Mosel Wine Country Postage Stamp To Be Issued in Germany Starting 7 April 2016: Moselschleife in Millionenauflage

The German Post is releasing a "Mosel Wine Country" postage stamp
starting April, 2016,
showing Traben-Trarbach (Wolf) at the left of the double-stamp
and Kröv at the right, with a perforation in the middle. A unique idea!

For the full story, see Weinland Mosel at

Moselschleife in Millionenauflage,
Moselwein e.V., Gartenfeldstr. 12a,
54295 Trier, Germany
Tel. 0651/ 71028-0, Fax 0651/ 71028-20

from which we link the following (here by us size-compressed)
postage stamp image:



See the larger, original image at Weinland Mosel at
Moselschleife in Millionenauflage.

Hat tip to Otmar Hilgert.

California Wine Legend Peter Mondavi Passes Away at Age 101

Had a glass of wine recently?

Then this obituary should be of interest to you, about the man who, among many other innovations he brought to the U.S. wine business, also brought Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to Napa Valley.

The Drinks Business has the story at
Napa ‘legend’ Peter Mondavi Sr dies aged 101.

Hat tip to CaryGEE

A Modern Wine Renaissance in the Cradle of the Grape

Adam Montefiore at the OUPblog in Renaissance of the ancient world covers the development of modern wines in the cradle of the grape.

New High Tech for Germany's Steeply Sloped Vineyards on Rivers Like the Rhine and Mosel

The steepest vineyards in the world are found in Germany. Working those vines and harvesting those grapes is a very costly proposition in terms of human labor that is putting some winemakers out of business.

Matthias Bartsch at Spiegel Online has the story about a possible solution. See Steeply Sloped German Vineyards Hope Technology Can Save Them.

Clos of Champagne: Fine "Enclosure" Champagnes from Vineyards Enclosed by Walls and Hedges: The Story of Clos des Chaulins

Champagnes called "Clos" in French
(i.e. "close")
because they are grown in walled enclosures
to protect the grapes from various dangers,
are explained at the
Grande Marque Champagne Blog
in Clos of Champagne.

We had the pleasure some years ago
of enjoying our near namesake
"Premier Cru" champagne, the

Clos des Chaulins (Pargny les Reims)
Champagne Médot
from near Reims, France,

where the grapes for this champagne,
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay,
were picked by hand.


In fact, some years ago we took a photo
and still own -- the now empty -- bottle:

The Médot website describes this walled vineyard champagne as a cuvée of three grapes of exceptional quality, producing a champagne with fine bubbles and having a golden color, a bouquet of mocha and toasted almonds, and a full, robust flavor with notes of biscuit and gingerbread. It was recommended as an aperitif before meals, especially with fresh goat cheese.

At Zunftwissen and the Hanseatische Weinhandelsgeschäft Bremen
it is explained that the oldest vines in the Clos des Chaulins vineyard stem from 1927 and that few, but superior quality, grapes with rich constituents are produced, earning the vineyard the appellation "Premier Cru" as of 1985.

A 2009 entry at La Passion Du Vin wrote:

"Le clos des Chaulins (Médot) n'existe plus en tant que cuvée. Champagne Médot, aujourd'hui Champagne Lombard et Médot."

which is given by Google Translator as:

"The [Clos des Chaulins] (Medot) no longer exists as wine, [but rather as] Medot Champagne, Champagne Lombard Medot today."

Clos des Chaulins is still a registered trademark, but alas, Monsieur Bulles reports that Clos des Chaulins is no longer produced as its own vintage brand champagne.

The 68 acres of Clos de Chaulins near the village Pargny-les-Reims and Massife de St. Thierry, limited by a hedge-wall since the year 1927, and planted with 55% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Meunier, now produce grapes for champagne sold under Lombard and Médot brands.

As noted at Google, Lombard & Medot SA now sell the champagne "under Lombard et Cie brand name ... available in fine grocery stores, cellars and restaurants in France, and via distributors in others countries".

2013 San Francisco Chronicle American Wine Competition Has Picked the Winners: e.g. Chimney Rock Best of Class for Over $50 Bordeaux Blends

The results are in from the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition of over 5000 wines, the largest such competition in the world for American wines.

Among the Sweepstakes winners for its Terlato Family Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley wine, Terlato Wines International at Chimney Rock: Exciting News also announced that its Chimney Rock Cabernet 2009 Elevage was named Best of Class for Bordeaux Blends over $50 -- that's the top of the line in that category.

Chimney Rock Winery was originally founded by the late Sheldon "Hack" Wilson, who of course would have been proud of this honor.

Hat tip to CaryGEE.

Crossposted at LawPundit.

