This bright, zesty Riesling comes from a vineyard near the French-German border where limestone soils give it a mineral intensity. On the nose, the wine has apricot and citrus scents with a minty edge. Apricot follows through on the palate with a chalky lime flavor and a faint hint of sweetness.
Apricot, lemon, yellow peach, spearmint and honeycomb.
Most of the wines in the Pfaltz region--located on the plains due west of the Rhine River in southwest Germany--grow in sandstone or volcanic soil. But when Günter Scheu founded his eponymous winery in the 1960s, he planted his grapes in a pocket of limestone, the kind of rock from which the best wines of Germany's more famous Mosel region came. Today Günter' son, Karl, makes the wine, while Günter sticks to farming his beloved vines. The single-vineyard Spätlese comes from a site that's almost in France, outside the border-straddling town of Lauterbourg. Spätlese Rieslings are usually a little sweet, but the grapes for this bottling were fermented until their sugar was mostly gone-- hence the word "Trocken" on the label, which signifies a drier wine.
While fish and white meats like chicken, pork and veal make terrific partners for a crisp white like the Scheu Riesling, this wine's body and acidity also do a great job of offsetting rich, salty cured meats, such as sausages and salumi. Pork sausages like bratwurst will be especially delicious. Piquant salads, fresh goat cheese, and grilled fish with a squeeze of lemon or a chunky fruit salsa will also pair well with this vibrant white. Or, pour the wine alongside a creamy Asian curry; the wine will cleanse the palate between bites and counterbalance the curry's spicy heat. Personally, I like the idea of this wine with my recipe for moist Pork Chops with Toasted Spice Rub and Apple Dressing. Toasted fennel seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns elevate the pork chops to delicious heights. Serve with a side of my Olive Oil Braised Potatoes and I know all will be gloriously happy at your dinner table!
The sunniest and driest of Germany's wine regions, Pfaltz has become a favorite for fans of the country's dry, minerally regions.
