Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1787
There's also a new focus on Riesling's lon- gevity and complexity, as well as its compat- ibility with some of the world's most intense cuisines—Asian, Indian and Pacific Rim. In major regions such as Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Mosel, producers are making more trocken (dry) and halbtrocken (medium-dry) wines with more character and flavor while still preserving the freshness that characterizes German wines. "German wines were never as good as they are now," says Volkner Knipser, of Weingut Knipser in the Pfalz. But he, like other pro- ducers, still has to contend with Germany's complex wine classification system, which, based on sugar content, presents certain mar- keting challenges. To that end, some producers eschew the ripeness designation and use an alternate system to describe their wines' characters. Knipser, for example, produces wines labeled by vineyard or soil type, such as Laum- ersheimer Kapel- lenberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken or Kalkmergel (a Pinot Noir). "By nam- ing wines by their terroir, we give an indicator of quality and expression of the wine," he says. Winemakers like Alexander Gysler see updating their estates and their marketing pro- grams as comple- mentary strategies. In 2007, Gysler decided to evolve his family vineyard in the Rheinhessen from organic to fully biodynamic. The result has been "powerful wines with more energy and structure," he says, but equally as powerful is the cachet of producing biodynamically— an increasingly sought-after designation. Gysler also takes an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach, going after markets such as Asia, which have demonstrated a palate for sweet wines. Even in the Mosel, Germany's most presti- gious wine region, winemakers have to work it. Annegret Reh-Gartner of Reichsgraf von Kes- selstatt, a self-described Riesling ambassador, cheerfully admits to using savvy tactics to lure converts. "We know that if some wine buyers hear that Riesling is sweet, they stay away. But we bait them with dry wine and use that to get them to open up to the whole category," she said. "Those who are curious and willing to experi- ment are always thrilled when they understand Riesling." Annegret Reh-Gartner of Reichsgraf von Kessel- statt. "We bait [buyers] with dry wine and use that to get them to open up to the whole category." Gysler's vineyard in the Rheinhessen is fully biodynamic. Knipser produces wines labeled by soil types. august 2009 / the tasting panel / 61