Weirdly for a sunday which is usually humming, to me the ProWein does not seem to be to crowded this year. However, again I found some interesting things to write about:
This year I start my wanderings with Turkey. Yeah, interesting right?! That’s what I thought! Turns out Sevilen is the second biggest turkish winery and has recently won a lot of prices at Mundus Vini. But the awarded wines are all made of international blends. To me the autochthone grapes like the white Narince are much more interesting. Narince (it means sensitivity) reminds me of a classic Chardonnay from overseas. No oak, just plain flowers, fruit and sun. So far Turkish wines are rarely to be found on German shelves or menus as in a lot of Turkish restaurants there are restrictions concerning alcoholic beverages…A tough field to play. I am definitely looking forward to follow up on this as those Turkish wines surprised me in a positive way.
Not a lot happening in those two German halls so far. I assume everyone starts with the foreign brands as they head of earlier on tuesday?! But one of the stalls where it is already quite full is that of winemaker Christian Nett and his team. Some bottles even glitter here because of Swarovski stones. Interesting bling-bling. I get immediately in contact with one of the staff members and taste a very nice yellow muscatel. Golden yellow in the glass, great, present nose and delicious fruity as it must be. Incidentally, I also find it fascinating how down-to-earth the team has remained, even though quite a lot of PR and marketing has been done recently and attention is booming. Nevertheless, they take their time for each customer, whether it is a new or a familiar face. This authenticity impresses me and it is certainly an important foundation to make a brand permanently strong.
Whilst wandering I spot the Iris Dry Gin. Surely I take a picture here and get in contact with the producer who gave this gin her name. My nametwin lives in southern Germany, a region called the black forest, where she has been producing her own wine for years and, more recently, her own gin. The emphasis on „own“ is so important to me at this point, because Iris only produces wines that she likes and in this way also makes her gin. There are not several varieties, only one version. „What I sell of is good and what I have left I drink myself with pleasure“, she laughs. Iris collected the herbs for her gin in her garden and chewed on everything in order to clearly grasp the aromas and make a decision. Blackberry leaves, lavender and English rose leaves are just a few of the botanicals that actually made it into Iris gin.
At the booths in the champagne lounge one is busy. Especially with themselves. The chic, inviting atmosphere deceives given that one feels rather superfluous without contacts or a specific appointment. But I really want a rose champagne to my selfmade cheese roll I brought from home! And most of all I would like to put my feet up somewhere, but there is only seats within the stalls. So it’s time to continue … From bling bling to even more bling bling. At the very end of the lounge I try to get some French attention again – and what can I say: At the booth of Champagne Pierre Mignon it works. I get attention and a little chat although there are other customer as well. I am immediately offered various delicacies including the 2006 Coeur d’Or, the golden heart, which I thought was fantastic. Despite its age, the Coeur D’Or still offering fruity pearls and finishes with a very dry yet harmonious elegance. In fantastic spheres, the price for a bottle will probably be. But I just do not care. I just enjoy.
www.champagne-pierre-mignon.com
After my champagne adventure, I enter the Portugal Hall in anticipation of a grandiose port. That’s the plan, which is thwarted by Patricia Alves de Sousa, who introduces her Douro wines. Luckily! Because that’s how I get to enjoy the great, mouth-filling Quinta da Gaivosa 2013, awarded with a gold medal at Mundus Vini. He’s so fresh in the bottle that not even the labeling for the back was finished. So I’m tasting a sample. By the way, such a high-class wine is only produced in the best years and it’s easy to taste. Incidentally, I am overwhelmed by the friendly openness of the Portuguese. Here you do not just feel welcome, but somehow at home. As if you belong and know each other forever. Now I’m looking forward to my next wine journey! Obrigado !!!
And then I’m allowed to test one of the premier class: a 40-year-old white port of the brand Kopke. While enjoying such a drop, you wiggle your ears, even if you are physically not able to do it. This soft caramel and despite its age, it still has clear fruit flavors … After pouring in the lady’s arm wanders protectively in front of the spittoon. Fortunately, I’m now expert enough to know that the Portuguese see it as an insult to spit such a port or pour out even the smallest leftovers. I could not do this anyway. Here, every sip is not only an experience but also precious. A small bottle (0.375l) costs about 120 euros in the German market.
At the end of my wanderings my way leads into the hall of the new world wines in a stall from my second home. At the booth of the Calabria Family Wines I can taste the Durif. Durif so I learn, is another name for the grape Petite Syrah. The huge, family owned company has acquired vineyards in several Australian growing areas during the last decades and produces different brands. The Durif from the Three Bridges line is a red wine made from decades-old and fragile vines. „Every year we have to make sure that not more than one or two grapes grow per vine, so that the vine does not break and the wood crumbles,“ explains Andrew Calabria. It is fascinating to hear such stories from the winegrower’s mouth. This is when you realize that there is no spitting here too. Such a wine belongs into the stomach, crossing the heart as it does so.
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