That's really interesting and thought-provoking. Alas, I still belong to the majority of English who have never tried wine from their own country. That will have to change on the evidence of your encouraging reports!
The last bit in your post about all the supposed "mongrel" German varietals used in England reminded me, incidentally, about a particular wine I drank years ago (in 1997, in fact) while living for a year in Germersheim in the Pfalz as part of my university course: a "Duttweiler Mandelberg Ortega Beerenauslese" by Weingut Syring-Lingenfelder. Very nice it was too. While preparing my German dissertation that year - written about wine from the Pfalz (surprise, surprise) - I visited Geilweilerhof in Siebeldingen, the place where they first crossed Regent. I still remember me sitting there scribbling notes while some academic/professor type spoke to me about it in his office!
Of course, as a lot of these cross-varietals of German origin are more immune to diseases like mildew etc., it would seem logical that they've taken to the English climate like the proverbial duck to water. (Though that's not to belittle the English climate, which can still be very pleasant, as I'm sure you know..)
The comments about preconceptions (and habits) with regard to wine among both German and the UK consumers were also particularly interesting. I could relate to a lot of it.
Anyway, great stuff, Torsten. I also liked the flag!
That's really interesting and
That's really interesting and thought-provoking. Alas, I still belong to the majority of English who have never tried wine from their own country. That will have to change on the evidence of your encouraging reports!
The last bit in your post about all the supposed "mongrel" German varietals used in England reminded me, incidentally, about a particular wine I drank years ago (in 1997, in fact) while living for a year in Germersheim in the Pfalz as part of my university course: a "Duttweiler Mandelberg Ortega Beerenauslese" by Weingut Syring-Lingenfelder. Very nice it was too. While preparing my German dissertation that year - written about wine from the Pfalz (surprise, surprise) - I visited Geilweilerhof in Siebeldingen, the place where they first crossed Regent. I still remember me sitting there scribbling notes while some academic/professor type spoke to me about it in his office!
Of course, as a lot of these cross-varietals of German origin are more immune to diseases like mildew etc., it would seem logical that they've taken to the English climate like the proverbial duck to water. (Though that's not to belittle the English climate, which can still be very pleasant, as I'm sure you know..)
The comments about preconceptions (and habits) with regard to wine among both German and the UK consumers were also particularly interesting. I could relate to a lot of it.
Anyway, great stuff, Torsten. I also liked the flag!