Riesling Fellows USA

David Schildknecht worked as a restaurateur before spending a quarter century in the U.S. wine trade. His curiosity and affection were aroused by bottles of German Riesling savored during his University years, but it was only after he entered the trade, and especially after (in chronological order) Barbara and Johannes Selbach, Terry Theise and Rudi Wiest found their ways to Rex Wine & Spirits in Washington DC that David became a real Riesling convert. David’s tasting reports from Germany were from the late 1980s, a fixture of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, and appeared from 2005-2014 in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Since 2015, he has reported on wines of Germany, Austria and parts of France for Antonio Galloni’s Vinous. A columnist and feature contributor for Wine & Spirits, The World of Fine Wine and Austria’s Vinaria, he is responsible for the German entries in the recently-published 4th edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine and a co-author of the seventh edition of Robert Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide.

Terry Theise has been a wine importer and writer for thirty years. With a love and passion for Germany, Terry began working with a group of small German growers in 1985 - discovering underappreciated and underrepresented varietals. His wines have in common a distinct character, a point of view, vitality, and a voice. They express the land, the grower, and the time in which they were made. These wines convey to the drinker a sense of beauty, harmony, meaning, and—above all— pleasure. Terry’s viewpoint opens a door to a different world of wine, one that does not disconnect this agricultural ‘product’ from its human and emotional element.

A true character in the industry; Paul Grieco (left) has lent his tireless energy and boundless enthusiasm to spreading the message of German Riesling in the USA. Winning the "Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional" award in 2012, Paul has also run many events promoting German Riesling to consumers; in particular his “Summer of Riesling” which was first introduced in 2008. His Passion and dedication has made him an industry leader.