Steinberg and our German Style Wines
Grandma’s Impressions
Having not worked at Stone Hill for some 20-30 odd years, my grandmother was quite surprised at the Steinberg White. That is the funny thing about the way things change. People keep an image of a place; of their memories and the people they associated even when that could hardly be recognizable as the same location. That is kind of the beauty of Stone Hill, at least in so much as myself and my grandmother bridge the space between those memories, and she gets to enjoy the evolution of the winery she has so many fond memories of.
She sips the wine, finding it to be sweet and refreshing even as she attempts to work her way through the flavors she is experiencing. My grandmother is somewhat ossified in her tastes, and this shows in how she experiences sweet wines, with her personal preference in wines being particularly dry. The flavors that leap out to her are those of hard candy and strong lemon, though she does think of the wine as quite delicate in both appearance and palate. As she drinks, she considers what she might enjoy it with and instead of a meal or entree, she settles on “A hot day with my friends” to my amusement.
I find it hard to argue with her logic there.
My Impressions
Like spun gold, the wine catches the light of my grandmother’s older overhead lamp and highlights the pale straw color of the wine. The viscosity is quite even after a good swirl, a few thick trails standing out as strong ‘legs” for the wine to stand on but generally dripping with a sameness that, to my initiate level understanding, shows a consistency to the wine making that leads to a wine that will largely taste the same with each glass.
As I breath in the wine I get the faint aroma of apples and a strong sense of citrus. It is quite light on the nose, delicate even and that delicacy persists through the first sip. The body of the wine is almost crystalline; while seeming gentle and delicate it has a sharp citrus note that mellows the sweetness. That sweetness aligns with the citrus to create a sweet flavor that is akin to an orange hard candy that slowly evolves to a more lemon flavor before finishing with an almost pineapple aftertaste that lingers well on the tongue.
We muse over the wine and meander through our thoughts about it while our dinner cooks, a bean soup that I dare not even try to pair with this wine (though it was very tasty, that much I can promise you) we consider the way places, people and memories evolve. The Steinberg Collection helps to show that our winery is constantly evolving, attempting new wines and new brands and taking on new challenges.
Final Thoughts
Though not specifically to my taste, the flavor profile of this wine is delightful and delicious. Though not a dry wine by any measure, it offers a sweet complexity that can be hard to find in a market that is stuffed full of sweet white wines. With a delicate profile and a crystalline quality, Steinberg White offers quite a bit for the discerning palate.
If you want a sweet and refreshing wine that is perfect for an evening of sipping or paired with light dishes like stir-fry, spicy sausage or fresh fruit than this should be the wine at your table!
You can try your hand in the kitchen with our Steinberg Chicken Riesling recipe!
You can shop Steinberg White, you can also find its brethren in a handy collection and the rest of our wines Here.
Michael Haggerty is the Shipping Coordinator at Stone Hill Winery and handles all DTC wine shipments.
You can reach him for shipping inquiries via email at shipping@stonehillwinery.com or by phone at 573-486-2221.