Volume 56: the best friends edition

Illustration by Anna Vu (@goodwinecrapdrawing)
Vin de La Gamba
2022
Frauenpower Rosé
Dornfelder, Riesling, Siegerrebe, Johanniter, Müller-Thurgau
Rheinhessen, Germany

Frauenpower Rosé 2022 is the 4th vintage of the Frauenpower line, and the 2nd vintage of rosé. Dornfelder and Riesling are direct pressed while Siegerrebe, Johaniter and Müller-Thurgau are macerated for 1-2 weeks. The combined juice finishes fermentation and ages in 6000 litre old beer barrels made of oak. Bottled with just 9 grams of sugar, it has rough rather than fine bubbles, lending it an extra punch of freshness. Chill it right down and drink with the first rays of summer sun.

Learn More…
Glow Glow
2022
Pink Fizzy
Dornfelder, Müller-Thurgau
Nahe

Pink Fizzy 2022 is a fruity, smashable pét nat with a surprising structure, reminiscent of a red. The first ever pink fizzy from Glow Glow and a wine that captures the erratic weather of 2022 in a glass; a vintage that might never be repeated. Roughly 60% Dornfelder and 40% Müller-Thurgau are direct pressed together, with the dark skin of Dornfelder giving the wine a deep colour, along with the pure fruit drive typical of this grape variety. After the first fermentation finished in March the wine was disgorged to remove the biggest part of the lees, lowering explosivity and creating a different mouthfeel. A day before disgorgement the bottles were shaken, inverted and left to rest outside while the lees collected. Chilled to around 2°C, the wines were gently opened to expel the plug of lees in the neck, and topped up with more pink fizzy. Give it a gentle inversion and drink chilled, with a glass ready to catch any escaping bubbles.

Read More…
Marto
2022
Manna
Portugieser, Scheurebe, Pinot Noir
Rheinhessen, Germany

For Manna 2021, Portugieser and Scheurebe were harvested from the same vineyard, stamped underfoot as whole bunches and macerated together for around a week before pressing and ageing for one year in old oak barrels. It was Alanna’s idea to add a splash of Pinot Noir; her and Martin were drinking a lot of Robinot at the time, and they were inspired to create a light, aromatic red. The Pinot Noir grapes were macerated in whole bunches for a month and, a day before bottling, all the barrels were tasted before blending.

Read More…