STORY:
Long-time Thirst members might remember the label on this sprightly liter of Müller Thurgau. Nearly a year ago the Borell-Diehl family’s lovely Pinot Noir hit the club with great reception. Their simple yet satisfying Pinot was surely one of the most widely loved club selections of 2019. Now, as spring slowly knocks on our window, it’s time to give their iteration of Müller Thurgau, one of our favorite up-and-coming varieties, a shot. And, can we say: kudos to the Germans for bottling so many table wines in liter bottles at 750mL prices. Let’s dig in.
TASTING:
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. It's especially good with our recipe for Spiced Yogurt Roasted Chicken.
