This June, Riesling Weeks returns for its eighth year. Organised by Wines of Germany, Riesling Weeks is an annual celebration and promotion of German wine, led by its most famous grape, Riesling. The start of summer in Germany also means that asparagus season is in full bloom. Riesling Weeks aims to showcase the versatility of these glorious white and green vegetables alongside a wide range of German wine varietals.
Riesling may be Germany’s most famous grape and a truly fabulous summer wine, but it’s certainly not the only German wine. Germany’s Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Silvaner are gaining more attention in international markets and proving the versatility of Germany’s wine lands. Riesling Weeks shines a line on Germany’s lesser-known wines in addition to the more popular Riesling and showcases the foods that pair so beautifully with them.
Throughout the month of June, restaurants will be highlighting German wine and ingredients with a series of special menus and promotions. For the full list of the 70+ restaurants, wine retailers and online wine clubs in Hong Kong and Macau participating in Riesling Weeks, click here.
The Riesling Weeks annual tasting, which will present over 150 German wines, is set to be held on Thursday, 2 July. For more information, visit rieslingweeks.hk.
Riesling Weeks cooking competition
Last year, in honour of Riesling Weeks, we took our Foodie Club members on an exciting tour of some of the Riesling Weeks participating restaurants, where they sampled some fine German wines paired with asparagus-centric dishes. This year, with social-distancing regulations in place, we had to get a little more creative. As more and more people are staying at home, we’ve seen a rise in creative recipes from social-distancing doodies. That’s why we decided to introduce the very first Riesling Weeks cooking competition. We invited home cooks and wine lovers to cook up a delectable asparagus dish and pick a fabulous German wine to pair it with. To qualify to win the prizes, entrants also had to follow Riesling Weeks and Foodie on Facebook.
Entrants could choose between a list of recipes (including a special recipe from Angelina Vogt, the 71st German Wine Queen from Nahe) or to create their own. Most chose to let their creative juices flow and created some truly enticing dishes. Those who did follow the recipes added their own personal touches.
The winners
First prize: $2,000 voucher to use at Riesling Weeks participating restaurants
Lily Miller proved herself a star baker with this homemade quiche. Lily wrote, “I love to bake, so naturally, I had to combine my love for asparagus with my passion for baking. Here comes my asparagus quiche with goat’s cheese and roasted pine nuts. Given its creamy and eggy filling, I would drink a glass (or two) of slightly acidic Mosel Riesling alongside.”
We were blown away by this quiche’s beautiful crust and how much effort Lily clearly put into making this delectable dish. Please invite us when you open your bakery, Lily!
Second prize: $1,000 voucher to use at Riesling Weeks participating restaurants
Florence Li recreated the steamed assorted asparagus in black truffle paste courtesy of Dynasty atat Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel. Florence wrote, “Recreated the steamed assorted #asparagus in black truffle paste recipe from the #RieslingWeeksHK website. Replaced the white asparagus with tofu because I just happened to have some sitting in the fridge. Paired this with a slightly chilled Pinot Noir as recommended. Love this and 100% would make again, but with a twist. Instead of black truffle paste, I’d use doubanjiang and pair it with an off-dry Riesling. Not only will the refreshing acidity cut through the pork fat, the slight sweetness will balance and mellow out the heat from the doubanjiang.”
We loved how beautifully Florence recreated the original recipe with some personal touches and recommendations. Perhaps a culinary career is on the horizon for Florence!
Third prize: $500 voucher to use at Riesling Weeks participating restaurants
Josh Greenwood took Sunday brunch to the next level with this healthy treat. Josh wrote, “A splendid Sunday breakfast frittata made with organic eggs, caramelised onions, diced capsicum and the all-important asparagus. Eggs seasoned with coriander and chilli powder, accompanied with fresh sourdough bread. As is mandatory with Sunday brunch, this dish was perfect with a sparkling New World, a German Sekt.”
This dish is packed with flavour and healthy ingredients, so there’s no need to feel guilty about indulging in a little sparkling wine. You can make us brekkie anytime, Josh!
These lucky winners have the pleasure of using their vouchers at any of these Riesling Weeks participating restaurants:
Participating hotels:
- Conrad Hong Kong (Brasserie on the Eighth, Golden Leaf, Pacific Bar) *Winners can use their voucher for Golden Leaf’s asparagus wine dinner
- Cordis, Hong Kong (Alibi – Wine Dine Be Social)
- InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong (Hoi King Heen)
- Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel (Dynasty, Mirage Bar & Restaurant)
- The Mira Hong Kong (Cuisine Cuisine, Vibes)
- The Murray, Hong Kong (Garden Lounge, Murray Lane, Popinjays, The Tai Pan)
- The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong (The Lounge & Bar, OZONE, Chef’s Table)
Participating restaurants:
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