German wine takes over Italy - Meran Wine Festival coming soon

With inviting the best German wineries to Meran, the wine festival is emphasizing the increasing meaning of German top wines in Italy for the first time. Almost all of the wines presented in Meran are already being imported and can be found in various Italian restaurants and selected specialty stores.

Every year, the best producers from the classic wine-growing regions of Italy, Burgundy and Bordeaux are present at the wine festival in Meran. Many wineries cannot participate due to limited space. Visitors are renowned sommeliers, specialty store owners and top hotel businesses as well as restaurants; the latter is also inviting to sophisticated culinary events during the fair.

Salon German Wines

Besides a rare tasting, which emphasizes the potential of German wines, visitors of the Meran Wine Festival will be allowed to taste wines from the following wineries -served by the vintagers themselves- in the Salon German Wines Riesling on Saturday, November 7th:

• MIDDLE RHINE: Toni Jost - Hahnenhof
• MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER: Dr. Loosen, Joh.Jos Prüm, Fritz Haag, Reinhold Haart, Heymann-Löwenstein, Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, Egon Müller-Scharzhof, Von Othegraven, Willi Schaefer, Sankt Urbans-Hof, van Volxem, Geheimrat J. Wegeler
• PALATINATE: Geh. Rat Dr. v. Bassermann-Jordan, Reichsrat von Buhl, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, A. Christmann, Georg Mosbacher, Müller Catoir, Ökonomierat Rebholz
• RHINEGAU: Johannishof, Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Reinhartshausen, Schloss Schönborn, Geheimrat J. Wegeler, Kühn, Künstler
• RHINEHESSEN: St. Antony, Wittmann
• FRANCONIA: Horst Sauer
• NAHE: Dönnhof, Schäfer-Fröhlich

The same day there will be a selected rare tasting, hosted by Gian Luca Mazzella, journalist and renowned German-wine-expert: "Riesling: one of the fines and most ageable grape varieties of the world - A vertical tasting of the best producers of Germany". He will provide wine experts and wine lovers with the rare opportunity to taste selected vintages from 1959 to 2007 and underline the mysterious aging potential of top German wines.

Wine Competition

For the festival only, a competition was introduced for German participants, which will be for the best dry Riesling 2008 as well as the best sweet Riesling of the current vintage. The wines were tasted by a jury of renowned sommeliers and journalists as well as restaurateurs like Gian Luca Mazzella in Rome and the prizes will be handed over during the festival in a stylish way. (aw.yoopress)