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I-love-german-wine-and-food---a-pfalz-gewurztraminer
If you are in the market for fine German wine and food, you should consider the Pfalz region of southwestern Germany. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll enjoy yourself on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local Gewuerztraminer.
The climate in the Pfalz region is so mild that some of its farmers actually raise lemons and figs. It has been called the Tuscany of Germany. While Pfalz is far from Tuscany, it is just over the border from the famous French wine-producing region of Alsace, also known for producing fine Gewurztraminer wines. Sooner or later we will review one (or maybe more) Alsacian Gewurztraminers for our series I Love French Wine and Food. Did you notice the difference in spelling between the German and the French grape?
The Pfalz is a narrow region about 80 kilometers long, close to the river Rhine. The best vineyards belonged to the Church until Napoleon redistributed them. There are about 25,000 vineyards whose average size is less than a hectare (about 2.5 acres). With such small vineyards, most owners are forced to take on additional work to make ends meet. While Pfalz was once the number one German wine producing region, it now ranks number two in both total wine production and vineyard acreage behind its northern neighbor, Rheinhessen.
Approximately four out of five local wine bottles are white. The two top grape varieties grown here are Mueller Thurgau, a German developed hybrid, and the often noble Riesling. Local red grape varieties include Portugieser and to a lesser extent Pinot Noir, better known by its German name, Spaetburgunder. About 10% of Pfalz wine is classified as basic table wine, over 70% as middle quality QbA wine, and the remainder higher quality QmP wine.
The German Wine Road crosses the Pfalz region. Virtually anywhere you go on this road you can find something worth seeing, worth tasting, and I daresay worth eating. Be sure to visit the city of Speyer. While today's population is only about fifty thousand, Speyer was a major center in the Holy Roman Empire hosting many Imperial Diets, huge parliamentary assemblies. From 1030 to 1061 a series of emperors built the Kaiserdom (The Imperial Cathedral), which was expertly restored more than fifty years ago. Just across from the cathedral you will find the Palatinate Historical Museum. Other museums to visit include the Technology Museum, Sea Life in the old harbor, and the Wine Museum that features a 1600 year-old glass wine amphora, perhaps the oldest wine "bottle" in the world.
Before reviewing the Pfalz wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Keschlebreih (Chestnut Soup). For your second course enjoy Kalbsnieren (Veal Kidneys). As a dessert indulge yourself with Kerscheblotzer (Cherry Cake).
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Darting Gewuerztraminer Kabinett 2005 10.8% alcohol about $14
Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. With such a German name, it's surprising that Gewuerztraminer is still a minority in the vineyards of the country. Kurt Darting has created some of the Pfalz's finest examples. The wine
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