INSIDER'S PICK: 2020 WEINGUT PFEFFINGEN ESTATE DRY RIESLING $23.99

With life returning to relative normalcy after the last few years of COVID, one of the great parts of the wine world that is making a comeback are the industry tasting events. These tastings give us the chance to sample wines side by side, usually with common themes, importers or origins, and often with wines we wouldn't usually get the chance to sample otherwise prior to bringing them into the store. They are immensely valuable to what we do, educational, and provide a great opportunity to connect with producers on a deeper level beyond the label on the bottle. Followers of our Instagram will have seen the owners of the store posting on some of their experiences from the German & Austrian Wine Trade tasting (aka 'The Titans of Teutonic Wines'). While there were more than a few brilliant wines from many great producers that will be making their way to the store over time, the greatness of these events is the chance to be wowed by the performance of a lesser or undervalued star, even surpassing some of the legends in the room.The wines of the Pfalz don't get the hype and scenic tourist eyes of the Mosel, but the quality can be its equal, and the multi-generational family run Pfeffingen Estate is one of the region's very best. This entry level bottling comes from several parcels of their mere 37 acres of vineyards, delivering one of the cleaner, driest yet still flavorful and refreshing expressions of Riesling you will find. Stoney peach and apricot notes on the nose with some crunchy green apple, and the slightest hint of petrol that often accompanies dry riesling that fades after a few minutes in the glass. Sometimes dry German Rieslings can be a bit jarring on the palate with the acidity and lean fruit character, but this lands the balance perfectly, polished and round feeling while still delivering the complex and bright white fruit and racy minerality underneath, analogous in many ways to the feel and sensation of a Sancerre. Beautiful multi-purpose food wine, worthy of pairing with loads of fish, pork and poultry dishes.

---