Wine Club Release August 2026

Riesling is the passion of Weingut Peter Lauer, and is the only grape they grow on the steep slopes near the Saar River, where the roots of the vines grow 20 meters into the bedrock of the hills, in the blue-gray slate that contributes to the intensity of the wines.  Florian Lauer is the fifth generation of his family to make wine, and when his great-great-grandfather began purchasing vineyards the Saar made some of the most sought after and collectible wines in the world.  The winery continues to honor the family’s and the region’s history, hand harvesting the grapes and working only with indigenous yeasts. 

“Senior” is a particular family tribute—the story is that in the 1950’s Florian’s grandfather would taste through the large barrels in the cellar, and mark the one he wanted to keep for personal consumption with “Senior.”  Most of the time his favorite would be from Cask No 6, leading to the name of this wine.  The tradition of the cellar uses these large barrels for decades, with the same plots going into the same barrels from vintage to vintage. 

“Senior” is described as ‘dry to off-dry’ on their website, given that the residual sugar range often falls into the technically dry category but goes slightly into off-dry in some years, and has a glorious rich fruitiness to balance the intense minerality—notes of peach and nectarine, starfruit, with a dense balance of acidity that brings mouth-watering juiciness.  This is a wine that would be delicious with mixed antipasti, fresh fruit, and a variety of spicy dishes—curry, stirfry, or creole stews—along with grilled  light meats.  Beautifully refreshing during this summer weather!

Abruzzo is on the Adriatic coast of Italy, due east of Rome and Lazio, and is relatively well known in the US and abroad for its classic red grape, Montepulciano. The Ciavolich family built their wine cellar there in 1853, one of the oldest winemaking structures in Abruzzo. That cellar remained in use in the family until December of 1943, when the family was forced to evacuate because of occupying troops during World War 2.  The family tradition continued elsewhere in the region as the area recovered, and the family remains dedicated to preserving local viticultural history and traditions. 

Cerasuolo means ‘cherry-red’, a term often used to refer to darker rosés in Italy.  This deep rosé has a beautiful light ruby color with notes hinting towards purple, and a beautiful clarity.  Very dry, with appropriate black cherry notes to the palate, this has more structure than a Provencal style rosé, with a lingering finish balanced by light tannin.  Lovely with a heavy salad with chicken or salmon, and roasted vegetables.  

The Rhine River serves as the border between France and Germany from Switzerland to Strasbourg, and the Pfalz wine region stretches north from the French border to the west of the Rhine, in its namesake river valley.  The Pfalz has a much more Mediterranean climate than the Mosel Saar Ruwer, as the Rhine Valley is protected to the North and the West by the Hunsrueck Mountains, with heavier soils that have more volcanic and glacial soils, and river sediments, not the slate that other German regions are famous for in their vineyards.  The warmer climate provides a higher possibility of ripeness for the wines, which is especially helpful for their Pinot Noir..

A young winery compared to the others featured this month, Lucashof is around 60 years old and a family operation, run by Christine Lucas and her brothers Klaus and Hans, and supported by the following generation.  The family also runs a hotel, where the best rooms enjoy views of the top vineyards surrounding its small town.

Pinot Noir has long been grown in Germany, with varied results, in my personal opinion..The best wines are truly extraordinary, and generally priced accordingly.Pinot Noir can be a complicated wine to grow in a variety of climates, as it’s a very sensitive grape, and this vintage of the Lucashof is a delightful balance.Medium bodied with bright fresh fruit, the lushness on the mid-palate fades to a very light bitterness from the balanced tannin on the finish.Fresh cherry notes are balanced with cranberry on the nose and the palate, with a depth that opens as it breathes.This is a rare Pinot Noir that I would recommend decanting, though only for a few minutes before serving.A lovely aperitif red, this can also pair with white meats and as a red for fish, especially with capers or olives.