWI managing director Monika Reule explained.

Exports to China and Norway developed especially positively last year. The Skandinavians ranked fourth in the German wine export statistics for the first time. Compared with the previous year, the value of exports increased again by 10.6 percent to 22 million Euro in 2011. Nearly one third of the white wines consumed in Norway are of German origin.

With an appreciation in value by 19 percent, China advanced into eighth place in the ranking of export markets in 2011, thus replacing Japan as the largest Asian export market for German wines. Promoted by the elimination of import duties in Hong Kong in 2008, German wine exports to this growth market have since then developed very dynamically. At an extremely attractive average price of 8.88 € per liter, they have more than doubled in 2011.

Most of the domestic wines are still exported to the United States. With 297,000 hectolitres to the value of 103 million Euro, about one third of the total German export revenue of 2011 was realized there. The value of the exported wines remained largely stable, although the volume decreased by 6.4 percent.

In Great Britain, German wine exporters last year recorded a decline in turnover of 14 percent and decreases in sales by 20.5 percent. However, it is satisfactory that the average price increased by eight percent in 2011 which is due to the significant growth in the price range above five pounds.

Behind Great Britain, the Netherlands rank in third place as one of the most important German wine export markets. Exports to this neighboring country increased by 1.6 percent in value to 34 million Euro last year and have now nearly reached the export value of Great Britain, which amounted to 38 million Euro in 2011.

Due to the below average harvest volume of the 2010 wine vintage, not all markets could be supplied to the full extent with wine last year. Accordingly, wine exports decreased in 2011 by 11.8 percent to 1.5 million hectolitres. Thanks to the increase in the average price, however, the total value of exported wines only slightly decreased by 1.7 percent to 349 million Euro.

San Francisco Chronicle
By Lynne Char Bennett
February 19, 2012

Bennett recommends pairing this recipe for Chinese Long Beans & Bacon with an off-dry German Kabinett Riesling, such as the 2010 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Piesporter Goldtropfchen Kabinett from the Mosel.

The Tasting Panel
By Anthony Dias Blue
March 2012

Dias Blue reviews the 2010 Robert Weil Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken from the Rheingau region, which he calls “spritzy, minerally and dry with edgy citrus fruit and long, elegant flavors.”

Wine Enthusiast
March 2012

The March issue of Wine Enthusiast includes the 2009 Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese as the “Cellar Selection”, referring to its “impeccable” balance. This issue also includes a short blurb about the German Wine Princesses, Ramona Sturm, Annika Strebel and Elisabeth Born.

Financial Times
By Jancis Robinson
March 9, 2012

Robinson suggests that if a medium dry or medium sweet wine is low in alcohol, it may only be best to pair with a white fish dish or be drunk on its own. She chooses the 2009 Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese as one of her wine picks.

After attending the Asian Perfect Pairings Luncheon on March 2 in San Francisco, Null recaps the event on his blog. He notes that German whites are mentioned as a good pairing for almost every Asian food type and that German reds are recommended for Northern Chinese food.

Recommended Pairing: a noble sweet Riesling

Ingredients

3 slices (about 8 ounces) pumpernickel bread
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 (3 1/2-ounce) bar dark chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for coating pan
1/2 cup sugar, divided
6 eggs, separated
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Generously butter a 2-quart soufflé dish and set aside. Break bread into large pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse until bread is finely crumbled. (This should be about 2 cups of crumbs.) Do not clean food processor. Place crumbs on a large baking pan and bake, stirring once, 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside. Place almonds and chocolate in food processor and process until mixture is finely chopped. Combine with cooled breadcrumbs and set aside.

Combine butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl and beat at medium speed with a mixer, about 2 minutes or until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in liqueur, cinnamon and cloves. Add the pumpernickel mixture and beat at low speed just until mixed.

Using clean beaters, beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the batter in three additions, stirring until all traces of white disappear after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared dish.

Place the dish in a large deep-sided roasting pan and pour water into the roasting pan to a depth of 1 inch. Carefully place into oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until pudding is set. Carefully remove pudding from the water bath and cool on a wire rack 15 minutes before serving.

To serve, spoon pudding into shallow serving bowls and divide the fruit evenly among bowls.

Apricot-Raspberry Compote

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur
4 medium apricots, cut into wedges (about 3/4 pound)
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (6 ounces)

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute, or until sugar melts. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Stir in liqueur, apricots and raspberries. Cover and let stand at room temperature at least one hour, or up to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Please keep the Wines of Germany bureau updated on any relevant news and business developments by writing to info@germanwineusa.com.

Best,
Sherri Poall and Bruce Schneider
Wines of Germany Directors