Wednesday, 23 March 2011

Liebfraumilch - a much abused name


I started my love affair with wine by drinking Liebfraumilch - everyone starts somewhere and according to her book, even someone like the famous Jancis Robinson started with Hirondelle, a brand name rose whose source is not stated. The wine in the picture is a real Libefraumilch, as the grower and merchant Valkenberg actually owns the vineyard surrounding the Church of Liebfrauenstift in Worms together with Langenbach. This wine from the original vineyard is also called Liebfrauenstift Kirchestuck. However, the name is more widely used than that.
German wine law states that it is a Qualitätswein (QbA) of pleasant character from Rheinhessen, Rheinpflaz, Nahe or Rheingau, of a blend dominated by Riesling, Sylvaner or Muller-Thurgau (>70%) and with 18-40g/L residual sugar. Most are medium sweet wines of moderate to low quality and even the original Liebfrauenstift Kirchestuck is not spectacular. Yet the introduction led me on to try the regional wines - Bereich Nierstein, Bereich Johannisberger ... , the the various Grosslage - Niersteiner Gutes Domtal etc, before seeking out the Kabinetts and Spatlese. Somehow I encountered a Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy, and that got me into dry white wines.

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