Rusty’s Vacation in Germany, “Weinmus” = Wine Museum

Editor Rusty’s Rap:   Cork vs Screw Cap Controversy (Germany’s Version)

This past summer Karen and I enjoyed our vacation at the Rhine River immensely.  We learned a lot about German wine, naturally.  One example it that Germans have a tendency to use screw caps.  85% of the wines Germany produces are white.  Red grapes simply don’t grow well in Germany’s northerly climate.  Riesling is by far the most widely planted and the best grape variety in Germany.  As we know, Riesling doesn’t need much aging and it can be drunk as soon as it is released from a vineyard, therefore, Riesling bottles do not need to stack horizontally.  Corks help air-sealing when wet during stacking, red wine requires aging therefore it needs to be stacked.  For that reason, German white wines are bottled with screw caps instead of corks.

Wine Making:  Ever wonder how many grapes you have to squeeze to get a single bottle of wine?  On average, it takes 800 grapes!  A friend of mine gave me freshly hand-picked blackberries, so many a family could be fed for weeks.  I ended up making blackberry wine as I did not want to waste them as they could become moldy.  It took me 18 pounds of blackberries to make 3 gallons of blackberry wine, equal to 12 bottles.  Talk about hard labor!

Fun fact:  During the harvest, it seems customary that Americans hire immigrants to pick grapes for wine making, as well as other fruit that is produced.  Those immigrants usually come from the south of the border (Mexico).  It is no different for German vineyard owners who hire their own immigrants during the harvest.  Guess from which country the immigrants come from?  See the below . . .

“Steep Vineyards in Rheingau region” . . . Most vineyard in Germany are on steep often adjacent to castles.

Question from Deaf Grapevine Fans:  I prefer beer over wine.  It is cheaper and easy to get a buzz.  I never find any wine I really like.  Why is there so much talk about wine?  (this question was brought up often by several deaf friends in the last two years) It is individual’s preference and I can respect one's personal taste.  However, to get a "buzz", you get faster with one wine glass (12 to 15%) than a bottle of Coors beer (5%), even strong German beer (up to 9%).  Moreover, there are almost twice as many calories in beer (approx. 148) than red wine (83, less if white)!  If you never find a wine that is really liked, it may be because it is too cheap.  Try $20 wine instead of two-buck wine or even $9 and you will be amazed by the difference in taste and quality.  One of many reasons why there is so much talk about wine's health benefits.  You get excellent nutrients including antioxidants, resveratrol, etc. from drinking red wine, this helps with hearts, life span, memory and more.  I am not sure if there is any benefit or nutritional value from beer except a beer belly.

News in the Deaf Community:  During Deaf Seniors of America 2009 Biennial Convention in Las Vegas, the wine workshop was presented twice, rave reviews were received.  Rusty, the workshop leader, wants to commend Bobby Skedsmo and Larry Petersen for their assistance during the presentation.

Welcome to our private wine tasting party!

Enthusiasts overcrowded the private party and were excited to sample the different wines.  All left tipsy!

"Wow!  Did you really make this wine and your own label?  Wow, can I have the whole bottle?"

Attendees learned the basic of wine making and asked zillion of questions.

Answers to the Fun facts:  Poland . . . I kid you not; that's a fact.  Rusty learned this during his vineyard tour in the Rheingau region near Rudesheim, Germany

Current List of Winemakers' Records

View My Stats