Volvo & Riesling

We are looking to buy a 'new' car....but you gotta know..I have been in Germany 34 years and have only had two. The first was a Mercedes 350 SLC...which was painfully 'given up' after 18 years. This was followed by a BMW 525....which is still with me...and is also loved. As my wife is a 'nervous' passenger...she feels sitting a little higher would help. About three weeks ago we tried a BMW X3 over a weekend...and this Saturday it was the turn of a Volvo XC90. We set off early and headed to the Nahe wine region...a gorgeous day...the car came into it's own when we turned off at Oberhausen and headed up a narrow mountain road to Schlossböckelheim(photo right)....we had lunch in the middle of nowhere..over to Bacharach(photo below) on the Middlerhein...across the river Rhine on a boat..and down the scenic route back home. Everywhere is quiet as most are on holiday...only the streets of Rüdesheim were packed with tourists. A long, but very pleasant, day. We had taken sandwiches..and brought them back..so I sat out in the garden and munched away. A bottle of the wine below was taken from the cellar...wrapped in an ice cooler..but with the warm evening still around...the wine would take ages to cool. So...2 ice cubes in the glass...Riesling on the Rocks! The wine never really got down to the correct temperature in the bottle...but in no way did the wine suffer...in fact...I probably did it a favour with the cubes..as this is how it should be drunk.

















Markus Huber Riesling Engelreich 2008
Traisenthal, Niederösterreich,Austria
A 'prosecco look' in the glass...probably the shock of getting a couple of cold lumps of ice...lemon..and some green apples hit the nostrils...very fine acidity...no way searing or stomach churning...something I fear when tasting Riesling this young. A spicy minerally lick...and a lovely summer wine...racy finish.
Points 16

The car...well...it feels BIG...and it is large...plenty of room...but more than we need....watch out for more test drives soon.