Winner Details

Germany & Austria White


2015: Gold 7 Silver 7 Bronze 8 Commended 5
2014: Gold 5 Silver 10 Bronze 4 Commended 10


After receiving something of a kicking from a re-energised Austria last year, this year’s Germanic section was more evenly balanced, with a selection of winsome whites across varieties, price-points and borders.

With the possible exception of  Grüner Veltliner (which has ‘done an Albariño’ over the past few years), not many customers will actively look for these wines, so by-the-glass and hand-selling with specific dishes looks to be the way to make the most of their undoubted food-friendliness.

Star Performer

Schloss Johannisberg for its two Golds and a Silver for its exceptional Rieslings

From the Tasting Teams

‘These [Grüners] would be a good alternative to your common dry Loire Sauvignon Blanc, a good opportunity to show people something a bit more interesting. They’re a little bit expensive, but they’re worth the money.’ Julian Bicknell, Hawksmoor Air Street

‘The [Franz Anton Weissburgunder] was really sophisticated – a wine that you could get really enthusiastic about.’
Sam Caporn MW, consultant

‘Riesling definitely has a place on the list outside south-east Asian food. I think you can teach people how to like Riesling and, when you do, then they trust you.’ Caroline Brangé, 28º-50º Mayfair

‘I don’t push these [off-dry] wines. If they’re on the list, if people like them, they’ll come in and buy them anyway.’ Vittorio Gentile, Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel

‘Our expectations of German Riesling were high and they were met with this flight. You hand-sell German Rieslings, and because you are guiding people as to what they will drink, when they try it they like it.’ Claire Love, Loves Restaurant

‘With Riesling it’s worth having a separate focus on the list to help explain and sell the wines.’ Olivier Marie, team leader

‘It’s astonishing how easy they are to sell. Ten years ago, most of the drinking public didn’t know what Grüner Veltliner was.’
Martin Lam, team leader

Award winners

Found 27 wines

Germany & Austria, White

Reh Kendermann, Closheim, Riesling 2011, Nahe, Germany

Gold medal winner Food Match

Texture and balance alongside freshness made this a Food Match winner – for Roast Salmon, since you ask – as well as a Gold Lister. ‘Bright, fresh, nice balance of sweetness. Great classic Riesling character with green apple, melon and petrol notes,’ said Mya Brown of Vinoteca Marylebone, with Claire Love of Loves Restaurant noting: ‘Rich, perfumed, pear fruit-driven wine with simple elegance and balance. Good finish of pear and melon.’ Thai and Japanese dishes would also match well.

£8.50 Greene King

Bründlmayer, Grüner Veltliner, Loiser Berg Erste Lage 2013, Kamptal, Austria

Gold medal winner

Classic Grüner traits coupled with a refreshing palate with good minerality led Brüendlmayer to the top. ‘Great minerality and spice aromas on the nose, good Grüner body and fruit, with candied citrus on a long finish,’ said Caroline Brangé of 28°-50° Mayfair. ‘Subtle stones-and-flowers nose, with some fleshy spice and citrus on the palate,’ agreed team leader Martin Lam. Match with prawns tempura.

£13.95 Fields, Morris & Verdin

Domäne Wachau, Kaiserberg, Grüner Veltliner Federspiel 2013, Wachau, Austria

Gold medal winner Food Match

Not just quaffability but versatility gave Domäne Wachau the Fish & Chips Food Match as well as Gold. ‘Opulent style with floral, fresh aromas and a rich, rounded texture,’ began consultant sommelier Christophe Richelet, while team leader Jade Koch noted mango, watermelon and lychee on the nose, leading to a 'juicy, ripe palate with the slight bitterness of lime zest and oranges'.

£9.17 Majestic Commercial

Dr Loosen, Wehlener, Riesling Kabinett 2013, Mosel, Germany

Gold medal winner

‘Classic,’ said Chris Wood of Chelsea Vintners: ‘Fresh green apple on the well-balanced palate, good length and depth of flavour.’ 'Intense and aromatic, with a sweet nose of apricot and Kaiser pear, this has a nice texture and fine fragrance,' said Lorenzo Abussi of Orrery, suggesting a match with crab salad, Thai food, or Asian cuisine.

