Why German Chardonnay Is So Cool, A Love Letter to Blind Tasting Groups, and a Grower Champagne Gem

Hey guys!

First off, we just want to thank you for all of the support on our first post last week! We really appreciate your interest in the newsletter 🙏 

This week we’re talking German Chardonnay, Blind Tasting Groups, and a Grower Champagne producer we can’t get enough of, hope you enjoy! 🍇🍷 

Why German Chardonnay Is So Cool 🇩🇪 

Unpacking lessons from a deep-dive wine dinner on Chardonnay and its recent success story in Germany

When you think of wine from Germany, your mind will likely jump to Riesling, and for good reason: German Riesling has long been and will continue to be the flagship grape of the country. However, due to several factors in Germany, grapes like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (a.k.a. Spätburgunder) are beginning to gain attention, expanding the country’s reputation beyond just Riesling and offering exciting new possibilities in the global wine market.

The German Chardonnay movement is being fueled by a couple key factors, including:

1. Climate Change & Warmer Temperatures: Germany’s historically cool climate made it challenging to ripen Chardonnay fully. But with rising temperatures, regions like the Pfalz and Rheinhessen now have ideal conditions for growing high-quality Chardonnay with ripeness and balance.

2. Increased Winemaking Ambition: Many German winemakers, especially younger generations, are experimenting with barrel fermentation, extended lees aging, and Burgundian techniques to create serious, age-worthy Chardonnay. Some top producers are now making wines that rival top tier Chardonnays from France.

Today, several talented German winemakers, like Lukas Hammelmann, Moritz Kissinger, and Jonas Dostert, are pushing the boundaries of Germany's wine reputation beyond Riesling.

The reason I bring all this up is that, last month, I had the privilege of trying an incredibly impressive lineup of German Chardonnay to see (and taste) all of these claims in person. Hosted by wine collector and enthusiast Robert Dentice (a.k.a. Soil Pimp) and German winemaking legend Klaus Peter Keller, the evening took place at Naro and featured over two dozen of Germany’s premier Chardonnay producers, along with some Burgundy wines for comparison.

The night was all about showcasing the strides Germany is making with this varietal, and the wines certainly held their own against their Burgundian counterparts, and even surpassed them in some cases.

The highlight of the dinner for me was getting the chance to talk with Klaus Peter Keller, probably one of the most revered and influential winemakers, not just in Germany, but in the world. Producing in Rheinhessen, his Rieslings are true cult-status wines.

What made it even cooler was that Klaus Peter suitcase’d some of his own Chardonnays, including barrel samples straight from his cellar, to showcase at the dinner, and as expected, they were pretty spectacular.

The attention to detail and the care put into this dinner were evident, and I left with a deeper appreciation for the potential of Chardonnay in Germany. In general, we’ve become huge fans of German wine over the past few months and are excited to try more this year!

An Infatuation with Blind Tasting Groups 🫣🍷 

Courtesy of the Steven Graf Imports team, a small, former bar-turned-office space in Ridgewood has become a safe haven for blind tasting for many

Outside of blind tasting wine with my brother, I attend weekly blind tasting sessions hosted by Steven Graf Imports, a wine importer based in Ridgewood, Queens. Every Monday, the team holds 'Office Hours,' where both wine professionals and enthusiasts gather to taste the current wines in their portfolio, and, of course, blind taste wines. The only rule? You have to bring a bottle to blind the group with.

I started attending about a year ago, and every week we sit around the bar, asking 'Yes or No' questions until we’re either right or we give up. While I can’t say my blind tasting skills have improved exponentially, it’s become a true haven for learning, sharing, and building community. Each week brings a perfect balance of both new and old wines to blind; think young, natural wines bottled just six months ago, sitting side by side with 30-year-old Cru Burgundies, each offering a unique lesson of its own.

Blind tasting wine is a humbling yet rewarding experience that teaches you to embrace being wrong, trust your senses, and recognize patterns over time. It sharpens memory by building associations, like the green bell pepper note in Cab Franc or the petrol aroma in Riesling. No one ever truly masters blind tasting, and that’s the beauty of it; there’s always more to learn. Most importantly, it’s a shared experience; discussing, debating, and discovering wine with others makes the journey far more enjoyable than simply getting it right.

It’s exactly why I love the weekly blinds at the Steven Graf office, and I look forward to continuing to go every Monday, getting many more blinds wrong in the future.

P.S. If you ever get the chance, hit up some friends to organize a blind wine event! It’s really one of the best ways to learn, try new wines, and even make some new friends.

Producer Highlight ⭐️ 

One of our favorite parts of wine is the discovery: we’re constantly being put on to new regions, producers, and cuvées from our friends. We’ll never be able to try EVERY wine, but we want to take a moment to mention some producers that excite us!

That’s a wrap for this week! Thanks again for reading. Let us know if you have any suggestions or feedback! ✍️ 

P.S. We’re going to be hosting a tasting & blind tasting event at Discovery Wines this Friday, February 28th, make sure to mark your calendars 📆 

Thanks so much for reading along and, as always, drink responsibly 🥂