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Harvesting the new vintage 2006
October 3rd, 2006 the new game started by moving with a group of 35 season workers to the steep vineyards of the S.A.PRUEM winery.
It looked great outside in the mountains by wonderfull weather, and lucky pickers starting to collect another great vintage.
Small but fine this is the result of the first day in the steep slopes.
By extraordinary good weather the concentration of the sugar jumped into the section of phenomenal to outstanding quality level. But the yield of course shrinked as much as botrytis raised. Noble rod this is the big deal of vintage 2006.
Within a few days we had to learn hard that the new vintage might be light, even ligther as expected by the grop to harvest. People pick fast and steady and could achieve a lot of highest expected quality levels. Better than expected as well. But we are missing the entry level to the wine world of S.A.PRUEM, the light distinctive and fragrance of Riesling Kabinett with its green apple structure. Instead of those wines we got great Spaetlese and Auslese.
I remember very well the great vintage of 1976 this might be the one to compare. By yield and by quality as well.
Get excited and search for these wines as soon as they are on the market. They will be very limited.
Send me an eamil to learn more about this great vintage.
A wine dinner at Wally Joe in Memphis, TN
Bad news from the family
<H2>IRMGARD PRUEM
née Dietz
6. September 1923 – 29 September 2005
</H2>
With deep sorrow we must inform all our friends of the sudden Passing of our Mother shortly after her 82nd birthday. A long and full life was granted her. She was the center of our Family. Memorial and Commitment Services were held on Tuesday, September 4th, 2005 at St. Agatha Parish Church Wehlen with Burial in the Church Cemetery in view of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr across the Mosel. More than 350 family members and friends were present for the interment.
German rieslings run gamut from dry to after-dinner sweet
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
I got home late, ate dinner late and should have gone straight to bed. But I had a wicked sweet tooth.
I opened the freezer -- no ice cream. The pantry -- no cookies. Then I tried the refrigerator.
There, way in the back, tucked between an ancient bottle of white vermouth and even older bottle of red vermouth, was the remains of a half bottle of German dessert wine that had been sitting open for months -- maybe two months, maybe three. Can't be possibly any good, I thought.
But then I remembered something the winemaker told me when we first tasted it: The sweeter the wine, the longer it stays fresh after opening. Couldn't hurt to give it a try.
It was a 2003 S.A. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese. I know, German wine names are impossible, but loosely translated this one means an extra-late-harvest riesling made by the S.A. Prum winery from riesling grapes grown in the legendary Sonnenuhr vineyard in the village of Wehlen, which lies along the Mosel River in western Germany.
In certain years, under the right conditions, some of the riesling vines develop a kind of fungus that works to the winemaker's advantage. It's called "noble rot" -- scientific name: Botrytis cinerea -- and it dehydrates the grapes, leaving them shriveled and nearly dry.
What little liquid remains, however, is incredibly sweet. So sweet that even the yeast becomes overwhelmed; fermentation can drag on for months.
In the end, the wine retains an amazingly high concentration of sugar (in this case, 37 percent, compared to less than 1 percent for dry wines) and low alcohol (6 percent, about half the level of most table wines).
As for the aromas and flavors, they defy description. The bouquet suggests a pungent blend of orange liqueur and stewed prunes -- odd, perhaps, but utterly seductive. The texture is a cross between maple syrup and honey -- so thick with sugar, it coats the tongue, leading to a "finish," or aftertaste, that lingers for minutes.
And Raimund Prum was right: It was still dynamite several months after being opened -- not the slightest hint of oxidation or spoilage.
Trockenbeerenauslese (give it a shot: trock-en-BEER-en-OWSH-lay-zeh) lies at one end of a dazzlingly colorful spectrum that is the riesling grape. Indeed, no other white wine grape -- or red, for that matter -- comes in such a broad range of styles, from very light, dry wines pleasant for sipping before dinner on a balmy night; to rich, mineral table wines capable of pairing with a seemingly infinite variety of foods; to unctuous after-dinner wines such as TBA (shorthand for Trockenbeerenauslese) and Eiswein, made from grapes left on the vine so late in the year they literally freeze.
