I'm a big wine fan and need recommendations on what wines I should be sure to try while in Germany and Austria. Also, I know Germany is known for its white wines, however, I read somewhere that there is a region that does produce reds. Does anyone know about this? Thanks for your thoughts.

There are definitely some decent reds from the Black forest; in particular Affenthaler is a medium red that compares to some Beaujolais. <BR> <BR>In austria, I am just starting to learn about a rich spectrum of reds that vary considerably from Tirol to the further eastern regions of the country. Tyrolean wines will include some Italian reds from the Trentino since "Sudtirol" refers to a region that is half in Austria, half in Italy. Further to the east, Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt are deep dark reds that ressemble Bordeaux. <BR> <BR>If you are in salzburg, I strongly recommend a visit to Alpinum, a winestore/open bar where they will happily serve you from a half-dozen open bottles, and once you buy one or two, they will open some bottles for you to taste, but charge you by the glass. <BR> <BR>Very nice. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

German wines remain an enigma to most people, in large part because of the arcane regulations regarding labeling. German wine labels are the most difficult to find one's way around and many times names of well-known vineyards or estates are used on labels (legally) to identify wines that have none of the character of their namesake. <BR> <BR>That said, I'm afraid I simply don't know German wines well enough to recommend individual producers. Wherever you go, however, the name of the game is sweetish white wines of low alcohol content made from the Reisling grape and what you're looking for is an elusive balance between sweetness and acidity, which keeps the wine from becoming cloying. My recommendation would be to concentrate on what is arguably considered the best area overall - the Rheingau, generally along both sides of the Rhine west of Mainz and east of the confluence with the Nahe River. Once there, I'd be looking for the wines that are hard to find at home (at least around my home outside Boston) - these will carry names such as Auslese, Beerenauslese, and (for those who have more money than ordinary millionaires) Trockenbeerenauslese. These are not names of producers, but indicate (in order) the ripeness of the grapes at harvest, ripeness (and consequently sugar content) being the sine qua non of German winemaking. TBAs (as the latter are known) compare quite favorably with the great Sauternes of Bordeaux. <BR> <BR>Red wines are actually produced in many areas of Germany, though the world takes little notice, with good reason. The two red wines that get some (minimal) consideration as actually being of interest are Assmannshausen and Ingelheimer. The former is located at the western end of the Rheingau, the latter some ways further upstream in the area known as Rheinhessen. <BR>

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My wife and I spent a night in a small Hueringer (Winery/Inn)on the Danube, in the tiny village of Weissenkirchen Austria, just a short drive from Vienna. This was the high point of our trip. These inns are only allowed to sell their own wines, and they can vary from one town to the next. We found the whites to fall into a whole range of tastes, and the reds to be light, fruity, and pleasant. An interesting drink was sturm, which is a fresh, cidery drink made from wine grapes. A very pleasant way to spend a summer day is bicycling from one village to the next, sampling the wines and foods along the way!

topping real questions, seeking to get things back to travel, even if only a little bit...

Had some great wines from Muller-Catoir. Really good Schereube Auslese. <BR>Germany also makes some good Dry white wines - Look for the word Trocken on the label.

Rex, thanks for bringing up this post. I, too, am one of those big wine fans and will be in Germany in September, ATGAP (all things going as planned) for a wine festival weekend in Freinsheim along the Winestrasse, just east of the Rhine. This area is referred to as "where Germany meets Italy" although Germany doesn't really meet Italy anywhere, but it's the warmest area and has lemons and figs. I'm hoping to find a variety of wines, including reds. Any info anyone can give about the area or the wine would be appreciated. Maybe I'll start my own post. Cindy, if you're reading this, you posted in April. Have you gone on your trip? If so, let us know what you discovered.

