To complement the light and elegant Dr. Loosen Rieslings he produces in the Mosel region, Ernie Loosen took over the historic J.L. Wolf estate so he could make traditionally crafted Rhine wines. In the classic style of the Pfalz, these wines are more full-bodied than Mosel wines, with higher alcohol and pure flavors of ripe fruit and stone.
In this new video, Ernie tells you all about the JL Wolf winery, with stunning shots of this beautiful estate and vineyard. Enjoy!
If you’re a Dr. Loosen fan, you may be interested to know that Ernst Loosen also makes wines under the J.L. Wolf label.
Founded in 1756, the J.L. Wolf estate was a very successful and highly regarded winery for more than two centuries. It entered an especially glamorous era with the construction of its Italianate estate house and villa in 1843. Ernst Loosen took over the vineyards in 1996.
In 1996, Ernie took over the historic J.L. Wolf estate so he could make traditionally crafted Rhine wines to complement the Dr. Loosen Rieslings he produces in the Mosel. In the classic style of the Pfalz region, J.L. Wolf wines are more full-bodied than Mosel wines, with higher alcohol and rich flavors of ripe fruit and stone.
The Pfalz region lies between the Haardt Mountains and the Rhine river, directly north of France’s Alsace region. As in Alsace, the mountains protect the area from harsh Atlantic weather, making it one of the warmer and drier areas of Germany. In this climate, achieving full ripeness is possible in nearly every vintage.
To preserve the naturally high quality of the vineyards, Ernie emphasizes sustainable viticulture, gentle handling during harvest and traditional winemaking techniques in the cellar. This enables him to produce pure, mineral-inflected wines that express the authentic terroir of the Pfalz.
J.L. Wolf: Estate-Grown Rieslings
J.L. Wolf uses an unofficial, Burgundy-style classification of its vineyards. Typically, two wines are made from each J.L. Wolf vineyard—one in the traditional dry (trocken) style and one in the fruity style, with residual sweetness. Only the fruity wines are labeled as Prädikat wines. In most vintages Wachenheimer Kabinett, Wachenheimer Belz Spätlese and Pechstein Auslese are produced.
Villa Wolf: Value-Priced Varietal Wines
Our newly updated label for Villa Wolf wines.
Villa Wolf label is a value-priced line of varietal wines that show the true character of each variety as it is grown in the warm and sunny Pfalz region. Villa Wolf wines re made from J.L. Wolf estate fruit supplemented with grapes from contracted growers. Varieties include Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Silvaner and Pinot Noir (red and rosé). Like the Dr. L from Dr. Loosen, these are excellent glass pour wines, as well as great values on the retail shelf.
Villa Wolf has been recognized as a “Value Brand of the Year” by both Wine & Spirits and Wine Enthusiast. Our Villa Wolf Rosé is a popular summer wine and a great value for backyard grilling, picnics and parties.
Learn more about JL Wolf and Villa Wolf wines at these sites.
Loosen Bros. USA
For the past several months we’ve been doing a “Love it With Loosen” pairing suggestion each Friday. Starting this week, we’re going to include those suggestions here on the blog as well. Enjoy!
This week’s “Love it with Loosen” is actually a “Wow with Wolf.” Expertly prepared and beautifully photographed by Daniel Prince, this recipe rocked the table at a recent picnic where the attendees fell upon it like jackals. All agreed it was a perfect pairing with our Villa Wolf Rosé.
Curry leaf chicken recipe is from Zak Pelaccio’s amazing “Eat With Your Hands” cookbook.
About our Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé
The Pfalz is a very warm and sunny region, often called “the Tuscany of Germany,” so all of the Pinot varieties do well here. The Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé is a true rosé, made with a brief maceration before pressing to extract color. It is light and refreshing, with deliciously bright berry and fruit flavors and a clean, zippy finish. It’s perfect for your summer picnic basket! learn more about this wine.
Acidhounds get ready! With June just around the corner, hundreds of the finest restaurants and wine bars in the Northern Hemisphere are getting ready to celebrate “Summer of Riesling,” from June 20 to Sept. 21 by offering Riesling by the glass and bottle.
In 2011, the original goal was to get participation by 75 restaurants. The final tally: 222,
or triple the goal. For 2012, the goal is 500.
“The enthusiasm was incredible,” says our pal Manhattan restaurateur, acidhound and Riesling fanatic of Terroir Wine Bars Paul Grieco, who created the Summer of Riesling concept and orchestrated the 2011 national program.
“This was not a hard sell at all,” Grieco says. “So many of my colleagues love Riesling and know
how versatile it is with many foods, and they just said sure, we’re in.”
If you love Riesling–or if you want to love Riesling: you’ve got a lot to look forward to. Restaurants and bars will be offering special flights of Rieslings, tastings, Riesling dinners, and filling their wine lists with very special bottles.
If you’re in the wine trade: get in on the action! Participants get publicity and support, including special “Summer of Riesling” t-shirts, temporary Riesling tattoos, buttons, window stickers, and lots of information about Riesling.
Our Operations Manager, Clifford Robben, was so excited about Summer of Riesling that he couldn't wait for his temporary tattoo and went for the real thing.
