Q&A: Manfred Burg, Schmitt-Söhne

Aside from being the winemaker at Schmitt Söhne responsible for their quality and style, Manfred Burg also owns a wine estate in Mosel where he produces mainly Riesling wines.

Manfred Burg from Schmitt-Sohne

What factors in your view makes a Riesling great?

In my opinion a great Riesling is both zesty with a full body, but fruity at the same time.

What regions of the world, other than your own, have the potential to produce high quality and distinctive Riesling?

Aside from the Mosel region there are other great growing areas for Riesling in Germany. These include, in my opinion, the Rheingau and the Franken area.

What is it about Riesling that means it has lasting global appeal?

What makes Riesling so appealing internationally is that it is usually low in alcohol but still offers a wide pallet of fruit aromas. It is also very versatile and can be both sweet or dry, which most other grape varietals cannot.

Is there a winemaker or wine whose expression of Riesling inspires you?

There are a lot of great winemakers and wineries that I admire. Those include Markus Molitor, Kallfelz, and Grans Fassian.

What sort of evolution in the style and popularity of Riesling are you currently seeing in Germany?

I think that there has not been a great evolution in the style of Rieslings throughout the years. German winemakers tend to be traditional and stick to their roots. However, the drinkers are discovering more and more that a fruity wine with more residual sugar can also be of good quality. A couple of years ago the common belief was that a Riesling had to be dry. I can see a slight move away from this.

How has your own approach to getting the best from Riesling changed over the years?

My production style has moved towards being more selective with the grapes that I use in my wines. I also use less cold temperatures during fermentation. Finally, I now leave the wine on the yeast longer.