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by The Wine GirlDecember 10, 2017

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🍇Trockenbeeren-what now?!😅⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Trockenbeerenauslese, or TBA, is the German term for a medium to full-bodied dessert wine produced in Germany and Austria. When directly translated, it means 'dried berry selection' - because that's exactly what it is! ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🤳🏻This picture was taken 4 years ago on an old cellphone so the quality isn't great, but you may be able to tell if you look closely that those grapes look a lot like raisins. Well, they pretty much are! We spent hours treading them and our legs were toast by the end! It was like trying to dance in sugary quicksand - SO sticky!!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🍇TBA is made from individually selected botrytized* grapes that contain a high concentration of sugar. The botrytis gives the fruit delicious aromas of 🍯honey, 🍮caramel and 🍑apricot - notes that will dominate the nose of the final wine. Sugar levels in a TBA can be higher than 300 g/L, making these wines extremely suitable for ageing.👵🏼👴🏼✅⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Riesling is a popular grape to make TBA with because it's able to achieve extreme ripeness and has naturally high acidity🍋. Since acid and sweetness balance each other, the wine remains elegant and lively, rather than becoming syrupy-sweet or cloying.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🥇TBA is the highest classification of quality wines with distinction, or 'Prädikat' in Germany and Austria. Because it is so difficult to produce, it is also the rarest and most precious.💎⁠⠀ ⁠ ⁠⠀ *Botrytized grapes are grapes that have been affected by noble rot, or Botrytis Cinerea. This is a fungus that penetrates the skin of grapes allowing the water inside to evaporate slowly, concentrating the berries and leaving them shrivelled like raisins. There's more to it than that, but I'll save that for a post of it's own.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠#thewinegirl #notawinesnob #tba #trockenbeerenauslese #botrytis #grapes #riesling #apricot #honey #caramel #precious #sweet #wine #wein #süßwein #edel #edelsüß #noblerot #austria #germany #prädikat ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀

😃🍷Good news wine-lovers - Ruffino is undergoing organic conversion!✅🍷⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🍇🌿By the year 2021 over 40% of their vineyards will already be organically farmed.🌿🍇⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🌱🐝💦And they haven’t stopped there. On top of working to significantly to reduce their use of herbicides and pesticides, control emissions, and better manage water and waste, they have also launched a new brand dedicated to responsible drinking and giving back!💦🐝🌱 ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 💻Find out more at www.ruffino.com/emea/ruffino-cares/⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #ruffinocares @latoscanadiruffino ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #ad #thewinegirl #notawinesnob #werbung #chianti #italy #tuscany #organic #conversion #goodnews #winelover #wine #responsible #enjoyresponsibly #ruffino #lavidaruffino #vineyard #vines #wein #vino #giveback #bethechange #winetime #winestagram #instawine #harvest #toscana #winegirl #potd

🍇Recognize this guy? @egonmullerscharzhof 🇩🇪 Find out what the two of us, 5 other winemakers and a Michelin-star chef were doing in 🏝Mauritius by reading my blog post ‘La la la Paulée’ at thewinegirl.de (link in bio). @constanceresorts #lapaulee #constancecellars #thewinegirl #notawinesnob #mauritius #islandparty #bottleparty #island #wine #masterclass #taste #travel #explore #winegirl #riesling #sweetwine #winemaker #mosel #egonmüller

🇮🇹Welcome to the cellars of Weingut Rottensteiner in South Tyrol, Italy!🇮🇹⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🍷The cellar is stocked with an assortment of 50-year old wooden barrels, stainless steel tanks and barriques. It’s here that Hannes and his father Toni continue to carry on the winemaking traditions of the company's founding father (Hannes' grandfather), Hans Rottensteiner. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🍇Because of the winery's unique location within the southern alps and dolomites, they are able to grow a wide range of grape varieties - most of which are not typical to the rest of the Italian wine regions. A particular focus of the Rottensteiner's is on producing high quality wines from Bolzano's local 'Lagrein' and 'St. Magdalener' grape varieties.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🌿In terms of vineyards, the family has 10 hectares of their own, but are are also working with 60 regional grape growers to cover a total area of about 80 hectares. Of these 80 hectares, 14 varieties are grown, from which 24 wines are produced. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #thewinegirl #notawinesnob #rottensteinerfamily #weingutrottensteiner #lagrein #vernatsch #stmagdalener #bolzano #southtryol #dolomites #cellar #barrel #oak #stainlesssteel #grapes #tradition #tour #cellartour #italy #vineyards #pinotbianco #pinotgrigio #gewürztraminer #sauvignon #müllerthurgau #wine #wein #vin #vino #barrique

