Now, if Enderle & Moll's Pinots are mostly fun, but also quite serious, their Müller Thurgau is all fun. Their iteration of this widely misunderstood grape is a breath of fresh air. Originally developed to be easier to grow–read: more resistant to disease and faster to ripen–than Riesling, most Müllers have been victims of overproduction. When given time and patience, though, the wines can be masterful. Lighter and more playful than great Riesling, this Müller is particularly peach-forward on the palate, with a saline finish. It is th perfect apéritif wine, and it goes beautifully with cheeses of all kinds.
Müller Thurgau is a variety that was developed in 1882 by Herman Müller as a cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royal. The intent for this hybrid was to create a variety that was as interesting as good Riesling, but easier to grow. Riesling famously requires very specific climatic and geological conditions to be at its best, and it is vulnerable to several maladies that make growing great Riesling truly difficult. Müller had a bad rap until very recently, with a reputation for producing thin, uninteresting wines. However, the majority of cases where that was true was in a large-scale agricultural setting, where really any variety wouldn’t have been at its best. Good Müller, grown with care, is the flirty, simpler cousin to Riesling. It will never be as grand as truly regal German or Austrian Riesling, but it’s the perfect thing to drink with just about anything.
