Elbling: Is This Grape Really 2,000 Years Old? | Stephan Steinmetz, Obermosel

Elbling was once one of the most planted grapes in Germany, and some say it goes back to the Romans. DNA says otherwise, but it is still one of the oldest German grape varieties. Today it is almost only found on the Obermosel, along the Luxembourg border. I tasted the 2024 Elbling from Stephan Steinmetz in Wehr: light, lemony, high in acidity and only 10 % alcohol. 🎥 My interview with Stephan Steinmetz:    • Weingut Stephan Steinmetz: Elbling & Créma...   🍷 In the glass Stephan Steinmetz, Elbling 2024 · Mosel (Obermosel), Germany · 10 % alc. · organic 🧬 The grape Elbling is an offspring of Gouais Blanc (Heunisch), like Riesling, Chardonnay, Furmint and Räuschling. The second parent is unknown; a link to Traminer was suggested in 1998 but never confirmed (VIVC, Wine Grapes). The old idea that it is the Romans' Vitis albuelis, mentioned by Pliny the Elder, is not proven. It was probably born in the Rhine Valley. A prolific early ripener with high acidity, it is often used as a base wine for sparkling. 📍 Where it grows About 440 ha in Germany, almost all of it on the Obermosel (Wines of Germany, 2023). In Luxembourg it was once almost the only variety; today 58.6 ha are left (IVV). 📖 Source: Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz ⏱ Chapters 0:00 An ancient grape 0:54 Origins and genetics 2:42 Where it grows today 3:32 The winemaker: Stephan Steinmetz 5:41 In the glass 6:16 The nose 7:18 The palate 8:08 Final thoughts The Wine Grapes Project: tasting all 1,368 grape varieties, one bottle at a time. 🌐 https://uncorkmywine.com #GermanWine #moselwein