The important thing you should know is this is a wine post. Hallelujah! [About time, Abril]. More specifically speaking, German wines. Since moving to Europe, I’ve discovered Germany’s wine is damn good. I say that because I often find myself thanking the wine gods while taking a sip, and thinking “Oh, this is heavenly.”
In my Instagram stories, you may have seen a few snippets of our road tripping through the wine region. A thing of beauty, I tell you, seeing miles and miles of vineyards as we are driving on the Autobahn. The Autobahn, by the way, is not just one specific road but the highway system in Germany. Because we live in the Rhine Valley wine region, we’ve been spoiled by the sight of these beautiful landscapes any time we take a road trip. A few to notable regions within Germany are Mosel-Saar Ruwer (Mosel River), Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Baden, Rheinhessen, and Hessische Bergstrasse.
Almost every little town we go to has a local wine, and every year there is a wine fest to celebrate the year’s harvest. But let’s be real, it’s to taste and drink all the wine. In Wiesbaden’s wine fest many wine stands come together and form the biggest wine bar in the world. I’ve been twice, and I am confident, I barely scratched (or should I say sipped?) the surface. (German people love fests. Here is another fun one that happens yearly.)
If you like wine (or are a connoisseur) and you have the opportunity to try German wines, below are a few I highly recommend. Notice, I am not a wine expert, just a wine lover, and these are strictly my opinions.
RIESLING
The queen of all wines in Germany makes up about one-fifth of the wine grown in the country. Mostly white wine but there are a few red rieslings I’ve come across. The Riesling white grapes date back to the 15th century and originated from the Rhine region.
BODY & TASTE: Flowery aroma. Fruity in taste and can range from sweet, semi-sweet and dry. High acidity and balanced with residual sugar. Residual Sugar is the amount of sugar left in the wine after fermentation.
FOOD: Pairs well with a diverse range of dishes, like fish, pork and even spicy Thai or Asian cuisine.
*When ordering, pick the Riesling based on the flavor you want: Suss (sweet), Halbtrocken (semi-sweet) or Trocken (dry). Dry is always my pick because that is what I prefer.
PINOT GRIS – GRAUBURGUNDER
A white wine variety that comes from greyish in color grapes. It is a bright golden color and elegant.
BODY & TASTE: Full-bodied. Mild fruity, nutty and spicy aroma. Taste is dry.
FOOD: Diverse, it pairs well with different foods. I’ve paired it with sushi and seafood, and it was perfect. For the German experience, pair it with a Spaetzle.
Note: This wine is a favorite among the Germans.
PINOT BLANC – WEISSBURGUNDER
Wiess meaning white is the most delicately flavored of the German Pinots. Made from an all white grape.
BODY & TASTE: Similar to the Grauburgunder. Aroma is peachy with faint notes of lime zest and honeycomb.
FOOD: Pairs well with light foods like salads and cheese. Stinky cheese in particular. I’ve also tried it with a cheesy pretzel. Yum!
MULLER THURGAU
The second most planted grape in Germany. A white wine crossed between white Riesling grapes and Madeleine Royale grapes. The Madeleine grape is from the Lorei Valley in France. Because this grape ripens early, it’s best to drink the wine when young. Not a problem for me in that department. (*Wink).
BODY & TASTE: Medium bodied. Peachy and fruity aroma. Sweet in taste. Mild acidity.
FOOD: Pairs well with light dishes such as salads and vegetables.
To find German wines like the above, go to a wine specialty shop. Most major retailers don’t stock them. Hope you’re able to find one and try it out.
Which wines are your favorite and where are they from? Share yours in the comments below.
Thank you so much for reading!
With love and gratitude,
A RED Riesling?! I’m totally interested. I visited the Alsace area close to Germany, and they had amazing Dry Rieslings that I now try to drink every time I can get my hands on them! The rest of these sound so good, too… I’ll add them to the list 🙂
Oh, Megan, the Alsace region is so close to my area. I love going there. So glad you visited. Isn’t just beautiful? Back to Riesling. Yes, they have a great dry Riesling but Germany also has a red riesling. I don’t like it as much as I like the white.
Next time you’re in the Alsace area, go visit Colmar! It will be so worth it. 🙂
When I was in Albania this summer I got totally obsessed with the wine, and I’m sure it’s equally delicious in Germany! I will definitely try when I visit.
Oh, I bet it is. Albania is a beautiful country too and I am certain they have a great selection of wines. Next time you’ll have to stop by Germany. 😉
I have 2 sisters who adore wine and will be so excited to try these! Thanks for the suggestions 😊
Sara so glad your sisters will find these wines yummy! You’re very welcome. So glad I could help.
I love wine, so I’m super excited to see this list – got to get away from the typical wines you see in all stores and try some of these 🙂
Hi Cassie. Thank you for stopping by. The stores make it convenient to try wines but sometimes it’s the same thing over and over. It’s good to get out of that habit and go try something new. Glad you found this list helpful!
Wow! I’ve always thought beer when I thought of Germany but these sound delicious. The Pinot Blanc especially!
Hi Rachel. So did I, then we got here and I tasted the wines. I was instantly in love. The pinot blanc is definitely on point.
I love your page layout! And this article will def help me not be so ignorant about wine. Thank you!
Hi there. Thank you for stopping by and your sweet comment. Glad you found this post informative.
Wine is not really my thing. But your blog looks amazing
I feel you Jeroen. Wine is not for everybody and that’s ok. Thank you for checking out my blog. 🙂
Lovely writeup…so informative..all wines look good..
Thank you! Glad you found it informative.
I am adding these to my “list of things try” 🙂 I have not been to Germany yet but hopefully in 2019 🙂
Yay for travel! Praying, you get to visit. Add them and let me know how they are when you’re here. 🙂
Cool list. Though I’m not much of a wine-lover, might try them when I visit Germany.
Thank you for stopping by. You know, I am no much of a drinker in general but these four wines have been on point every time. Since we moved to Germany my wine palette has expanded. Come to visit! It’s a beautiful country.
Pinot Blanc is more my kinda wine. And I totally loved the whole roadtrip passing through the vineyards as well. Been there 7 years back..and loved the Rhine falls. Did a boat trip and totally found it captivating.
Vaibhav, it’s great you lived around the area. It’s probably the best way to get the full feel of the culture in a different country. Pinot blanc is definitely at the top of my list too. Thank you for stopping by.
Hhhhhmmmmm….alright Abril! Thanks for the heads-up, sweetness.
Okkkurrt! Lol. You’re welcome 😉
I’m not a fan of wines or other alcoholic beverages for that matter, but I’m sure these are great wine options.
Aww, that’s ok. I wish I wasn’t either, but I don’t drink often. When I do I like to try a new glass of wine. 🙂