Interesting wine and food matching with our sommelier friend Josip Stjepandic from Goldberg restaurant. We tried various wine combinations with the current food selection of chef Philipp Kovacs.
Here are some of my favourites
The hot day made Aldinger’s Uhlbacher Götzenberg Riesling Kabinett 2019 the perfect Aperitif. The very light wine with just 7% abv reflects its site, which is just some kilometre away from our town. High diurnal shifts, slow ripening conditions and the eroded sandstone soil result in a crisp, elegant Riesling: Lime, white peach and a fragrant mineral finish. The high acid spine balances perfectly the residual sugar. Sappy and mouthwatering in the finish. A dancing princess.
The Seligmacher 2018 from Eva Fricke from Lorch/Rheingau was the perfect match with the local char filet made with turnip cabbage, estragon and radish. The Rheingau Riesling had more weight but also a restraint elegance which didn’t overshadow the fragrant aromas of this delicate dish. Especially the smokey stoniness of the finish underlined the herbal, savoury note of the food.
My favourite partner for the Lamb’s back was a New Zealand blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I know and like Kai Schubert’s Pinot Noirs, but I was surprised by his Con Brio 2012. The wine had power, tannic grip and freshness and showed intense aromas of boysenberries, plums, cassis, smoked bacon, pepper, juniper, tomatoes and dried leaves. They matched well with the roasted Lamb served with an olive and dill tapenade.
Wine of choice for the dessert – a composition with blackberries, chocolate, parsley root and tamarind – was also not an obvious choice. I loved especially a Swabian Grüner Veltliner Auslese from Weingut Aldinger. Although the Hanweiler Maien Grüner Veltliner 2018 doesn’t show the finesse and intensity of many Austrian examples, it pronounced the fruity character of the dessert and matched well with its herbal notes.
