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Noble Sweet Wines

When the main grape harvest in the German wine-growing regions has ended successfully, one can observe that in certain locations individual vineyards have not yet been harvested.

Delicious, precious noble sweet wines

When the main grape harvest in the German wine-growing regions has ended successfully, one can observe that in certain locations individual vineyards have not yet been harvested. They have not been forgotten by the winemaker, rather they are waiting to become noble sweet delicacies. In favorable autumn weather, the grapes continue to develop and naturally increase their sweetness every day.

"A Gift from Nature"

Basically, one can differentiate between two methods of producing such noble sweet rarities. On the one hand there are the Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese, for which a fungus is particularly helpful, the so-called ‘noble rot’, or if you want to impress someone, cite the technical term Botrytis Cinerea. When the grapes are very ripe in autumn and it is also damp and relatively warm, this fungus attacks the grapes, making the berry skin porous and drying them up like a raisin. The water in the grape evaporates and what is left is an extremely sweet juice, from which very sweet wines are created.

During the harvest, these dried grapes are specially selected, which explains the name "Auslese" meaning choice or selection. Incidentally, the yeasts in the wine do not manage to ferment all of the natural sugar and therefore such wines generally have very little alcohol. You can also see the high sugar content, because if you swirl such wines in a glass: The consistency is thicker, almost oily. Dried berries are mostly golden yellow in color, which is caused by the noble rot, while ice wines tend to keep a light color.

More Knowledge: Quality Categories

Ideally suited for cellaring

Depending on how sweet the grapes were when harvesting, there are the gradings Auslese, Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese. Trockenbeerenauslesen are very rare, maybe even rarer than ice wines, and therefore very expensive. The most expensive Trockenbeerenauslese wines in recent years were auctioned for well over €1000 per bottle.

Due to the high sugar content, such wines can be aged for decades if properly cellared. Long aging requires a high proportion of extract substances, fruit acid, ripe sweetness and alcohol in the wine. With their finesse and harmony, older noble sweet wines offer a perfection that is hard to beat. They are ideal for special moments and the great events in life. They should be stored properly in a cool place and usually reach their prime after 5-10 years however they can keep improving and after 20 or 30 years can become sublime.

Noble sweet wines are great companions for festive occasions and an excellent aperitif that will delight gourmets. When the dinner is completed, noble sweet rarities promise a glamorous finale. They are a beautiful accompaniment to sweet dishes, especially fruity desserts, ice cream or sorbets. In the lead-up to Christmas, such sweet wines are particularly suitable for fruit cakes, which also contain raisins, for spiced cookies and gingerbread and of course as a high-quality gift.

How expensive are "Trockenbeerenauslesen"?

Trockenbeerenauslesen are very rare, perhaps even rarer than ice wines, and therefore very expensive. The most expensive Trockenbeerenauslesen of recent years was auctioned for well over 1000€ per bottle.

Varietals

More recipe ideas

in a bacon coating Lamb

in a bacon coating

  • 4 Stück Lammlachse à 150 g
  • 4 Scheiben Bacon
  • 0,1 Liter Wein
  • 0,3 Liter Gemüsebrühe
  • 1 kleine Schalotte
  • 20 Gramm Butter
  • 4 EL Olivenöl
  • je 2 Zweige Thymian, Rosmarin, Salbei
  • nach Geschmack Salz & Pfeffer

Season the lamb salmon with pepper and massage 2 tbsp of olive oil into the meat. Finely chop the thyme, rosemary and sage and season the meat in the herbs. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

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Wrap the meat with the bacon slices and sear on all sides in the remaining olive oil. Continue to cook for approx. 4 minutes on each side over a low heat (the cooking time depends on the thickness of the lamb loin - it is best to do a pressure test). Then wrap in aluminium foil and leave to rest in the oven at 80 °C – so they remain juicy and slightly pink on the inside.

 

This goes well with Bärlauch risotto.

  • Dornfelder (trocken)

with bulgur Cabbage stew

with bulgur

  • 200 Gramm Zwiebeln
  • 1 ganze Knoblauchzehe
  • 800 Gramm Spitzkohl
  • 200 Gramm Möhren
  • 400 Gramm festk. Kartoffeln
  • 1 EL Kümmelsaat
  • 1,5 Liter Gemüsefond
  • 5 EL Olivenöl
  • 2 EL Tomatenmark
  • 2 EL edelsüßes Paprikapulver
  • 3 TL Honig
  • nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer
  • 120 Gramm grobe Bulgur
  • 1 Bund Petersilie
  • 4 Stiele Minze
  • 1 ganze Zitrone
  • 2 ganze Äpfel
  • 3 EL Obstessig

Finely dice the onions and garlic. Clean, wash and quarter the cabbage, remove the stalk and roughly chop the cabbage quarters. Peel the carrots, halve lengthways and cut into approx. 2 cm wide pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into approx. 2.5 cm pieces. Fry the carrots in a pan without fat and set aside.

