Well friends, I had hoped this year would be different, but it looks as though I will never make it out of zee house on St. Patrick’s Day! Today I made a trip to zee market und everyone was stopping me, wanting to take a picture with zee “leprechaun.” I find it easier to just take zee pictures than explain I am simply little, not little und hiding mein pot of gold.
As you can see from this previous blog, this is a reoccurring issue for me. Apparently, mein luck has run out.
Photo by Bernt Rostad
Many of zee questions I get are from people who are learning about wine. It’s always wunderbar to help someone develop their understanding of Riesling. Did you know I have an entire section of zee website for learning about Riesling?
Part of mein job as a wine ambassador is teaching. I get so many wunderbar questions from those of you who want to learn more about wine. When I respond I point people to zee little German University section of mein website, where you can learn more about Riesling.
Sometimes, though, I notice a lot of people asking zee same question, so I like to post zee answer for everyone to see! Many of you have asked me recently, “Is Riesling a region or a grape?” Here is mein answer on a previous blog post. Enjoy, friends!
A lot has changed in zee wine business over zee years, und at Schmitt-Sohne we strive to be innovators in our field. However, there is one thing that has not changed — our wunderbar work ethic.
Today is Employee Appreciation Day, und I wanted to take a moment to say that I am so proud of zee good people I get to work with every day! Zee Riesling grape may be late-ripening but that doesn’t mean we are not hard at work all year round! Through zee cold of winter our employees have worked to ensure zee highest quality grapes!
Right now they are mostly spreading fertilizers und plowing zee fields to aerate zee soil. Zee most exciting part? We may start to see budbreak this month!
Take a look at mein blog post “A Year in Zee Life of a Grapevine” to learn more about all of zee hard work done by our employees! For an inside look at zee happenings at Schmitt-Sohne, follow me on Twitter.
Friends, I have been surfing zee web und looking for ideas for mein Super Bowl party und I must say that I am very excited about a few recipes. Who knew there were so many ways to make food look like footballs? So far I am making these dishes:
Spicy Sweet Deviled Eggs, also decorated like little footballs.
Mein favorite of these must be zee little football field! I, of course, will be serving mein Blue Bottle Rieslings, und might just put out a bottle of each so mein guests can pour whatever they want.
So I am almost finished, friends. However, I am looking for a little something else! What plans do you have for zee Super Bowl? Do you have any good recipes you could share? Please post them on mein Facebook wall und let me know who you are cheering for!
I received a wunderbar question in zee e-mail und I think I should share mein answer with everyone because it’s about zee one day we all clink our glasses und say “cheers” – New Years Eve.
Zee question:
Hello little German,
A few months ago I tried my first glass of Schmitt Sohne Riesling and loved it. It’s not too sweet and I love how well it goes with a variety of foods. However, while I had the Qualitatswein, which is labeled “Crispy &Fruity,” I recently learned there are actually four Schmitt Sohne Rieslings. So far I have tried the Qualitatswein and the Kabinett (and I loved them both).
I am attending two events for New Year’s Eve, a dinner and then a party afterwards. For the dinner, guests are encouraged to bring a bottle of wine or dessert. I want to bring a bottle of Schmitt Sohne, but I am not sure which wine to choose. We are having a spread of Thai food.
I am also taking a bottle of wine to the party, where I know we will have a fondu pot with chocolate to dip cheeses and fruits.
Help, little German! I don’t want to be the person who brings a dessert wine to dinner!
Molly
Chicago, Ill.
Friends, I know Molly is not alone with this question, as I have had similar e-mails recently. Here is mein answer:
Molly,
Danke for trying mein wines! I am so pleased that you enjoyed both of them.
It sounds like you will be having quite zee spicy meal for dinner! Normally, I recommend zee Qualitatswein for lighter foods, und it actually goes quite well with hot und spicy foods, too. But since you have had that one, why don’t you take zee Spatlese? It is amazing with Asian foods, und it will be a hit with zee dinner guests, so you might actually need an extra bottle!
As for zee party, I will give you two recommendations. Zee first is to bring along a bottle of mein Auslese. If you are like me und like to munch on zee cheeses, this wine will compliment those with it’s hints of apricot, honey und nectarine. Another tasty wine is zee Kabinett. It’s light bodied with a tart apple flavor, und will still pair well if you decide to eat a piece of fruit or two. Whether you choose zee Auslese or zee Kabinett, you can’t go wrong for zee party.
