"Dale Williams" in ...
> Betsy had ham cravings after hearing tales of Easter hams, and so we had
one
> tonight. She did a sweet glaze, and so I opted (instead of dry rosé , my
usual
> "go to" ham choice) to go with the 2002 Willi Schaefer Graacher
Himmelreich
> Riesling Kabinett (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer). Pretty flowery nose, lemon and peach
> fruit dancing lightly over a delicate framework of acidity and slatey
> minerality. Maybe not the best match, but ok. In retrospect a beefier Kab
would
> have been a better choice than this ethereal Riesling. But this was so
damn
> delicious that's just a quibble. Beautifully balanced wine, very fine.
I've now
> how the Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Qba and Kab, both very tasty, if the
> bottom of his line is like that what are the more expensive offerings
like? A-
> on my easy scale.

Good stuff! (I'm looking at an empty bottle of his 02 Domprobst kabinett,
rather than the Himmlreich, from a couple of months ago.)

I find that well-poised well-made Rieslings go with many, but especially
with savory or delicately savory foods -- smoked trout, or cold cuts, to
repeat an example I posted elsewhere; -- I would worry about a sweet sauce
muting such a kabinett -- but I did not try that combo myself so I certainly
don't know. I also wonder if these "bottom" wines, in price and
concentration, may offer more food flexible food pairings than the richer
ones do; those after all are heavier, and they seem to have more residual
sugar at a given Prädikat level than they did several years ago.

Great stuff, the fine Rieslings. Fantastic values.


Max

(I use a pass-fail grading system myself -- progressive school, builds
self-esteem in the wines ;-) -- this one definitely passed.)