With Dornfelder now under our belts and the trees about to budbreak, what could be more natural than musing a bit on a somewhat random, German, hybrid, white varietal? Scheurebe! It's fun to say (shoe-ray-bay) and even more fun to drink!
A couple of weeks ago I was inspired to bring home a bottle of the 2007 Forster Schnepfenflug A.D. WSTR Scheurebe Kabinett. That night I simply wanted a wallet-friendly pick-me-up wine. I wasn't even having anything particularly exciting for dinner - I just wanted a little something to sip while I cooked and then work well enough with whatever culinary creation I managed. Scheurebe is fairly versatile. It has a bit of weight to it (perfect for Spring), offers honey aromas, ripe peach and citrus flavors and a touch of spiced minerality. The Forster's acidity is not overwhelming, making it a solid cocktail wine: no food is required to really enjoy it.
Based on the flavor profile above, you probably won't be shocked to learn Scheurebe is a German hybrid varietal with Riesling thought to be one of the parent grapes. Often enough these wines have a touch of sweetness to them, too. The Forster, clocking in at relatively low 10.5% alcohol, certainly falls into the off-dry category. (Unlike it's Riesling parent, Scheurebe isn't known for high acidity, as mentioned above. This makes me wonder who its other parent is! As yet, it's not clear who's the daddy, as Silvaner has been recently ruled out.)
But best of all, because Scheurebe is a hardier grape than Riesling, it has staying power in the vineyard. It is resistant to the colder elements, commands decent yields, and can grow in less desireable areas. This means you can get the wine for less. Consider it "recession proof"!
Have you tried Scheurebe? What was your impression?