Archive for August, 2009

WineLife365 Reviews Dr. L

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Mark at WineLife365 recently reviewed our Dr. L Riesling and had this to say.

“Dr. L”, as it’s known in wine circles, is a terrific “purist” style Riesling from Mosel, Germany. What I mean by “purist” is that this wine tasted like real crushed fruit, free of “special” additives that are supposed to enhance a wine’s natural flavors.

Since it ran a tad sweet to his taste, we recommend he also try our Villa Wolf Riesling Dry in the same price range. If your taste in Rieslings leans toward dry, try our J.L. Wolf Rieslings. Made in the Pfalz region, they tend to be drier than are our Dr. Loosen (Mosel Valley) Rieslings.

And just to work in a less-well-known fact…. many people believe that Kabinett Rieslings taste drier than Spatleses. In fact, the Kabinetts are actually sweeter by analysis, but often taste drier since the acidity in Kabinetts is more pronounced.

Read Mark’s WineLife365 review here.

Wine & Spirits Picks Us as a Winery of the Year!

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

ws_logo1
Woohoo! We just learned that Wine & Spirits has selected Dr. Loosen as a Winery of the Year.

Each year, their blind tasting panels review more than 9,000 wines and pass the best along to their critics. Their annual Wineries of the Year list is made up of brands that produce a range of wines that score at the top of their categories. Dr. Loosen performed in the top echelon. Editor & Publisher, Joshua Greene, called us “a great ambassador for the wines of the Mosel.”

Wine & Spirits will profile Dr. Loosen as a Winery of the Year in their 2009 Annual Buying Guide (On sale mid-October).

And we also will be attending their “Top 100″ event in San Francisco on October 14, where they honor all of their Wineries of the Year. Our National Sales Manager, Brian “The Harlanator” Harlan, will be pouring. Come to the event, stop by and say hi!

Erdener Prälat and Blue Cheese

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Riesling/food pairings are so tasty…we love it when Dr. Loosen fans wax enthusiastic over them.

erdener-pralat-labelIntoWine.com recently ran a story on the best wines to pair with blue cheese. Here’s what they had to say about Dr. Loosen Erdener Prälat….

“I am a blue-cheese-aholic. There are really few things that won’t taste better with a “little bit of blue” sprinkled on top. Pairing wine with blue cheese is another story. As much as we love to drink red wine, trying to pair a blue with a red usually does not result in an “oh my gosh” tasting experience. And, sometimes, that’s just fine. But for a truly enlightening pairing of blue cheese and wine, try Dr. Loosen’s 2004 (or current vintage) Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese. The sweetness of the wine clings to the fat in the cheese and creates an amazing taste sensation. – Roxanne Langer, Founder and Wine Educator, WineFUNdamentals, Penryn, CA.”

Read IntoWine’s entire story here.

Read more about Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese.

Paul Gregutt on the Eroica Anniversary Dinner

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Paul Gregutt did a very nice article on last night’s ten-year anniversary dinner for Eroica Riesling. Read it here.

Travels with Ernie (and Bob and Kirk)

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

bob-and-ernieJust received a text from Loosen USA VP Kirk Wille, who says: “We’re in Eastern Washington with Ernie and Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Bob Bertheau visiting Eroica vineyards. It’s raining…first time in 11 years doing this trip!

Photo credit: @SteMichelle

Screwcap vs. Cork

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

screwtop We came across this excellent article comparing screwcaps (or “Stelvin® closures”) with corks on the Tablas Creek blog today. Jason Chaas said that they did a blind tasting of Stelvin vs. cork-stoppered wines.

He reports the general conclusion as “Overall, the results tended to validate the choices that we’d made, as the whites and rosé tasted brighter and fresher under screwcap (and were generally preferred by the group) while the reds tended to taste softer and lusher under cork (and were generally, though not universally, preferred by the group).” Read article here.

Many of our (and other) Rieslings come with Stelvin closures. Riesling, with its bright notes, is particularly susceptible to cork taint and the Stelvin closures are good at preserving freshness and complexity. So if you see Rieslings in your local wine store with screwtops, know that the absence of cork may indicate a wine that’s definitely worth trying.

Aug. 10th Ten-Year Eroica Anniversary Dinner at Herbfarm

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

eroicaernieHappy Ten-Year Anniversary, Eroica!

Cheers! The world’s greatest Riesling partnership between Dr. Loosen estate and Chateau Ste. Michelle is turning 10.

We will be celebrating with a glittering one-night-only dinner at the fabulous Herbfarm in Woodinville, Washington. Seating is limited to the first 60 guests and the evening is currently sold out, however the Herbfarm is willing to put you on a waiting list, if you’d like to try.

Call The Herbfarm for reservations at 425-485-5300.

More details and link to menu at the Chateau Ste. Michelle website.

Scotland STV Station Tastes Dr. L

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Check out this fun video of Scotland’s STV’s Tom Cannavan Tasting Dr. L and two other Rieslings. Tom gives some good basic background on Rieslings as well.

Seven Rieslings & Five Courses at Ten Mercer

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

tenmercerRiesling fans! Will you be in Seattle next week? Here’s a great chance to taste seven Rieslings with fabulous food pairings from Seattle’s famed Ten Mercer Restaurant.

Join your host, Loosen USA VP Kirk Wille, at Ten Mercer for a dinner featuring seven Dr. Loosen Rieslings and a five-course chef Doug Wilson-designed menu.

RECEPTION
2008 Dr. L Riesling (Mosel, Germany)

FIRST COURSE
2007 Dr. Loosen Riesling Kabinett ‘Blue Slate’ (Mosel, Germany)
Spicy Seared Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

SECOND COURSE
2007 Dr. Loosen Riesling Kabinett Erdener Treppechen (Mosel, Germany)
Chèvre Salad with Washington Cherries and Lemon Vinaigrette

THIRD COURSE
2007 Dr. Loosen Riesling Spätlese Ürziger Würzgarten (Mosel, Germany)
Seared Duck Breast with Orange Mustard Marmalade and Fregola

FOURTH COURSE
Comparison Tasting of 2007 & 2008 Eroica Riesling (Columbia Valley, WA)
Halibut and Leek Brandade with Shallot Cream and Frisee

FIFTH COURSE
2005 Dr. Loosen Riesling Auslese Eredener Prälat (Mosel, Germany)
Peach and White Chocolate Mousse in Jaconde Sponge Cake

WHERE/WHEN/HOW
Thursday, August 13th at 6:30 pm
$85 per person includes tax and gratuity
For reservations, please call Ten Mercer at 206-691-3723
or visit tenmercer.com and click on the reservation link.
Be sure to let them know you want to attend the wine dinner.