Schmitt Söhne Winery is located in the small town of Longuich along the banks of the Mosel River in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine region of Germany. The philosophy that has guided Schmitt Söhne for several generations is to use the highest quality grapes in the production of their wines, and that superior customer service is what pushes them to making great wines.
The 2008 Schmitt Söhne Riesling has aromas of peaches, apricots, and apples. On the palate are flavors of yellow peaches, apricots, apples, and a slight minerality to the wine. This is an off-dry Riesling, that is medium bodied, well balanced, with clean acidity. This wine would be great as an aperitif, or served with sharp cheeses. A good wine with a reasonable price tag.

Jon

The Riesling grape variety thrives in the warm, sun trenched area of the Pfalz Region of Southern Germany. Finely terraced vineyards make their way down to the valley floor that is rich in minerals that are helpful to the vines.
The Escher Haus 2009 Riesling is a traditional wine from the region, and it exhibits aromas of peaches, pears, apples, and tropical fruit. On the palate is the fruit forwardness that one would expect from a Riesling, with the tree fruit taking center stage, and some minerality. This wine has a hint of residual sugar, not quite an off-dry, and would be great as an aperitif on a hot summer’s day. This is a good Riesling, not great, but for the price, not bad.

Jon

The Superstition Riesling & Pinot Blanc is an imported white wine from Germany. The blend is 51% Riesling, and 49% Pinot Blanc. This is a fun, medium-bodied white blend that we drank over the Holiday’s as an aperitif. The aromas were of citrus, apples, and almonds, with the flavor profile of lemons & limes, with a slight nuttiness. If you are looking for a sweet Riesling/Pinot Blanc blend, this is not it. This is a fun to drink dry white blend, that is medium-bodied, with a medium finish.

Jon

The House of P.J. Valckenberg in the town of Worms, Germany was established in 1786. In 2008 Valckenberg celebrated 200 years since the Liebfraumilch vineyards were purchased in 1808. In 1908, after “Liebfraumilch” was designated as the largest area of quality wines in Germany, Valckenberg decided to name his wine “Liebfraumilch” MADONNA after the statue of the Madonna which still stands in the vineyards of the winery. The Valckenberg winery is located along the banks of the Rhine River in the small ancient town of Worms, and is situated in the largest wine region of Germany, Rheinhessen.

The weather for the region in 2008 was typical for the summer months, but rain during the fall made harvesting the grapes sporadic. However, they saw enough sunshine, and hung on the vines long enough to ripen, and made a very nice drinking white wine. This is a white blended wine, and on the nose and palate are nuances of lemon zest, and a certain herbaceousness that is not overwhelming. This is a sweeter wine that I paired with spicy Thai food, and they complemented one another well. The acidity is medium, with a short but nice finish. This is a quaffable, yet inexpensive wine, worthy of searching out.

Jon