Changing Perception on German Wines

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In the world of wine a dark cloud continues to hover over German wines. Many perceive them as sweet, dull and unfashionable. But for adventurous wine drinker there is much to discover about Germany’s wine regions and the rewards are well worth the effort!

Restaurant Reading German Wines

Renowned Sommelier, Stephen Nisbet has seen his fair share of resistance to the German wine market within the UK, and strives to change people’s perceptions.
In 2008 at L’Ortolan we dedicated each month to pairing a different wine region with the Gourmand menu.

Wine by the glass is always a popular choice for diners, so when German wines was proposed as a theme it was confronted with some opposition from the rest of team; concerned that would not appeal to a wider audience. Fine German wines are renowned for their complexity of flavours, which makes them suitable for pairing with a wide range of foods, so they were an obvious choice to include on our global tour of fine wines.

It was decided not to publicise the wines with the menu, instead subtly introduce guests to the German wine pairings with each course. The pairings were well received and diners wowed by the diversity. As a marketing exercise it grew customer’s knowledge and understanding – confirming Germany’s well-deserved place on the map.

Restaurant Reading Wines Tasting Afternoon

At L’Ortolan we stock white, sweet and even red German wines, including top wines from Wirsching, Gottelmann, Friedrich Becker and Werner Nakel. Some of these L’Ortolan favourites will feature in this month’s Fine Wines of Germany wine tasting events.

Wednesday 22nd February – Fine Wines of Germany

Stephen will take guests on a journey through different regions, varieties and estates and discover the sheer diversity of wine.
4.30pm to 6.30pm – An Afternoon of German Wine Tasting – £49 per person
7.00pm – German Wine Tasting Dinner – £95 per person