It is a pleasure to announce that the German Embassy has invited us once again to hold an event at the German Embassy House! And for this event, our asparagus-themed Spring Festival dinner, we will also have the opportunity to enjoy once again the cuisine of the German Embassy’s new chef, Mikko Kosenen of Mikko Nordic Fine Foods. Chef Mikko also operates a restaurant in Washington, D.C., and was formerly executive chef for the Ambassador of Finland. Please plan to join us to share our love of German wine paired with asparagus dishes, at the German Embassy where the German Wine Society began.
Spring in Washington announces itself with cherry blossoms, migrating songbirds, and tasty ramps at farmers’ markets. In Germany, nothing epitomizes Spring like the revered white stalks of Spargel (asparagus)! The green variety is more popular in North America and tends to be available in supermarkets year-round. Germans, however, prefer the white variety that is harvested from mid-April to near the end of June (St. John’s Day), and often is harder to find in the United States. The Germans have given this harvest season its own name – Spargelzeit – and celebrate it with passion.
Rich in nutrients and very low in calories, asparagus has become a culinary status symbol for many Germans. To produce white asparagus, soil is piled up into knee-high banks, which give the fields their characteristic appearance. White asparagus grows entirely surrounded by earth, which protects the slender stalks from sunlight exposure and keeps them from turning green. This also affects the subtle flavor of it. The popular vegetable is cultivated in almost all federal states as well as in neighboring countries. In fact, Germans consume more white asparagus than their country produces, so it is necessary to import it.
Please join the German Wine Society’s Capital Chapter for a four-course asparagus-themed dinner in the German Embassy House, plus an outdoor reception with served hors d’oeuvres on the (weather permitting). Our Spring Festival dinner will feature not only the elegant vegetable in both its green and white versions, but also fine German wines, including Silvaner, known for its affinity with asparagus. We will have seven whites including two containing Silvaner grapes, a red, and a sparkling wine, representing five of Germany’s wine regions. We look forward to our return to the Embassy where our Society began 47 years ago, in 1977.
Here’s what we have planned for our Spring Festival:
5:30pm Welcoming menu: hors d’ oeuvres + Sparkling wine served at Patio
Blackened Trout Salad Wraps
Grilled Asparagus Frittata with Chive Sauce
Grilled Shrimp and Asparagus Skewers
Curry Wurst on Toast with Curry Ketchup
These hors d’oeuvres will be accompanied by the following sparkling wine:
Nv Dr. Loosen Sparkling Riesling Dr. L Mosel
6:30pm Seated Dinner: inside cantina
First (Soup) Course
Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Chive
Served with the following white wines:
2022 Kruger Rumpf Munsterer Rheinberg Kabinett Riesling Nahe (JS 91)
2021 Selbach Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Kabinett Riesling Mosel (WA 93-94)
Second (Salad) Course
Charred Asparagus, Dates, Goat Cheese Salad
Served with the following dry white wines:
2021 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Weissburgunder Trocken Mosel
2022 Weingut Keller vom Muscheligen Kalk Rheinhessen (a white Pinot Blanc/Chardonnay/Silvaner blend)
Third (Main) Course
Grilled White Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
Crispy Miso-Butter Crusted White Fish
Beef Striploin with Roasted Spring Vegetables/Potato Salad
Served with the following white and red wines:
2021 Max Müller Silvaner Trocken Franken
2017 Weingut Schnaitmann Steinwiege Pinot Noir Württemberg (WE 92)
Dessert Course
Rhubarb Sour Cream Cake
Strawberry Salad with Sabayon
Chocolate Mousse on Tart Shells
Served with the following sweet white wines:
2022 Carl Loewen Thornicher Ritsch Auslese Riesling Mosel (JS 96)
2020 J.J. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese Riesling Mosel (WA 93)
Coffee and Tea service at end, with bottled still and sparkling water provided at tables
We anticipate being joined by members of the German Embassy staff. Please take the opportunity to mingle with them and share your interests in German wines and Germany!
For security purposes, the Embassy requires a list of all attendees in advance; no walk-ins are allowed. Please remember to bring a valid picture ID.
The price for this event will be $168 for members, and $178 for non-members. You must register on our website, https://germanwinesocietydc.org. Simply confirming attendance on Meetup is NOT sufficient for a reservation.
