In search of the bouquet of summer
For Birgitt Mockler, sommelière at the InterContinental Düsseldorf , the search for exceptional wines is both a passion and a mission. As an agent for perfect wine enjoyment, she jets around the world, but also enjoys being surprised by the outstanding quality to be found right here at home.
Birgitt Mockler reveals to us what she is drinking at the moment and what kinds of wine are setting trends this summer.
A sommelière with a taste for the authentic
Birgitt Mockler is one of the Rhineland's most sought-after wine experts. There are at present about 300 first-class wines on the list of the CALIGA restaurant and that of "bar fifty nine" at the Intercontinental Düsseldorf, for which Birgitt Mockler is responsible. She would like to increase this selection to 500 wines in the next few years. Which is why this native of Ludwigsburg is almost daily on the lookout. She visits winegrowers on their estates and looks at their vineyards and cellars. Despite a full appointments book she relishes the unique moments when she can stand in the vineyard or finish the day with a glass in the little banks between the vines. She enthuses over the marvellous light in which all colours show to full effect. However, as her day, too, has only 24 hours in it, she sets great store by the exchange with colleagues. "Particularly here in the Rhineland there is a very high concentration of top sommeliers. We work closely together regionally and meet often for tastings somewhere between Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf."
The taste of summer
"Every day guests ask me for recommendations. That is a big challenge for me," says the wine expert, who advises top restaurants and Catering's Best all over Germany. "Because every recommendation is to a certain extent also the interpretation of an individual situation." For the hot season of the year she recommends predominantly white wines. "The ideal summer wine is light, simply structured, refreshing, fruity and lean," says Birgitt Mockler." Because of their low alcohol content summer wines are also very well suited to events. However, rosés are also right for warm evenings. Not even the enthusiastic insider says a categorical "No" to red wine in summer. "Some red wines are right, too – they taste simply sensational chilled. For example, a Trollinger from my home area or even a Portuguese red not strengthened in the barrique."
Domestic wines are in demand
Birgitt Mockler devotes especial attention to German and Austrian estates."I'm really impressed by what is happening there at the moment," says the sommelière, "They're often winegrowers aged between 25 and 40, who have acquired experience from all over the world and use it to effect in their families' mostly very tradition-conscious estates. The result is many really great products with enormous potential and international appeal. There is scarcely a wine fair abroad where German and Austrian estates are not represented by top wines."
Learning from the grandparents
Birgitt Mockler is firmly of the opinion that the secret of quality is to be found before all else in the vineyard. The three most important questions that she believes German winegrowers should therefore ask are: What have we got here at home? What varieties were grown here by earlier generations? What were they successful with?" In most cases the answer is precisely the right choice of soil and the climate," she explains. "Riesling, for example, belongs in Germany. Why then should one fetch it over from other parts of the world." That this new thinking is bearing fruit gives the sommelière a great deal of satisfaction. "Ecologically oriented winegrowing on clean soils is for many of the young winegrowers here at home not only a trend but also an attitude to life," says the 38-year-old, who is also a committed supporting member of the Slow Food movement. Slow Food is an international non-profitmaking organisation that has made it its aim to sustain a culture of food and drink and to preserve the regional variety of flavours.
The favourites of the season
Which wines does Birgitt Mockler consider her favourites in summer 2008, then?" As a declared Riesling fan, she particularly enjoys the 2007 Sommerpalais Riesling from the Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt estate. "The Riesling locations of the estate have always been a highlight, so it is so much the better to be able to enjoy a light Sommerpalais just like that. What is remarkable here is the steep slopes. Between the shale up there you can scarcely keep your footing." The shale is unique and imparts to the Rieslings an unmistakable flavour – crisp and fresh with an exhilarating bouquet of citrus and peach. As well as extensive vineyard maintenance, a further reason for this exceptional wine is the selective handpicking.
For a softly rounded flavour that is not completely dry there is Charm Riesling from the Georg Breuer estate. This Charm is a real charmer. In the glass it comes across as juicy and exhilarating with hints of grapefruit, passion fruit and peach. Georg Breuer and his team consistently pursue a policy of natural winegrowing: low yields, dilution of monoculture and seasonal greening.
Something which has been a byword for premium wines from top locations for decades is the Dr. Heger estate in Ihringen. Even outside the Baden area it became particularly well-known for its Spätburgunder rosé. Soft strawberry aromas, an exhilarating tartness and a delicate bouquet of red berries are marks of Baden quality.
"The Silvaner from Schloss Castell is my rediscovery for 2008. An entire family dynasty helped to make the Castellsches Domänenamt a success. The Silvaner grape has been at home here since the 17th Century. A subtly appley-herby bouquet, luscious, light, discreetly tart, always very sound. Typical Franconian!" Once also known as the Bocksbeutelrebe the Silvaner today is an international ambassador for Franconian wine. Incidentally, in 2009 Schloss Castell will be celebrating 350 years of the Silvaner grape!
Birgitt Mocklers current Austrian favourite comes from the Alois Gross estate. "Alois Gross is a typical example of how the latest cellar technology and tasting rooms can be lovingly integrated into an exceptionally beautiful vineyard. The Yellow Muscatel here is dry, lean and crisp. It appeals through its intensively fruity, full bouquet, aromas of citrus, peach and lychee, with nuances of rose blossom. The full fruitiness, accompanied by a nutty herbiness, continues on the palate. Styrian classic in best form. Great!"
Zesty, witty and lightened wines are fun all the year round. For this reason to Birgitt Mockler summer wines are still right even after summer is over. Perhaps because in autumn or winter they evoke the flavour of summer?
