Jesse Becker MS

Jesse Becker MS

Chicago, IL, USA
Master Sommelier • VDP.Ambassador • DWI German Wine Professional. I write Wine in Germany & Austria, sell German wine, and co-own Rockwerk Grüner Veltliner.
17
Aug
Visually stunning, no matter the season, the terraced vineyards of Sachsen.

Sachsen: Beauty Awakened

Varieties: 82% white, including Müller-Thurgau, Weißburgunder, Silvaner, Traminer, Gutedel, Riesling, Ruländer, Elbling, Portuguiser, Spätburgunder
3 min read
17
Aug
The calming beauty of winegrowing in the Saale Valley of former East Germany.

Saale-Unstrut: Viticulture on the Edge

Climate: continental with cold winters, hot summers, and strong temperature fluctuations between day and night.
3 min read
17
Aug

Saale-Unstrut Producers

Weingut Saale-Unstrut: Viticulture on the Edge →
17
Aug
The tennis court-colored red soil of Rheinhessen's Roter Hang.

Rheinhessen: Red Slopes, Limestone Hills

Varieties: Riesling 18.1%, Müller-Thurgau, 15.2%, Dornfelder 12.5%, Silvaner 7.8%, Grauburgunder 7.3%, and Spätburgunder 5.5%
4 min read
17
Aug
Carolin Spanier-Gillot from VDP.Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Pettenthal.

Rheinhessen Producers

Johannes likes to say, “half of my heart is for Riesling, half of my heart is for Pinot Noir.” Today, the Spätburgunder is more Burgundian, lighter, and fresher, with a more nuanced use of oak. Johannes Gröhl and his sister Franziska are the 13th generation of Gröhls to grow and produce wi
6 min read
17
Aug
In the cellar with Heinrich Breuer at Weingut Breuer in the Rheingau.

Rheingau Producers

Balthasar Ress is a family-owned estate founded in 1870 in the Rheingau village of Hattenheim. Stephan and Christian Ress are the fourth and fifth generations and run the estate today. Balthasar Ress was a butcher and hotelier who started selling wines to his customers with the phrase “von
2 min read
17
Aug
The 50th parallel north cuts straight through Schloss Johannisberg in Rheingau.

Rheingau: Historic, Venerable, Rejuvenated

Climate: Protected by the Taunus mountain and the forest above, the Rheingau has mild winters and warm summers
2 min read
17
Aug
Plugging the gap at VDP.Weingut Christmann in 2008.

Pfalz Producers

Südliche Weinstraße | Schweigen | 29.8 hectares | Certified biodynamic by respekt-BIODYN
10 min read
17
Aug
Pfalz: Pfalz is for the Feinschmecker

Pfalz: Pfalz is for the Feinschmecker

Climate: Sheltered by the Haardt Mountains, the Pfalz has a dry, sunny, temperate climate and is one of the warmest wine regions in Germany
7 min read
17
Aug
Tasting in the cellar with Armin Diel. VDP.Weingut Diel - Nahe.

Nahe Producers

Gut Hermannsberg is a 30-hectare estate between the Nahe villages of Niederhausen and Schloßböckelheim. The estate’s history dates to 1902 when it was initially built as the “Königlich-Preussische Weinbaudomäne” (Royal Prussian Wine Estate) and remained under state ownership for its first
3 min read