 

Heat the vegetable stock in a small pan. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan, sauté the cabbage in it for 10-15 minutes over a high heat until dark brown and remove from the pan.

 

Add the remaining oil to the pan. Fry the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the potatoes and muesli and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomato purée and paprika powder and fry while stirring. Add the cabbage, honey and caraway and pour in the hot vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the bulgur 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

 

Quarter the apples, remove the seeds, cut into approx. 1 cm cubes and add 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Pluck the herbs and chop medium-fine. Wash and dry the lemon, finely grate the zest and mix with the herbs. Flavour the stew with vinegar, salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with the herbs.

 

Tip: The pointed cabbage must be roasted really strongly and dark so that the aromas come out well.

  • Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
  • Trollinger (trocken)

with pears, beans, parsley root and black walnuts Venison medallions

with pears, beans, parsley root and black walnuts

  • 12 Stück Rehmedaillions (a 80g)
  • 30 Gramm gebratene Speckstreifen
  • 200 ml Bechamelsauce
  • 3 EL Sonnenblumenöl
  • 8 kleine Petersilienwurzeln mit Grün (alternativ Knollensellerie)
  • 6 - 8 breite Schnippelbohnen
  • 1 große Birne
  • 4 - 6 schwarze Walnüsse
  • 100 ml Wildfond
  • 2 EL Butter
  • 2 Stängel glatte Petersilie
  • nach Geschmack Salz

Preheat the oven to 180 °C top and bottom heat. Clean, peel and trim the parsley roots. Clean the beans and cut into diagonal pieces. Blanch the parsley roots and beans separately in boiling salted water and rinse immediately in iced water.

 

Cut the walnuts into eighths and warm in the game stock. Wash the unpeeled pear, cut into eighths, remove the core and cut into thin slices. Fry the venison medallions on both sides in oil, then finish cooking in the oven for approx. 3 - 5 minutes.

 

In the meantime, toss the beans and parsley roots in melted butter and season with salt. Arrange the vegetables with the black walnuts and pear slices on large plates. Place the medallions on top, garnish with game stock, Béchamel sauce and bacon strips.

 

Tip: You can make your own black walnuts. To do this, prick the walnuts all over with a fork or skewer and place in water for 10 days. Change the water every day so that the tannic acid can drain off. Boil the nuts 3 times in salted water until they are deep black. Simmer with bay leaves and peppercorns for approx. 20 minutes until soft. Layer in preserving jars and cover with syrup. The nuts can be kept for approx. 1 year.

  • Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
  • Pinot Gris (trocken)

Stuffed, with paprika and pecorino Schnitzel rolls

Stuffed escalope rolls with paprika and pecorino

  • Nach Belieben Pinienkerne, Basilikum, Knoblauch
  • 8 Stück dünne Schweineschnitzel á ca. 75g & Holzspießchen
  • 1 Glas rote geröstete Paprika
  • 100 Gramm Pecorino-Käse
  • Nach Bedarf Olivenöl, Salz, Pfeffer

Roast the pine nuts and leave to cool. Pluck the basil leaves and place in a blender with the finely chopped garlic, olive oil and pine nuts and blend gently. Finely grate the Parmesan and mix in. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Wash the meat and pat dry. Drain the paprika in a sieve and finely grate the pecorino. Season the escalopes on both sides with salt and pepper and spread 1 tsp of pesto on each. Cover the escalopes with paprika, leaving approx. 3 cm free on one narrow side of each piece.

 

Spread the pecorino over the paprika. Roll up the meat from the coated side and pin in place with wooden skewers. Grill the escalope rolls on the barbecue for 20-25 minutes, turning if possible, and indirectly for the last 10 minutes.

  • Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
  • Lemberger (extra brut)
  • Portugieser (trocken)

  • Wine knowledge Corks and other Closures Natural product

  • Wine knowledge Wine Storage Location and temperature

  • Wine knowledge Wine Aromas Enjoyment on the tongue