Forget the high collars, high neck labels are all the rage!
One of my favorite wine stories to date has been learning about the wine making at the karthauserhof estate in Germany.
Located in the Mosel, a historic wine making region in the world producing arguably the best Riesling lies this giant. While I am certainly not an expert in wine, I think anyone who enjoys wine and food will understand why these wines are so incredible from the first time they taste them. There are certain characteristics of these wines that I absolutely love, the petrol, high acid, funky at times while balancing rich fresh fruits make these wines some of the most food friendly wines you can have. The Mosel is saturated with legendary wine makers, each with a unique style and story.
My story with karthauserhof wines starts in NYC while working at Bar Boulud, I was the executive sous chef at the time and our head sommelier Michael Madrigale (a fabled somm in the country) was in charge of the wine program. One of the many things he was known for was pouring large format rare wines by the glass each night, a pioneer at the time. With the buying power of Daniel Boulud behind him and the amazing relationships cultivated by Daniel Johnnes and Michael, to say our wine cellar was impressive would be an extreme understatement. Exposing not only our guests but also our staff to wines that they might never be in the same room with, let alone be able to enjoy in their life was something very special. During the pre-dinner service meeting one evening I remember him bringing this bottle to the table to explain to the captains about the wine and its importance. During his explanation I would be lying if I could remember anything he said, but I remember looking at this bottle and thinking how unique the bottle is and why is the label so high up? Luckily, I tuned in just in time to hear that part of the story.
They place the label so high up the already tall bottle due to tradition. The humble tale of the local fisherman and families taking these wines with them out to sea or to the shores of the river to enjoy each day but having no way to keep the wines chilled. Being resourceful professionals, they used the ancient technique of dipping the bottle in the water for a while until it was naturally chilled, a great solution for chilling, but a bad technique for keeping the labels on the bottle. So somewhere along the way, someone in the karthauserhof estate noticed this problem and came up with the brilliant solution to move the label up to the neck of the narrow bottle above the wine level so that the bottle could be chilled by the water and still keep its label attached. The simplest things are moments of genius sometimes.
For some reason that story really struck me and has stayed with me to this day, of course it helps that I am in love with the flavors inside the bottle. I just appreciate that even in this high-end world of wines, brands and labels, there are still those who remain true to their roots and remember they are farmers making something they love making and want to share with people.
Moral of the story, if you ever get the opportunity to enjoy these wines, jump at the chance! It is and always will be something I treasure.
