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Deinhard Hochheimer 1935 (Rhine)
This Rhine wine (Germany) was the companion to the oldest wine that I ever drank. The story is written in outline in my scrapbook. This was Hochheimer, considered an ordinary Rhine wine. It was vintage 1935, the year before I was born.
Shortly after I moved to the Washington area, I walked on M Street in the noon hour. I passed a liquor store that had a bin in front with "clearance" bottles of wine at a low price. I saw two bottles of 1935 German wine. They were identical, except that one was labeled Hochheimer, and the other Liebfraumilch. I did not think that they would be drinkable. I bought them as curiosities, thinking that the bottles and labels might be worth the price. This was probably in 1978.
My father visited us a few months later. He had become a fan of German wine. I chilled the two bottles for dinner. I also had some other wine ready. I uncorked the Hochheimer. It was undrinkable, like vinegar. No surprise. I opened Liebfraumilch, the other bottle, and it was quite drinkable. Enjoyable, to say the least. As a bonus, it went to the top of the list of the oldest wine I had ever consumed (43 years old, and a light, white wine !). It is the only wine I have ever drunk which was older than I was.
The bottle is much heavier glass than is used now. It weighs 28 ounces, compared to 17½ ounces for a current bottle. The wine was 12% alcohol, higher than most German wine. The bottle held 22½ ounces (66 cl), less than the 70 cl bottles which were standard during my Army time, or the 75 cl bottles which are now standard for European wine.
The label has an engraving of Koblenz and the Rhine River, from the south. Fortress Ehrenbreitstein is at the right. It was built in 1817-1832, so the date must be after that.
Deinhard, the producer, is now more associated with Sekt (German champagne). Lehmann, the importer, had an address on Park Avenue in New York. It may be related to Sherry-Lehmann. a wine importer with a different address on Park Avenue, which claims to be founded in 1934.
Deinhard Hochheimer 1935 (Rhine)
This Rhine wine (Germany) was the companion to the oldest wine that I ever drank. The story is written in outline in my scrapbook. This was Hochheimer, considered an ordinary Rhine wine. It was vintage 1935, the year before I was born.
Shortly after I moved to the Washington area, I walked on M Street in the noon hour. I passed a liquor store that had a bin in front with "clearance" bottles of wine at a low price. I saw two bottles of 1935 German wine. They were identical, except that one was labeled Hochheimer, and the other Liebfraumilch. I did not think that they would be drinkable. I bought them as curiosities, thinking that the bottles and labels might be worth the price. This was probably in 1978.
My father visited us a few months later. He had become a fan of German wine. I chilled the two bottles for dinner. I also had some other wine ready. I uncorked the Hochheimer. It was undrinkable, like vinegar. No surprise. I opened Liebfraumilch, the other bottle, and it was quite drinkable. Enjoyable, to say the least. As a bonus, it went to the top of the list of the oldest wine I had ever consumed (43 years old, and a light, white wine !). It is the only wine I have ever drunk which was older than I was.
The bottle is much heavier glass than is used now. It weighs 28 ounces, compared to 17½ ounces for a current bottle. The wine was 12% alcohol, higher than most German wine. The bottle held 22½ ounces (66 cl), less than the 70 cl bottles which were standard during my Army time, or the 75 cl bottles which are now standard for European wine.
The label has an engraving of Koblenz and the Rhine River, from the south. Fortress Ehrenbreitstein is at the right. It was built in 1817-1832, so the date must be after that.
Deinhard, the producer, is now more associated with Sekt (German champagne). Lehmann, the importer, had an address on Park Avenue in New York. It may be related to Sherry-Lehmann. a wine importer with a different address on Park Avenue, which claims to be founded in 1934.