£13.13 Bibendum

Franz Keller Schwarzer Adlerr, Franz Anton, Weissburgunder 2013, Baden, Germany

Gold medal winner

Elegance, texture and spice led this wine to the top. Chris Wood of Chelsea Vintners highlighted the ‘lovely minerality and chalky notes balancing the lime and floral flavours’, while Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel noted: ‘Musky, nutty notes with some orange blossom, balanced acidity and a long mineral finish.’ Match with fish pie or scallops.

£18.00 The Winebarn

Schloss Johannisberger, Silberlack, Erstes Gewächs, Riesling 2013, Rheingau, Germany

Gold medal winner

Exceptional poise and years ahead to evolve, this is ‘luscious, with a creamy mouthfeel, intense aromas and flavours of green mango, lychee, melon and kaffir lime’, enthused Mya Brown of Vinoteca Marylebone, with team leader Olivier Marie agreeing: ‘Spicy jasmine floral characters mixed with candied lemon, bergamot oil and waxy notes. Great wine, with enormous potential, superbly complex.’ 'Parnter with scallops and yuzu with miso broth,' said Caroline Brangé of 28°-50° Mayfair.

£37.50 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Schloss Johannisberger, Red Seal, Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2013, Rheingau, Germany

Gold medal winner

Opulent and delicate, a popular Gold Lister. ‘Intense, vibrant citrus, balanced freshness, pleasant residual sugar paired with cracking acid. Ticking all the boxes, brilliant,’ said an impressed Mya Brown of Vinoteca Marylebone, with team leader Olivier Marie adding: ‘Nice aromatics, with floral aspects, apple and pear fruit character and high acidity but good weight in a lovely wine.’ 'Clearly exceptional quality, and will age,' said James Hocking of The Vineyard Group.

£19.92 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domäne Wachau, Axpoint, Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2013, Wachau, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘Darker colour, with very ripe stone fruit nose and a more complex, creamy palate,’ said team leader Martin Lam, with Studio Alto’s Neil Bruce adding: ‘Good, and overtly fruitier in style, dry, silky and smooth, with pithy minerals on the palate.’

£15.29 Majestic Commercial

Bründlmayer, Zöbinger Heiligenstein Erste Lage, Riesling Alte Reben 2013, Kamptal, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘Elegant, fresh and well balanced, with pear and white stone fruit,’ began Claire Love of Loves Restaurant, with an equally impressed team leader Olivier Marie adding: ‘Amazing complexity, length and texture; crisp, lively, refreshing, almost ethereal. A model of elegance and finesse.’

£31.00 Fields, Morris & Verdin

Allendorf, Winkel Hasensprung, Riesling Erstes Gewächs 2009, Rheingau, Germany

Silver medal winner

‘Showing some bottle age, with tertiary character and white truffle complexity, hints of mothball and good body,’ began team leader Olivier Marie, with Vinoteca Marylebone’s Mya Brown adding: ‘Pronounced nose of classic petrol notes, stony mineral and tropical fruit, with a creamy mouthfeel, seamless balance and extended finish.’

£16.80 The Winebarn

Allendorf, Winkeler Hasensprung, Riesling Spätlese 2012, Rheingau, Germany

Silver medal winner

‘Typical late harvest style, elegant and delicate nose, flinty, smooth, honeyed and candied fruit, palate of orange, mandarin and apricot fruit with nutty notes,’ said Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall. 'Delicious,' added team leader Annette Scarfe MW: 'Floral with a lovely freshness. Complex.'

£13.00 The Winebarn

Fritsch, Biodynamic, Grüner Veltliner 2013, Wagram, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘Good character, ginger and sweetness, with tropical fruit notes on the nose, following through to a steely palate that’s clean and mineral,’ said Julian Bicknell of Hawksmoor Air Street, while team leader Jade Koch added: 'The palate is bright, juicy and zippy, while the nose shows aromas of flinty sea stones and minerals.'

£8.99 The Flying Corkscrew

Schloss Johannisberger, Green Seal, Riesling Spätlese 2013, Rheingau, Germany

Silver medal winner

‘Sweet honey and ripe peaches with lime and lemon zest notes, sweetish on the finish,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, with Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel adding: ‘Complex candied, mineral nose, full, citric and fresh, but needs time.’

