I’m a big fan of Kerner. Novacella was the gateway for me, and I still think it’s a great value, but I’ve since had a couple more that I think are significantly better and still not that expensive. Most notably, I’m talking about Strasserhof. Their Kerner is so refined, restrained, and mineral compared to Novacella, with more depth to it.
There’s my favorite, but there are a lot that I haven’t had, so I’m curious: what should I try? What are your favorites, and what do you like about them?
Been a long time since I’ve had one. Pretty nice grape. Stops short of going into full flowery gewurz territory which is a plus for me.
Cantina Valle Isarco makes a good one. For full disclosure i represented them a long time ago but regardless, it’s a good wine. Another quality AA co-op.
Koferhof also makes a good one from as best as I can remember. Taschlerhof as well.
One I don’t remember trying but curious about is Franz Gojer.
Castelfeder
Adding that I think it’s a safe bet to try any Kerner you’ll find imported to the US. Winemaking is generally pretty high quality throughout the region and if someone is going to bother importing a wine grape that is largely unknown, therefore not easy to sell volume, chances are that it’s going to at least be good.
I also remembered another that I repped for someone else a very long time ago: Pacherhof. Great winery. I would buy pretty much any of their whites.
Just don’t apply the same logic to Japanese kerner…generally undrinkable.
I don’t think I have ever had a German one, let alone Japanese. Some of these grapes seem to be pretty fussy about where they are grown and some have found a nice home in AA. Kerner is one and Sylvaner being another. Sometimes even the Mūller-Thurgau is pretty good there.
I suppose you’ve had Feldmarschall von Fenner?
There is a startling amount grown around Yoichi in Hokkaido, none of it good, from what I have tasted.
Who knew?! I guess I could see finer examples working well with some Japanese food but kind of funny this grape was chosen to be widely planted.
I don’t recall. I never take notes so it’s possible. I remember ripping through a bunch of wines with the winemaker one day at Santa Maddalena (not Santa Maddalena wines) but I have no idea which!
Started and stopped with Nossing, whose wines I like.
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Thanks for all the suggestions! I’ve got a lot to explore here.
Another fan of Kofererhof here.
I guess this might be the only good Müller-Thurgau I’ve ever tasted.
Never been a fan of the variety. Kerner doesn’t speak to me, either - even if it admittedly makes some decent whites. It’s just that it is like Riesling - only a lesser one in almost every way. If I want to drink Riesling, I’d rather have the full thing, not a subpar substitute.
Another Kofererhof recommendation here. Best Kerner I’ve had thus far.
Just dropping in to say that I recently had a 2022 Valle Isarco paired with TAGLIOLINI BURRO E ACCIUGHE (40 egg yolks Tajarin Piemontesi (very thin egg pasta), beef reduction, Italian anchovies, butter, Grana Padano cheese) at Belotti Ristorante in Oakland, CA. I cannot stop thinking about it and it’s easily the best wine pairing I’ve had in years.
Agreed with Manni Nossing recommendations, amazing quality and value
Not just Kerner, but they grow quite a bit of German varieties, perhaps because vines need to be winter hardy. I recently had a Kerner wine producer by Burgundy’s de Montille in Hokkaido, which was quite interesting. It was my first Kerner but it tasted like a hybrid of Muscat and Chenin with some new oak imprint when I had it in blind. Now I need to try German Kerner to compare.
I love Sylvaner from the Alto Adige.