Markus Ruch
Swiss wines remain rare on the international wine scene. But a new generation of talent committed to uncompromising work and meaningfully sustainable viticulture is slowly…
Volume 05, Then & Now
May 2021
Dear Readers,
Over the last year, time has taken on a disconcertingly elastic quality. Now with doors and windows wide open, it’s time to review and reassess what has already come and what still lies ahead. This perspective fueled the volume you now hold in your hands. We found ourselves looking at patterns in the wine world, tides that are reshaping the floor beneath us, even as they carried some things on to shore and sent others out to sea.
In Vol. 05 you’ll find music scholar Ronald Merlino reassessing Beethoven’s life and works in the context of Viennese wine culture. Joyce Lin questions the definition of comfort food and in doing so, finds a wine pairing that gives fresh meaning to an iconic Taiwanese dish. And legendary importer and author Terry Theise reflects on insights gained from a life devoted to German and Austrian wine.
We then shift to an examination of how the past is shaping the future. This kicks off with Steven Sidore’s sharp review of the winners and losers of the freshly inked German Wine Act. Our Swabian-based reporter Katharina Matheis taps into the small-grower renaissance in organic and biodynamic farming in Württemberg. Writing from Berlin, Eva Biringer explores the German capital’s new embrace of alcohol-free life. And Paula Redes Sidore rides the currents of Swiss wine trends with ambassadors Stephen Reinhardt, Marc Almert, and Yvonne Heistermann.
Beyond that, from Vienna, Daniela Dejnega shares three insider picks from Carnuntum that should be on everyone’s lips. From Switzerland, Daniel and Liliana Schönberger take us into the hidden world of Swiss wine and cider grower Markus Ruch, whose iconoclastic takes on both are making waves in the country’s northernmost AOC.
We are, as ever, awed and humbled by the generosity and talent of our contributors and partners, and grateful for the support you, our TRINK community, give us. We welcome your feedback, interests, and story pitches. Please drop us a line at [email protected].
Happy Reading!
Paula Redes Sidore, Bad Honnef
Valerie Kathawala, New York
