I Love German Wine and Food - A Franconian Silvaner Revisited

If you are in the mood for fine German wine and food, you should consider the Franconia region of southeastern Germany. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local Silvaner white wine. I'll let you in on a secret. A year and a half ago I reviewed a previous vintage of this wine. I liked it so much that I wanted to review it again. The rest of the article hasn't changed much but the review was completely rewritten from scratch. Let's see what a difference two years makes.

Franconia is bordered on the north by the Main River and by the Danube on the south. It is named for a Germanic tribe known as the Franks, who also gave their name to France. After centuries of independence, the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815 made Franconia part of Bavaria in southern Germany.

Of the thirteen German wine regions, Franconia ranks number six in both acreage and total wine production. Unlike many other German wine regions, here the Riesling grape is not a major player. More than 85% of Franconian wine is white. The main grape varieties are Mueller-Thurgau, a German hybrid, that makes up almost half the local production of white wine and Silvaner, a grape also grown elsewhere in Germany, and in Austria, Switzerland, and Alsace, France. Many experts feel that the best Silvaner wines are grown in Franconia. About 40% of the region's wine is middle-quality QbA wine, and almost 60% is the higher quality QmP wine. Only about 0.5% of Franconian wine is table wine.

Do you like seeing the past? The Middle Ages trade route known as the Romantic Road with its castles and medieval churches, towns, and villages passes through Franconia. The city of Wuerzburg forms the northernmost point of the Romantic Road. It is a medieval town jam packed with sites dating back several hundred years. For example, make sure to see the Alte Mainbruecke (Old Main Bridge), the Dom St. Kilian a Romanesque cathedral, Festung Marienberg (Marienberg Fortress) with the Marienkirche (Church of the Virgin Mary, this one dates back to approximately the year 700), the Mainfraenkisches Museum (Main-Franconian Museum), and the Residenz where the local prince-bishops lived. You may also want to see the Buergerspital (Almshouse) associated with the wine that we review below.

Before reviewing the Franconian wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start off with a Frankische Bratwurst (Franconian Roasted Sausage). For your second course enjoy Schuefela (Pork Shoulder with Potato Dumpling). As a dessert indulge yourself with ApfelStruedel (Apple Strudel).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Buergerspital Wuerzburg Silvaner Kabinett Trocken 2004 10.6% alcohol about $16.50

We'll start by quoting the marketing materials. The Franken region wines are unique for two reasons. First, their principal grape is Silvaner; and second, they use an unusual bottle known as the bocksbeutel (similar in shape to the Mateus Rose vessel). In Franken, Silvaner achieves its finest expression. The aromas are full of floral, pear, apple, and mineral notes. Medium to full-bodied, its racy acidity gives it tremendous verve. Pair with freshwater fish. And now for my review. (By the way, I did this review without noting my comments in the previous review.)

I started by sipping this wine. It was somewhat ethereal, mineral, and refreshingly acidic. The first meal involved fried chicken breast (hot off the skillet) and delicatessen bought potato pancakes. This wine was palate cleansing and appely. Some slices of fresh red pepper seemed to denature the wine while giving it a touch of lemon.

Then I went to a chicken thigh casserole cooked with sliced potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions in a spicy tomato sauce. The acidity cut the grease and the wine was appley and moderately long.

I then went to an Italian sausage pizza (not home made). The Silvaner was refreshing and nicely acidic. It balanced the spices well. As I kept drinking an apple taste developed. A week later I bought a Pepperoni pizza. The wine seemed more powerful than previously. It was palate cleansing, really cutting the grease.

And now for the cheeses. First I tried a genuine Italian Mozzarella de Bufala (water buffalo Mozzarella). While this wine was round and acidic, the cheese was able to chop it down somewhat. I guess you just don't mess with water buffalo. The final cheese was a French Morbier made in two layers, once upon a time a morning milk layer and an evening milk layer. Frankly, I'm not enough of a cheese lover to tell the difference. Anyway this cheese was really starting to smell. It was able to gut the wine, however, it wasn't bad on its own.

Final verdict. I bought this wine twice and have yet to go a second round with many other wines that I liked as well. Part of the reason that I repeated this tasting was my surprise that a Silvaner could be so good. I am not planning to go a third round but am planning to taste another Silvaner, albeit in a more modest price range.