Dr. Beckermann Liebfraumilch NAHE - 1999 QualitätsweinMay 28 '01 (Updated May 30 '01) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Not all Liebfraumilch wines are the same. This is a Qualitätswein that I enjoy for its flavor and value price.
Many American consumers, not knowledgeable about German wines, might buy this Liebfraumilch and pair it with a main dinner course of fish or chicken and the pronounce: "Oh! I don't like this wine. It tastes awful... just too sweet." Well, yes. This style of wine is not the best example of the German art of winemaking. This is not the kind of white wine to serve with chicken or fish, but some people will buy it, thinking that German wines must all be like German autos: high quality, well made and exclusive... like BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, etc. What is Liebfraumilch ? --------------------------------------------------- Literally and crudely translated, Liebfraumilch is "Lovely Woman's Milk." The term Liebfraumilch is a creative, poetic invention to describe a sweet wine that might taste like the milk from a beautiful lady. Liebe Frau = "Dear Lady," or "Lovely Lady," or our "Beloved Lady." Milch is the German word for "milk." Most all Liebfraumilch wines I've seen feature a label with a picture of the Mother Mary with Child (Madonna with Child). Some just feature a Nun dressed in a blue habit; i.e., Sichel's Blue Nun. Liebfraumilch wine is produced by blending a variety of grapes and adding sugar to the crush. Traditional grape varieties used for this wine are: Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and Riesling. Müller-Thurgau: a grape variety that is low in acidity; engineered by the famous plant physiologist, Dr. Mueller (from Thurgau, Switzerland). It is a cross between a Riesling and Gutedel grape. (Gutedel: origin uncertain, but may have been a table grape in ancient Egypt.) Riesling: One of the most popular grape varieties in Germany; high in fruity acids. Silvaner: Another popular German grape variety; aromatic fruit, light in acids. Huge quantities of Liebfraumilch wines are produced in Germany's Rhein/Hessen region. (Rhein = the river Rhein or Rhine. Hessen = the state of Hessen in central Germany; largest city is Frankfurt.) In terms of production, the Rheinhessen wine region is the largest wine growing region in Germany. Nearly 80% of the wine grapes grown in Germany are of the "white" variety. Germany is not well known for red wines. Dr. Beckermann Liebfraumilch NAHE --------------------------------------------------- This 9% alcohol by volume wine pours with a platinum-gold color. Nose is light, featuring green and yellow apples, pear, table grape and peach aromas. This is a sweet wine that is fairly high in residual sugar. Many people like their wines dry, so some will be turned off by the almost grape-punch flavor of this wine. This is a wine that is made for summertime sipping. If you are out working in the garden and are looking for something light and refreshing to drink, a cold glass of Liebfraumilch is not a bad choice. This wine features grape & apple juice flavors with a mildly acidic bite. I think it is a fine wine to serve with fruit or as an apéritif. Nahe: Nahe is a wine growing region west of Koblenz that is noted for its quality Riesling and Silvaner grapes. The Nahe River is a "middle Rhine" tributary that empties into the Rhine River at Bingen. German Wine & Quality Control --------------------------------------------------- Generally, due to difficult climatic conditions in off-peak years, sugar needs to be added to the fruit in the production of most German wines. Germany is one of the northernmost wine producing nations in the world, so the sugar is needed because not all fruit ripens to optimal levels. Qualitätswein mit Pradikät (or QmP): exceptional wines produced using no added sugars; usually produced during years with very favorable weather. Wines with this designation are usually priced higher than other German wines. Qualitätswein (or sometimes QmA): Wine of good quality, but often requiring the addition of sugar because the fruit harvested does not have a high enough natural sugar content. A Qualitätswein is produced under monitored and strict controls by agricultural authorities in German. What you may want to consider is this: German wines undergo official quality tests by the State, and therefore contain a Prüfungs control number on the label. ("Prüfungs" = German word for "test.") The number will look something like this: L A. P. NR. 7 907021 14 01. This number identifies every bottle of wine produced according to batch number. Every bottling of German wine is tested and tasted by an independent government agency, which is a quality control feature unique to the German wine industry and is not duplicated elsewhere in the world. Tafelwein: simple table wine. No claims of "quality" are made for wines of this designation. Wines of this quality are not often exported. Price and Availability --------------------------------------------------- I purchased a 750 ml bottle of Dr. Beckermann Liebfraumilch at Trader Joe's Market for about $3.25. Good wine at a cheap price. There are many different types of Liebfraumilch out on the market and they don't all share the same taste. Recommendation --------------------------------------------------- This is an inexpensive wine that it designed for drinking -- out on the patio or in the garden -- on hot, sunny afternoons. It is something that you drink while nibbling on fruits, while having sweet, fruit dessert during a Kafeeklatsch or some other outdoor activity. It's a fine apéritif wine. I've had very good experiences with the Dr, Beckermann brand, and I recommend this wine with confidence. Good quality at a very affordable price. I've seen this wine sold elsewhere for up to $6 per bottle. In the current marketplace, with the U.S. Dollar equal to about DM 2.20, I would consider a price below $5 U.S. to be a good value. Serve chilled and try it with pear halves, or a peach cobbler / torte.  |
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