£27.86 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Laurenz V, Charming, Grüner Veltliner 2013, Kamptal, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘Peppery, almost piquant spicy nose, tightly wound with honeysuckle notes,’ began consultant sommelier Christophe Richelet, with team leader Martin Lam adding: ‘Good, tauter style, quite tropical fruit flavours with racy acids' and Luigi Buonanno of Bianco43 saying: 'White blossom and peach blossoms, this is light and supple, with good length.'

£16.82 Bibendum

Sybille Kuntz, Lieser Niederberg-Helden, Mosel-Riesling, Spätlese Trocken 2013, Mosel, Germany

Bronze medal winner

Lukasz Walkowiak of Oxo Tower Restaurant found ‘minerality, citrus fruits, fresh acidity and an oily texture with tropical fruit on the palate’, while Mya Brown of Vinoteca Marylebone noted: ‘Intense, honeyed notes, passion fruit, melon and candied lemons with a vibrantly persistent finish.’

£20.00 O W Loeb & Co

Soellner, Fumburg, Grüner Veltliner 2013, Wagram, Austria

Bronze medal winner

‘So elegant on the nose, with floral, rose water notes,’ began Hawksmoor Air Street’s Julian Bicknell, continuing: ‘Exquisite mouthfeel, zingy, summer meadow freshness with spice and creamy hints leading to a persistent, long finish. Ace!’

£15.20 Matthew Clark

Franz Keller Schwarzer Adler, Weissburgunder Gutswein 2013, Baden, Germany

Bronze medal winner

‘Crisp, zesty, floral nose fading into lavender. Very dry with a mineral finish,’ said Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel. Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall added: ‘Blossom and fresh green fruit, delicate lemon flesh, grapey, elderberry notes for a quaffable, robust wine.’

£11.21 The Winebarn

Allendorf, Winkel Hasensprung, Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2013, Rheingau, Germany

Bronze medal winner

‘A harmonious wine that needs time to open up,’ said team leader Olivier Marie, adding: ‘Showing herbal, garrigue-like character with some weight and clay minerality. Ripe fruit spiciness, mushroomy organic notes, pleasant and complex.’

£28.95 The Winebarn

Kloster Eberbach, Crescentia, Neroberg, Riesling Trocken 2013, Rheingau, Germany

Bronze medal winner

‘Balanced, with a hint of sunny, ripe peaches, and a good palate of spice, white pepper, pears and freshness on the finish,’ said Claire Love of Loves Restaurant, with team leader Olivier Marie noting: ‘Clean, with earthy, organic minerality, like seaweed with wet chalk, and some good weight and texture.’

£11.00 Boutinot

Dr Loosen, Blue Slate, Riesling Kabinett 2013, Mosel, Germany

Bronze medal winner

‘Well-integrated sweetness, floral, tropical fruit with good rigid acidity and a juicy, fresh finish,’ said Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW noting: ‘Delicious expression of off-dry Riesling, lime and grapefruit with good balance.’

£9.42 Bibendum

Prinz von Hessen, Dachsfilet, Riesling Qualitätswein 2013, Rheingau, Germany

Bronze medal winner

‘Lovely minerals and complexity, delicious creamy mid-palate, taut and structured,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, with Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall noting: ‘Elegant and delicate, floral, well-integrated sweetness and good balance.’

£20.22 Bibendum

Knipser, Johannishof, Riesling Trocken 2013, Pfalz, Germany

Bronze medal winner

‘Floral, terpenic nose with punchy fruit character of stone fruit and apricot kernel, alongside apple and lime blossom,’ said team leader Olivier Marie. ‘Fresh, citrusy nose with tropical and orchard fruit notes, with an austere, mineral finish,’ added Vinoteca Marylebone’s Mya Brown.

£9.43 Enotria&Coe

Heidi Schröck, Weisse Löwen, Welschriesling 2012, Burgenland , Austria

Commended medal winner

Soellner, Wogenrain, Grüner Veltliner 2013, Wagram , Austria

Commended medal winner

£10.43 Matthew Clark

Schloss Johannisberger, Yellow Seal, Riesling Feinherb QbA 2013, Rheingau , Germany

Commended medal winner

Mantlerhof, Weitgasse, Grüner Veltliner 2013, Kremstal , Austria

Commended medal winner

£10.14 Bibendum

Mantlerhof, Zehetnerin, Riesling 2013, Kremstal , Austria

Commended medal winner

£12.16 Bibendum