Wines of Germany and the European Union Present Destination Riesling: Riesling & Co. 2008 Tasting Events

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Destination Riesling: Riesling & Co. Tasting Events:

InSan Francisco, eight German producers featured their wines at Spruce restaurant, to be followed by an event with 10 German producers at Powerhouse restaurant inChicago on Tuesday, May 13. Both events feature pairing menus as well as stand up tastings for key media and trade.

Over 40 winemakers fromGermany, Alsace andAustria will attend theNew York tasting at Tribeca Rooftop, 2 Debrosses St. on May 15. Producers will pour wines at a stand up tasting for media and trade from 1 - 5 pm, followed by a consumer tasting from 6 - 9 pm, open to the public. Tickets for the consumer tasting can be purchased for $30 at www.ticketweb.com (search "Wines ofGermany") or at the door.

The Riesling & Co. 2008 tasting events are part of a three-year campaign, underwritten by Wines ofGermany and the European Union, to market European Rieslings in the U.S. The campaign seeks to increase interest and awareness for European Riesling among consumers and the trade.

2007 Vintages Support the 2008 Tastings:

Thanks to early bud burst and optimal autumn weather, the 2007 vintage in Germany had good yields of excellent quality. German wine grapes had an unusually long growing season, so the year's harvest was relatively unhurried and took place over several weeks. Grape musts and young wines showed well, with a fabulous wealth of aromas, high ripeness and extract levels, and a well integrated, harmonious -- yet marked -- acidity.

"We are delighted with the results of the 2007 vintage, and excited to promote world-class wines at our 2008 Riesling & Co. events," said Monika Reule, Managing Director, Deutsches Weininstitut in Mainz,Germany. "The excellent quality of the wines, coupled with the above average yields of the year is encouraging, and we anticipate that the press and trade will share our excitement after tasting the wines."

The Austrian and Alsatian harvests were equally as good. In almost all wine-growing areas inAustria, the harvest was finished by mid-October. The high quality of the grapes has proven ideal, revealing at full ripeness, moderate sugar levels and good acidity structure.(1) Alsace, along with the southern Rhone, were the only wine regions ofFrance where the 2007 vintage received the perfect "A" mark by Wine Spectator.(2)

About Wines ofGermany

Wines ofGermany, formerly known as the German Wine Information Bureau, is the exclusive U.S. office of the Deutsches Weininstitut. Wines ofGermany is focused on creating greater awareness to further enhance the image and increase sales of wine in the U.S. through educational and promotional activities. It is the primary information source on wines deriving from the 13 German wine growing regions for members of the wine trade, the media, and U.S. consumers. The promotional and educational efforts of Wines ofGermany focus primarily on Riesling, the most famous German grape variety.

    (1) "The Austrian Wine Vintage 2007 - Fine and Fruity", AWMB Press
        Release, November 2007
        http://www.weinausoesterreich.at/news/info_071105.html
    (2) "2007 Vintage Report Card: Part 2", Wine Spectator online, Dec. 19,
        2007. http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4179,00.html

    Media Contact:
    Sherri Weiss Poall
    Wines of Germany
    212.994.7556
    sherri.poall@rfbinder.com

SOURCE Wines ofGermany