September 2006 Market Report [click for PDF]
Recipes - Monthly Prizes

For past issues of the Market Report, visit our Market Report Archive!

Club DLM card is required for all sale prices. In the event of a typographical error, in-store prices will prevail.

Exciting Discoveries in German Wines
Notes from Todd’s First Trip to Germany

In early June I made my first trip to the wine regions of Germany. I have to be honest; I did not have high expectations, what with visiting and learning firsthand in the extraordinary growing regions of France, Italy, and the western United States. I was completely blown away and found myself mesmerized by the people, the food, the wines, and the challenges faced by the growers farming the steep hillsides on which the grapes are grown. Easily one of the favorite regions I have visited!

Traveling the wine-growing regions of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, the Mittlerhein, the Nahe, Rheinhessen, Rheingau, and the Pfalz with German wine expert extraordinaire Terry Theise, I had the pleasure to witness firsthand how difficult the terrain in these regions can be, due to the fact that most of the vines are planted on very steep, rocky, south-facing slopes in order to allow the grapes to fully mature.

For those of you not familiar with Terry Theise, of Theise Estate Selections, he is easily one of the most prolific and dynamic importers of artisan German wines, as well as of Austrian wines and small-grower Champagnes. Among many press accolades, Mr. Theise was named “Best Wine Importer” in the October 2005 issue of Food & Wine in which they state, “No one man introduced more Americans to more great wines they didn’t know they wanted than Terry Theise…He stands out because he combed one of the least fashionable wine regions in one of the least fashionable wine producing countries and discovered iconic bottles.” I agree, and I found Terry to be genuinely moved and impassioned by not just the wines, but also by the families involved; he wore his heart on his sleeve and you could feel the mutual feeling the German producers hold for him.

The wineries we visited were all small, family-run operations, usually with several generations of family living on the same property, and all showed unbridled enthusiasm and passion for their wines. The Riesling from the 2005 vintage is going to be spectacular, and we feel we have the very best coming to Dorothy Lane Market and available to you later this month.

Tasting literally hundreds of wines during this trip, from not just the great ’05 vintage but nearly every decade right back to the glorious 1937 Auslese from Mosel producer Bruno Schmitt of Carl Schmitt-Wagner, I came to the conclusion that white wine can often lend itself to nearly any dish or situation better than red wine! The 1937 in particular was so fresh in character, it could have easily been mistaken as having been a fairly recent vintage! Speaking of this winery, Herr Schmitt, who was seven years old when his father made the ’37, and his wife were so hospitable, as were all the producers visited, that they poured, among others, a ’71, ’75, ’76, ’86, ’89, ’90, ’95, and ’97 in Spätlese that were beautiful! Quite frankly, I never tasted a corked or off bottle, save the Bordeaux magnum we had at dinner. While standing in the vineyard, Bruno just casually mentioned that this was the very same vineyard from which as a young man he had watched General Patton’s army advance to his village from the opposite hillside – what history! Another highlight in the Mosel was the fantastic Riesling selection from Johannes Selbach. I was surprised that no one in party had a heart attack climbing the steep, slate-strewn vineyard high above the town of Zeltingen to the site overlooking the Mosel where Barbara Selbach had our tasting.

The Nahe was a super highlight, with the wonderful wines and personalities of Donnhoff, Hexamer, and Diel, but for sheer family fun and passionate wines I was smitten by the family of Stefan Rumpf of Kruger-Rumpf. Between the wines made by Stefan and his sons, and the incredible food dished up by Frau Rumpf, who runs the small diner from the family home, I could have stayed forever!

In the Rheingau, the Spreitzer brothers were inspiring, and the seemingly larger-than-life persona of Josef Leitz was infectious, as was his passion for the terroir of his vineyards, and I so enjoyed his enthusiasm for aromatics. From his vineyard, high about the Rhine River, nestled amidst the centuries-old castles, you can see where the Nahe, the idyllic river which flows through one of Germany’s great wine regions of the same name, flows into the mighty Rhine. Each wine I tasted, in its own way, captured the clarity and freshness that the unique, complex soils of the region presented, and they are among not only the greatest white wines in the world, but also the most food-friendly.

Look for Dorothy Lane Market to have 2005 vintage Riesling Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and Eiswein from:

Mosel: Selbach-Oster, Heribert Kerpen, Willi Schaefer, A.J. Adam, and Carl Schmitt-Wagner

Nahe: Donnhoff, Jakob Schneider, Weingut Hexamer, Kruger-Rumpf, Schlossgut Diel

Rheinhessen: Strub and Weingut Geil

Rheingau: Josef Leitz and Spreitzer

Pfalz: Müller-Catoir, Herbert Messmer, Koehler-Ruprecht and Kurt Darting

SPECIALTY CHEESE

BAKERY

HEALTHY LIVING

Back-to-School with Fish Oil
It’s time to send your children back to school. You are no doubt busy buying new clothes, backpacks, school supplies, and fish oil. What? Fish oil isn’t on your list? Maybe you should consider it.

Fish oil is an omega-3 fatty acid which is considered to be essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. It must be obtained from food or supplements. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician, “Generally, our diets contain not only too little omega-3, but far too much omega-6. We should cut out or reduce oils and foods high in omega-6 fats such as corn, sunflower, soy, canola and safflower oil, margarine, vegetable oil, and shortening. Supplementing the diet with fish oil will help bring the ratio in balance.”

“Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have problems paying attention, listening to instructions, and completing tasks” says John R. Burgess, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University. He wrote about a study which provides research evidence supporting the use of the omega-3 fats found in fish oils to effectively address the underlying deficiency that is present in most of these children, and that appears to be contributing to the ADHD.

Dr. Mercola suggests these three steps could greatly alleviate the symptoms of ADHD:

• Water as the primary beverage, taking care to avoid fruit juices, soda, and milk.

• Restrict sugars and grains which cause elevated insulin levels.

• Omega-3 oil, specifically fish oil, is probably the single most important nutrient for a child with ADHD to take. The brand he recommends with complete confidence is Carlson for Kids Fish Oil and Cod Liver Oil. So when making that back-to-school list, don’t forget to add fish oil.

30% off entire line of Carlson for Kids through September.

DLM School of Cooking Favorite!

1) $50 Gift Certificate for any Jewelry Purchase at Centerville Coin and Jewelry
2) $100 Gift Card to the Montgomery Inn
3) 2 Dozen Long-Stem Rose Arrangement from our Floral Department (value $79.98)

One set of prizes will be awarded at each store location unless otherwise specified. No purchase necessary to enter.