General Assembly WiSe 25/26 - Everything Kabi
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General Assembly
As the semester drew to a close, we gathered for an evening that felt both reflective and forward-looking. A chance to revisit some of our most memorable moments, celebrate achievements, and set the tone for what lies ahead.
We began with a recap of the past months, retracing a journey that was as diverse as it was enriching. Our exploration started in South America, where Lucas Nolte and Manuela Parpineli guided us through a vibrant tasting that showcased the continent’s dynamic wine scene. From there, we shifted to Europe with an evening dedicated to Italian Reds, led by Ole Taplik from Garibaldi, who brought expertise, professionalism and enthusiasm to the table.
Another highlight came with a tasting of some wines from Von Winning, made possible through the support from Sebastian Seitz of True Wine, offering us a deep dive into expressive and character-driven wines. Yet the undeniable pinnacle of the semester was the Egon Müller tasting, presented by Isabelle Müller herself. A truly exceptional experience that left a lasting impression on everyone present.
We also crossed the Atlantic once more for a Californian Tasting curated by Emanuel Schürer and Keith Vreeland. This session was particularly special, as it followed an Academy Session by sommelier Justin Leone of Sticks and Stones, who introduced us to the nuances of Napa Valley, adding valuable context to the wines we later enjoyed.
On this note: Thanks to all the amazing people who made all of this happen! From sponsors to board members or other committed people in our community, without you, this club would not be nearly as great and exciting!
Beyond tastings, the semester brought a remarkable competitive achievement. Our TUM team—Lucas Nolte, David Steck, and Harris Dy—secured second place at the LBBC blind tasting competition qualifyier in London this February. This accomplishment not only reflects their dedication and skill but also marks an important milestone for our community. We are incredibly proud to see them advance to the finals in Bordeaux this June and wish them all the best!
After revisiting these highlights, the evening transitioned into the election of our new board members. With a strong sense of continuity and fresh energy, we look forward to the leadership and ideas this new board can bring to our incredible community in the coming semester.
Everything Kabi (and some bubbles)
To conclude the night, we gathered for a relaxed and engaging tasting under the theme “Everything Kabi (and some bubbles)”. The following will give you some insights into this tasting:
We started off with the 2022 Riesling Brut from Griesel & Compagnie. This renowned german sparkling wine producer is located in the Hessische Bergstraße and is known for its complex and yet sharp sparklings. The wine is made from 100% Riesling grapes through the so-called “Methodé Traditionnelle”, which is also used to produce Champagne. This is why you might also hear some people calling it the “Champagne-Method”. In simple terms, still wine (base wine) is filled into the bottles where it is allowed to ferment for a second time (secondary fermentation), producing a lot of pressure as the yeast is converting the sugar into alcohol and CO2. Since this is done under a complete seal, the gas cannot escape and a sparkling wine is born. Feel free to research the exact steps of the “Methodé Traditionnelle”, it is acuatlly quite extensive and pretty interesting. Back to the wine: In this case, the wine is left in bottle for 24 months until it is being released from the dead yeast cells (lees) that gathered at the neck via a method called “degorgement”.
We were impressed by it’s relatively low acidity, knowing that the grape usually produces quite acidic sparklings, it’s note of bruised apple and some yeasty brioche notes as well. Some, however, noted that the perlage (bubbles) was quite underwhealming, as well as the brioche notes. Still, this was an amazing sparkling wine that showed, what germany is capable of nowadays in this exciting segment of the wine world!
After that, we moved on to the star of the day: Kabinett. We all enjoy good Kabinetts, especially because they are low in alcohol, slightly sweet and provide a lot of joy to the drinker. Especially after a long night and a lot of good wines, a Kabinett can cure you of any hangover you might have the following morning (no guarantee, try at your own risk). However, most of us do not even know where this term originated from or what it even means. So let me give you a few details.
The term Kabinett was first introduced when a small cellar (cabinet) was being built for the Count’s best wines at Schloss Vollrads in 1716 in the Rheingau region of Germany.
Until 1971, before the introduction of the german wine law, the term Kabinett was then used for the best wines of the vintage or mature wines as an attribute (Spätlese Kabinett, Auslese Kabinett, etc.).
When the german wine law got introduced, the term was appropriated as the lowest “Prädikat” and now denotes the lightest, earliest picked Riesling and is a measure of ripeness rather than quality.
The term is often misunderstood, so here are some facts for you:
- Not always sweet! Kabinett can also be dry, meaning that fermentation is not halted and is allowed to follow through until most of the sugar has been converted into alchol. This, however, is not allowed in the VDP which is why most wineries do not make dry Kabis anymore. Still, when most people talk about Kabinett, the wine usually has lower than 10% of alcohol and is slightly sweet.
- Kabis not only come from the Mosel! Other regions such as Rheingau, Nahe or Pfalz also make great Kabinett and should not be neglected!
- It does not have to be Riesling! The term Kabinett just denotes the ripeness level of the grape at harvest, which hast to be right inbetween 70-82°Oe. Kabinett is therefore also made from grapes like Silvaner, Pinot Gris/Blanc or even Pinot Noir!
We continued the tasting with the 2023 Riesling Kabinett from Dönnhoff. This wine comes from the Nahe, more specifically from a site called “Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl” in Bad Kreuznach. The name “Krötenpfuhl”, meaning “Tode(-and something)” in german, was given to the site in 1832 as todes always gathered at little puddles that were formed at the foot of the site, when it heavily rained in the winter. The clay soil is not only responsible for this phenomenon, the special soil composition also gives the wine a very unique character. Due to a lot of gravel as the top layer, a lot of heat is absorbed during the day and then given off durgint he night, resulting in the grapes ripening much quicker, making this wine incredibly juicy. At 8,5% of alcohol, an absolute delight for a warm summer afternoon. A slight hint of petrol on the nose might scream Mosel but instead of tropical fruits you can find a slightly cooler characteristic here. Notes of apple, pear and citrus, paired with the well balanced acidity, slight sweetness and fizz, make this an absolute delight.
We followed up with something unexpected. A Kabinett, completely different from what we are used to. In this case, it was the 2024 Grauer Burgunder Kabinett from Knab. This winery is Located in Endingen at the Kasierstuhl in the region of Baden. As this was a dry Pint Gris with 12% of alcohol, it showed us, that Kabinett is not always Riesling and does not always have to be sweet. However, it was hard for this wine to compete with the others in this comparison.
We ended the tasting with the status quo of Kabis – from the Mosel, slightly sweet and absolutely delicious. This was the 2018 Riesling Kabinett Rausch from legendary producer Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken out of Saarburg. This had everything you want to get out of a nice Kabi. A perfect vintage for this style of wine, nice maturity but in no way aged and still youthful, well balanced sweetness and acidity, petrol and juicy tropical fruits, especially pineapple. A perfect way to end this small but insightful tasting.
As we look ahead into the next semester, we do so with excitement and confidence. With a passionate and committed new board in place, the next semester promises to build on this momentum, bringing new ideas, inspiring tastings, and continued growth for our community.
Cheers!
