Alsace Gerwurztraminer

The Best Wine

Alsace Gerwurztraminer
The best wine that we had in Europe was on our 21st Anniversary. Our first hotel In Kaiserslautern was the Stadthotel. The staff was friendly and helpful, even though our German language skills were very minimal. After a few days in a cramped one-room hotel, we started to look around for another alternative living arrangement - that was roomier. We settled on the Hotel Schulte. The restaurant at the Stadthotel always had wonderful aromas floating through the air. We splurged for a relaxing dinner at the Stadthotel for our anniversary. The staff was helpful - assuming that we knew very little German. The restaurant's owner came over to translate the menu but then she discovered that we did actually know some German - at least to order a meal. We spoke with the owner for a while about our special occasion. She recommended an Alsace Gerwurztraminer for our meal. It was perhaps the most wonderful meal and wine that we ever tasted. We will always remember it! Ever since, we have been trying to find the same wine. Perhaps we would find it in the Alsace region.

Honorable Mention Wine

Beaujolais Nouveau
Georges Duboeuf 1998, Beaujolais Villages - without flowers

The Worst Wine

Wine from Bad Dürkheim Region. These were consistently poor quality wines, occasionally too bitter to drink. This despite hosting what might be the largest wine fest in Germany.

The Best Beer

This was a tough choice. Beer making is very regional and each region has their own labels, taste and flavor. There are few national beers. Therefore, it is best to say that most beers were consistently better than what you can find in the United States, primarily in Germany and Belgium. Of those beers the Dunkel beers and most Belgium beers rank at the top.

Honorable Mention Beer

Pils
In general these are lighter bodied beers. Good but basic

The Worst Beer

Despite the fact that Europe has many excellent beers, they can also produce some really bad beers. For example:

Radler
This is a mixture of half beer (usually a Pils) and half lemonade.

Flavored Beers
The Belgians produce beers that are fruit flavored or with other flavors. Berlin specializes in a beer, Berliner Weisse, that can have syrup (Schuss) mixed in when you order the beer. Ask for it mit grün and a dash of a flavored green syrup is added. Mit rot is a raspberry flavored sweet drink. Yum-yum!

Bitburger
This beer, from Bitburg, is a somewhat bitter beer, even the Pils. Not my favorite.

Finally, you can by a beer that is a beer and cola mix. Now I like most cola drinks and I like my beer (if it is a good beer) but mixed together, I don't think so.

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