And, of course, we hope you’ll include Rieslings from Dr. Loosen, J.L. Wolf, Weingut Robert Weil, and Von Schubert/Maximin Grünhaus in your celebration, all available from Loosen Bros. USA. And, of course, don’t forget the excellent wines of our Eroica Riesling partner, Chateau Ste. Michelle.
SPECIAL in JULY:31 DAYS OF GERMAN RIESLING
And for those of you with a particular affection for 60 percent of the world’s Riesling vineyards, don’t forget that July brings a special event within Summer of Riesling: 31 Days of German Riesling. In July, participants will highlight their passion for the wines of the Mosel, the Pfalz and beyond.
To learn all about Summer of Riesling, visit www.summerofriesling.com, or follow the fun on Facebook and Twitter. Information also is available on the International Riesling Foundation’s web site, www.drinkriesling.com.
If you didn’t make it to Riesling Rendezvous 2010 at Chateau Ste. Michelle earlier this month, you can still read all about it.
Here is a selection of articles written by media people who attended. Reading them is like taking a mini-course about Riesling!
WineBusiness.com – All About Riesling
Decanter.com – Global Warming “Boon” for Riesling
Richard Leahy’s Wine Report – Finger Lakes, Michigan, Ontario Rieslings Shine at Riesling Rendezvous
Michigan By the Bottle – North By Northwest
Wine Peeps Blog – Riesling Rendezvous: Ageability of Riesling
Vint-ed – Swirls: Tasting My Way Through the Riesling Rendezvous
The Wine Economist – Riesling’s Rising Tide
Indian Wine Academy – Rendezvous Highlights Riesling’s Past and Future
JancisRobinson.com – Gallo, Constellation Follow the Riesling trend.
WineReviewOnline.com – Riesling: America’s Favorite Wine Grape?
Wine Beer of Washington State – Riesling Rendezvous Grand Tasting Review
Check out this fun vid of Matt Horbund (A Good Time With Wine) reviewing our JL Wolf Pinot Gris, our Villa Wolf Gewürztraminer and Dr. L Riesling.
To see more of Matt’s on air wine reviews, click here.
Here are some fun pix from our tour of the Wolf Estate.
Welcome to JL Wolf: Ernie greets the group in the courtyard of the JL Wolf villa.
The Group at JL Wolf: On the front steps of the historic estate house.
In the Wachenheim Vineyards: The group poses in the vineyards of Wachenheim, with the Wachtenturm castle in the background.
Fun at dinner: Roberta Nemo and John Metz check out the line-up of wines during dinner at JL Wolf.
If you’re going to be in Austin, TX, this Saturday, stop by the Austin Wine Merchant and taste some Dr. Loosen and J.L. Wolf wines. Our own Brian “The Harlanator” Harlan will be pouring and trust us, meeting Brian is not something you’ll soon forget.
November 14
Noon to 3 pm.
512 West Sixth Street
Austin, Texas
Telephone: (512) 499-0512
Brian will be pouring:
* 2007 Villa Wolf Riesling Trocken (Dry), Pfalz
* 2007 Loosen Bros Dr. L Riesling, Mosel
* 2007 Riesling Kabinett Blue Slate, Mosel
A quick update from the J.L. Wolf vineyards in the Pfalz region of Germany.
We started picking the Pinot Gris in the Pfalz yesterday. (Being a warmer region, the Pfalz harvest generally begins a week or two before the Mosel harvest.) The weather has been beautiful, which is key during harvest. We picked perfectly clean, healthy (i.e. no botrytis) Pinot Gris grapes at just the right ripeness to produce a finished wine with 12.5% alc, which we think is ideal.
So far, 2009 is looking quite good in Europe. In Burgundy, where the harvest is well under way, they think it’s going to be better than 2005, which was an amazing vintage.
The Mosel looks great, too. No sign of botrytis yet. It will come eventually, but the later, the better, so we get just the right amount for our botrytis-affected dessert wines!
Every year we hold an invitation-only tour for Loosen’s top customers. After arriving in Frankfurt, we took everyone down to the Pfalz region for a tour and tasting at J.L. Wolf. Here’s the group in the vineyards of Wachenheim, with the Wachtenburg castle ruins in the background. The group, left to right, is Steve Doran, Lauber Imports (our distributor in New York); Scott James, J&P Wholesale (distributor in Las Vegas); Dale Short, World Class Wines (distributor in Minnesota); Paul Knight, Galaxy Wine Co. (distributor in Oregon); Mark Gmur, Mondovino (national accounts consultant); Kris Patten, Columbia Distributing (distributor in Washington state); Brian Harlan, Loosen Bros. USA; Scott Fitzsimmons, Classic Wine Imports (distributor in Massachusetts); Patrick Lawlor, Classic Wine Imports; Dominik Sona, winemaker for J.L. Wolf; Zachary Pearson, Spec’s Wine & Spirits, Houston, Texas; Mary Horn, Wine Trends (distributor in Ohio); Rick Annis, Lauber Imports; Ian Dick, Loosen Bros. USA.
Here are Brian, Rick and Ian at Dr. Loosen Winery, back home on the Mosel and getting ready for dinner after our day at J.L. Wolf.
Zachary, Mark and Dale at Dr Loosen: Enjoying the aperitif wine before dinner.
And here we all are in the tasting cellar at J.L. Wolf. Ernie Loosen is at the head of the table.
Blog Post by Kirk Wille, VP Loosen Bros. USA