Beethoven`s will

by Peter Ruedi

No traditional tavern which doesn’t boast a famous person as its guest, Let alone Goethe. There are numerous places between Basel and the Gotthart-Hospiz where he is said to have stayed the night or had a meal during his three journeys through Switzerland. That’s why the label of a Riesling which is decorated with Beethoven’s head (even if in the size of a stamp) makes us cringe in the first moment. Actually the deaf Titan had worked on his 9th Symphony at Pfarrplatz in Heiligenstadt/Grinzing in 1917.  Well, medical historians argue whether he died of alcohol abuse or lead poisoning (possibly of both as lead sugar was added to inexpensive wines at that time). He had certainly drunk a lot, like Goethe. Even if “four bottles of Rhein wine” didn`t have the same alcohol content as today. Anyway, we would have wished Beethoven a longer life and wines of the quality of the present resident of his former dwelling, the Winery Mayer am Pfarrplatz, produces. For example the Riesling 2008 from the nearby Nussberg. Even a drinker, who apparently cares only for the substance (in this respect we may impiously and in a fundamentally democratic way neglect the differentiation between Beethoven and a jerk) would be affected by a ban to pour the wine. I love Riesling of any provenance. But I rarely came across one which combines mineral freshness with such a fruit volume, an almost cello-like soundboard. Perhaps a little too much vibrato (say sweetness). However, what kind of transparent diversity, what concentration! Whatever you may think of rankings in the course of public tastings: It is perfectly comprehensible that this Viennese wine drove many renowned Rieslings from Germany, Alsace, Wachau or Kamp Valley from the field. Even if at the International Wine Challenge in Vienna a local gusto may have played a positive role. Forget it! Like Beethoven on the bottle.

Author: Peter Rüedi, Die Weltwoche, published on March 4th 2010