From Tokyo to Rheinhessen: German Whites & Sushi

Join Marly as she hosts this ALL WHITE WINE event.

Since last summer I have been obsessed with the new wave of German white wines hitting the market. My first German Chardonnay (who knew the Germans made Chardonnay?) was where this journey began for me last August, when I fell in love at first smell with Moritz Kissinger's full & fruity reductive Chardonnay. Kissinger in Rheinhessen has a cult following and his Chardonnay sold out quickly when it just was announced in NY stores. I got one of the last bottles of this year's release to serve at this dinner. And I was able to procure his newly released sparkling wine to start, also from Rheinhessen, along with a 3rd wine from that region from another producer. Finally, at my last sushi dinner I served a Chardonnay from Franken which was sublime, yet that bottle is no longer available in the U.S. so instead we'll be trying a Franken Riesling from a popular producer.

For this dinner we’ll be going to a newly-discovered sushi spot in the West Village called Mido Omakase, a restaurant where "each course is a story crafted with precision, served with elegance, and designed to immerse you in the spirit of Japanese culinary artistry." What I like about this restaurant is the refinement of the pieces, the rice, the freshness of the fish, the service and the use of fresh Japanese wasabi. Choose either 15 pieces for $100 or 18 for $150 plus tax & tip. They also have sake available by the glass. Note: This restaurant does not offer a la carte sushi as a meal. If you sign up, be prepared to order an omakase. And if you don't like sushi or white wine, this is not the event for you! One additional note: Due to the delicate nature of sushi paired with white wine, please try to avoid wearing perfume or cologne to the dinner.
https://midojapanesegroup.com/mido-west-village/

This 6-person dinner will include 1 German sparkling wine and 3 German white wines, 75% of them from Rheinhessen and all by exciting producers. I have served German whites at previous sushi dinners and the wines tend to pair quite well.
** The cost of this event is $65 and is for the cost of the wines and the corkage only.

NOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It is annoying and confusing, but there is nothing I can do about it. It comes to approximately $4 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. MEETUP+ members are exempt from this charge.

Just a reminder of our usual rules:
You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip) which will be 1 omakase meal and any extras pieces ordered.

Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $5 service fee.

The Wines (notes will be distributed at the dinner):
1. Moritz Kissinger Extra Brut Nature “Winzersekt” No. 4 NV, Rheinhessen, ABV 12% - $54
A beautifully precise German sparkling wine crafted from Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir grown on clay, loess, and limestone along the Rhine. The base vintage is 2023, enriched with a solera portion reaching back to 2018. Hand‑harvested and traditionally bottle‑fermented, it rests 18–30 months on the lees before being disgorged without dosage. The result is vibrantly fresh and structured, with a clean, uncompromising Brut Nature profile — mineral, lifted, and wonderfully pure. Sushi pairing note: Its razor‑clean Brut Nature style is ideal for nigiri and sashimi — especially lean fish like hirame or tai — where bubbles and acidity reset the palate between bites.
2. Fürst Riesling “Pur Mineral” 2024, Franken, ABV 11.5%- $43
From a producer renowned for crystalline German Chardonnay, this Riesling is grown on stony soils and vinified with the same meticulous care as Fürst’s top wines. Fermented dry in large wooden casks or stainless steel, it lives up to its name: elegant, linear, and driven by pure minerality. A precise, stone‑inflected expression of Riesling that emphasizes texture and clarity over fruitiness. Sushi pairing note: Its dry, mineral profile is excellent with delicate, subtly sweet fish like scallop or amaebi, and it handles wasabi more gracefully than most wines.
3. Weingut Saalwächter Silvaner “Alte Reben” 2023, Rheinhessen: Ingelheim au Rhein, ABV 10-13% - $48
Sourced from 50‑year‑old vines rooted in limestone, this is Saalwächter’s most incisive and refreshing Silvaner. It’s feather‑light yet stern, with smoky and herbal phenolics, pine‑needle and forest‑floor aromatics, and a salty, gripping acidity. Citrus and yellow fruit sit subtly beneath the structure. Carsten Saalwächter calls it his “Saalwächter water” — essential, elemental, and best with a brief decant to reveal its depth and clarity. Sushi pairing note: The herbal, smoky phenolics and saline edge make it a brilliant match for richer or more aromatic sushi — think toro, unagi, or anything brushed with tare (タレ).
4. Moritz Kissinger Chardonnay 2023, Rheinhessen: Tafelstein vineyard, Uelversheim, ABV 12.5% - $87
The 2022 bottling of this wine is what started me on the obsessive path of modern German whites. From limestone‑rich, riverfront parcels in Uelversheim, this Chardonnay shows depth, tension, and a refined structural core. Old vines and constant Rhine breezes contribute to its precision. Aged 12 months in oak and 6 months in stainless steel, then bottled unfiltered, it is energetic and complex — the successor to the Kissinger Chardonnay featured in the New York Times. Expect a classical yet reductive profile with a long, finely etched finish. Sushi pairing note: Its subtle oak and limestone tension pair beautifully with buttery textures — think chutoro, salmon belly, or anything lightly torched.