Sunday, July 21, 2013

The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

Picture: Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, and Chateau Ste. Michelle CEO Ted Baseler at the Farewell Reception of the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA

The world of Riesling returned to Seattle in Washington State. The attraction was the 4th Riesling Rendezvous, a gathering of Riesling producers and enthusiasts from around the world.

Riesling Rendezvous is sponsored by Chateau Ste. Michelle, the Washington State giant wine producer and Weingut Dr. Loosen, one of Germany’s top Riesling producers from the Mosel Valley. The famous Eroica Riesling from Washington State is a joint venture of Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen.

Pictures:Chateau Ste. Michelle CEO Ted Baseler, Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and Falstaff Co-publisher Ursula Haslauer; Loosen Bros. CEO Kirk Wille and Riesling Guru Stuart Pigott

Riesling Rendezvous is the largest international gathering of Riesling producers and enthusiasts in the world. It features three days of tasting, discussing and learning about Riesling.

This posting is part of a series of a dozen or so postings on the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle. I have posted sofar:
Coming Up in July: 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA 
The German Winemakers at the Forthcoming 4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA 

Riesling Rendezvous Grand Tasting

The 4th Riesling Rendezvous kicked off Sunday, July 14, with the Grand Tasting on Chateau Ste. Michelle’s winery grounds in Woodinville, about 15 miles from downtown Seattle. Almost 70 Riesling producers from seven countries - United States, Germany, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Slovakia and Austria - presented their wines. From within the United States, wineries from seven states participated: Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, California, New York, New Jersey and Michigan.

 
Pictures: Grand Tasting on Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Winery Grounds in Woodinville, with: Wine Blogger Mike Veseth (The Wine Economist) and Wife; Winemaker Charles Smith, Charles Smith Wines; Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, Christian Schiller and Hermann Wiemer, Founder and former Owner of Hermann J.Wiemer Vineyard in New York State

Riesling-friendly food was provided by popular Seattle food trucks Marination Mobile, Snout and Co and Barking Frog Mobile Kitchen, as well as appetizers by Chateau Ste Michelle culinary Director John Sarich. Guests also enjoyed live music by The Josh Rawlings Trio. About 700 consumers, media, trade and producers attended.

First Day of Riesling Rendezvous Featured Dry Rieslings

The Monday and Tuesday program events were held at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center located on Seattle's beautiful waterfront.

Picture: Bell Harbor International Conference Center located on Seattle's Beautiful Waterfront

About 300 attendees were at Monday and Tuesday's program events.

On Monday, July 15, the morning started with opening remarks from Ernst Loosen, Ste. Michelle CEO Ted Baseler and global Riesling authority Stuart Pigott.

Pictures: Opening Remarks from Ste. Michelle CEO Ted Baseler, Ernst Loosen, and Global Riesling Authority Stuart Pigott

After that, 300 Riesling enthusiasts participated in a fascinating blind tasting of global dry Rieslings (20 wines). The tasting was moderated by US wine-author John Haeger.

Pictures: International Tasting Dry Rieslings

Lunch featured Northwest wines.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller Lunching with Pacific Rim GM and Head Winemaker Nicolas Quille

After lunch, three breakout sessions took place in parallel:

“Riesling’s Outer Limits” with Stuart Pigott.
“Proving that Terroir Matters” with Dr. Ulrich Fischer.
“Winemakers Roundtable: To Blend or not to Blend” led by Bob Bertheau of Chateau Ste. Michelle and Ernst Loosen.

Picture: “Riesling’s Outer Limits” with Stuart Pigott

The afternoon concluded with special walk-around tastings:

Pairing Riesling with Smoked Salmon with German food writer Ursula Heinzelmann
Riesling and Cheese Tasting presented by Oregon’s Rogue Creamery
Riesling Taste Test: How Dry/Sweet is it? Where would you place it on the IRF scale? Presented by the International Riesling Foundation
Riesling Friendly Appetizers
Wines from Idaho, New York State and Germany.

Pictures: Walk-around Tasting with Wilhelm Weil Talking (above) and Ursula Heinzelmann Serving Salmon  (below)

Second Day of Riesling Rendezvous Featured Sweeter Wines

On Tuesday, July 16, the day began with another fascinating blind tasting of 20 Rieslings, this time off-dry and sweet Rieslings from around the world, moderated by London-based wine journalist Tim Atkin, a Master of Wine.

Pictures: International Tasting Beyond Dry Riesling

The International Riesling Foundation then made a presentation called “Riesling Research and Revelations.”

Lunch featured Australian Rieslings, sponsored by Icons of Australia.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller, Steffen Christmann, Weingut A. Christmann, Helmuth Doennhoff, Weingut Doennhoff,  and his Spouse

After a lunch, there were three breakout sessions:

“Grosses Gewaches – the New VDP Classification” with Steffen Christmann and Wilhelm Weil.
“The Electric Riesling Acid Test” with Emily Wines, M.S.
“Marketing Riesling: Preaching Beyond the Choir” with Leslie Sbrocco.

Picture: Steffen Christmann, Weingut A. Christmann, Stuart Pigott and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil

The event concluded with a farewell reception at Chihuly Garden and Glass at the Seattle Center. The Chihuly Garden and Glass is a breathtaking gallery space showcasing the spectacular art of Northwest glass master Dale Chihuly. It was a dramatic and entertaining way to bid farewell to new and old friends as we concluded our Riesling celebration.

Picture: Chihuly Garden and Glass at the Seattle Center

Picture: Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag, Helmut Doennhoff, Weingut Doennhoff, Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, Steffen Christmann, Weingut A. Christmann, Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil

Picture: Winemaker Bob Bertheau of Chateau Ste. Michelle and Ernst Loosen, with Dr. Ulrich Fischer

schiller-wine: Related Postings

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

German Wine Basics: Sugar in the Grape - Alcohol and Sweetness in the Wine

1st International Riesling Symposium, Rheingau, Germany

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013

Coming Up in July:
4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA

Germany’s 2011 VDP Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru - Wines Released. Notes from the Pre-release Tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany, 2012

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach

Wine Blogger Christian G.E. Schiller from schiller-wine Featured Guest of #SommChat on Twitter

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA

A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon

Wine ratings: Two American/German wines - Eroica and Poet's Leap - on Top 100 Wines from Washington State list for 2009

German American Wines: (1) Pacific Rim Riesling (2) Eroica and (3) Woelffer's Schillerwein

Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA

With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

The German Winemakers at the Forthcoming 4. Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State, USA

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