Fine riesling, even Eiswein, is now successfully grown all over the world, from southern Australia to New York's Finger Lakes region and Canada's Niagara Peninsula. But the grape's ancestral home is Germany, and it's there the finest examples -- the most fragrant, most complex, most age-worthy -- are still made.
The key to choosing a German riesling is to gauge the sweetness level; fortunately, the information you need is right on the label. Under Germany's rigorous wine laws, better-quality rieslings -- those classified Qualitatswein mit Pradikat, or "quality wine with specific attributes" -- are ranked in one of six levels according to the ripeness (i.e., sugar) of the grapes at harvest. Progressing from the relatively light and dry to the ultra-rich and sweet, the ripeness levels are: Kabinett, Spatlese (literally, "late harvest"), Auslese ("selected harvest"), Beerenauslese ("berry selected harvest"), Eiswein ("ice wine") and TBA ("dry berry selected harvest").
Thus a Kabinett (kab-in-ETT) would be a good choice if you're looking for something to go with hors d'oeuvres or a salad; a Spatlese (SPATE-lay-zeh) is more appropriate for a spicy main course; and an Auslese (OWSH-lay-zeh) is delightful with cheese and fruit, the riper the better. Beerenauslese (BEER-en-OWSH-lay-zeh), Eiswein (ICE-vine) and TBA are strictly dessert fare.
The other key factor is the name of the estate, or Weingut. German labels also prominently display the village and specific vineyard where the grapes were grown -- the main reason German wine names are so frustratingly long. But there are way too many villages, let alone vineyards, to keep in mind, so focusing on the name of the winery is a more realistic strategy.
Many of Germany's best producers can be found in the Mosel. "Nowhere else in the world is there so great a concentration of top-notch wine producers in so small a place," wine educator Karen MacNeil writes in "The Wine Bible," a lucid and exhaustive survey (Workman Publishing, 2001). "The number of excellent wine estates on the Mosel is mind-boggling. Here is where the famous villages of Bernkastel, Piesport ... and Wehlen are found."
The banks of the Mosel are renowned for their extremely steep slopes -- up to 70 degrees, with the vines appearing to hang from near-vertical walls -- and the slate rock that underlies the soil. Although among the northernmost (and coolest) of all wine regions, the Mosel's slate holds the sun's warmth and helps ripen the grapes.
It also contributes to the wine's flavor complexity, Raimund Prum explained during a visit to New Jersey earlier this year. "They always have two faces," Prum said of riesling grown in prime Mosel vineyards such as Sonnenuhr. "The fruit, and then the more petroly notes and minerality."
Sonnenuhr, by the way, is German for "sundial," a name that stuck after Prum's ancestor Jodocus Prum erected a large sundial in the middle of the vineyard in 1842. Today, the Sonnenuhr sundial is perhaps the most famous landmark in German wine country.
Just as famous is the Prum name. Descendants of Jodocus Prum operate four wine estates, including Weingut S.A. Prum, that bear the family name, according to Raimund Prum. Perhaps the best known of all is Joh. Jos. Prum, considered a giant of the Mosel. An affordable introduction to Mosel riesling is the 2003 S.A. Prum "Blue Slate" Riesling Kabinett (about $16), a lightly sweet wine with a hint of apricot and, yes, minerality from the slate. It begs to be served well-chilled out on the deck with chips and salsa.
For successively richer, sweeter, more sophisticated flavors, check out the 2002 S.A. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett ($20); 2003 S.A. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese ($26); and 2001 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ($33), about as fine a white wine as you can find for the money.
As for that Trockenbeerenauslese, I've got bad news. Even when conditions permit the growth of the "noble rot" -- and for Prum, it's been only a handful of vintages over 35 years -- the quantities produced are minuscule. (Consider: It takes one vineyard worker a full day to hand-select enough shriveled grapes to produce a single bottle of TBA.)
The bottom line: In 2003, Prum made only 600 half bottles. The suggested retail: $360 each.
High Spirits appears every other week in Savor. Send questions and comments to T.J. Foderaro c/o Savor, The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, N.J. 07102-1200. Telephone (973) 392-4112, or e-mail tfoderaro@starledger.com.
The Swallows Have Arrived!
Dateline: Wehlen, April 3rd, 2005 2:20 p.m.
