Germany names first Riesling Fellows

Six representatives from the UK trade have been appointed as founder members of the Riesling Fellowship, a new initiative created by the German Wine Institute.

Riesling Fellow Hugh Johnson with Monika Reule of the German Wine Institute

The individuals, who were chosen for their “outstanding contributions to making Riesling popular in the UK” were announced last night in front of German producers and UK wine trade representatives during a dinner at Vintners’ Hall in London.

Introducing the initiative, which is planned as an annual event, Nicky Forrest, UK director of Wines of Germany outlined a mission to “create a group of fellows who will be able to continue and help the good work being done for German Riesling in the UK.”

The inaugural Riesling Fellows are: Nigel Blundell of importer Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies, Iris Ellman of German specialist merchant The Wine Barn and David Motion of importer The Winery, as well as a trio of wine writers in the form of Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson MW and Freddy Price.

Receiving his commemorative decanter from Monika Reule, managing director of the German Wine Institute, Hugh Johnson remarked on Germany’s rehabilitation after the damage done to its quality reputation during the 1970s and 1980s.

“Happily the suicide attempt was a failure but it took a long time for the patient to come round,” he quipped. “Happily that is now happening faster than I could ever have imagined. It’s faster in the US but we’re catching up here.”