Eight Rieslings. Three questions. One evening to finally make sense of what’s in the glass.
Together with a professional sommelier, we take a deep dive into Riesling – not through theory alone, but by tasting the differences side by side.
1. What makes a great Riesling Sekt?
We start with two very different Riesling Sekts and explore how they are made, what creates their individual styles and what sets them apart. Then we add three small bites and taste again: how do salt, fat and acidity change what happens in the glass?
2. Gutswein, Ortswein, GG – what does it all mean?
We taste our way through the German quality pyramid, from Gutswein to Ortswein and a mature Großes Gewächs. You’ll learn what these classifications tell you about origin and quality – and find out whether you can actually taste the step up. A warm culinary pairing shows what a mature GG can do at the dinner table.
3. Can you taste terroir?
Same grape, three places: Rheingau, Mosel and Rheinhessen. We explore how soil, climate, vintage and winemaking shape Riesling – and taste the three regions directly against each other.
And because this is Frankfurt for Cooks, we take it one step further with our Riesling Food Lab. Different flavours and textures meet all three wines: mix, match, compare and discover why one combination works beautifully while another changes the wine completely.
You’ll leave knowing how to read Riesling beyond the label, understand the German quality pyramid, recognise what origin can do to a wine – and make smarter choices when pairing Riesling with food.
Serious wine knowledge. Eight great Rieslings. Food to experiment with. No wine lecture required.
Riesling Sekt
Breuer Edition X Sekt
vs. Eymann Riesling Sekt Extra Brut
The Quality Pyramid
Werther Windisch Gutswein Riesling 2024
Eymann Mittelhaardt Ortswein Riesling 2025
Schlossgut Diel GG Riesling 2019
Terroir
Rheingau – Querbach Riesling Sur Lie 2017
Mosel – Immich-Batterieberg Riesling Escheburg 2018
Rheinhessen – Wagner-Stempel Riesling vom Porphyr 2024
This is Frankfurt for Cooks, after all – so we’re not stopping at the wine. Each of the three themes comes with small dishes and food experiments designed to show what Riesling can do at the table.
Sample menu:
With the Riesling Sekt
Potato chip · crème fraîche · chives
Parmesan gougère
Cucumber · dill · a touch of acidity
Three little bites, three very different effects: salt, richness and acidity meet two Riesling Sekts. Taste, compare – is your favourite still the same?
With the Großes Gewächs
Mushroom tartlet · brown butter · thyme · hazelnut
Warm, earthy and a little richer – a small dish that shows just how serious a mature GG can get with food.
Riesling Food Lab
Smoked trout · horseradish
Goat’s cheese · herbs
Pickled apple
A little heat
Roasted hazelnut
Fresh herbs & a few surprises
With Rieslings from Rheingau, Mosel and Rheinhessen poured side by side, it’s time to experiment. What works with which wine? What changes it completely? And which pairing wins?
Not quite a menu. Definitely more than a few snacks. Food is part of the experiment.
And yes – there will be enough of it to make sure we’re not exploring eight Rieslings on an empty stomach.
Eight Rieslings. Three questions. One evening to finally make sense of what’s in the glass.
Together with a professional sommelier, we take a deep dive into Riesling – not through theory alone, but by tasting the differences side by side.
1. What makes a great Riesling Sekt?
We start with two very different Riesling Sekts and explore how they are made, what creates their individual styles and what sets them apart. Then we add three small bites and taste again: how do salt, fat and acidity change what happens in the glass?
2. Gutswein, Ortswein, GG – what does it all mean?
We taste our way through the German quality pyramid, from Gutswein to Ortswein and a mature Großes Gewächs. You’ll learn what these classifications tell you about origin and quality – and find out whether you can actually taste the step up. A warm culinary pairing shows what a mature GG can do at the dinner table.
3. Can you taste terroir?
Same grape, three places: Rheingau, Mosel and Rheinhessen. We explore how soil, climate, vintage and winemaking shape Riesling – and taste the three regions directly against each other.
And because this is Frankfurt for Cooks, we take it one step further with our Riesling Food Lab. Different flavours and textures meet all three wines: mix, match, compare and discover why one combination works beautifully while another changes the wine completely.
You’ll leave knowing how to read Riesling beyond the label, understand the German quality pyramid, recognise what origin can do to a wine – and make smarter choices when pairing Riesling with food.
Serious wine knowledge. Eight great Rieslings. Food to experiment with. No wine lecture required.
Riesling Sekt
Breuer Edition X Sekt
vs. Eymann Riesling Sekt Extra Brut
The Quality Pyramid
Werther Windisch Gutswein Riesling 2024
Eymann Mittelhaardt Ortswein Riesling 2025
Schlossgut Diel GG Riesling 2019
Terroir
Rheingau – Querbach Riesling Sur Lie 2017
Mosel – Immich-Batterieberg Riesling Escheburg 2018
Rheinhessen – Wagner-Stempel Riesling vom Porphyr 2024
This is Frankfurt for Cooks, after all – so we’re not stopping at the wine. Each of the three themes comes with small dishes and food experiments designed to show what Riesling can do at the table.
Sample menu:
With the Riesling Sekt
Potato chip · crème fraîche · chives
Parmesan gougère
Cucumber · dill · a touch of acidity
Three little bites, three very different effects: salt, richness and acidity meet two Riesling Sekts. Taste, compare – is your favourite still the same?
With the Großes Gewächs
Mushroom tartlet · brown butter · thyme · hazelnut
Warm, earthy and a little richer – a small dish that shows just how serious a mature GG can get with food.
Riesling Food Lab
Smoked trout · horseradish
Goat’s cheese · herbs
Pickled apple
A little heat
Roasted hazelnut
Fresh herbs & a few surprises
With Rieslings from Rheingau, Mosel and Rheinhessen poured side by side, it’s time to experiment. What works with which wine? What changes it completely? And which pairing wins?
Not quite a menu. Definitely more than a few snacks. Food is part of the experiment.
And yes – there will be enough of it to make sure we’re not exploring eight Rieslings on an empty stomach.
