#5: Erni Loosen - The Godfather of German Riesling
From the steep, slate cliffs of the Mosel River, Erni Loosen led the charge to restore Riesling's reputation as a world class grape variety. More work remains to be done, but Erni has succeeded at making Riesling famous and loved again. His knowledge of wine history and the unique characteristics of the Mosel make this conversation one I cherish and will return to again in the future.
Episode 5: Erni Loosen on YouTube
Erni Loosen
When someone recommends a Riesling to you, what is your gut response? Do you assume it is cloyingly sweet? For several decades, roughly the latter half of the 20th Century, this would have been an appropriate response. And truthfully, we Americans still have a huge soft spot for sweeter German wines, even if we don’t want to admit it.
But thanks to Erni Loosen, these old assumptions have started to change. The Mosel valley has always been famous for its delicious wines, noted for their mouthwatering acidity and varying degrees of residual sugar (RS). But the vast majority of white wines in Germany are actually bone dry, and even traditional producers in the Mosel region produce dry wines with no RS.
I consider Erni Loosen to be the godfather of Riesling because, since taking over his family's vineyards in the late 1980s, he led the movement to re-acknowledge Riesling as one of the finest and most enjoyable grape varieties in the world.
Thanks to him, beautiful, complex, age-worthy Rieslings of all dryness and sweetness levels are ascendant. Riesling makes incredible sparkling wines, dry wines, and in the Mosel region, some of the most delicious (and most expensive) sweet wines in the world.
I recorded my conversation with Erni Loosen in the summer of 2020. It was an interesting time when CoronaVirus infections were abating in Germany, restaurants were re-opening, and people were traveling again.
Erni is a font of encyclopedic knowledge about German wines.
We discuss Germany's traditional wine classification system, the 1971 wine law, and its impact on the quality and reputation of German wines.
He provides a great overview of Roman history and the technology that these Germanic tribes contributed to wine making and transportation.
We dig into the unique climate of the Mosel river, its Devonian slate soils, and he debunks some of the myths that I've picked up during my studies.
We also touch on more contemporary stories, like Dr. Loosen's partnership with Chateau St. Michelle in the Washington State, the impact of recent US tariffs on German wines, and the impact of COVID-19.
We cover a lot of ground in 80 minutes. I had a blast during this conversation, and I really hope you enjoy this episode.
LINKS
Interview with:
Ernst "Erni" Loosen
Decantur Interview
Dr. LoosenPhilosophy: a great wine is created in the mind
Useful Links:
Riesling (from everyone's favorite encyclopedia)
German Wine Law of 1971 (Weingesetz 1971; Wine Folly article on Riesling and the German classification system)
Practical History of German wine - in the mid-19th Century, Mosel and Rheingau wines were some of the most expensive wines in the world
US tariffs on EU wine from Germany and France (Notice of Revision of Section 301 Action)
US imposes additional 25% tariff on French wines (US Trade Representative Press Release; the Local):
Eroica Washington State Riesling - partnership with Chateau St. Michelle
Roman history - (Ancient Rome and Wine) - Legionnaires paid in wheat, oil, and wine
Roman Wine Ship (Neumagener Weinschiff)
Vineyards in England
Unique Devonian slate and Mosel microclimate (Wine Folly - The Mosel Valley Wine Guide)
Potassium in slate (potassium in viticulture)
Drainage on steep slopes (learn more about soil health at the US Davis Portal)
Riesling and long hang-time - Aromatic and Phenolic Ripeness (Schneider Oenologie)
Sweetness in wine and the impact of botrytis cinerea (summary by Wine Folly; Guild Somm article by Kelli White)
EU is working on a new European wine law (EU wine legislation; regulations on wine quality schemes)
German Wine Classification (1868) / Burgundy AOC Classification (1936)
Tasting three wines
Rotschiefer Riesling Trocken Gutswein (red slate dry Riesling, estate wine, 12.5% ABV);
Graacher Himmelreich Riesling GG "Alte Reben" (Kingdom of Heaven plot above the village of Graach grand cru Riesling form old vines - 130-year-old un-grafted vines, 12.5% ABV)
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (Sun Dial plot above the village of Wehlen, a grand cru location, off-dry Riesling with 8% ABV)
"Ohio Dry Riesling" (must weights - Oechsle)
Old-style Kabinett; 1971 wine law liberalized rules for sweetness, which caused more sweet wines to flood the market.
