Bayernbiere Bought and Drunk

Probably worth mentioning that German beer prices are almost ALL a steal compared to what we pay here in the states.
We don't really have a ton of 1/2L bottles, but a 6-pack of something like Sierra Nevada or Victory is typically around $8. Some others like Rogue or Breckenridge are closer to $10 if not more. 22oz Bombers range from $5 on the cheap side (Stone) to $12-15 for something off the wall. $20 price points are almost always reserved for something that has seen the inside of a barrel or for 375's of high-end Belgian lambics like Cantillon or Drie Fonteinen.
Not saying I agree with those prices, but that's just the reality of it. 10 years ago I thought paying $15 for a bottle of Cantillon was nuts. Now that's 1/2 price for most of them, and they disappear in minutes.
In Munich the most expensive beer I bought was was a 12oz Schorschbock 13. I paid 4 Euros for it and the cashier thought it was a register mistake. Everything else I bought (including MUCH better beers) was about 1/2 Euro each. Y'all have it good!

 

Wait... what? My interest is highly piqued. Next to Zinfandel (and the Italian equivalent Primitivo), Pinot Noir is just about my favorite style of wine, especially from Oregon. I'd never heard of German Pinot until now. I'm on the hunt!

 

As far as I can tell, there are very few very renowned vineyards that call high prices internationally, but even with them, most of their stock is sold at auctions by international buyers, nothing much is going in the domestic market...
On the other side you have more renowned makers from better regions which have high end products which go anywhere from 30 to 50euros or more, but even they always have base products which go for 10 per bottle or less.
And off course, as you already implied, small regional winemakers with Straußwirtschaften instead of tasting rooms, which are often unknown outside their village and have wines from 3-10 Euro per bottle.
Not counting Genossenschaften and Discounterwines, which is a different story alltogether.
But yeah, i personally find wine prices way more reasonable than craft beer prices these days.

 

Pinot noir is called Spätburgunder in germany. It has a very long tradition....... I could PM you personal favorites as well as more renowned examples from different regions if you'd like. It is the most common red varietal here.
I don't know which ones make it to the US though...

 

Quite interesting. When I was in Würzburg I sampled a lot of the Main Valley wines -- a few of them reds, but I wasn't as interested in wines as I am these days. Is there any chance some of the reds I tasted were Spätburgunder?

But yes, please PM me some of your favorites, I have a very good wine purveyor in my area who would probably see what's available.

 

I would like to add to this, having grown up in Wiesbaden and having a mother and extended family from Unterfranken.

SteveH, I hope the variety of german wines available in your area is much better than in mine. We get tons of great wine from everywhere else, but not much from Germany. Not sure why. The quality, variety, and value of german wines in Germany seems relatively unknown to wine drinkers who have not been there. See this: http://www.germanwineusa.com/press-trade/german-grape-varieties.html for the variety.

Hope you score with some recommendations from Lurchus. I will be back in Germany in August, and after 5 days of great beer in Bamberg, I will enjoy the wine here: http://www.rheingau.de/veranstaltungen/feste/weinwoche-wiesbaden. Always a great time.

Sorry to hijack the Bayernbiere thread with a wine detour.

 

Damnit.

You know, this one might be at my local as well. This one or the Sauvignon.

Looks like the BA community didn't bite on this one though, the original Aventinus is still the leader in the club house with a 4.33 rating. Oddly my own rating is exactly 4.33 as well. Probably one of the few instances when my palate lines up with BA as a whole.

 

It sounds like your palate if finally getting 'there'!?!

Cheers!

 

Well, that review is six years old. And pre-dates my time in Germany.

Based on my review of Prima that same year, I would say palate has changed dramatically since that time. I would say my palate then was similar to the typical BA today. Regardless I would say Aventinus is one of those beers that both the lager-lover and hop head can both appreciate. Much like Weihenstephan's Hefeweizen.

 

I think Aventinus is liked universally. Even the serious geeks know about that one and tend to like it. It's not exactly a very subtle beer, which probably serves it well. It's as strong as an ox, too. It also ages rather well so those "old" bottles sitting around from last year can (in theory) actually taste as good or maybe better than a fresh bottle.
Even back in my bigger, better, faster, more days I probably enjoyed that one as much as I do now. Maybe more.

 

Ditto that. Just not as many.

 

I liken it to Belgian quads, and to a lesser degree doppelbocks. While these are slowly slipping down the Top 250 list, the ratings seem to remain static. It's simply that more breweries are cranking out barrel-aged imperial stouts and double IPAs that are attaining high ratings, higher than the quads/doppelbocks...etc.

 

Maybe TAPX Mein Aventinus Barrique will skyrocket up the Top 250 List? It is barrel aged!!

Cheers!

 

Then Germany as a brewing nation would finally be getting "there."

 

The times they are a changin'.

Cheers!

 

I've been "there," it ain't pretty.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Cheers!

 

When "there" becomes everywhere, then, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, there's no longer any "there" there.

 

Mickey Drexler: "My personal opinion about the world is that it's homogenized”.

 

Looney Tunes King (speaking to Yosemite Sam): " Everyday the same thing: variety!"