Our selection of wines for the aperitif

We are not going to tell you jokes, concerning white wines, dry white wine is always at ease in aperitifs, especially for its thirst-quenching side, welcome with salty and a little fatty dishes which are legion at the aperitif. The main thing is above all that the wine is light, open and fresh enough to activate the taste buds of your guests without anesthetizing them, while keeping in mind to respect the rise in power of the wines that will accompany the possible meal that will follow.

Elsewhere on the Internet, some will recommend an aperitif wine made from Chardonnay, a versatile grape variety effective as an aperitif, with its buttery notes, its freshness and its aromas of white flowers. Slightly fatty, they recall the greedy side of peanuts and cashews. But we, in the Luxembourg Moselle, will try to be more original by recommending another grape variety: Auxerrois. More in color with a fresh, fruity and more complex taste, it is accompanied by aromas ranging from melon or mirabelle to floral notes, citrus or exotic fruits, quince or honey (especially for wines top of the range, aged in barrels). We can also go further by recommending a Riesling, since it is a less “confidential” variety, which is found more often than Auxerrois. With its intense minerality, it will be perfect for the aperitif. Besides, everyone has a Riesling in their cellar, right?

A rosé aperitif wine?

As soon as spring sets in firmly (no, not in 2021, no), rosé comes into play. To be favored for the aperitif, rosés close to whites in spirit, that is to say finely fruity and rather sweet. The more lively and full-bodied rosés are best enjoyed with grilled meat. And, don't be fooled by their color: if the trend is towards very pale wines, this has no effect on their alcohol level. A rosé with a more sustained color is no more alcoholic than a very pale rosé! If you had to rely on a single clue, rely on its alcohol level instead. A 12% rosé will be ideal for an aperitif, while a 14% wine is more suitable for the meal.

Our tip: Provençal rosé in color, the Lëtzebuerger Rosé from Domaine Schlink is very fresh, fruity, quite floral and well balanced. It is a pleasant and thirst-quenching blend that will be perfect for your aperitif. But the Simplement Rosé from Caves René Bentz is not left out either. Easygoing and fresh, this blend of Pinot Gris and Saint-Laurent is a gourmet wine. Soft, light and marked by blackberry acidity, this 11° wine will be at the top, for your aperitif.

A red aperitif wine?

A single watchword, always the same: stay light. As an aperitif, it is better to turn to fruity and crunchy red wines that do not need accompaniment to be sublimated. And, oh luck, although we don't have a lot of red wine grape varieties in Moselle, we have the Pinot Noir that fits perfectly. But it is still necessary that it has not been aged in barrels like a wine for aging. Forget wines that are too tannic and too woody: they would bring a certain dryness in the mouth, not very pleasant during an aperitif. Instead, prefer a very young red wine and, once again, very low in alcohol.

For a red aperitif wine, we recommend the Vin Rouge d'été from Domaine L&R Kox. This simple, unpretentious wine, made with just the right fruit, with notes of blackberries and bigarreau cherries. A perfect wine to start an appetizer.

But it will be difficult for us to recommend a Crémant rather than another among the forty (very good!) possibilities that Wäistrooss.lu offers you. So, here too, we decided to go against the grain of habits. Why not offer your guests a sparkling wine? Let's ignore the snobbery of Crémant and stop this summer on 2 small pearls from the Moselle. The first is L'Essentiel from Domaine Henri Ruppert that some of you were able to discover as a gift of their order, last month. You liked it because it is part of our good sales this month. With its fine and light bubbles, this well-balanced, very sweet and very fruity sparkling wine, vinified according to the traditional method, will perfectly fulfill its role as a natural aperitif or as a basis for a Spritz.

Another wine "of friends" as its producer Jean-Paul Krier calls it, a wine not snobbish for a penny, the Natur Pur from Domaine Krier-Bisenius. This very first natural sparkling wine from the Luxembourg Moselle (and by extension, Luxembourg) is surfing the wave of natural wines on which Paris, London and New York have already embarked. Jean-Paul's Natur Pur is a wine produced without any input being added during its vinification. No sulfur, no sugar, no sticking product (in order to agglutinate the lees to clarify the wine), no carbon dioxide ... in short! Grapes, a little yeast and ... that's it. Everything depends on the very precise winemaking technique (because the winemaker has no way of correcting what he is doing). In the end, it is a wine for sharing that can be taken down simply with good gulps. Or, do like Jean-Paul, cut with oranges or a grapefruit, in a hurry.