Volume 16 – Unconventional Conversations

May 2023

Dear Readers,

Summer is about going places. Whether your travels involve a suitcase, a backpack, or a glass of wine and a journey in your own mind, TRINK Vol. 16 has you covered with eight stories of far-flung people and places.

Germany’s newest destination for vinous vacationing features in “Wish You Were Here!,” an exploration of Bayerischer Bodensee — Bavarian Lake Constance — by our senior correspondent Christoph Raffelt. The German side of the lake was long known for its simple, straightforward, fruity wines. But it’s fast becoming an insider go-to for serious expressions of Alpine-adjacent Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Müller-Thurgau, and PIWIs. If you can, follow Christoph’s tips to plan a visit. If not, read through his recommendations and hunt them down. They won’t be insider tips for long.

Seasoned journalist Rainer Schäfer presents a penetrating portrait of late visionary-provocateur Rainer Zierock. Zierock’s work in Württemberg and Alto Adige-Südtirol transcended boundaries, norms, and, many times, common sense. But as George Bernard Shaw noted: “We want a few mad people now. See where the sane ones have landed us!” Indeed.

We are also excited to share reports from Nils Kevin Puls and from Valerie on how German and Austrian growers are rethinking their relationships with alt-packaging and closures and the impact these choices have on both enjoyment and the environment. Swiss-based journalist Bart de Vries brings us a report from the frontlines of PIWI R&D in Switzerland’s Agroscope and private wineries.

Finally, we are proud to feature not one but two TRINK debuts in this volume. The intrepid Samantha Cole-Johnson leads us on a thought-provoking journey into a few of the highly individual and complex philosophies behind Germany’s Prädikat system. It’s about so much more than just numbers. Swedish wine writer Sara Emilia Nässén, who long called Italy home, deepens our understanding of a few of the change agents behind recent regenerative developments in Alto Adige-Südtirol.

Our cover art is an original painting from international artist Agata Zaborowski. If you enjoy this piece, the rest of her designs can be viewed at her virtual gallery Agata Art Gallery.

Happy reading!

Paula Redes Sidore, Bad Honnef
Valerie Kathawala, New York City

  • Unlocking Rieslingsekt’s Potential

    ByNicole Wolbers

    Riesling is admired for its complexity, longevity, and ability to reflect its terroir. The same is slowly becoming true in the sparkling wine sector, where bubble enthusiasts are discovering what aged Rieslingsekt can offer.  In the world of German wines, Riesling is the undisputed star. Still wines gained their historical reputation as early as the 15th century, while the 18th and 19th centuries witnessed the rise of traditional method sekt. Over time, large companies monopolized the production of cheap, tank-fermented sparkling wine, until smaller, individual wineries were finally allowed to produce and sell their sparkling wines in the early 1980s. This…...

    Membership Required

    You must be a member to access this content.

    View Membership Levels

    Already a member? Log in here
  • ·

    Rooted and Regenerative

    BySara Emilia Nässén

    It starts with the soil. “I am passionate about the microbial world under our feet, and the key role it plays in the vine’s adaptation to climate change,” says agronomist Martina Broggio, a sustainable viticulture consultant in northern Italy, Tuscany, Marche, and Puglia. Since 2018, Broggio has been helping wineries in Alto Adige move in a regenerative direction. Regenerative Viticulture (RV) requires a significant paradigm shift within vineyard management, where soil is understood as a living environment rather than as a container for growing grapes. It envisions an ecosystem in which all parts of the vineyard, including roots and bacteria,…...

    Membership Required

    You must be a member to access this content.

    View Membership Levels

    Already a member? Log in here

  • Swiss R and D Chases Winning PIWIs

    ByBart De Vries

    With a third generation of fungus-resistant hybrid wine grapes in development, are we poised for a breakthrough in the spread of so-called PIWIs? Will the quest for an alternative to disease-prone Pinot Noir finally bear fruit? Swiss researchers, breeders, nurseries, and winemakers are at the forefront of this effort. For an increasing number of vintners, traditional grape growing with seven to 12 rounds of spraying annually has become unsustainable. For some, organic farmingisn’t the answer. Because organic agents work superficially and wash off with rain,they must be applied more frequently. This requires more labor and more passes through the vineyard,…...

    Membership Required

    You must be a member to access this content.

    View Membership Levels

    Already a member? Log in here
  • ·

    Rainer Zierock: Visionary Provocateur

    ByRainer Schäfer

    If Emilio Zierock finds it hard to talk about his controversial father, you can’t tell by listening to him. He speaks with remarkable openness about the man. Rainer Zierock, who passed away in 2009, was a brilliant visionary, but also in all likelihood the grandest provocateur in post-war German and Italian viticulture. The powerfully eloquent and often choleric Zierock was considered an eccentric of note, and one who went after everyone. More than a few people also consider him a misunderstood genius, far ahead of his time. His influence on the young wine generation, and particularly the natural wine scene,…...

    Membership Required

    You must be a member to access this content.

    View Membership Levels

    Already a member? Log in here

  • Cans with a Plan

    ByValerie Kathawala

    Djuce first entered my periphery late last year at the New York City iteration of Karakterre’s natural wine fair. Amid a cheerful invasion of producers from what has winningly been dubbed “the Austro-Hipsterian Empire,” I narrowed my focus to taste at some touchstones of Austrian natural wine — Judith Beck, Zillinger, Heinrich, Meinklang, Nittnaus, Weninger. Hurrying between offerings of electric-amped Grüner Veltliner and ethereal Blaufränkisch, I brushed by a small table stacked with slim, colorful cans and a paper sign that read “Djuce.”  I paused just long enough to register an internal eye roll at what I assumed was the bro-culture spelling and reflexive ecoism of yet…...

    Membership Required

    You must be a member to access this content.

    View Membership Levels

    Already a member? Log in here
  • ·

    Wish You Were Here! Love, Bodensee

    ByChristoph Raffelt

    Ask a German about their favorite domestic vacation spots and Bodensee — aka Lake Constance — routinely sits near the top of the list. The country’s largest lake offers plenty of water and winter sports, proximity to Switzerland and Austria, the island of Mainau, and the Reichenau peninsula with its medieval history and churches.  Then ask about dream winegrowing destinations, and watch Bodensee slip way, way down the list. With a reputation for simple wines that do little more than embody lake life, it is no wonder that in recent times Bodensee has struggled to be taken seriously. But a small group of young…...

    Membership Required

    You must be a member to access this content.

    View Membership Levels

    Already a member? Log in here

  • Still A Place For Prädikat?

    BySamantha Cole-Johnson

    The one piece of German wine law I thought I fully understood was the Prädikat system. First, I memorized the Prädikat levels. Later, I memorized the minimum must weights. I pushed aside my frustration that the sweetness of a wine did not correspond with Prädikat level — accepting that residual sugar wasn’t part of the system.  Before visiting Germany, I never expected that the lack of consistency in sweetness for Prädikat wines would be an ongoing point of tension in the very country that came up with the system. Or, that by prioritizing origin over Oechsle degrees, Germany’s renowned wine organization Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) would in essence dismiss the…...

    Membership Required

    You must be a member to access this content.

    View Membership Levels

    Already a member? Log in here