Marvelous Wine Understanding from France via South Africa

For a wonderful posting about understanding wine,
see Wine and Work, Vino Expressions

The Fire Island Cookbook by the World Wine Guys

Read the book review
The Fire Island Cookbook
where the Recipe Syndicate writes inter alia:

"One [new] cookbook ... could help you take your cookouts and holiday gatherings to the next level.  The Fire Island Cookbook ... includes a complete menu ... for each weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day.  The book includes 14 menus that were influenced by the "World Wine Guys'" ...  contributing editors for Wine Enthusiast Magazine [with] articles and photos that have appeared in Saveur, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine Spectator."

I'm getting this book.
Looks like a delicious summer.

German Rieslings At NYTimes Wines of the Times: Wine as the Refreshment of Excellence

If you are a wine connoisseur, you know some of the top German Riesling wines.

At Wines of the Times in Dining & Wine at the New York Times, Eric Asimov has an article on German Rieslings at Choosing the Top 10 Spätlese Rieslings.

Wine is a matter of individual taste and style. In the words of the late Sheldon "Hack" Wilson, founder of the Chimney Rock Winery in Napa Valley, California, "wine is the refreshment of excellence" -- in moderate amounts, of course.

There are numerous German wineries that produce excellent Riesling wines. 

Living on the Moselle River, we of course have our own Mosel Riesling favorites, some of which can be found among the top wine estates that belong to the Bernkasteler Ring.

In fact, many of our local winemakers in Traben-Trarbach produce excellent Rieslings. Take a look.

The Rise of German Rieslings… at Marie's Blog: Marie von Ahm at JamesSuckling.com with Wine Ratings Reviews Tasting Notes Videos

Marie von Ahm at Marie's Blog: The Rise of German Rieslings… - JamesSuckling.com | Wine ratings, Wine reviews, Wine tasting notes & Wine videos writes that German Rieslings are on the rise, not only in her native Scandinavia, but also in China, the next great market for wine.

Hat tip to Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Wine Estate

Mosel Valley Rieslings Touted by Harry Eyres at The Telegraph, Saddened by High Bridge over the Moselle River (Hochmoselübergang)

Harry Eyres is a real fan of Mosel wines but, as far as the monstrous bridge in process of construction over the Moselle River Valley, Eyres writes at The Telegraph in Rieslings from the Mosel valley:

"[Y]ou can’t help feeling that Germans in general do not value their 1,700-year-old wine heritage."

Hat tip to CaryGEE.

New Stricter Rules for Labeling Wine Proposed by U.S. Treasury Department Agency, The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau: How About Green Wine?

The long arm of the law is everywhere, also in wine-growing.

Michael Doyle McClatchy/Chicago Tribune News in Stricter wine labeling rules? Put a cork in it! reports that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, an agency of the Treasury Department that regulates wine labeling, is considering tighter rules for wine label and wine label definitions.

Some U.S. vintners would welcome more exact limitations on who can use terms such as "estate" on their wine labels. The term "estate bottled" -- for a wine from an estate that controls the entire process from growing grapes to bottling the wine -- is quite strictly defined, whereas the term "estate" itself is not legally defined, permitting such labels as "estate grown", which may be misleading.

There are also differences between wine labeling depending on country.

For example, what about sulfites in wine? what about wine made from organic grapes?

Read Heather Stober Fleming of Grape Expectations at SouthCoastToday.com in
There's white wine, red wine, and now, 'green' wine.

Best Wine Competition in Germany

Wein-Plus Magazine in Competition for wine by the glass writes that wine competition is underway in Germany. Go there for info in English about the Mosel region competition.

For more information in German (only), see also derbesteschoppen.de, which has divided Germany into the various wine regions for purposes of the competition, not just the Mosel region, but also including Mittelrhein, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz. The Ahr and Pfalz are pictured on the map but not currently clickable.

Wine Connoisseurs Around the World: Please Write to the German Chancellor Now to Tell Her The Politicians Have Gone Too Far with the Planned Monstrous Mosel Bridge

Wine pope Hugh Johnson wrote last year at Decanter.com about the planned monstrous Mosel Bridge to run through the middle of one of the world's greatest wine-growing regions, calling it "a bridge gone too far".

See The Mosel: A bridge too far .

Johnson recommends that all lovers of wine around the world write to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel to tell her that this planned bridge is a big mistake:

"Every wine lover should stand up and protest. If you agree with me, contact the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel (write to her at angela.merkel@cdu.de), and open a bottle of Urziger, Graacher, Wehlener… you choose."

The Upscale Wine Thief in Buffalo, New York

Paul Stephens in a special to the Buffalo News, New York State, features the upscale Wine Thief Bar and Bistro in Buffalo that offers an endless selection of wines.