Dr. Loosen Wine Dinner with German Riesling in Penang
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Friday brought me much joy and excitement as I savored several new wines at the Dr. Loosen Wine Dinner held in Maple Palace Restaurant, Penang. The event in collaboration with Asiaeuro Wines & Spirits offers a Chinese menu paired with German Riesling
There is something fresh and new for just about every taste in the German Riesling wine. The wine is produced in both dry to sweet variations as well as light to full-bodied.
A selection of German Riesling was featured for the evening, from Dry Riesling Qualitatswein 2016, Riesling Qualitatswein 2016, Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2016, Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese 2013, to Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2012.
We were joined by Dr Ernst Loosen, the owner and winemaker of Dr Loosen wines. He helped guide us through our Riesling experience, which in turn gave us the opportunity to learn more of its classification.
According to Loosen, Kabinett is the Riesling classification that is made from the grapes that are the least ripe, hence expect a light-bodied wine with low alcohol levels. Spätlese on the other hand has a medium-body and higher flavor intensity prepared with Riesling grapes that are picked late during the harvest season.
We enjoyed the German Riesling with the zest of several Asian dishes.
The dishes were a selection of appetizer and soup, and we had the crispy whitebait & Ceylon spinach with sour spicy sauce, and the double-boiled abalone soup with dry scallop and cordyceps flower. Both were served with the 2016 Riesling Qualitatswein that had plenty of freshness on the finish, with hints of glazed citrus.
Dry Riesling Qualitatswein 2016 for the cocktail reception
Riesling Qualitatswein 2016
Crispy whitebait & Ceylon spinach with sour spicy sauce
Double-boiled abalone soup with dry scallop and cordyceps flower
Besides the appetizer and soup, there were three main courses. We were entranced by the serving of crispy duck stuffed with yam, grouper with corn crab meat sauce, and the ever-popular steamed rice with pork lard and BBQ Iberico char siew.
The courses were complemented with the crisp 2016 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett and the velvety 2013 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese which has plenty of richness and body.
Crispy duck stuffed with yam
Grouper with corn crab meat sauce
Steamed rice with pork lard and BBQ iberico char siew
The last Riesling for the evening was the 2012 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese. The elegant sweet wine is prepared from hand-picked ripe clusters of grapes. Nothing goes better with the glass of riesling with lively minerality and crisp acidity than a dessert of chilled healthy green with sea coconut.
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2012
Chilled healthy green with sea coconut
It was wonderful to be introduced to the Riesling grape native to Germany’s Rhein and Mosel Valley. The refreshing German Riesling with its food pairing versatility is good any time be it for a special celebration or just a simple meal.
* Many thanks to Asiaeuro Wines & Spirits for extending this invitation.