Think Germany, think beer, right? This wine ambassador wants you to know otherwise
When it comes to the wines of Germany, most wine drinkers have likely heard of Riesling. Gewurtztraminer also has a following. Yet there’s more to the wines of Germany, which has 13 winegrowing regions.
Consider an overlooked spätburgunder (pinot noir), grauburgunder (pinot blanc), or a sparkling spekt.
Here in Milwaukee, German beer is part of the city’s legacy, but German wines are finding an increasing number of fans. Learn a little bit of the label language and you can learn whether a wine is dry (trocken) or off-dry (halbtrocken or feinherb), the ripeness of the grapes, even whether the grapes were handpicked.
These food-friendly wines are the focus of Food & Wine of Germany, the next wine series dinner at Bacchus, 925 E. Wells St., at 6:30 p.m. Sept 15.
Certified Sommelier and Wines of Germany’s Milwaukee ambassador Joe Kane created pairings for the fivecourse dinner from executive chef Nick Wirth. The evening will feature German sausages paired with NV Dr. Loosen Riesling Sekt Extra Dry, pork schnitzel with a 2018 Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Kaisersteinfels GG Riesling, rabbit stew with a 2020 Darting Pinot Meunier, beef rib short rib sauerbraten with a MeyerNäkel Spätburgunder, and a bienenstich kuchen with a 2019 Karl Erbes Ürziger in der Kranklei Riesling Auslese. Tickets are $125 per person plus service charge and tax. For tickets, call (414) 765-1166 or go to www.bartolottas.com.
Kane talked with us about the upcoming dinner, why German wines pair well with food, and what he’s drinking.
Riesling and roots
There is German heritage influence everywhere you look in Milwaukee. I’m so heavily involved in wine, but the first thing that most people in Milwaukee think of is Germanfest and a beer …
When you think of German wines, the first thing that comes to mind is riesling. It is just gorgeous, presented in so many styles you can go from bone dry to lusciously sweet dessert wine. It goes so well with food, it does well on its own.
Riesling is by far my favorite grape variety, but there are so many others that are glanced over or misunderstood. It is easy for me to showcase these wines because they show off themselves. Once I’m able to speak to guests about what certain language means, you can see the lightbulb go off. Everybody likes to be excited by something new, and Germany offers so much.
Server to sommelier
As a waiter, I realized the more I know about wine, the more money I can make. … Wine is an endless journey. Back in 2014 and 2015 I got serious about studying and learning the history of wine and the world. … I also have a degree as a radiographer, an X-ray tech. I worked simultaneously in hospitals and beverage programs. I decided it was more fun to drink wine.
Biggest misconception
German wine works well as a pairing and by itself. Any time I bring up anything about German wines, I hear "Aren’t they all sweet?" It isn’t true. There is a wide range of styles. When we can show people how versatile these wines are, it alters their mindset for sure.
Pairing pointers
When you’re dealing with wines from a cooler climate, it just has this minerality, tension and a grace to them you can’t replicate in other regions. That’s why German wines to me are so special. There are so many dishes that can work with them.
Getting started
You have to go with riesling. There’s nothing wrong with saying all German riesling is sweet, they do make some of the best sweet wines in the world, but that may be a misconception for most people. Most German riesling is dry. If I can get a dry German riesling in front of people they’re so enamored by them.
Accessibility and awareness
I’ve been running wine programs for quite a while. The accessibility to these (German) wines has changed so much in the past 10 years.
Weather affects wine
We’re feeling it right now for the selection of the wines for the dinner. One of my favorite producers, Julia Bertram, is from one my favorite regions of Germany, the Ahr. It was incredibly devastated this year (by flooding). I was told "We’re not going to be able to get that wine for you." I was able to get something from a winery where she worked in the past. … It is hard to import wine right now. I’m thrilled to showcase these winemakers.
Finding your fit
If someone says they’ve never had German wine before, I want to start with riesling because it is most planted and most popular. I’d start with Mosel (Valley). Classic vineyards, a wide range of producers. … Then Rheinhessen, which was once viewed as a low production wine area, which is challenging the best producers.
Label lingo
What can be intimidating for people is looking at a German wine label. If you do some research it helps. The Wines of Germany website has so much information. Take some time, even five minutes, just to know some terminology. It can set you up for success.
What he’s drinking
Myself and my fiancee are huge fans of dry German riesling. We always have a few bottles of light German red, like a really good spätburgunder. We love those lighter body mineral wines. When fall comes along you’re eating heavy dishes. I don’t want a heavy wine on top of that. If I were to recommend another wine not from Germany it would be champagne, or a sekt (a sparkling wine) which is from Germany.
Recommended reading
When I started the gold standard was Wine Bible by Karen MacNeill, and that is still a standard. Then Wine Folly …There weren’t a lot of websites back then. The gold standard seems to be Guildsomm, which is worth the membership because there is so much on there. However, Wines of Germany is still the best source for German wines.
Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the everyday relationship that local notables (within the food community and without) have with food. To suggest future personalities to profile, email psullivan@gannett.com.