Friday evening, May 17, 6:30-9:00 PM at the German Embassy House

Opening reception-buffet featuring wines, presented by the German Wine Institute. GWI Director Armin Göring will present the traditional "Tasting of 13 Wines." This is an outstanding selection of wines from each of the 13 wine-growing regions in Germany from the 1994 through 2000 vintages.

The wines:  
2000 Weissburgunder Classic  - Weingut Dr. Hinkel – Rheinhessen
1994 Bensheimer Kalkgasse Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - Weingut der Stadt Bensheim - Hessische Bergstraße
1999 Großjenaer Blütengrund Müller-Thurgau QbA trocken - Landesweingut Kloster Pforta - Saale-Unstrut
2000 Riesling Classic trocken - Weingut Kerpen - Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
2000 Frickenhäuser Kapellenberg Silvaner Selection trocken - Weingut Bickel-Stumpf – Franken
2000 Spätburgunder Classic trocken - Winzergenossenschaft Jechtingen eG – Baden
1997 Noblesse Rotwein QbA barrique trocken - Winzergenossenschaft Löwenstein eG – Württemberg
2000 Spätburgunder Classic trocken - Ahr-Winzer eG – Ahr
1998 Edesheimer Rosengarten Dornfelder QbA  barrique trocken -  Weingut Werner Anselmann – Pfalz
1999 Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese trocken - Weingut Joachim Flick -      Rheingau
1999 Traminer Spätlese halbtrocken - Weingut Schloß Proschwitz, Prinz zur Lippe – Sachsen
1997 Bacharacher Posten Riesling Auslese - Weingut Ratzenberger - Mittelrhein
2001 Grauburgunder QbA trocken – Kruger-Rumpf – Nahe

Notes on these wines
This listing tells a lot about these German wines that have been specially selected by the German Wine Institute of Mainz, Germany , for this reception.

Grape variety

           Weissburgunder – white burgundy – pinot blanc
           Riesling
           Müller-Thurgau
           Spätburgunder – “late burgundy” – pinot noir
           Dornfelder
           Traminer
           Rotwein – red wine with no designation of grape variety(ies)
           Silvaner 
           Grauburgunder – gray burgundy – pinot gris

 Quality level (in German:  Prädikat)

             Classic – a new designation applicable to dry style wines typical of their regional varietal that satisfy high criteria of quality. Intensity of flavor is key, and wines must fulfill the taste profile of harmonisch trocken (harmoniously dry).
            QbA – abbreviation for the designation: Quality Wine from Specified Wine Growing Areas (in German:  Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete)

            QbA barrique – (red wine) in barriques = new oak barrels

            Selection – a new designation for wines that must originate from an individual/single site where reduced yield and hand-selection of the ripened grapes ensure premium quality. Release is not permitted prior to September 1 of the year following the harvest year. Therefore, the market debut (vintage 2000) of Selection wines will be in September, 2001.
            Spätlese – late harvest

            Trockenbeerenauslese = select harvest of dried grapes – grapes selected after they have been affected by “noble rot” so that they have dried on the vines

 Degrees of dryness

            Trocken – dry
            Halbtrocken – semi-dry
            Vintner/producer 
            Weingut = vineyard
            Landesweingut – country wine estate
            Winzergenossenschaft e.G. – vintners’ cooperative – registered cooperative
            Schloss – castle
            Winzer e.G. – vintners’ registered cooperative

 Wine-growing region of Germany – for this reception, one representative wine from each of the thirteen wine-growing regions of Germany has been selected.

 For more information consult the websites directly:    German Wine Information Bureau – www.germanwineusa.org