A Scheurebe Spätlese
Sweet wine from an unknown grape...Scheurebe Spätlese
I had never even heard of the Scheurebe grape until I read a fascinating book, Papilles et Molécules by one of Canada’s (Quebec’s) top sommeliers and wine authors, François Chartier. This book opens new vistas in wine and food pairings. Chartier is a proponent of this grape variety, which he identifies as a fraternal twin of Gewürtztraminer and a cousin of Sauvignon Blanc. It is a cross between Riesling and, in spite of the marketing materials quoted below, an unknown grape variety. Between you and me, grape crosses are usually not all that good. Note, the word usually. Let’s give this grape variety a chance. By the way, Spätlese means late harvest – this is a sweet wine. But don’t confuse it with those bottom of the line sweet German wines that were once popular and virtually lost all their market a long time ago. In the interest of full disclosure, I recently translated Chartier's book into English and will be writing more about it once the book is published.
The Pfalz is a very special area in southwestern Germany near the border with Alsace, France. Like Alsace, this is wine country. There is a great wine road for exploring the local production. You may want to visit Neustadt and its wine suburbs. In this lucky part of the world October means the Deutsches Weinlesefest (German Wine Harvest Festival) complete with a German Wine Queen and a parade with one hundred floats.
Before reviewing the Pfalz wine that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Schonhof Pfännchen (Ham Gratin in Brandy Cream Sauce). For your second course enjoy Rumpsteak mit Bratkartofflen (Beef Steak with Home Fried Potatoes). And for dessert indulge yourself with Basilihumels (Basil Ice Cream).
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Pfeffingen Scheurebe Spätlese 2007 11.0% alcohol about $21
Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Description : Scheurebe is a wonderful grape variety to explore. A crossing of Riesling and Silvaner, this variety was developed by (and is named after) famed viticulturalist Dr. Georg Scheu. The grape thrives in sandy soils, so Pfeffingen's sand- and limestone-rich Ungsteiner Herrenberg vineyard is an ideal home. This wine expresses rich grapefruit, lime and mineral character. Its moderate sweetness is balanced by racy acidity, leading to a lip-smacking finish. And now for my review.
At the first sips the wine was absolutely delicious. What a combination of sweetness and acidity. Its first pairing was with slow cooked beef ribs accompanied by sliced potatoes and a tomato, onion, lime, cilantro and green pepper salsa that was more spicy than I would have preferred. The wine was strongly present when dealing with the fatty meat. It’s sweetness was not a problem. The dominant taste was grapefruit. It became more acidic with the potatoes. The lime in the wine joined the lime in the salsa, taming its spiciness. Dessert was orange-flavored fruit candy, which managed to mute the wine which also lost acidity. I was out of wine and there was still some candy left. But there was no way that I would waste the wine on this candy.
The next meal was a more traditional pairing for a white wine. It was a commercial barbecued chicken accompanied by potatoes roasted in chicken fat and an oriental tomato salad that was moderately spicy. The Scheurebe was very fine and mouth filling with a fine combination of sweetness and acidity when facing the chicken breast. It helped make up for the meat’s dryness. The results were essentially the same with a stronger tasting, moister chicken leg. With the potatoes the wine’s acidity increased, great for washing down that (delicious) grease. The wine became longer when paired with the salad.
My final meal involved a portobello mushroom omelet. The Scheurebe was sophisticated and powerful, a little bit went a long way. This wine is elegant. Dessert was a high-quality French-style lemon pie with a very buttery crust. The wine was thinner, but still delicious.
I ended the bottle with two local cheeses. But first came some Matjes herring. The wine was long and pleasantly sweet with a lime taste. With a brick cheese this Scheurebe retained its pleasant sweetness and some grapefruit taste. With a tastier Swiss cheese the wine tasted of lemon and honey.
Final verdict. This is a definite yes. I am developing a taste for high-quality Germanic sweet wines and this is one of the best that I have tasted in a long time. I would suggest that you give this, or perhaps some of its lower priced cousins that I have reviewed recently a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised. And gone are the prejudices against hybrid grape varieties.
Access the companion wine A Cheap Serbian MuscatAbout the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would
rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario
French-language community college. His wine websites include
www.theworldwidewine.com
with a new weekly review of $10 wines and http://www.wineinyourdiet.com
devoted to the issues of wine, weight loss, and health.
Visit his website devoted to Italian travel
www.travelitalytravel.com
Feel free to reprint this entire article which must include this resource box