A Personal Report filed by "Der Specht" – Raimund Pruem
I am sitting in the courtyard taking in the sunshine and the warm Spring-like temperature of 68°F , letting all manner of thought cross my mind . This includes one about the swallows who soon certainly must come, confirming the arrival of Spring. Don’t you know, not ten minutes later, the very first one appears and flies straight into our swallow-nesting area at the winery.
Checking out the Internet, I discover they can attain 12 or even 16 years of age. "The Smokey Swallow" (Rauchschwalbe) is greatly appreciated in many countries. It s popularity comes from the notion that this is the bird which brings in the summer.
We are looking for Spring Recipes made with wine. Would you like to share your favorite ones Good News Department with us? Of course, you will rewarded for your participation. And we will feature your your recipe and name on our home page. No one can resist it – you must get out of the house and take it in the Spring in all its explosive glory, magnolias in pink-and-white, preceded by purple, golden and white crocuses, pale-yellow cow-bells, hyacinths in pink and violet-blue, gallant golden daffodils, all appearing at once. The bees swarm in their search for their first nutrition and fresh nectar.
Spring in all its explosive glory, magnolias in pink-and-white, preceded by purple, golden and white crocuses, pale-yellow cow-bells, hyacinths in pink and violet-blue, gallant golden daffodils, all appearing at once. The bees swarm in their search for their first nutrition and fresh nectar.
And what could be better than glass of fresh young Riesling from the 2004 harvest. What? You mean to say that you did not know that is already available?! Hmm! Image that! Our fresh new Rieslings encourage you to have another glass. Quick, log on to www.sapruem.com and check out our on-line shopping section and order your wine today. Makes no difference if they are dry or finely-delicate semi-dry, they are perfect to go with your favorite goodies from the grill. Call up your friends, have them come over and join the fun!! It’s time for your Spring festivities featuring wines from S.A. Pruem.
Don’t delay, try it yourself. Or, better yet come join us at the Winery. Take that much-discussed, never-realized trip to the Mosel. Write us a note or a mail and tell us when to expect you. Our Vinothek is also open weekdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
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Magnolia and Gardenview
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New Wines Drew Capacity Crowd,
S.A. Pruem Hosts Regional Event
The Place was Packed for the Tasting
On March 12th the ”early birds” among
S.A. Pruem wine enthusiasts got their
preview of the 2004 vintage. Already by 11 a.m.
the first guests had appeared in the historic
“grand attic area” where special events are held
at the Winery. The minerally-fresh 2004 wines
were presented by 13 vintners and their wineries in a
remarkable joint-action event demonstrating fellowship
and solidarity among the region’s top growers.
Nearly 350 guests came in the course of the day to
gain insights into this new offering. It was interesting to
note the development of this year’s Riesling production:
some wineries are increasingly working with spontaneous fermentation using wild yeasts from the vineyard. These wines certainly require acclimatization during their early existence as they demonstrate a very active or high degree of yeast flavor. For the experts, this means that the wines require more treatment. Whatever, the intensity of fruit remains longer and is more complex than those wines made with cultivated yeast.
It should be noted, by the way, that S.A. Pruem Winery’s wines from prime growth vineyards use this spontaneous fermentation mode exclusively. This also includes long-term aging in wooden barrels as long as no botrytis (“noble rot”-Edelfaeule-poiriture ) is present in the grapes.
During the course of the day our guests in the “Swallows’ Nest” had the chance to strengthen themselves with delicious foods from the Winery’s kitchen and avail themselves of refreshment during the intermissions between presentations. Markus Busshof and his team from the Rotisserie Royale restaurant were on hand providing delicious meals and more hearty dishes for the crowd in his usual capable manner.
Many S.A. Pruem Winery Culinary Events feature this celebrated area team.
For Riesling lovers, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer enthusiasts, and wine friends in general this gathering was the chance to meet, talk to and test the wines of 13 crème-de-la-crème producers. New to this year’s exhibitor group was the Bastgen & Vogel Winery of Kesten, whose presence truly enhanced the occasion further.
