When you look at the picture on the label of a bottle of Tesch wine it may conjure up images in your mind of an old German winemaker continuing the traditions from previous generations of winemakers. But that impression would be far from the reality.
The man pictured on these labels is the great grandfather of Dr. Martin Tesch, a relatively young winemaker who has been running Weingut Tesch since 1996. And while the vineyard has been family run since 1723, Tesch isn’t really continuing the traditions of the past — he’s reinventing Weingut Tesch with a rock & roll sensibility.
Since taking over, Dr. Martin Tesch has done away several under-performing wine varieties and now produces mostly riesling. And when it comes to riesling, he boldly shunned the sweet rieslings they were previously known for in favor of drier riesling. The initial response when he did so was harsh criticism and a 40% drop in sales. But he quickly found a new audience for his wines and hasn’t looked back. His reinvention was ultimately a huge success.
Dr. Tesch has even written a book on riesling and rock & roll called Riesling People Volume 1. OK, “written” might be an exaggeration, since the book is mostly pictures.
The vineyard is in the Nahe region of Germany. Which, of course, is along the Nahe river.
Tesch has several different rieslings available and Unplugged is the entry level. This is a fairly subtle riesling with aromas of flinty mineral, bath salts, lime and orange blossom — which is what I like most about it. The palate has restrained fruit, lime and green apple, and pronounced mineral characteristics. The finish has a citrus and lingering saltiness. This is a very dry riesling, and as dry rieslings go it’s a good value.
Wine: Weingut Tesch Riesling Unplugged
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $15.00
Find Weingut Tesch Riesling Unplugged with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.