Müller Thurgau Wine Guide
Let’s face it, Müller Thurgau has always been an underappreciated grape variety. Its history is dotted with “not so enthusiastic” acknowledgments and descriptions. It is the typical wine that we call pleasant: fresh, fruity, with floral aromas, light body, and almondy finish.
Who invented Müller Thurgau?
It is not the wine that will drive you crazy, it is not one of the great wines that you will fall in love with and that you will go looking for in every corner of the world. Indeed many have wondered what went through the head of the Swiss Hermann Müller, a citizen of Thurgau when in 1882 he created the grape through crosses between the Rhine Riesling and the Madeleine Royale grape.
No, you will not tear your hair out for a bottle of Müller Thurgau, you will not go to visit all the cellars that produce this wine all over the globe, but once you have discovered it you will not leave it anymore. It is an excellent everyday wine for a relaxed aperitif, for a Chinese takeaway or pizza with meat or vegetables, truffle too.
It is useless to expect structured and deep wines, we must appreciate the ease of drinking and the naturalness with which Müller Thurgau enchants us before disappearing from the palate. A great merit in reality: man does not live by Barolo and Cabernet Sauvignon alone…
Müller Thurgau production area
His problem was the lack of adequate habitat. But fortunately, someone planted it in Trentino Alto Adige, in Val di Cembra and so the ugly duckling became a swan. In this ancient valley, sheltered by mountains and woods, its sober elegance finds a natural cradle. The calcareous soils, the altitude, and the strong temperature range favor the development of perfumes and freshness, transforming a modest grape like Müller Thurgau, into a protagonist of the table.
Organoleptic characteristics of Müller Thurgau, how to recognize it
Color: from white to greenish up to the most mature, which are straw yellow.
Bouquet: pungent, fragrant and harmonic. White flowers, grass and a whole series of herbaceous and mineral hints, white fruit such as apple and pear, sage, lime, broom, and myrtle.
What does Müller Thurgau taste like?
Muller and bubbles: a bright future
The good acidity and the delicate and so expressive bouquet have pushed many winemakers to produce sparkling versions of the Muller Thurgau and the results are encouraging. We can find terse and persuasive wines, equipped with stylistic precision, which focus on tantalizing aromas. We hope it is the beginning of a new adventure for our friend Muller!
Serving temperature of Müller-Thurgau
Suggested food pairings
Do not force Muller to deal with too complex or creamu dishes, it has thin body, nice acidity and good minerality, but it’s not a beast like Chardonnay. Just play safe and pair parmigiana ravioli, spaghetti with clams, chicken tikka masala, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Tonnato, truffle risotto, pasta alla carbonara.