Other wineries participating included:
*Andreas Schmitges of Erden
Mohnhof of Uerzig
Joh.Jos. Christoffel of Uerzig
Selbach of Zeltingen
Friedrich-Kern of wehlen
Kerpen of Wehlen
Studert-Pruem of Wehlen
Kees-Kieren of Graach
Pauly-Bergweiler of Bernkastel-Kues
Wegeler of Bernkastel-Kues
Max Ferdinand Richter of Muehlheim,
And, of course, ourselves, S.A. Pruem of Wehlen
As a small sneak preview for next year’s annual young wine tasting we are pleased to announce that the Juengling Winery of Kesten is being invited to join us as well. Be sure to follow the Calendar of Events announcements for 2006 on this site for details about next year’s New Wines Tasting. It should be punctually posted at New Year’s.
General importer for U.S. appointed
S.A. Pruem Winery & Palm Bay Imports, Inc., New York
Riesling lovers in the United States will finally get their due now that S.A. Pruem Winery’s interests in the New World will be handled exclusively by Palm Bay Imports of Syosett, New York.
As Raimund Pruem explains,” For years we have had a hit and miss situation in the United States. Now, finally, we have exactly the right kind of importers who are aggressive, innovative and willing to work finding distributors and retailers so that the somewhat-complicated import-distribution-sales situation in America
can be effectively mastered.
“ During the past six months, I am convinced that we made the right choice. Palm Bay’s people know how to get things done! First, late in February-early March, we got on board a winemakers’ tour of the USA together with 39 other high-quality producers. This introductory tour took us to Chicago, Denver, New Orleans and Atlanta – all brilliantly organized and executed by Palm Bay.
“The overwhelming interest in Riesling -- and particularly in Mosel-Riesling-- was evident and abundant. We showed all our wines -- from the newest light and refreshing Spring wines up to the single vineyard grand crû Wehlener Sonnenuhr. The level of interest for our wines was indeed very high.
“Next, Palm Bay arranged a marathon “meet the press” week set up for us in Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.) This comprised of some 15 events crammed into six days . Additionally, more was squeezed in: non-scheduled meetings with journalists, reporters, radio shows, as well as retailers. There were also private tastings and by-invitation-only larger gatherings. Prior to this, we had already shipped three 40-foot containers to the U.S. ! And more are on their way -- all thanks to Palm Bay.”
As part of Palm Bay’s on-going blitz, Raimund Pruem returns yet again to the US in June to visit Georgia, Texas and other points south. Eight weeks later, in
September, yet another major presentation trip to the Middle Atlantic and Northeastern states is scheduled.
“Based on the sales reports and the aggressive follow-up, Palm Bay’s efforts are already showing excellent results. Favorable press reception of our wines at the tastings, and general press enthusiasm is remarkable. It’s not as if we were previously unknown all these years, it’s that only now do we have the dedication and commitment and professionalism essential to success in the rough-and-tumble American marketplace.”
Palm Bay has some 120 sales people in the field nation-wide as well as a public relations staff. Located roughly 45 minutes’ drive east of New York City on Long Island, it is perfectly situated. Proximity to many of the nation’s top wine and food editors, publishing houses, and related-interest industries such as travel, not to mention hundreds of America’s most highly-regarded restaurants, the S.A. Pruem-Palm Bay imports affiliation looks like a real winner from the get-go.
To find out more our new partner Pam bay imports, Inc. log on to
www.palmbayimports.com
Given all of Palm Bay’s efforts and success, it comes as no surprize that Palm Bay Imports was chosen “Importer of the Year” for 2004 by its peers in the industry. Kudos to Palm Bay! We indeed are fortunate!
Raimund on the River: There’s nothing like a cruise on the Mississippi on a paddle-board steamer when visiting New Orleans. Of course, a nice river cruise on the Mosel is very fine, too, especially around Wehlen where Great-Great Grandfather Pruem built the famous Sun Dial, now a national landmark.
One “small” difference between these streams is that the Mighty Mo is roughly 50-times as wide as the Mosel and more than 100-times longer!
Raimund Pruem Meets Mephistopheles: Famous vintners get to meet famous people wherever they go. While in New York for his April press tour arranged by Palm Bay Imports, Raimund managed to get a back-stage tour of the Metropolitan Opera conducted by the MET’s long-time veteran chief Make-up & Wig artist Victor Callegari. In the darkness and gloom of the wings, a tall dark, ominous figure encompassed in a black and silver cloak with beard and moustache passed by – it was the Devil himself! However, this Mephisto was not Satan but none other than René Papé, one of the MET’s new super-star bass-baritones about to enter the Kermesse scene of Gounod’s FAUST.
