Sarah attends a special wine and hiphop pairing in Wynwood…
What a breath of fresh air. Last Wednesday, Miami wine personalities Ray Sholes (Head Somm at Michael’s Genuine) and Shitty Wine Memes (@shittywinememes) joined forces with Wine and Hiphop legend Jermaine Stone to bring us a wine pairing with a difference.
German wine. Bordeaux wine. Hiphop.
In some ways, absolutely nothing about this made sense. Take two wine-producing areas: Germany and Bordeaux, which have virtually nothing in common. One is a country famed for its Rieslings. The other is region famed for its classy red blends. The common thread – at a stretch – might be that they are both seen as being fairly traditional. And then pair them with hiphop… in Miami. Right.
But it worked. This became obvious as Ray, after entertaining the crowd with his dance moves, went on to explain the components of a white Bordeaux blend. Semillon adds body, like doing pushups before date night. And Sauvignon Blanc? Like putting on perfume to make yourself pretty. Ergo, they blend well together.
And on the high quality of white Bordeaux producer Clos des Lunes’s grapes? “What does Papa John say? Better ingredients, better Pizza”.
Shitty was, as you’d expect, full of puns. Want German sparkling wine? Practice safe Sekt. And and the ideal perfect pairing for an Eva Fricke Riesling? Missy Elliot, of course. Get your Fricke on…
There are many conversations in the wine world about how to communicate wine in a way that resonates. This event was an excellent example of how that can work offline – a smart move by Wines of Germany and Wines of Bordeaux, regional bodies that have joined forces to promote their wine in the US.
Importantly, there were some good wines, too. Wine of the night was a Spatburgunder (i.e. German Pinot Noir) that has not been easy to locate in Florida. If you ever get the opportunity to try a Pinot Noir by Enderle & Moll, who are based in Germany’s Baden region, don’t turn it down. There have apparently been sightings of it at Palace Pub & Wine in Cape Coral.
Here are two picks that you can find more easily in Florida…
Eva Fricke Riesling Trocken 2020
An (almost) dry Riesling with absolutely bags of personality. Winemaker Eva Fricke started in the Rheingau, Germany, with just 0.25 hectares of land. Today she has 17. This has typical Rheingau Ripeness, with pure fruits, and steely acidity. Almost dry – just a drop of sugar to round things out. Very more-ish.
$39.99 in The Wine Wave, Broward
Cheateau de Parenchere Blanc 2020
Super classic white Bordeaux. Super reasonable price point. Combines intense herbal and slightly floral characters with ripe stone fruit. It has a pleasantly oily texture and is delightfully refreshing. 55% Sauvignon Blanc (the perfume), 30% Sémillon (the push-ups), 15% Muscadelle (more perfume). Nice!
Available online at Mr D for $18.37 per bottle
To stay in the loop about events like this, join our newsletter & keep an eye on our What’s On section. Events are added frequently.
Wine Guide Miami features interviews with both Ray Soles & Shitty Wine Memes. Take a look!
Sarah is a freelance wine educator, writer and events host, based in South Beach. She holds the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits and is a current Master of Wine student.
