Why Germany should be the go-to for wines by the glass
Despite the challenges of making German wine and getting it into the hands of buyers in Great Britain, managing director of The Wine Barn, Iris Ellmann says that it’s worth the effort – Germany’s whites and reds are better than ever, and ripe for the UK on-trade.
Sharing her views with db on the nation’s wines in advance of a London-based tasting by The Wine Barn next month, Ellmann, who is a native German with close ties to her homeland and its vinous wares, said that now was an ideal time to revisit the nations’s Rieslings, Silvaners and the whites and reds from the Pinot family, due to their quality, refreshing style, and relative affordability.
Commenting on the country’s wines, she told db, “The elegance of Germany’s wines is unsurpassed, and, as a result, a perfect partner for fine cuisine; playing the part of a discreet lover rather than a big-mouthed show-off.”
While she sees the strengths in dry whites from Pinot Gris and Blanc – along with of course Riesling – she sense particular potential for German Pinot Noir, known in the nation as Spätburgunder, commenting that one wine she imports – Becker Family Spätburgunder from the Pfalz region – is doing “extremely well by the glass” in UK restaurants, priced by by the bottle from The Wine Barn at £14.90 ex VAT.
Others doing similarly well when promoted by the glass in the UK on-trade include the Jechtinger Grauburgunder from Baden at £14.14 ex VAT, and Allendorf Winkler dry Riesling from Rheingau at £14.65 ex VAT, according to Ellmann.
Consequently, she said, “Trendy, high volume places would benefit from listing German wine by the glass; one glass doesn’t kill your taste buds, in fact it invigorates them, with average alcohol levels of 12% and consistent quality, and affordable prices.”
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Summing up on the topic, she said, “German wine should be the go-to for wines by the glass.”
She also said of the category, “We have come a long way from a niche product about 25 years ago to being a necessity for every half-decent wine list. This is also seen by larger multi-national wine merchants featuring a small German selection to cover the general demand for those wines, even if only treated as a side product.”
She concluded, “However, boutique specialists do offer even more width and depth, as well as, in our case, unrivalled native knowledge and passion for these truly wonderful wines.”
The Wine Barn is holding a trade tasting with producers at the Royal Kennel Club in Clarges Street in Mayfair, London on Monday 2 February, and you can register your attendance by emailing angi@thewinebarn.co.uk
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