Though the Leitz (pronounced "lights") family winery in Rheingau, Germay has been in business since the 18th century, but it was not until 2016 launched their line of Non-Alcoholic wines. The impetus for this move came from Johannes' doctor, who urged him to decrease his alcohol intake for his heart condition. A further request was made from his good friend - a Michelin-starred Chef in Norway, who begged him to make a non-alcoholic wine for his restaurant, as the penalty for a DUI in Norway is 10% of one's income.
By good fortune and coincidence, Leitz's hometown of Rudesheim is also home to a famous distillery, Asbach Uralt. It is here in the 1900's where winemaker Carl Jung (not to be confused with the psychoanalyst), invented vacuum distillation, a process (by placing the wine in a strong vacuum) which made it possible to lower the temperature in which alcohol could boil off without harming the quality of the wine. Jung patented his revolutionary process of vacuum distillation in 1907. Since then, Germany has perfected this process and continues to be the leading force behind non-alcoholic wines. Thus, we present you, "Eins Zwei Zero".
Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Sparkling Riesling is farmed with Fair N' Green Sustainable vineyard practices, grown on loess and loam soils, on south-facing vineyards in the Rheingau. Vinification is done in stainless steel, after which dealcoholization takes place. Carbon Dioxide is added back in after distillation to introduce bubbles. This sparkling wine is slightly off-dry yet well-balanced by its tantalizing high acidity, and is a mere 20 calories per glass.
As served in a glass, the nose is fragrant and greets you with notes of pear drop, Honeycrisp apple, lemon, and elderflower emanating from the glass. On the palate, there is more pear, citrus and elderflower to savor. The bubbles are fine as they coat and caress the palate, leading to a lingering finish with more of that lovely elderflower.
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