Thirty-three Gutedel Wines: Young DWS Sommeliers on a Wine Tour in Markgräflerland

The members of the Badischer Wein GmbH previously had had the opportunity to present two of their Gutedel wines in the tasting. The participants tasted 33 wines on January 17th, and were able to learn about the multi-faceted grape variety, which was mostly new to them, in all quality levels.

The young sommeliers were impressed by the performance of the variety and the wide range from classical type, showing a slight elegance, to wines with a lot of melt created by a long storage of the yeast and malolactic fermentation. They were especially pleased about the moderate alcohol content and low residual sugar content, “fascinating” was the verdict for sweet wines such as Beerenauslese and Eiswein, some even aged in oak barrels.

Fruity wines, which are called Gutedel in German, Chasselas in French, and Fendant in the Swiss canton of Valais and which is known by more than 180 synonyms, could score in every respect. The wine is produced in western Switzerland and Alsace, in part, in Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic, Germany, where the cultivation is concentrated almost exclusively on the Markgräflerland between Freiburg and the Swiss border.

With 1095 hectares (corresponds to 34 percent), Gutedel has the largest share of cultivated area, the Markgräflerland extends over a total of 60 km with a total of 3229 hectares of vineyards, thus it is the second largest winegrowing area in the Baden region. Although already known there, it was Karl-Friedrich of Baden, who domesticated the Gutedel in the area south of Freiburg by importing vines from Vevey at Lake Geneva in 1780. Today, the southern Baden specialty, with its restrained aromas, is in particular considered to be the ideal accompaniment to light food, fine food – asparagus, for example - and is popular as “bread and butter wine”.

The DWS-students could take a number of new impressions and a lot about the Gutedel and Markgräflerland to Munich

DWS-students could take a number of new impressions and a lot of things to know about the Gutedel and Markgräflerland to Munich. The DWS is the only ISO 9001 certified training facility in Germany, based in Koblenz and offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Würzburg, and since 2003 in Munich-Haidhausen. It offers extra-occupational trainings to acquire the title “IHK-certified sommelier” and “IHK-approved wine consultant”

At the DWS in Munich, Astrid Zieglmeier is responsible for the training. “I have great respect for the participants, because this training requires a lot of dedication, money and time due to the double burden of job and training” she says, showing her appreciation. Together with about 80 internationally renowned faculty members, including Paula Bosch and Guy Bonnefoit, students are accompanied on their way to gaining the title IHK-certified sommelier. For Zieglmeier not only the theory is important, but above all practical experiences, which make wine experts out of wine enthusiasts. And that is why such excursions such as the recent one to the wine country of Baden recently, are part of the training program. (red.yoopress)