WEINGUT BEURER IN DER LUFT 2020
German Wine Maker
STORY
BMX Guru and winemaker—those are two words you’ve probably never heard in the same sentence. Unless, however, you’re already familiar with the wines that Jochen Beurer is producing from his steep vineyards in Wurttemberg, Germany. If you do some research about Jochen online, connoisseurs of his wines describe not only the beauty of his work but wax on poetically about him as an individual. The praise ranges from being “one of the kindest humans ever” to “one of the most important winemakers in Germany”. Understanding Jochen’s winemaking process solidifies everything about these statements. The fact that he works completely organically isn’t even the best part about his farming and winemaking. His focus within his work centers around looking at the farming of the grapes in the most holistic sense. From the animals, insects, vegetation and animals in his environment, he pays attention to how they are all working in synergy, and how that relationship feeds the vines he farms. When looking into the window of winemaking in Germany, you’ll often hear names like Peter Lauer, J.B. Becker, and Weingut Keller. Beurer’s name rarely falls in line with these names, but not without being influential. A steady stream of the next generation of German winemakers make their way through Jochen’s cellar, gleaning inspiration from his work with lesser known German grape varieties and the incredible wine he produces with them. His lack of focus on Riesling makes him no less of a stellar German winemaker, and tasting through any number of his wines shines light his ability to put unconventional wine experiences on our tables.
HOW TO
As fresh as it gets, this unfiltered blend of Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewurtztraminer will rush your palate with energy from its mouthwatering acidity and lifted citrus aromatics. The fruit character of the wine lends itself to notes of more tropical, fleshy fruits and white flower nectar. If you want to experience this wine in all its glory, you should grab takeout from Tiny Thai or Pho Hong, take this bottle (and maybe snag an extra to share with friends) and crush this easy drinking, refreshing bottle alongside spicy fare. The elevated acidity and notes of tropical fruit will play beautiful with spice of all kinds, helping to tone down the heat and balance the entire experience of the meal. Sit on your living room floor with pals, spread out your food and enjoy this bottle in excess.
BOSCO FALCONERIA CATARRATTO IGT
Sicilian variety: Catarratto
STORY
Some of the most romantic stories of winemaking involve a husband and wife team, carrying on the legacy of a vineyard. This is one of those stories, at Bosco Falconeria. Having belonged to the Simeti family since 1933, Antonio and Mary Taylor Simeti began caring for the property and making the wine there in the 1980s. Just 40 miles west of Palermo, their vineyards overlook the Gulf of Castellammare from up in the Sicilian hills. Continuing the spirit of keeping the winemaking in the family, their daughter Natalia now cultivates the 6 hectares of vineyards with a focus primarily on the grape Catarratto. They also farm a small portion of the 6 hectares to Nero d’Avola. Majestic is the word that comes to mind, when describing their vineyards and winemaking. Just 250 meters above sea level, the Mediterranean climate continues to a wildly fertile landscape. Not only are they farming beautiful fruit, they farm olives which they use to produce their own extra virgin olive oil, along with vegetables and fruit which they sell to local Palermo stores.
HOW TO
This gorgeous white wine is made using 100% Catarratto, a native Sicilian grape variety. In the wine making process, the juice of the grapes spend 24 hours macerating with their grape skins, which contributes to a textual quality that makes it an incredibly food friendly wine. “What grows together, goes together” is a phrase we lean into heavily at Dedalus, when exploring food pairings to go along with the wines we carry. This logic applies perfectly when choosing what to eat with this bottle. Think Southern coastal Italy—whether it’s swordfish fillet topped with olives, tomatoes and capers, sardines stuffed with breadcrumbs, anchovies and pine nuts, or simply sliced Pecorino cheese—fresh fish, leaner meats and cheeses are the name of the game. This wine maintains a freshness while showing subtle crisp, green fruit quality and almost bitter, herbaceous secondary notes. Make a light, beautiful summer meal and pull the cork on this gorgeous bottle for a lovely evening.