Closure Confusion
Closure Confusion – To Cork or Not to Cork,
…that is the question!
Surely every vintner’s and wine lover’s nightmare is the corked bottle. All that insane effort that goes into a producing a fine wine, the work of centuries and millenia of creating great vineyards, the hand-cultivation, the selection, the harvest, the thousand minutiae of fermentation and elevation, the storage, bottling, shipment, selling and distributing the wine, and then…the awful moment of truth: the unmentionable has occurred -- TCA, that moldy, nasty bacterial taste that produces an off-flavor, pleasure- killing sensation has been transmitted from the cork to the wine. Heartbreak! Especially if it is a long-cherished bottle held for years for a special occasion; or, even an every day selection. Wasted money and disappointment for all involved…indeed this problem faces us all and we at S.A. Pruem are concerned.
There are dozens are reasons for cork problems. They range from immature, susceptible cork usage, to exposure to chlorine –based compounds in the air, to less than perfect bottling and storage conditions, and the vastly increased demand for cork as wine consumption worldwide increases.
The wine industry is seeking new means for sealing bottles in order to significantly reduce the unnecessary demand for fine quality cork, a diminishing, expensive resource.
Basically, most wines for sheer everyday enjoyment those ranging from the simplest table wines through the medium quality wines and up to and including premium wines such as Kabinett-level, are usually meant to be drunk within a year or two of their release. Additional ageing won’t further enhance these wines bringing more maturity or evolution. Therefore, why waste precious healthy cork when alternative closures exist? Let’s look a the alternatives…
Synthetic Corks made of plastic or other compounds is one choice. Regrettably, they deteriorate within 5 – 8 years and some people find extracting them and re-inserting them a bit problematic. S.A. Pruem uses synthetic cork on a limited basis. Although these replacements don’t “breathe” like genuine, natural cork, there is a minimal amount of ripening.
The Bag-in-the-Box consists of heavy-duty , air-tight, soft plastic inserts housed in rigid cardboard boxes containing one-, three- five and 10-liter quantities whose effective life is only abut one year. This may be acceptable for low-end, mass production, “industrial” or commercial wines but it is not at all adequate for fine-quality, winery wines.
The Vinolok-Glass Bead- Seal is as expensive as using real cork, precision-fitted glass-stopper is inserted in the bottle tightly sealing the container. This new process could well be the wave of the future however at this time we have no idea how the glass seals react with the wines over longer periods of time.
Steel Crown Corks – beer bottle caps, in short. Virtually every sparkling wine and Champagne uses these crimped-, serregated “beer bottle” seals during the initial bottle fermentation and storage prior to the dégourgement of sediment and the adding of the final dosage when the cap is discarded and replaced by the traditional Champagne-style cork and wire-net. Raimund Pruem -- like virtually all other producers of fine wines -- has aesthetic problems with this inelegant, crass closure. It looks cheap and nasty and certainly doesn’t lend itself to the fine image of a top-quality product. After all, presentation is as much a part of the pleasure of wine as planning the guest list and the menu! A sommelier or waiter furtively turning about and removing the crown cork with a beer-opener is anything but alluring.
The STELVIN Screwcap Seal was developed in Switzerland where it was first introduced and has been available in most countries for quite some time. The Australian and New Zealand wineries were the first to make use of the black, anodized, screw caps on a large scale on many wines. Another benefit is that they bottle can be resealed as the fit is tight. The thin metal cap which separates on opening from a form-fitting sleeve or gauntlet extending along the neck of the bottle actually looks rather elegant. No flavors are imparted the wine and the seal works. This is appearing increasingly throughout the world. In fact, even Bordeaux and Burgundy producers are beginning to use them now, benefiting the consumer. The general aversion to the STELVIN Screwcap is more a gut reaction than a rational dismissal. We really ought to open our minds to the need for change and at least give this new technoogy a chance. Our experience at the S.A. Pruem Winery, where the STELVIN has been used since 2003, has been overwhelmingly positive on a trial basis: Test results are more than convincing – they reveal that freshness and fruit are perfectly retained and not the slightest trace of off-odor, off-taste “cork” is to be found.
