The wines from Hermann J Wiemer may be some of the most profound Rieslings anywhere, expressing the true exotic and wonderfully racy personality of this grape. Hermann is a native of the town of Bernkastel within the Middle Mosel Valley of Germany. His mother’s family has 300 years of winemaking history from this region. His father worked at the Geisenheim Institute in Germany and taught Hermann how to graft Mosel Rieslings onto American rootstock. Hermann developed a fondness for the Finger Lakes region of New York because of the similarities to the Mosel Valley. He founded Hermann J Wiemer Vineyard in 1979 on the western slopes of Seneca Lake with 90-acres of vineyards. Winemaking has been under the guidance of Hermann’s partner and apprentice Fred Merwarth since Hermann’s retirement in 2007, with Oskar Bynke as a co-owner.

Tasting through the Rieslings of Hermann J Weimer is a journey through time as these wines reflect the multiple layers of complexity, which is inherent to this grape. The 2022 Hermann J Wiemer Vineyard Riesling Dry is described as their “signature” wine sourced from the HJW, Josef and Magdelena vineyards. It is crystalline in appearance with an attractive floral bouquet of orange peel and citrus rind. The wine reveals an abundance of bright, freshly picked orchard stone fruits with underpinnings of apricot and white peach. The style is dry with plenty of purity and delicately balanced with acidity for freshness.

By W Peter Hoyne