...well the Biodynamic Tasting, ‘Return to Terroir’ at the Metropolitan Pavillion in NYC was quite a lovely show the other day—among the great highlights was nearly everything from Alsace, especially Josmeyer and Tempé, and—big surprise—the In Weingebirge Grüner Veltliner 06 Smaragd and Steiner Hund Riesling 04 from Nikolaihof. The Wittmann rieslings from Rheinhessen made quite an impression, especially the 07 Grosses Gewächs Morstein and its brother Auslese—which was rather tasting like a detonated pineapple. Much has been made of riesling’s affinity for slate, but the laconic gentleman from Westhofen proves easily that limestone can provide special interest as well.
I was particularly fond of the pinot noirs from Robert Sinskey in Napa—beautifully expressive and nicely balanced. Rob’s 1988 pinot noir was one of the first Carneros wines that I truly loved. And Peter Weygandt was in attendance pouring some magical ancient-vines grenache from Domaine les Aphillantes on the Côtes-du-Rhône.
...but I will admit that the highlight for me was the awful photo (see above) I took of two people who must be the hardest working couple in the wine business, Juliette Pope and Ralf Kuettel. Juliette runs the wine programme at Gramercy Tavern, while her husband Ralf is proprietor of the Swiss-accented fine-wine-oriented dining establishment Trestle on Tenth.
...I had an unhappy fantasy—that the only time the two of them see one other is at trade tastings ~
