According to Wines of Germany, which organises the ’31 Days of Riesling’ initiative during July, ‘German Riesling is wonderfully fresh, elegant and an excellent partner for food’. The team at Hove’s frankly fantastic Fourth and Church took heed, partnering with them to create fabulous Sunday Sessions to focus on the stuff. We just couldn’t resist tagging along. After all, Fourth and Church has won Best Wine List in the BRAVO Awards for two years running, and the small plates menu is divine.
A true labour of love, the expert team at Fourth and Church dug out some gems from their cellar, sourced favourites from their suppliers and collaborated with the kitchen team to create a lunch showcasing the diversity and age-worthiness of German Riesling. In fact, the short welcome speech revealed the team’s personal mission to bust myths about Riesling. (Spoiler: they’re not all sweet but come in many varieties with markedly individual tastes and characters).
Six Courses and Six Rieslings
Our journey began with the starting pistol perfection of a home-baked, salty-yet-gooey, and still-warm pretzel, served alongside a cold Spargel (asparagus) and almond soup with tarragon oil. This was paired with a Dr Loosen Vermouth from the historic wine region of Mosel. On a rare hot day this July, it came served on ice from a bottle that features a range of aromatics. The match worked wonderfully, igniting our senses.
Hosts Anna and Paul’s passion for wine is palpable as they introduce each course, explaining the region, ageing process and winemakers’ backgrounds as the team serves each course. For wine lovers, this is access to really expert knowledge; for the less initiated – and passion trumps pretentiousness here – it’s an intriguing dive into what makes each sip taste as it does.
Sparkles and Smokiness
We weaved through a sparkling Dönnhoff Riesling Sekt, from Germany’s famous Nahe wine region, which we learned gains a subtle smokiness after being aged in oak barrels. This was served with a beautiful small plate creation of goat’s curd, leek, broad bean, hazelnut and candied lemon, with some unbelievably delicious, still-warm, pumpernickel bread alongside. There were audible murmurs of delight as our fellow diners chewed down and sipped up.
A brawn and celeriac terrine with oyster emulsion and apple ketchup harmonised with a glass of (stay with us) Ansgar Clüsserath, Trittenheimer Apotheke, Kabinett, also from the Mosel region. Anna introduced the wine as possessing a pleasing mix between acidity and sweetness.
The balance is achieved by picking the grapes just before they are ripe, meaning there’s just the right amount of sugar. This wine is spearheaded by a woman whose family has tended their vineyard for 300 years, we learn. It’s the personal nuggets of knowledge that maketh the experience. We also enjoy the wonderful tasting tips such as trying the wine when poured, then waiting till it has warmed slightly, and been aerated, to taste the difference in flavour. Heavenly.
Riesling Cream and Riesling Poached
I won’t gush about the entire menu – and every wine – though I could. But as we leaped from pickled herring artfully covered in a baked potato and crème fraiche mousse matched with another Mosel-grown Dr Loosen Riesling from world-class producer Graacher Village, to a baked trout with Riesling cream sauce and pickled peach and Hasselback potatoes with a 2020 Gunderloch, Pettenthal, Grosses Gewachs Riesling we simply couldn’t believe that our tastebuds had lucked out so fine.
And then there was a dessert Riesling – a Louis Guntrum, Nierstein Bergkirche, Auslese, which was born to get cosy with the Riesling poached apricots, mascarpone and stem ginger mille-feuille and caramelised pistachio. Feeling hungry and thirsty yet? Do, because the Sunday Sessions at Fourth and Church present a perfect way to spend an afternoon, in friendly company, absorbing knowledge, devouring dazzling food and finding your next favourite wines. There are more planned this year, so keep an eye out and we’ll see you there.
If you want to try some fabulous Riesling, head over to Fourth and Church’s online shop here.
