Tag Archives: Vosges Mountains

Christmas Markets, Wine, and Pastries in Strasbourg, Alsace, France: Wolfberger and Domaine Loew

Posted on November 10, 2014 by waywardwine

We leave Luxembourg after three days. It was cold, charming, and filled with the leanest wine I have had. But this way we avoid bias or over-attachment . The fish starts to smell after three days, as grandma said. After 136 days of travel, we fight to keep things fresh.

So no respectable EU Austerity Drinking Tour would head to Germany without a brief stay in Strasbourg: heart of Alsace and its fantastic wine. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alsace, Christian, Christmas markets, Domaine Loew, France, Strasbourg, Strasbourg Cathedral, Vosges Mountains, wine, Wolfberger | 3 Comments

Wine Geek Gift: Spätburgunder (aka Pinot Noir), August Kesseler, “Pinot N”, Pfalz, Germany 2010

Posted on December 12, 2013 by waywardwine

Your wine geek wakes early, runs downstairs, and to their delight, finds something green and red-capped beneath the tree.

The slender bottle looks German. “Mmm…Riesling”, they think. Then, on closer inspection, their head explodes like a Christmas craker:

Yes. Pinot Noir. From Germany.

Now German wine usually evokes rough memories of cheap Riesling:

Yet Germany ranks third in the world for Pinot Noir acreage (30,000, just behind France and the US). The problem is, Germans drink most of it. Meanwhile, they pulled the Blue Nun’s veil of Riesling over our eyes. We could only assume that they made nothing but sweet yet tart whites.

No more! Treat you and yours this holiday with German Pinot. Continue reading →

Posted in Pinot Noir, Red | Tagged Alsace, August Kesseler, Blue Nun, California, DDR, France, Germany, goat cheese, Kesseler, Oregon, pinot noir, riesling, Spätburgunder, Vosges Mountains, Wine Geek | 2 Comments

Winter White Wine: Dry Riesling, Canoe Ridge, Snipes Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington 2007

Posted on November 21, 2013 by waywardwine

Frost paints the earth silver. Thermostats shrink. Chill seeps through windows.

Instead of turning to robust reds for comfort, Wayward Wine will steer you from conformity. A huge Cabernet would crush your Thanksgiving turkey or Christmans goose. Instead, share the season’s cold snap and turn to a rich winter white.

This Thursday, our palates race to the highest elevations in Washington State. The grapes in question grew an average of 1,300 feet above sea level. They come from wine’s newest fringes: Horse Heaven Hills and Rattlesnake Hills, regions certified only in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Continue reading →