This continues to be a weird year and while there is no shortage of reasons to complain, there are also reasons to celebrate. I am choosing to find the positives in my day-to-day existence and acknowledging all the good (and good wine) in my life. And Riesling is as good a reason as any to raise our glass and cheer.
I have always been a big fan of Rieslings in general and, more specifically, a big fan of those from St Urbans-Hof. Situated in Germany and established in 1947, the winery is named after the patron saint of winemakers: Saint Urban. Its 45 hectares are found within the Mosel and Saar Valleys.
The winery is presently in the hands of Nik Weis, a member of the third generation; it was Nik’s grandfather who first founded the winery. Today, the St. Urbans-Hof is a member of Fair’n Green, which emphasizes sustainability, environmental and eco audits, which reflect the winery’s dedication to protecting the land and ensuring that workers are treated well. The winery is also a member of Germany’s renowned VDP (Association of German Quality Wine Estates).
Last year I had the wonderful opportunity to taste two of the St. Urbans-Hof wines, which I pleasantly paired with takeout from my local sushi place. It was the perfectly refreshing combination of crisp wines and fresh umami flavors.
This year, I was once again offered the chance to receive wines from this vaunted producer and I readily accepted. Since Riesling is so food friendly and a good foil for various ethnic cuisines, I thought it would be fun to open up one of the wines when we tried our hand at homemade Indian food, a vegetable curry. We were not disappointed.
We enjoyed the second of the two Rieslings (the Nik Weis Urban Riesling 2019) later in the month and tit provided equal enjoyment.
As Thanksgiving draws closer, it is yet another reminder to be grateful for what we have and to seize every opportunity to celebrate life!
Nik Weis Urban Riesling 2019, Mosel, Germany, $14.00
This wine epitomizes the typical Mosel style of Rieslings. Aromas of floral and peach greet the nose. The slightly off-dry palate offers up bright acidity, medium body and flavors of lime, citrus zest and peach. It is elegant and restrained with angular structure, culminating in long length. It is really fantastic value for the price and not surprising that it is one of their best-selling wines!
Nik Weis St Urbans-Hof 2018 Wiltinger Kabinett Mosel, $20.00
Whereas the Urban Riesling is produced from grapes sourced from a variety of blue-slate soil vineyards, this grapes for this wine come from the Wiltingen village in the Saar Valley from one of the oldest vineyards (some parcels were planted in 1905). The site has reddish slate soils, thereby adding mineral and spicy characteristics.
Presenting with more exotic aromas and flavors, this wine has a pronounced nose of floral and quince. On the palate it is off-dry with medium+ body, lively acidity and notes of lime, floral, spice and quince, with long length.