I was very lucky the other night to do a wine tasting for a friend's birthday. When we were talking about what she would like she asked if we could learn about German and Austrian wines. I said, "Perfect! That would be so much fun." We hardly venture into those countries with our wine tasting. Then, I realized it was the first of October, so even more perfect for a good ol' German Oktoberfest.
I decided we didn't want to just focus on the whites of these two countries even though the vast majority of the wines made in Germany and Austria are white - and their most famous wines, Riesling and Gruner Veltliner, again, are white. Don't get me wrong, we tasted some lovely Rieslings and a Gruner, and we'll get to that in a moment, but I wanted to also show how beautiful grapes like a Pinot Noir could taste coming from a cooler region. As I was at my local wine store purchasing many of these wines I saw they had a St. Laurent (pronounced Sankt Laarent) from both Austria and Germany. St. Laurent is a typical red grape of Austria, so I was very excited to be able to find these. I have said before, I love fun and different wines and especially love trying grapes that aren't your normal Big 6 or Noble grapes. So, that capped off my shopping excursion and my mouth was watering for this new grape.
We went through our tasting and I saved the two St. Laurents for last because I knew they would be the heaviest of the wines we were tasting. We poured the German Sankt Laurent first. We all oohed and ahhed. This was definitely our favorite. The nose and color were deep. It had a great flavor of dark cherry with just the right amount of tannin to balance out the fruit. Yes, put a check mark by that one! Then we poured the Austrian St. Laurent -- fireworks! The nose was amazing. Good fruit and then some earth. Just a touch of the barrel. Take that first sip and hands down, this one beat the German. We got blackberries, smoke, and spices. Now, both were perfect and I wouldn't turn the German away, but comparatively, I preferred the Austrian.
I was so excited to show that we could find depth in these cooler region reds. If you ever come across a St. Laurent, give it a try. If you are a red lover and enjoy some earth with your wine, you will be pleasantly surprised. I can tell you that I am going back to my wine store and picking up a few more bottles of the Austrian Steindorfer St. Laurent.
So, if you are interested in having a wine Oktoberfest here is a great line-up:
Aperitif
Dr. L Riesling Sparkling- It wasn't overly sweet - not like Asti Spumante, but it would definitely satisfy those who shy away from the dry bubblies.
Whites:
Paul D. Muller Thurgau 2015 (Austria)- As many Muller Thurgaus tend to be, this one was just there. We determined that it was a an easy drinking summer wine. Inoffensive, but just a white wine. This grape is a crossing between a Riesling and Madeleine Royale. It has a high acidity level.
Dr. Loosen Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett 2014 (Germany)- This Kabinett had a low abv thus meaning it was a sweeter Riesling. This would be great as an aperitif. You could taste the slate in the Riesling, which is often the case in German Rieslings from the Mosel region.
Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Spatlese Riesling 2013 (Germany)- Spatlese means late harvest wine and you will get more concentrated flavors in a Spatlese Riesling along with stone fruits. These wines can be sweet or dry as well. With a 7.5% abv it leaned towards the sweeter side. But it was less sweet than the Kabinett. Because of the more concentrated flavors you could tell this wine would age well. Give it 10 years and the flavors will be so different and even more rich. These are aging wines and the longer you can keep a Riesling the better it is. This would be great with a spicy Asian dish.
Domane Wachau Gruner Veltliner Federspiel Terrassen 2014 (Austria)- This was a beautiful Gruner. If you have never had a Gruner Veltliner, run, don't walk to your nearest wine store and pick up a bottle. I know people who say they aren't white wine drinkers and they like a good Gruner. Happily, this wine is showing up more and more on restaurant menus. If you can find one from Wachau, order it. Wachau is one of the best wine regions in Austria and it was noticeable in this Gruner. It's a medium bodied white wine with some apple and tropical fruits along with a crisp acidity.
Reds:
August Kesseler Pinot Noir 2012 (Germany)- Pinots grow well in a cooler climate because of their thin skins. You get less sugar and a lighter more balanced PInot. This Pinot did not did not disappoint me. We got some good fruit up front and it lingered nicely. I would serve this easily for a Thanksgiving meal. You might also see Spatburgunder on the label instead of Pinot Noir. They are the same thing.
Koster-Wolf Weingut Sankt Laurent Rotwein Trocken 2013 (Germany) - This is THE grape you want to try. Remember when you see Rotwein Trocken on a German wine it just means dry red wine.
Steindorfer St. Laurent Reserve Burgenland 2013 (Austria)- This was my favorite of the two St. Laurents. It was so soft and deep with multiple layers of flavors.
Prost!