Congratulations to VDP Weingut Kreuzberg in Ahr for its “Best in Show” at Decanter World Wine Awards win in London. Its “harmonious and beautifully vinified” Devonschiefer R Reserve Spätburgunder garnered 97 points at the prestigious competition emerging as one of 50 wines from around the world to take the accolade. A great showing for Kreuzberg and for German VDP wines! Cheers!

You don’t have to look too far in Germany to find a Strausswirtschaft, a cozy, informal tavern that serves impromptu local grub and refreshing, delicious regional wines. You can come across such a spot on a hike in the countryside, in the city, or along the waterside, each boasting a familiar and unique atmosphere. If you’re going to be in Germany any time soon, we recommend you seek out these comfy, welcoming places and order a glass. If not, you can recreate the Strausswirtschaft ambience yourself with some good music, some tasty snacks, and, of course, plenty of good wine! Cheers to the summer!

Hope you’re enjoying the Wines of Germany USA Prost Every Moment Campaign held to encourage consumers to make the most of every moment big or small with a fine German wine – be it Riesling, Spätburgunder, Pinot Gris, or an array of cool climate wines. The campaign includes everything from an information hub and quiz for perfect pairing discoveries to promotional events across the US. How about pairing Riesling to perfection with tasty recipes like Seared Scallops with Apple Slaw and Lemon Butter Sauce dish? Whatever you’re celebrating…Prost!

Wines of Germany, Canada is putting the iconic Riesling grape in the spotlight with its annual ‘31 Days of German Riesling’ program held coast-to-coast in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Vancouver, and Calgary throughout the month of July. Venues are putting on bespoke events that put the versatile German Riesling grape in the spotlight so get ready to head to independent wine merchants for seminars held by celebrity wine educators and to select restaurants for dishes specially prepared for pairing with Riesling. It looks like there’s some fine cuisine on the pairing menu as seen by this dish from Teatro Restaurant in Calgary! Cheers!

The prestigious WINE100 Competition in China has announced details of the 2021 winners and, German wines have scooped three of the top spots marking a first for the event! VDP Ahr member Weingut Burggarten won not one, but two awards with its 2018 Spätburgunder “Walporzheimer Kräuterberg”: “Best Red of the Year” & “Best Wine of the Year”. Not a VDP member but a winner just the same, Weingut Kerpen from Mosel won “Best White of the Year”. The German wins mark the first time in WINE100’s ten-year history that labels from a single country have been garnered the top trophies! Prost to that!

Wine Spectator has announced its 2021 Grand Award-winning restaurants with extraordinary wine programs. Le Bernardin in New York, Brennan’s in New Orleans, and Single Thread Farms in California’s Sonoma County are this year’s winners bringing the grand total around the world to 97. Congratulations from Wunderwein to the winners!

Many wine lovers are big Burgundy fans, but the price tags from this iconic area can veer toward the stratospheric side! Thankfully, there’s plenty of excellent-quality and great-value Pinot Noir from further afield with German wine regions making their mark on the palates of this grape’s fans. In fact, Baden’s VDP Bernhard Huber has beat top-tier Bourgogne producers in blind tastings…

From bratwurst to potato dumplings, cabbage and asparagus dishes to an array of cheeses, gingerbread to sweetbreads, Franken has its own unique cuisine to go with its wine. If you’re looking for ideas for food pairings, you’ve come to the right place!

Meininger’s Wine Business International has announced details of the best Rieslings of 2021 with winners across 8 categories hailing from Franken, Pfalz, Württemberg, Mittelrhein, Mosel, and Nahe. Outside Germany,  Rieslings from Austria, Australia and the Czech Republic made a splash. A judging panel tasted more than 2,400 Rieslings from around the globe. Is your favorite Riesling a winner?

We love what’s in each bottle (especially if it has VDP on its cap!) but what about what’s on the label? Understanding the information on a wine label can sometimes be like trying to decipher code or a dead language! The fact is though, that once you know what you’re looking for, it’s very simple and German wine labels are some of the more accessible in the Old World scene. When you understand what you’re reading, you’ll have the confidence to select the exact wine you want off the shelf every time. Read on to learn about German wine labels. Cheers!

The 3^rd annual Sommeliers Choice Awards have released their results and we’re delighted to announce that our house production “Wünder” won a silver medal! Judges described our 2015 German Pinot Noir as being full of “red berry flavors” and “notes of mushrooms” with “fruit and spice in harmony”. The awards are judged in five categories: food pairing ability, typicity, quality, value, and packaging. The defining question judges ask themselves is would customers order a second glass? With a silver medal, we think you will…

We’re delighted to help kickstart your summer with an amazing deal on some of our top rosé! Our 90pt Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Pfalz Rosé 2019 from VDP winemaker Ernst Loosen boasts bright berry and floral notes in a slightly off-dry palate with a hint of spritz. Hailing from the warmest winemaking region known as ‘The Tuscany of Germany’, it’s made in the true rosé method with short maceration and pairs like a dream with seafood, salmon, ham dishes, vegetable kebabs, and soft cheeses. Incredibly, we’re offering it for only $10 including free delivery but only until June 20th so don’t hang around! Cheers!

You know a Franken wine from a mile off because of the distinct shape of its bottle: the bocksbeutel. Pot-bellied, flat, and with a short neck, the bocksbeutel dates back to the 17^th century when it was used as a book bag or water bottle in the fields. Its practical shape caught on and is so synonymous with Franken that today it is a ‘protected bottle shape’ under European Union law. There’s so much to the story of the Franken bocksbeutel…

Famous for the ancient variety Silvaner, which boasts concentrated fruit and earthy qualities and is produced in sweet and dry styles, Franken is an iconic wine region located along the Main. Soils are rich and varied owing to unique geology, the landscape is impressive, and even its bottles are one-off! Indeed, this is the land of the Bocksbeutel, the unmistakable flattened ellipsoid shape that stands out on any shelf, making it easy to identify wines from this region. Franken also produces Riesling and wines from the Pinot family and viniculture is focused on white wine. Cheers!

What better way to start our focus on Franken than with a look at the Bürgerspital located in Würzburg? This estate boasts 700 years of history, a highlight of which is its renowned 1540 Steinwein famously tasted and described by English wine writer Hugh Johnson. Bürgerspital cultivates iconic grapes like Silvaner, Riesling, and Pinot varieties all bottled in the unique Bocksbeutel. Welcome to June and a tour around Franken!