CORKSCREW CHRONICLES: Winemaker brings seven generations of Rheingau tradition

I recently had the fascinating opportunity to reconnect and to interview winery owner/winemaker Carl Ehrhard of Germany's Weingut Carl Ehrhard. Ehrhard continues his family's business as a seventh-generation winemaker in the heart of the Rheingau, one of the most famous and prestigious wine-growing regions of Germany. The Ehrhard estate owns 17.3 acres of Riesling and Spatburgunder (pinot noir) and is the only winery in Germany that has won the Rising Star of the Year award twice. They focus on historical winemaking techniques combined with the advantages of today's technology. What makes the Rheingau so special compared to other German regions? The Rheingau is Riesling's home. Eighty percent of the vineyards are planted with Riesling and 12 percent with pinot noir, the finest varieties for cool-climate grapes. The Rheingau is one of Germany's smallest areas but has nearly 1,000 years of wine-growing tradition. What is your family and wine making heritage? Our winery was founded in 1884. It means a lot to be part of my family's tradition of wine growing. Heritage offers the honor of working in my ancestors' cellar maintaining Germany classic varietals like Riesling and pinot noir. Where did you acquire your wine making knowledge? I started as a child helping my father in the vineyards and later trained in different global wineries. I worked three years in the Rheingau, three years in various wineries in the country, attended Wine College for three years, and subsequently managed several German wineries. I spent one year in Burgundy at Guy Roulot and Jacques Prieur to focus on pinot noir. Later I spent two years in South African wineries. I use historical knowledge and all my experiences to produce our products. What is your wine making vision? Back to the roots! Petra and I chose to stay in our 200-year-old cellar. Grapes are organically grown, handpicked and undergo stringent selection. Every plot of Riesling is kept separate, as is done for Burgundy's tiny, separate climats (vineyards) of pinot noir. We now use only traditional oak barrels for fermentation and aging. Indigenous yeasts run our fermentations. We do not fine our wines. All dry Rieslings are given skin contact (3-24 hours) to impart a special depth and complex aromas for food. In what style do you make your wines? Rather than producing simple, fruit-driven styles, we maintain a second layer in the wine. Dry wines have to be dry and sweet wines have to play in your mouth, with elegance — without too much alcohol and body. They should be like a waltz in your mouth! We are selling our dry and late-harvest (Spätlese) Rieslings and pinot noirs after at least 18-24 months in bottle. Enjoy them with adequate airing and at around 55-57 degrees Fahrenheit. What food would you pair with your Rieslings? Due to wood-aging, our Rieslings are outstanding with seafood, fish and all types of Mediterranean cuisine. The older and skin fermented wines are superb with poultry, veal and pork and lighter red meats with flavorful sauces. Aged Rieslings are fantastic with Asian/Pacific Rim cuisine. Why should American consumers purchase Rheingau Riesling? The dry Rieslings are outstanding aperitifs and compliment all the currently popular dishes. They have structure for food pairing and are much lower in alcohol than warm-climate wines. Enjoy sweeter wines with dessert or as dessert by themselves. How do you see the future of German wines in the world wine market? There is a good future for German wines but we have to focus only on quality. Weingut Ehrhard will continue to emphasize quality within our small output of 30,000 bottles (2,500 cases). Prost! and thank you, Carl! Gary Twining is a certified wine educator who worked 34 years in the wholesale fine wine industry. Email him at winingwithtwining@hotmail.com.