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Rainer Lingenfelder in NB

NB Telegraph-Journal | Food
As published on page D1 on April 21, 2006

[b]Lingenfelder visits N.B. wine sellers

CRAIG PINHEY
GOOD DRINK

I had the pleasure of meeting German "wine-guy" Rainer Lingenfelder recently, as he visited New Brunswick as part of a promotional tour for his Pfalz winery, dating back 13 generations. I met him at Brewbakers restaurant in Fredericton, where we participated in a fabulous blind tasting of Meritage reds as part of an Association of Sommeliers in the Atlantic Provinces (ASAP) event. Brewbakers has one of the best wine lists in Atlantic Canada, and two sommeliers on staff.

The next evening we tasted his own Lingenfelder Bird Label Riesling (568634, $15.99) at the cozy happinez wine bar in Saint John, where owner Peter Smit explained that sales of the Riesling were very brisk. News like that is refreshing to mine and Rainer's ears, and to the palates of New Brunswickers. This slightly off-dry but well balanced, minerally and apply-fruit tinged white is an excellent example of good value Riesling - I wish there were more wines like this in New Brunswick, but the ANBL has practically deleted the semi-premium to premium German category.

Lingenfelder is part of the wave of modern German producers that still make very traditional wines but use modern marketing smarts. I would recommend any of their wines. At the last Moncton wine show I bought a bunch of their Muscat (Bee Label) and Pinot Grigio (Owl Label), also part of their "vineyard creatures" line along with the Bird Label.

For those of you who get to Nova Scotia , you must try their delightful Scheurebe (pronounced "shoy ray beh") and Dornfelder (fruity red). Perhaps someday we'll be fortunate enough to see the full line up of Lingenfelder wines in New Brunswick. They sell well - so give us more!

Craig Pinhey is a sommelier and writer living in Rothesay. He can be reached at frogspad@nb.aibn.com.