| If you are looking for fine German wine and food, | | | | mostly produced in Rheinhessen and Pfalz. This |
| consider the Rheinhessen region of southwestern | | | | wine is made for export; Germans almost never |
| Germany. You may find a bargain, and I hope | | | | drink it. However, the city of Worms with a |
| that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine | | | | population of about 85 thousand souls, is a center |
| education tour in which we review a local white | | | | of the German wine business. |
| Liebfraumilch. | | | | Before reviewing the Rheinhessen wine and |
| Rheinhessen is a relatively small area, sometimes | | | | imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to |
| called the land of the thousand hills, nestled | | | | purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian |
| between the Rhine and the Nahe Rivers. When | | | | food store, here are a few suggestions of what |
| Charlemagne was ruling the roost Rheinhessen | | | | to eat with indigenous wines when touring this |
| wines were already well known. Of all thirteen | | | | beautiful region. Start with Spunderkaes (Cheese |
| German wine regions Rheinhessen has the largest | | | | whipped with Cream and Onions). For your second |
| area planted in wine grapes and the highest wine | | | | course enjoy Spannferkel (Spit roasted baby Pig). |
| production. In fact it is responsible for more than | | | | As a dessert indulge yourself with Geeister |
| one quarter of the German wine acreage and | | | | Kaffee (Coffee Ice Cream and Chocolate Pralines |
| wine production. Rheinhessen also produces the | | | | in a cup of Coffee). |
| highest percentage of generally low quality table | | | | OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we |
| wine, almost 12%. Over 60% of Rheinhessen | | | | taste and review are purchased at the full retail |
| wine is middle quality QbA wine, and slightly more | | | | price. |
| than 25% is higher quality QmP wine. While about | | | | Wine Reviewed Bihn Liebfraumilch 2005 9.7% |
| 87% of its wine is white, the percentage of red | | | | alcohol about $7.50 |
| wine is increasing. The most widely grown | | | | Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. |
| varieties are the German hybrid Mueller-Thurgau | | | | Tasting Note Pale straw yellow colour; floral, green |
| and Silvaner. The usually higher quality Riesling | | | | apple aromas and flavours with a touch of spice; |
| represents only about 10% of the total | | | | off-dry and light bodied Serving Suggestion |
| production. Dornfelder is the most widely planted | | | | Brunches and buffet fare; quiche; salmon mousse. |
| red grape variety. | | | | My initial pairing was with a salad that included |
| Worms is one of the oldest cities in Germany. | | | | tomatoes, feta cheese, California olives, and baby |
| The original settlement most likely dates back | | | | spinach. The wine was lightly fruity (appley) and |
| about six thousand years. The Celts founded the | | | | pleasant but weak and short. |
| city so long ago that Worms, along with Cologne | | | | Then I tried this wine with cold barbequed chicken |
| and Trier, claims to be the oldest city in Germany. | | | | accompanied by a cucumber and onion salad and |
| It was an important site for the classic poem The | | | | a potato salad. Once again the wine was light and |
| Nibelungenlied (The Songs of the Nibelungs) which | | | | fruity but this time of middle length. It cut the fat |
| Richard Wagner transformed into a classic opera. | | | | nicely. |
| Opera lovers and history buffs will want to see | | | | The final meal consisted of a broccoli and olive |
| the Nibelungen Museum, fittingly enough located in | | | | quiche topped with Parmesan cheese (baked with |
| two medieval towers with an excellent view of | | | | the quiche, not added afterwards). The wine was |
| the old city. Make sure to see the partially Gothic | | | | light, refreshing, and slightly sweet. This |
| Wormser Dom St. Peter (Cathedral of St. Peter). | | | | sweetness did not clash with the quiche's saltiness. |
| This building was severely damaged by fire during | | | | I finished the glass with an el Cheapo chocolate |
| a war near the end of the Seventeenth Century. | | | | ice cream sandwich. The wine became slightly |
| Other Worms sites of interest include the | | | | honeyed. |
| Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Church of the Holy Trinity), | | | | The initial cheese pairing was with a French goat |
| the Lutherdenkmal (Luther Monument) and the | | | | cheese that I would have taken for a |
| Kunsthaus Heylshof (Heylshof Art Gallery). The | | | | Camembert. The wine was fruity and a bit sweet. |
| Judenfriedhof Heiliger Sand (Holy Sand Jewish | | | | I then tried the Liebfraumilch with a Swiss |
| Cemetery) is the oldest Jewish cemetery in | | | | Gruyere. The wine became rounder and |
| Europe. Some of the tombstones are almost one | | | | somewhat more acidic. OK. |
| thousand years old. Worms also has a Jewish | | | | Final verdict. This Liebfraumilch never really added |
| Museum and a synagogue. | | | | anything to the food; it simply provided a not at |
| The northern outskirts of Worms include the | | | | all bad tasting liquid to wash the food down. If |
| twin-towered Gothic Liebfrauenkirche (Church of | | | | that's all you want, this wine is a bargain. Fine wine |
| Our Lady) famous not as a church but because | | | | is wasted on some everyday food. And I cannot |
| of its vineyards, the original site of Liebfraumilch. | | | | afford fine wine all the time. Sometimes this |
| For decades, countless Americans and Britons | | | | Liebfraumilch will more or less fill the bill. I'll be |
| thought of Liebfraumilch as the quintessential | | | | buying it again. But I'll be careful when and where |
| German white wine. Many of them were | | | | I serve it. |
| introduced to wine via this sweet, low-alcohol wine | | | | |