Terry Theise Wine Tasting

Terry Theise Selections

German & Austrian Wines

& Grower-Champagne

Wine Tasting

Tuesday, March 22^nd

4:30 – 7:00pm

10% savings on all wine tasting wines!

We WILL taste great wines from this portfolio!

Yes….some of them will be “sweet.” If you don’t think these are good wines, I have to question your judgment about wine. Sweet is not a bad thing. Sweet without acidity is a bad thing. You might not like this style, but, you can not say these are not good wines. Terry Theise wines have acidity and character. Terry Theise wines are GOOD wines……Terry Theise on the label means more than “Wine Spectator,” in terms of good wine….Wine Spectator means more in terms of advertising and people spending too much for a bottle of wine.

Terry is the best importer going in terms of German and Austrian wines and grower Champagne (Veuve Cliquot is NOT grower Champagne – it tastes good, but, the grapes are not estate-grown).

Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate calls Terry, “one of the Most Influential Wine Personalities of the Last 20 Years.” Wine & Spirits named Terry its “Man of the Year.”

Here is the REALLY COOL PART!

“Food & Wine” named Terry its “Importer of the Year,” and had this to say about him, “No one man introduced more Americans to more great wines they didn’t know they wanted than Terry Theise of Terry Theise Estate Selections….He made his name 20 years ago by discovering one of the least fashionable wine regions (the Rheinpfalz) in one of the least fashionable wine-producing countries (Germany) and discovering….extraordinary producers.

In 1994, Terry became one of the first Americans to import Austrian wines.

Here are the wines:

The Sparkling

Gimmonet 1^er Cru Blanc de Blanc Champagne NV (France) $51.99 - We also have this wonderful Champagne is half-bottles (splits) for $31.99. This is AWESOME Champagne……you rarely find “grower-Champagne in this price range at this quality! Fresh bread, crisp acidity, apple fruit, bright, fresh and vibrant. You can’t go wrong! 90 points, Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Celler

The Whites

Schloss Gobelsburg Gobelsberger Grüner Veltliner 2009 (Austria) $15.99 – This is fantastic Grüner Veltliner! It delivers GV’s characteristic refreshing fruit while also packing in wonderful aromas of pepper and a pleasing saltiness. Grüner Veltliner is the most widely planted grape in Austria (about 1/3 of all vineyard acreage in Austria is planted with GV). Some people joke that Grüner is what Pinot Grigio wants to be when it grows up – spicy, floral, peppery, minerally, aromas of red fruit with bracing acidity and flavors that mirror the aromas.

Gernot Gysler Silvaner Halbtrocken 2009 (Germany) $15.99 – Alex Gysler took over the family estate from his late father, who passed away unexpectedly. It’s about 30 acres of vineyards. Alex has converted the entire estate to organic farming. He also makes his wines as naturally as possible – with little or no fining or filtering and each wine is one its lees until 3 days before bottling. This is a LITER bottle of wine, so it is 33% more wine than a normal bottle. This bright, fresh and aromatic. This was a ripe vintage and this wine shows those characteristics. It almost has strawberries in the nose. This is a nice balance of fruit, sweetness and acidity. The wine has a creamy feel to it. This is from the Rheinhessen in Germany, the “Land of a 1,000 hills.” Organic and biodynamic.

Selbach-Oster Kabinett Riesling 2009 (Germany) $19.99 – This has great aromas of baked apples and pineapple. It’s softly creamy and it’s delicate. This is 9% alcohol, so it has sweetness, but it is well-balanced with acidity. This is refreshingly juicy. It has a touch of wet stones minerality. This should drink well for another 6-8 years (yes, Rieslings age exceptionally well.

The Reds

Schloss Gobelsburg Gobelsberger Zweigelt 2009 (Austria) $15.99 – this is fabulous red wine! This has a wonderfully complex combination of aromas and flavors of red fruit, ripe cherries, leather, wood smoke, almost bacon fat and more. There is almost a slight grainy note to the texture. Zweigelt is the most widely planted grape in Austria. It is a crossing of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, our next two wines.

Paul Lehrner Blaufränkisch Ried Gfanger 2008 (Austria) $19.99 – This has aromas of dark wheat bread, grains, roasting duck, plums, blueberries, baking spices and more. The aromas are fairly heady and intense. The wine just pops with fruit, but it is still lively and fresh with no sweetness or woodiness. Enjoy over the next 3-5 years. This grape is also known as Blue Franc or Lemberger. It is planted all across Central Europe. In the US, Washington State is the one area with sizable plantings of it.

Sattler St. Laurent 2009 (Burgenland, Austria) $19.99 – As soon as you open this and put it in a glass, you can smell the cherries. Med/light body. Spiciness. This has a beautiful silky, velvety texture. It’s almost creamy. The fruit is dry. If you look at Burgundy prices today and just sigh and shake your head, try this! Erich Sattler is a 4^th generation winemaker. "We make wine as my grandfather did," he says, "only with better machines." Saint Laurent is an offspring of the Pinot Noir grape. The winery is in eastern Austria just a few miles from the Hungarian border. Nearby Lake Neusiedl influences the weather – cooling the vineyards in the summer and warming them in the winter. This area is the hottest in Austria in the summer. Food pairing – pork chops, grilled chicken, pork tenderloin, duck, salmon. Black truffle burgers.

The Dessert

Still figuring this one out.