Dominik Mueller

In the evening after my Robert Mondavi tasting at the Rheingau Gourmet & Wein Festival on 2 March, my wife and I walked a few steps down the street to the Adler Wirtschaft in Hattenheim. The Adler Wirtschaft is a refined yet cosy and down-to-earth restaurant run by Franz Keller, originally from the Kaiserstuhl region in Baden. You may recognise him as the brother of Fritz Keller, who runs the family's winery and the Michelin-starred restaurant Schwarzer Adler in Baden.

Dinner at the Adler Wirtschaft

The Adler Wirtschaft offers regional cuisine, based on seasonal and local produce. Franz Keller owns a nearby farm where much of the foods are being produced, including the meat. The restaurant's extensive wine menu is a hot tip, in my opinion, as bottles are fairly priced. I found that to be the case especially for many local Rheingau wines. I ordered the 2014 J.B. Becker Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Kabinett Alte Reben (old vines) from the wine list. As I didn't finish the bottle at the restaurant, I brought it along with me and wrote the following note back at the Hotel Kronenschlösschen later that evening:

Strong lemon yellow, tending towards golden yellow. Intense, very interesting nose. Predominantly mature aromas. Honey, flowers, preserved lemon, mirabelle plum, ginger. This is impressively different. Slender and fresh mouthfeel. Bone dry. High acidity, but with strength and pull on the palate: lemon, peach, spicy ginger, yeast. Plenty of extraction. This is challenging, not a Riesling for beginners, but a lot of fun! The Kabinett lingers long and salty on the tongue. Oh yes, did I say Kabinett? It feels more like a Spätlese ("late harvest"). Perhaps that's because Hajo Becker didn't harvest a Spätlese this year. This means that in 2014, the higher qualities probably also flowed into the Kabinett. Drink from 2024 through 2039.

The food

Finally, you'll find photos of the excellent dinner course below, which turned out to be a perfect fit with the dry Kabinett Riesling. Cheers!

Lyonaiser sausage from the Bentheim free-range pig with lukewarm lentil salad and shallot mayonnaise

Fried rock octopus on pumpkin risotto with snow peas and beurre blanc

Valrhona "Guanaja" chocolate tart with mango sorbet

Crème Brûlée