Oktober Weinfest

Dear German Wine Society Members and Friends of German Wine,

JOIN US FOR OKTOBER WEINFEST AT THE GERMAN EMBASSY!  

In Germany Oktoberfest is celebrated beginning in September, and so we are returning to the German Embassy House for our Oktober Weinfest on Friday, September 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm. The Embassy House doors will open at 6:30 pm for registration of guests, and to allow you to enjoy some welcoming sekt and hors d’oeuvres before the main tasting begins.  The theme of our Oktober Weinfest this year is a tour of three major German wine regions lying west of the Rhine, the Mosel, Rheinhessen and Pfalz, and we will have fifteen wines, including primarily Rieslings, but also two Gewürztraminers and a Dornfelder.  There will be four wines from each region in the main part of the tasting, including 2 trocken, 2 QW, 4 Kabinett, and 4 Spätlese wines, followed by a Riesling Auslese and a Riesling Beerenauslese wine with dessert.   Wines will be poured for you by our own experienced members, who have been to a number of these regions.  This tasting provides the opportunity for us to explore the diversity of wines and producers in these three regions at once, including several older vintages not readily available on the market.  Together with these wines, we will have an ample buffet of delicious foods, many in German style, prepared by the Embassy’s outstanding new chef Daniel Labonne and his staff.  Those of you who attended the 40^th Anniversary reception at the Embassy in June have already experienced Chef Labonne’s culinary skills and we now have the chance to savor his dishes again!  

The price for this very special event will be $83 for members, and $90 for non-members – lower than last year’s Weinfest!   The Board encourages all members and friends of the Society to reserve as early as possible, as this event is expected to be very popular.   We will be limiting attendance to 50 guests, to ensure that everyone can best enjoy the event.   Reservations must be received by Monday, September 25, 2015, for Embassy security – no late reservations or signups at the event can be accepted.  Weather permitting, the Embassy House terrace will be open for you to relax with your welcoming sekt and savor the wines.   We anticipate Embassy personnel to be present for our event as well.

The evening will unfold as follows:

WELCOME:

Nv Dr. Loosen Sparkling Riesling “Dr. L”

Passed hors d’oeuvres:

Mini Bratwurst & Sauerkraut Philo Dough Tart

Gougère, Cheese Puff

Mini Quiche Assortment

MAIN EVENT:  DINNER AND TASTING OF GERMAN MOSEL, RHEINHESSEN, AND PFALZ WINES

MOSEL

2001 Dr. Thanisch Bernkastler Doktor Riesling Spätlese

2010 J.J. Prüm Riesling Kabinett

2010 Dr. Fischer Ockfener Bockstein Riesling QW

2015 Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett

RHEINHESSEN

2012 Schneider Neirsteiner Hipping Riesling Spätlese

2012 Dr. Heyden Oppenheimer Sacktrager Riesling Spätlese

2013 Dr. Pauly Bergweiler “Noble House” Dornfelder QW

2015 J.u.H.A. Strub Riesling Kabinett

PFALZ

2008 Fitz-Ritter Gewürztraminer Spätlese 

2012 Kurt Darting Durkheimer Nonnengarten Gewürztraminer Kabinett Feinherb

2013 Von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken

2014 Müller-Catoir Haardt Burgergarten Riesling Trocken 

Buffet:

Cold Cuts Assortment

Cheese Assortment

Platters served with breads

Avocado & Shrimp in Verrine

Smoked Salmon Toast

Weisswurst

Knockwurst

Braised Red Cabbage

Fingerling Potatoes

Bottles of Mineral Water available at tables

DESSERT:

2006 Willi Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Beerenauslese

2010 J.J. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese

Assortment of Mini Desserts

Other Beverages (coffee, tea) available on consumption

The German Embassy House is located at 1900 Foxhall Road N.W.  However, guests will need to enter through the main Embassy entrance at 4645 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington D.C. 20007, pass through security there, and then ascend to the Embassy House by stair or elevator through the Embassy if necessary.  Only those guests who are physically unable to use the normal route will be admitted through the Foxhall Road entrance, and only by advance arrangement with the organizers, who will need to coordinate special admission with Embassy staff.  A limited amount of parking is available on nearby streets off Reservoir Road and Foxhall Road.   Guests should plan to arrive by driving, taxi or the nearest bus lines (D6 is closest).

All Society members and guests are reminded that alcohol consumption can lead to intoxication, and therefore Society members and their guests are expected to drink in moderation at Society events.  It is advisable to provide designated drivers or other modes of transit where available, or mostly to taste rather than consume alcohol where such drivers or alternative means of transportation are not available.   

Event coordinator:  Carl Willner, 301-216-2531, carl.willner1@verizon.net

You can register and pay for this event in one of two ways.  Members and guests can still send in a check to the German Wine Society, using the reservation form below.   But you can alternatively register for events on our website using the button below and make payment by Paypal.  You will need to set up a GWS account on our website to register, if you have not already done so for past events, and also have a Paypal account ready to use for payment.

And, now that the fun is out of the way, just a reminder that most of you have received notices about renewing your annual membership dues to the GWS for the year July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 (except for those who have recently joined this year).  Dues ($35 a year for either a single or a couple membership) can be paid by check to the German Wine Society, and addressed to Joseph Aguair, Secretary, German Wine Society, 2501 Calvert Street N.W., Apartment 501, Washington, DC 20008.  Alternatively, dues can now also be paid online through our website using Paypal, in the same manner as when registering for an event.  For those of you who have already taken care of this, a hearty thank you!  For those of you who haven’t, a hearty thank you awaits.  A membership payment at the same time as your reservation will qualify you for the member price for this event, if you’re not already a paid-up member (and if there are two of you coming as a couple, that will save you nearly half the cost of annual membership on this one event!).