| You may remember the days of cheap | | | | is just now brilliantly hitting its stride. Look for |
| oversweet German Rieslings that turned many | | | | pretty peach, pear, petrol and slate aromas and |
| people away from Riesling and German whites in | | | | flavors. It has evolved over the years into a drier |
| general. This is not such a wine. Even if you don't | | | | style, so it comes across more like a Spatlese |
| like sweet white wine I think you should try one | | | | than an Auslese. And now for my review. |
| or a similar wine, you may be pleasantly surprised. | | | | When I tasted this wine without food it was |
| Today's wine comes from a family-owned winery | | | | delicate; tasting of lime and peach with light acidity |
| specializing in Riesling. The Baeumler-Becker winery | | | | and just a touch of sweetness. The initial pairing |
| is located in the Mosel region of the Rhineland in | | | | was with a purchased eggplant parmigiana liberally |
| western central Germany not far from Alsace, | | | | doused with grated Parmesan cheese. Both the |
| France. | | | | wine's acidity and sweetness stepped up. The |
| As explained below, the producer is going out of | | | | wine's sweetness was very pleasant with the |
| the wine business. Let us hope that they will still | | | | dish's tomatoes and it had fine length. On the |
| be offering tourist rooms and apartments whose | | | | downside this Riesling lost its flavor when facing a |
| prices seem very reasonable for this lovely tourist | | | | high quality French lemon pie with a buttery crust. |
| region in the heart of German wine country. | | | | The next meal centered on homemade chicken |
| Wehlen is part of the city of Bernkastel, famous | | | | nuggets in an orange-flavored, rather spicy Thai |
| for its wines and medieval market square. There | | | | dipping sauce. This wine was very elegant and |
| are beautiful half-timbered houses and the remains | | | | syrupy. It was long and offered a tiny bit of |
| of a castle. The Mosel valley is known for some | | | | smoke. The side dish was a chickpea, canned |
| of the best Riesling in Germany, which means | | | | corn, and Lebanese cucumber salad. This Auslese's |
| some of the best Riesling in the world. These | | | | sweetness was delicious as was the lime. I |
| grapes were grown on the Wehlener Sonnenuhr, | | | | celebrated with two desserts. When paired with a |
| the Wehlen Sundial, steep slopes of pure blue | | | | brownie this wine was very long and feathery. A |
| slate and virtually no soil. This is just the sort of | | | | slice of apple cake showcased the wine's powerful |
| home that wine grapes love. Trivia time: in 1846 | | | | acidity and the wine's lime complemented the |
| winemaker Judocus Pruem painted a sundial on | | | | apples. |
| this rock outcropping, he wanted to keep track of | | | | My final meal involved baked chicken legs with a |
| time when working in the vineyard. | | | | soy-maple sauce, potato salad, and bean salad. |
| Before reviewing this Mosel wine, here are a few | | | | The Riesling showed honey and lemon with light |
| suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines | | | | acidity. It was palate cleansing and I got floral |
| when touring the beautiful Bernkastel-Wehlen | | | | tastes. It was sweet and syrupy and seemingly |
| region. | | | | unaffected by the potato salad. When facing the |
| Start with Entensuelze (Goose in Aspic). | | | | bean salad in vinegar, this wine toned down. But it |
| Continue with Mosel Aal (Eel served cold in a | | | | became longer. |
| green herb sauce). | | | | The first cheese was a rich cream cheese (24% |
| For dessert indulge yourself with | | | | butterfat). This cheese was rather somewhat |
| Schokoladen-Terrine mit Vanillesauce un Mango | | | | sweet even though no sugar was added. The |
| Sorbet (Do you need a translation?). | | | | Auslese was long and delicious, a great |
| OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we | | | | combination of honey and acidity. A Swiss cheese |
| taste and review are purchased at the full retail | | | | weakened the wine but it was still excellent. |
| price. | | | | Final verdict. Do you have to ask? I am partial to |
| Wine Reviewed | | | | this kind of wine and felt this bottle was an |
| P. S. Baumler-Becker Erben Riesling Auslese 1995 | | | | excellent example and the price was right. I |
| 7% alcohol $19 | | | | brought a bottle to my wine tasting group and it |
| Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. | | | | was quite popular. One final note, if you like such |
| After 200 years in business, the tiny P. S. | | | | wine you can pair it with a wide variety of foods. |
| Baumler-Becker Erben winery is closing its doors. | | | | I tried some with beef ribs in a sweet tomato |
| This is not due to the quality of the wines, which | | | | sauce and the marriage was a success. Personally |
| has always been exceptional, but strictly because | | | | I would have hesitated if the sauce were not |
| the winemaker/owner is retiring and there are no | | | | sweet. But it might have worked well anyway. |
| willing heirs to take up the mantle. Our loss, then, | | | | One more thing, I don't think you'll miss the alcohol |
| but here's a chance to try an earlier vintage that | | | | in this fine wine. |