✅Biodynamic® vs. Bio-dynamic⁠🤔 ⠀ ⁠⠀ First of all, it's important to know that the main certifying body of biodynamics is Demeter, and that the term 'biodynamic' itself is a protected trademark.®️ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Demeter doesn't like when wineries/farms claim to practice 'biodynamics' without pursuing certification. This is because they're trying to maintain a consistent standard and definition of the practice and also respect those who go through the 'rigors of certification'.👨🏼‍🌾 ⁠⠀ ⠀ 🤷Sounds fair enough. But that doesn't stop people from believing in Steiner's philosophy or practicing 'bio-dynamics' outside of Demeter's control. And why should it? ⠀ ⠀ 😈Let's play devil's advocate!⠀ ⠀ Wineries who are practicing 'bio-dynamics' without certification are often working just as hard to maintain the standard that comes with Demeter's stamp of approval. This requires a LOT of extra man power, & they're doing it knowing full-well that they won't be able to market it as an official 'biodynamic' product. So, why not just certify?? ⠀ There are actually some pretty fair reasons why not (which you can read in my full article on biodynamics at thewinegirl.de👩🏽‍💻). But whatever the reason, in my experience those who embrace bio-dynamics as a philosophy usually have a lot of, if not all of the same priorities & values as those who do certify. And, isn't that the point? ⠀ ⁠⠀ Well, Demeter will say that this is like being "a little pregnant"🤰🤦‍♀️... Yes, that is an actual quote from their website. But I think that's like saying "You're only allowed to be religious if you're giving money to the church." ⠀ ⁠⠀ I mean, I get it. They have to protect their interests. But at the end of the day, believing in and embracing Steiner's philosophy is a right we all have - certified or not.⁠⠀ ⠀ I know that there are wineries who only claim to practice bio-dynamics as a marketing gimmick - some people just suck. But let's hold onto our faith in humanity and support the efforts made on the road to a happier planet.🌎⠀ ⠀ Source: Demeter.de⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #thewinegirl #notawinesnob ⁠#biodynamic #organic #demeter #rudolfsteiner #devilsadvocate #sustainable #wine #winestagram #viticulture #agriculture

🍽️8 Basic Wine Pairing Tips to Remember⁠🍷⁠ ⁠⠀ 1. 🍋Acid: the wine should be more acidic than the food ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 2. 🍬Sweetness: the wine should be sweeter than the food⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 3. 🍷Bitter, high tannin wines go well with fat.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 4. 🔥Heat with Sweet: Spicy foods go best with wines that have lower alcohol and higher sugar levels. i.e. off-dry Riesling. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 5. 🧀Feel free to play with salty and sweet pairings too. One of my favourites is Port wine and blue cheese! (This kind of pairing is called a ‘complimentary or contrasting pairing’).⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 6. 🍗Smoke with Oak: A 'congruent pairing’ is when you match the wine’s characteristics to the characteristics of the food. i.e. Grilled, roasted or charred foods go great with oak dominant wines. But don’t worry, you aren’t going to end up actually enhancing the oak aromas - instead those aromas will mellow out and the fruit flavours will come forward.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 7. ⚖️Try to match the flavour intensity of the food to the flavour intensity of the wine - like the smoke with oak rule!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 8. 🥘The classic rule of white wine pairing best with salad, chicken or fish and red wine pairing best with red meat applies; But it’s always best to pair your wine with the sauce than it is to pair with the meat.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🥂When all else fails remember this general rule: ‘What grows together, goes together’! ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🌱Regional or ethnic pairings usually work very well together. Perhaps because they have naturally complementing flavour components from sharing the same terroir.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #thewinegirl #notawinesnob ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #pairing #wineandfood #foodandwine #winepairing #foodpairing #wine #food #tips #winegirl #acid #sweet #tannin #bitter #salty #spicy #oak #taste #flavor #cook #wein #winestagram #winetime #winetasting #eat #drink #cheers #vin #vino⁠⠀

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