The 2nd Annual Chicago Silvaner Summit hosted by RieslingKenner is in the books! We couldn't be more pleased with the beautiful event that took place on Sunday and have SO MANY people to thank for the success of the event. We are extremely thankful to have such great support from wineries, wine importers, writers, sommeliers, and friends. Coming together in the exploration and celebration of the under-rated wines from Silvaner and for the great cause to support the incredible efforts of The Bigger Table charity.
The events kicked off with a masterclass moderated by our friend Zack Musick, a fascinating introduction by non-other than Eric Asimov, and then a deep dive into 10 different bottlings of Silvaner from different regions around the world that included Germany, Alsace, Austria, Alto-Adige, and California- lead by a powerhouse panel of 3 Master Sommeliers Jesse Becker , Elyse Lambert & Jim Bube offering invaluable insights into the wines, regions, and terroirs represented. Beautiful wines were shared from Hans Wirsching, Am Stein, Battenfeld-Spanier, Stefan Vetter, Rottensteiner, Tement, Dirler-Cade, Domaine Weinbach, Scribe, and Thorle.
Breads made and generously donated by our extremely talented friend, Martin Sorge and a Chicago style lunch interlude of delicious of Gene's Sausages with classic Chicago accompaniments (the ketchup was removed from the premises.)
The second masterclass was a producer focus on the young Silvaner sensation from Obervolkach himself, Peter Leipold. Thanks to our friend Collin Moody for his moderation and the generosity of Vom Boden in making this part of the dream come true. Peter walked our guests through his absolutely beautiful grand cru bottlings of Gässberg and Schilfsandstein in a side-by-side vertical tasting while sharing stories of family, his time at Keller, and his growth to becoming a world-class winemaker. On a personal note, we couldn't be more happy to have shared our dear friend and his amazing wines with the great people of Chicago.
What a way to start the day! More to come with the Silvaner Celebration Dinner!
by Strange_Height3188
4 Comments
That’s a fantastic lineup! How many people ended up attending?
Cool post! Are you affiliated with Vom Boden?
I haven’t gotten around to trying many Silvaners, let alone at that quality level. Still learning about Rieslings tbh
So disappointed to have missed it – I was already bummed, but now you’re telling me I missed Eric Asimov, too??? Amazing lineup, and looks like it was a great time all around!
Get some white asparagus with hollandaise in there!