Danke for zee question, Molly! Be safe during zee celebration!
little German
For being such a little guy, I am bringing in zee New Year in a big way! No, I will not be in zee Big Apple, friends. Not even New York City can top this one. I’ll be at zee Brandenburg Gate for a fireworks show with well over a million other people! That’s right, I am attending zee biggest New Year’s Eve celebration in zee world!
Zee party stretches for well over a mile, und has multiple stages for entertainment. There will be internationally known stars, laser light shows und a wunderbar fireworks show at zee end. If you’re interested you can watch zee fireworks live online. Berlin’s countdown will be at 6 pm Eastern Time in zee U.S. You can tune in while you’re getting ready for your night und try to spot me!
Friends, I would love to know what everyone is doing in celebration of zee New Year. Let me know on mein Facebook page und share photos of your celebrations if you’re drinking a Schmitt Sohne wine! Most importantly, celebrate responsibly!
Last year I wrote all about great gifts for zee friend who loves to host zee party. I think by zee end of December I had gifted everything on zee list, well, except for zee diamond-studded Lederhosen!
No matter how early I start shopping, it seems like I always have a few people who are hard to buy for because they already have everything. I keep thinking about how mein mother always told me it was better to give than to receive. With that in mind, I have decided to do something a little different this year.
For mein friends und family I am purchasing Just Give gift cards, which allows them to choose a charity to support. I am also giving everyone a bottle of Schmitt Sohne Riesling with a little German holiday ornament und zee donation card tied around zee bottle’s neck.
What do you think of mein idea, friends? Do you have any suggestions? Please share your ideas with me on mein Facebook page.
It’s Christmas time again, mein friends! For many of you it started with shopping on Black Friday, but in Germany we start with zee Christmas preparations on zee eve of St. Nicholas Day, which is December 6. Zee adults make tasty cookies und cakes und enjoy Glüewein. Zee children place a shoe by zee fireplace or outside zee door und St. Nicholas, zee patron saint of children, will fill it with tasty treats if they have been good, or twigs if they were bad.
When I was a littler little German I always considered using one of mein father’s boots for this German tradition. You just can’t fit much in mein little shoes! But I never did for fear I would get a big boot full of twigs for trying to trick St. Nick!
To many Germans, Christmas is one of zee busiest holidays of zee year. It all starts with Advent, und zee Christmas markets open, we make Christbaumgebacks (German Christmas pastries) und so much more! Oh, it’s just too much for one blog mein friends! If you want to read more about German Christmas traditions, click here.
One of mein favorite German tradition is making gingerbread houses! Mein mother und I always made ours from scratch.
What are your favorite holiday traditions? Please share them on mein Facebook page.
Mein friends at RELAXNation recently wrote about some tasty cocktail recipes und I just had to share with you mein friends. I love finding new drinks for mein holiday parties, und I will certainly be serving zee “Cool Red Apple” und this Glühwein recipe that has Fünf Sweet Red soon. There’s also a Chilled Mulled Riesling recipe, which I found to be particularly interesting und quite tasty.
Zee Glühwein recipe was particularly special to me. It’s common to find this mulled wine in Germany at this time of year. Served hot, it warms up zee bones on those cold German nights! Whenever I smell cinnamon und cloves always reminds me of home, as they are crucial parts of this recipe.
Oh, und speaking of zee mixed drinks, I’ve also been keeping an eye on zee recipes you have submitted to zee Mix It Up with Fünf contest. Boy, there are really some tasty ones on there, too! I can’t wait to see what else you submit!
What kind of cocktail creations are you serving up for zee holidays, friends? Please share your favorite recipes on mein Facebook page.
Mein friends, we get many questions mailed to us here at Schmitt Sohne. You never know what you’re going to see, from “Where does zee little German buy his hats?” to “Exactly how little is zee little German?”
Of course many of zee inquiries are about our fine products, und I noticed a couple of you with Celiac Disease und Wheat Allergies asked zee same question recently:
“Little German, are any of your wines gluten free?”
Why yes, friends, they are! I am happy to tell you that all Schmitt Sohne wines are 100% gluten free! You can enjoy mein wines with total peace of mind.