Comparative Riesling Tasting: Germany, Austria, Alsace

Please plan to join the German Wine Society on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 7:00 pm for a presentation on the Riesling grape in Germany, Austria and Alsace, and tasting of nine wines to illustrate the varieties of Riesling in these countries, by our own Annette Schiller.    Registrations for this event are due by Tuesday, March 25, 2025, and the price is $45 for GWS members, $52 for non-members.  Please be aware that, due to limited supply of the wines and size of the venue, we have a maximum cap of 40 for attendance at this event.  Reserve early to avoid disappointment!

One of the world’s most celebrated grape varieties is Riesling.  The Riesling is a perfect translator of the soils where it grows. This transparency of terroir means that Rieslings grown in different regions will produce wines with a markedly individual characteristic and distinct taste profile. The three countries whose Rieslings we will compare are all at the heart of Riesling cultivation in Europe.  Germany is the homeland of Riesling, while Austria and Alsace are the two other major European Riesling producing regions.  Indeed, Germany has been known in the U.S. mostly for its delicious Rieslings. Riesling is the #1 grape produced in Germany and Germany is also the #1 producer of Riesling world-wide (40% of the global Riesling production is in Germany). But Austria and Alsace, while known for other varietals too, both produce outstanding Rieslings as well, with unique reflections of their own terroir.

All wines will be acquired from top-notch wine makers and each flight will be a comparison within the same quality level to be fair to each wine.  Wines are still being selected and we will announce the complete list later, but we anticipate three flights of three wines each, one from each country, progressing from the basic level to village level to single vineyard wines.

It will be fun to discuss the wines during the tasting and it will be very interesting to hear the verdict of the audience on the favorites.

A tasty buffet of cheeses, bread, crackers, charcuterie, grapes and veggies will be provided to accompany the wines. 

Our tasting will begin at 7 p.m on Saturday, March 29, with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. to admit guests.  The location is the Van Ness Room that we have often used before for membership meetings and other events, including our New German Wine Law tasting in 2023, at 3001 Veazey Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008.  Enter through the main lobby of the apartment building on the 5th floor, and then go down to the 2nd floor by elevator and proceed down the hall to the clubroom.  While there is not off-street parking at this location, on-street parking is available (bear in mind DC parking restrictions and meters), and there is easy access to Metro, at the Van Ness Red Line station.

You can register and pay for this event in either of two ways.  

First, you can register on our chapter website, https://germanwinesocietydc.org , and make payment by PayPal.   You will need to create a GWS account for the website if you do not already have one, and you will also need to have a PayPal account, as we cannot accept payment by other forms of credit or online transfer.  If you are coming as a couple or other group, you can either register and pay for each individual separately, or do it as part of a single transaction and complete the payment on PayPal together.  If you do a single transaction, please also email the Secretary of the GWS Capital Chapter at the address below to provide the names of each individual coming, as the individual names will not all appear on the website form for multiple persons registering together.

Second, if you prefer to register by mail and pay by check for the event, please clip off the registration form attached to this notice, indicate the names of all who will be attending, and mail a check made out to the German Wine Society in the proper amount along with the form to: 

Carl Willner

President and Secretary, GWS Capital Chapter

1014 Reserve Champion Drive

Rockville, MD 20850

You can also reach the Secretary by e-mail at carl.willner1@verizon.net .

Whether you are registering by mail or online, please be sure to provide the names of all persons for whom you are registering, and pay the appropriate price depending on whether each person is a GWS member (with annual dues paid), or a non-member.   You can also become a member or renew, if your membership is not current, together with your registration for this event by including an annual $35 dues payment (for an individual or a couple), through PayPal, or by mail using a check, in the same manner as registering for the event.   If you have been a member of the GWS Capital Chapter in the past but are not sure of your current membership status, please email the Secretary at the above e-mail to confirm your status      

We do request that if you are experiencing symptoms of covid-19, flu or other contagious illness, or have tested positive for such an illness, you stay home and recover, and avoid putting other guests at risk.  Refunds can be provided in these circumstances if you notify us before the day of the event, to allow us time to find another guest to take your place.  Otherwise, refunds can only be made if you notify us before the deadline for registration.

All GWS members and guests are reminded that alcohol consumption can lead to intoxication.   Members and guests should use public transportation to events, rely on a designated driver, or taste the wines rather than finish them.

If you have questions about this event, you may contact the event organizer and presenter, Annette Schiller, at aschiller@ombiasypr.com , or by phone at 703-459-7513.  Annette’s website is www.ombiasypr.com . For questions about registration and membership, please contact Carl Willner, Capital Chapter President and Secretary, at  carl.willner1@verizon.net .

If you no longer wish to receive our announcements, please reply to this email to the sender.

To register by mail, please fill out and cut the reservation form below with your check – do not mail the entire notice.

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REGISTRATION FORM FOR GERMAN WINE SOCIETY COMPARATIVE RIESLINGS TASTING, MARCH 29, 2025

$45.00 Members / $52.00 Non-Member Guests

Member(s) Names: _________________________________________________________________

Guest(s) Names: _________________________________________________________________

Total Enclosed: _________________________________________________________________

Daytime Phone Number: __________________________________________________________________

E-Mail: __________________________________________________________________