Impact of COVID-19
US is still the largest market (50%-60%); Scandinavian and Chinese markets are expanding
Indonesia imposes ban on alcohol sales during COVID (article)
UAE adjusting laws to permit limited sale and consumption due to economic downturn (article)
SHOW NOTES
[00:03:05] Riesling’s reputation: keeping the Riesling flag flying
[00:05:00] The American market - buying varietal wines
[00:06:00] 1971 German Wine Law
[00:08:15] Riesling is a favorite among sommeliers, wine writers, and experts
[00:10:05] Challenges selling high-end, fine Riesling
[00:13:30] US tariffs on European wine
[00:15:15] Partnerships and joint ventures in the US - Chateau St. Michelle and Eroica
[00:21:12] Roman history - paying Legionaires with wine, wheat, and oil for trade
[00:24:18] Oak barrels - an invention of the German and Celtic tribes
[00:27:30] Mosel River - traditionally the most northern growing wine region; but the climate was warmer in Roman times, cooled in the 1300s to the 1800s, and now warming again
[00:30:40] The unique microclimate of the Mosel with steep hills and direct inclination to the sun
[00:31:37] Grape vines need poor soil
[00:31:50] Unique Devonian slate soils that are 400 million years old - the slate hills of the Rheinland
[00:34:28] 300 meters of elevation and the moderating influence of the Mosel; ice wines need -8 degrees celsius and use vines at the top of the hill
[00:35:55] Slate as a great natural source of potassium (essential for wine)
[00:36:54] Single stake training systems on steep slopes; plant grape vines only where nothing else grows
[00:38:38] Perfect drainage from steep slopes
[00:42:32] Riesling and extended “hang time” - good for aromatics and aroma ripeness; aroma ripeness requires more time than sugar ripeness; therefore cooler climates are optimal
[00:46:15] Winemaking - how fruity and sweeter wines are made by arresting fermentation
[00:48:10] 25% dry wines; 75% sweeter wines
[00:49:47] Botrytized grapes - unaffected grapes (black buckets - 50%); Auslese (red buckets); Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese (white buckets)
[00:52:00] Kabinett picked when grapes have 9% potential alcohol
[00:52:28] Spätlese - “later” harvest (about two weeks after the main harvest) 10.5-11.5% potential alcohol
[00:52:00] Dry wines - when potential alcohol is above 11.5% potential alcohol
[00:53:52] EU revising European Wine Law - focusing on the quality of the vineyard (Roman Model), rather than must weight (natural sugar ripeness)
[00:54:54] Original German Classification from 1868 (50 years older than Burgundy classification), but the German wine law never integrated historic wine maps into the modern wine law
[00:56:50] Tasting three wines. Dr. Loosen has 10 grand cru vineyards. If you see a vineyard name on the label of a Dr. Loosen bottle, it’s a Grand Cru.
[00:59:55] Mother’s family (Prüm) produced only fruity style wines, but father’s family produced only dry wines
[01:00:30] Grandfather on father’s side aged dry wines on indigenous yeast for two to eight years in old barrels. Dr. Loosen has carried this tradition forward.
[01:04:00] The versatility of Riesling - “Riesling can do everything”
[01:05:20] The American pallet for sweetness
[01:06:50] A glass of Kabinett whenever you receive guests
[01:08:00] Kabinetts were dryer wines before 1971; Dr. Loosen recreates this older style and calls it “traditional”
[01:11:40] Impact of the pandemic on wine sales and business
[01:17:50] US remains the biggest market for Dr. Loosen
[01:18:45] Growth of Scandinavian and Chinese markets - mail order businesses
[01:21:42] Germany does not require anyone to have a license to sell alcohol; no duties or taxes on wine beyond VAT
