Sylvaner, grown in Germany and Alsace,  is one of those off-the-beaten-path type wines not really known for being a household variety.  It has the dubious distinction for being one of the primary grapes in Liebfraumilch, which hit its Gothic-scripted height of popularity in the 1970s when its blue bottles dominated the shelves.   Reputed to have originated from Transylvania, it was until the 1970s Germany’s most cultivated grape.

Luckily, since Sylvaner was never a household name it never had a reputation to overcome.    And today, it is a very difficult to find wine.  A quick search on Binny’s web site yields one result but onlywhen spelled with an “i” instead of a “y”, and Wine Searcher brought 88 hits in the 2008 vintage nationwide.

Biodynamic since 1998 and certified since 2000 Domaine Dirler-Cade is a certified biodynamic producer, even using horses to plow fields.  Like many Alsatian producers it is known more for Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer, and Pinot Blanc.   I’ve tried their Riesling, though the Sylvaner is most memorable.  With a golden inflatable water slide yellow color, the Sylvaner had apples, hints of peaches, stone, and gravel with a chickory finish.   The wine could have used a bit more acidity, but I felt that the expression of terroir and stone finish balanced it out.

I bought this from Sam’s on clearance for less than $20, and I believe the wine is nowhere to be found in Chicago. If it could be found, it has a lot of life in it at the young age of six.

–by Brian Ziegler