Conclusion – beginning with the 2004 vintage S.A. Pruem Winery is taking the plunge! Henceforth, all of our “winery” level or Qualitaets” – Wines will use the Screwcap closure.
Our Single Vineyard wines such as Graacher Domprobst and Wehlener Sonnenuhr
Will however continue to use pure, natural cork – at least temporarily, until further notice!
We cordially invite you to share your opinion on this closure topic. Please let us know your thoughts. We appreciate your input and concern!
Prognosis vintage 2004
PROGNOSIS VINTAGE 2004
On February 16th, 2005, the first bottles of the 2004 vintage were filled. This is a vintage with solid, healthy mineral tonality. Our Cellarmaster Thomas Jakoby is indeed in his element overseeing their development which is evolving beautifully . already the first winery wines have been separated from the fine yeast and carefully, gently filtered. Responding to the great demand for wines by the liter, we have also begun bottling the “Schoppen” wines – those wines traditionally served in quarter-liter (250mm) beakers or by the 1/4-liter glass. These are juicy and bursting with good, solid fruit-freshness and spicy-sparkle.
Everything was being prepared for the big tasting which was held on March 12th (see above.)
RETROSPECTIVE: WINTER 2004 and the EISWEIN
Looking back on the last weeks of 2004, we can get a glimpse into what’s ahead for 2005 as well as follow the very last vineyard and winery operations involving the 2004 harvest.
It was very late in the game that we finally on December 21st 2004 brought in the very last grapes for the 2004 Ice wine or Eiswein. Not quite Christmas wine but almost! At the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. we took off for the vineyards in Graach across the Mosel a few hundred meters upstream from the Winery, added and abetted by a small group of wine enthusiasts, helpers, and non-frozen wine devotees. Ascending the slopes, up we went to get the frozen grapes. The temperature was minus-10’C/ around 18’F or so. Not exactly inviting, nor necessarily a comfortable way to spend the early morning hours which could have been enjoyed doing something else somewhere else.
The fresh morning air, good humor, and the tension of anticipation about the new w ine allowed us to forget about the frigid air . Hanging from the support posts, frozen solid, the clusters of were healthy and fulsome, and only had to be grasped before tumbling like glass marbles into the harvesting baskets. Speed is essential because everything must be completed before the sun’s rays reach and destroy the ice glasur. Quickly we glance down at the waking valley below where workers are already en route to their jobs and local traffic is wending its way like a worm. We can stop holding our breath – there’s not a grape left to be pluckewd; quickly back to the winery where Erika – Frau Pruem – has prepared a hearty breakfast for the entire crew. Cellarmaster Thomas Jakoby awaits our arrival with a completely clean cellar ready to receive the harvest. The tension grows: every body wants to know how good the new Ice Wine 2004 will be. Several hours later we can report that the
2004 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein
has a must level of about 160’ Oeschle with a proud 17.5% level of acidity
330 liters is the amount brought in about enough for a mere 825 375mm bottles of nectar
Following this, Christmas was indeed on its way and our Christmas wishes and profound thanks for a good and wonderful year went among others to the winery Team of Thomas, Gerd, Emil, Albert, Karl-Heinz, Heiko, daughter Saskia, and my beloved Erika, the best of all possible wives!
After a delightful Christmas and New Years,
2005 started out with more snow in the Mosel
Valley during February than in the past 20 years.
Up on the ski slopes in the Hunsrueck section
there were up to 40 cms or 16-inches of new snow
while down in the valley there’s a constant blanket
of 8 – 10 cms, about 4-inches, of cover. On the
southern slopes it melted during the day and was
regularly replenished with additional snow fall every night.
We needed this snow to balance the water deficit and provide the essential winter moisture without which the grapes couldn’t grow in the spring or obtain sufficient minerals from the ground necessary for healthy growth.
Late Winter may be snowy and rough, but it’s better this way as
Traditional Peasant-Farmer’s Wisdom states:
“February’s rain and snow
brings harvest happiness,
as vintners know.”
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