When my husband and I lived in Germany for three years, we found the best wine came from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer in the Mosel Valley of Trier. We have had wine from different parts of Germany and surrounding countries and still to this day will buy the wine we like the best.

hi there, <BR>as wine is a very natural product (mostly) it is not so easy to put it into a scheme. Quality and taste of wine depneds on a lot of things, and they arent found in the same way over a great area. So only the wines from one wineyard are pure enough to own the same taste. Except ... industrial made wine. They mix up the wines from many wineyards to have the same taste for a million of liters (like they do in California etc.). And of course, these are the wines that are well known, for this is the quantity advertising is worth to be done. The other winemakers (thanks god there are a lot of) just make very less quantity and use only the graves of their own wineyards. <BR>And that is the reason why some guys like Dick (sorry) maybe confused about the labels and the information they will find there. But German wine labels contains much more information than others (perhaps in France You mostly not find the sort of the graves). <BR>That the world takes little notice about the German's red is for reason that they didnt export a lot of them, they rather drink it themselfe. And those that are exported are horrible. So when in Germany's wine regions, take a look at the red wine contains graves like "Trollinger", Trollinger und Lemberger", "Schwarzriesling" or "Gutedel". Best quality regions may be Baden, Pfalz and Wuerttemberg for this. <BR>Prost <BR>Gar

If you are on the Mosel, try the whites. Almost entirely Rieslings. It is a mis-conception that riesling wine is always sweet. Especially in Germany it can run to the very dry all the way to the deseert late harvest rieslings. One well respected winemaker in Germany on the Mosel is Dr. Ernst Lossen. I know it sounds sort of laboratory-like, but his wines are outstanding. He is working with a well known winery in the states right now and the wines, (all rieslings), are getting the highest ratings every for American rieslings.

I too, really like the Rieslings from the Mosel area. <BR>Art <BR>

While we're topping a dead horse... I've always been very fond of Mosel valley reislings, especially the dry "Kabinett" wines from the town of Wehlen. Bold, assertive fruit with a crisp, clean finish...jeez, I'm gettin' thirsty!

Dick! <BR> <BR>What a lot of crap. German wine labels are the most informative of any in the world if you take the trouble to find out how to read them. <BR> <BR>You are told: <BR> <BR>- where the grapes come from <BR>- the year of bottling <BR>- the type of grape <BR>- the lateness of picking <BR>- the alcoholic content <BR>- the degree of sweetness <BR>- the name of the producer <BR>- the class of wine <BR>- the volume of wine in the bottle <BR>- it is noteworthy that there is no mention on the labels of additives such as preservatives. This is because they are banned under their 'arcane' regulations governing wine production. <BR> <BR>Furthermore, although it is true that the Riesling (spelling!) is the commonest, there at least ten different types of grape from which white wines are made. And the name of the game is NOT 'sweetish with low alcoholic content'. There are in fact three grades of sweetness (dry, medium dry and sweet), of which the drier ones are the most popular, and alcoholic content for any of them can range up to around 14%, although sweet wines tend to be lower in alcohol than the dry ones. <BR> <BR>One region that specialises in reds is the Ahr valley, just south of Bonn and west of the Rhine. Many growers in other regions do produce reds as well as the staple whites, as you say, and they are indeed mainly for domestic consumption. But I was surprised to find an Australian red in a supermarket when I was in Germany two weeks ago selling for less than the Australian retail price. <BR>Harzer <BR> <BR>

Hi Candi! <BR> <BR>The biggest wine-producing areas are of cousre the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer south-west of Koblenz and the Rheingau and Rheinhessen. Also popular, but responsible for only about 6% of Germany's wine production is the area centred on the Main and Tauber rivers roughly from Heidelberg through to beyond Wurzburg. Here the famous Bocksbeutel bottles are used, and the Mulelr-Thurgau grapes are more common than Riesling because of the warmer climate. <BR> <BR>My advice on choosing wine is to rely not so much on recommendations and regions but on the label. <BR> <BR>Look for a combination of the words 'Qualitätswein mit Prädikat', the highest grade, secondly 'trocken' (dry), 'halbtrocken' (medium dry)or 'lieblich' (sweet) according to your taste, and thirdly, Spätlese or Auslese, which indicate lateness of picking. <BR> <BR>Another tip, if you intend staying in one of the wine regions for any length of time: try to find accommodation with a vigneron for a few days. This way you will be told everything you want to know about wines and their production, be given free wine tastings, and can buy the product direct from the vineyard. <BR>Many vignerons have built what is known as a 'Ferienwohnung' on their properties. This is a self-catering unit, usually accommodating three or four people, with fully equipped kitchen, and very modern facilities. You can find them by approaching the local tourist information office in the towns and villages of the region. These units are remarkably well-priced, usually running to around DM80 a night ($36), regardless of the number of guests, 2,3 or 4. Try for example 'Weingut Steinmann' just outside the town of Wertheim on the Main west of Wurzburg. I had a week there recently, and it is superb. But you would need a car. <BR> <BR>Regards <BR>Harzer

