The Rieslaner white grape is a new breed of the Bavarian State Institute of Viticulture and Horticulture by Dr. Ziegler from Silvaner and Riesling. It is a white wine cultivated mainly in Franconia. The Rieslaner has a relatively high acidity and is similar to the Riesling. Overall, however, the Rieslaner is fuller. The wine is intense, with fruity acidity and exotic aroma.
If you want to learn more about the unique wine, please visit our Shop or our Food pairing page.
Our wines can be perfectly enjoyed with hearty german cheese and air dried sausages. While our Silvaner is most enjoyable with lighter cheese such as Emmentaler or younger Mountain Cheese, our Riesling and Rieslaner can be combined with strong tasing ages Mountain Cheese as well as smoked and air-dried sausages.
Wines that were available for tasting:
We would also like to thank our friends from Cambodunum for the food sample supplies.
Riesling is King in Germany, so Silvaner will probably always be the second choice. However the top gastronomy meanwhile appreciates the Silvaner more and more, there is good quality for little money.
The asparagus season is in full swing. Around two billion spears are consumed annually in Germany, according to the Federal Ministry of Food. Clever dealers and restaurateurs use this and offer a so-called asparagus wine with their vegetables. Most of the time, the grape variety Silvaner stands behind this. The word creation suggests that this white wine can only be a companion to the famous spring vegetable. A big mistake.
Until the 1970s, according to the German Wine Institute, the Silvaner was the most cultivated grape variety in Germany. By now he has slipped to fifth place among the white grapes. According to Joel Payne, publisher of the German wine guide „Vinum” this is a big mistake. “The Silvaner is much better than its reputation,” he says. However, many Germans would only get to know the grape variety as an asparagus companion – and spend considerably more money on the white vegetables than on the wine. Silvaner for about four euros are usually no drinking pleasure. But even for a few euros more there is an excellent price-enjoyment ratio.
Responsible in Paynes eyes is a quality boost since the turn of the millennium. “The grapes are maturing due to the change in the climate, the vineyards are much better maintained today and the young winemakers are well trained and eager to experiment.” The wine tester is currently working on the ripening potential of the wine. His preliminary result is that good qualities are clearly gained through storage over several years. This can be financially worthwhile. Because compared to the meanwhile quite high prices for top Rieslings the very Best Silvaner often cost only half.
The perfect wine for the modern kitchen
The Munich sommelier Frank Glüer is thrilled by the Silvaner as a food companion, not just asparagus. Especially in the top gastronomy they work today with plenty of vegetables and way less butter. “Everything is now easier and of course there are the vegetarian trends and the Nordic cuisine: All this plays into the hands of the Silvaner,” says Glüer. With his often floral-earthy and subtly herbal flavours, it carries the dishes of a modern kitchen perfectly, without seeming too dominant.
But because hardly anyone asks for this wine, Glüer offers him often in the wine accompaniment. With success. “The guests are excited.” Of course, the grape variety, if it is not too concentrated, is also very good with asparagus. “The floral aromas harmonize perfectly and the rather mild grape does not bite with the acidity of the asparagus.” But even a Müller-Thurgau would fit very well.
Definitely start in Franconia
The author Romana Echensperger – who is entitled to receive the title “Master of Wine” after the longest wine education in the world – has dedicated a whole chapter to the Silvaner in her latest book. Headline: “Do not call me asparagus wine!” For Echensperger the Silvaner is “the ultimate cool-climate wine: a lot of power and structure, but not heavy at all”. Especially those who do not appreciate the often somewhat eccentric aromas and pronounced acidity of the Riesling are in good hands with the Silvaner. It also perfectly reflects the terroir.
Who is interested in the grape variety, should definitely start in Franconia. According to the German Wine Institute, the Silvaner cultivation began on German soil in 1659 in Castell near Würzburg. And even today the grape is in second place in the ranking there. The wines from the steep hills of the location Würzburger Stein often get a creamy and smoky touch on the shell limestone soil. „Back at the time of the steam locomotives one thought, that lies on the nearby railway line, but it is the soil,” says Echensperger.
In also the well-known location Escherndorfer Lump in the Mainschleife at Volkach the Silvaner gets a very clear flavor. In the Julius-Echter-Berg near Iphofen, the vines stand on gypsum Keuper soils, which are very hot during the day. This makes the wines stronger in the alcohol, but also well balanced.
Anyone who has come to the taste of the Franconian Silvanern, recommends Echensperger next products from Rheinhessen. She finds the plants of the Red Hang in Nierstein exciting, for example. “It tastes extremely spicy, almost chili-like.” If you still do not have enough, you can go to Baden, for example. Also at the Kaiserstuhl there are Silvaner, the taste. Not just for asparagus.
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