Harzer, what great info! I'm printing it out just so I can shop for german wines in America! Reading german wine labels is a little confusing for us - but you're right, with just a little effort everything you need to know is right on the label. cheers! <BR> <BR>

Hi Ess! <BR> <BR>Thank you for the bouquet Ess. I happen to have brought back a bottle of Franconian wine with me from my trip and am reading straight from the label. <BR> <BR>This wine, which cost $3.50 by the way, is from the Tauberfranken part of the Baden region, was made in Wertheim (Main) on the Steinmann estate, and the grapes come from their Schlossberg vines. It is a Qualitätswein, so only medium quality, has 11% alcohol, is medium dry, and was bottled in 1998. The bottle contains 0.75 litres. <BR> <BR>Other of their wines can cost up to $10 a bottle for the best quality, or more than twice that if you are talking Eiswein. Eiswein as the name implies is the wine made from grapes left on the vine until the first frosts. They must be picked at a temperature of at least minus 8C and pressed immediately they are brought in. The result is a syrupy concoction drunk as a dessert wine or even just on its own on a special occasion. <BR> <BR>Regards <BR>Harzer

Harzer, I would love to try eiswein sometime, though it will be difficult to find in my neighborhood. It's difficult to find a variety of good german wines in our local shops. They're just not widely availabe except for blue nun and a couple of rieslings and gerwurzstramminers. <BR> <BR>People here have the idea that German wine is "too sweet" (blame it on the blue nun), because they haven't been exposed to all the different varieties and types of German wines, from very dry to sweet. Also, I'm not sure how much is exported. Is it correct, though, that German wine created for export is on the increase, though, compared to previous years? <BR> <BR>I just tried a dessert wine for the first time the other day, a coteaux du layon from the loire. I loved it. I haven't yet visited Germany but would love to visit the wine making areas there. Lately, I've been enjoying wines from the loire, as that was our most recent vacation, and Alsatian gerwurzstramminers. And now I'm looking to explore German wines as well. <BR> <BR>Thanks again for the info. Have a great weekend!

Hi Ess! <BR> <BR>Yes, I'm afraid German wines do not get good publicity from the sort of stuff like Blue Nun that is exported to the US and Australia, where I am. <BR> <BR>Either you get yourself over to Germany, or you contact one of the growers direct, and try to have a few cases sent over. I would recommend you start with the Mosel wines and then in time work your way down via the Nahe and the Rhine to the Franconian wines on the Main and Tauber. <BR> <BR>If you keep your eye on this board I will try to find an email address for you to start with. <BR> <BR>Regards, <BR>Harzer <BR>

Hi Ess! <BR> <BR>Me again. <BR> <BR>Here is the email address of a highly reputable grower in the town of Enkirch on the Mosel. <BR> <BR>This family has been in the wine business since 1497. They currently produce around 30000 litres a year of Riesling, sparkling wines and liqueurs. <BR> <BR>We stayed with them in May this year and were very impressed with their range of wines, which go from about DM7 a bottle for their quaffing wines to DM20 for the Auslese. They will send you a wine list on request. <BR> <BR>Of course, if you ever get to Germany you can stay in their self-catering unit too, and get a tiur through their cellars, which incidentally are right underneath their house. <BR> <BR>&lt;[email protected]&gt; <BR> <BR>Good luck <BR>Harzer