The "flop" of 2025
At the beginning of a new year, it's nice to look back. You celebrate successes and analyze failures to do better next time. And you know it well: Newsletters (and politicians) usually only talk about how great everything was.
You know that we don't shower you with marketing sunshine, but rather give you an honest insight. That's why we thought we'd talk about our "Flop of the Year 2025" today: The Rieslaner.
What is a "flop"?
For us, a flop is defined as: it generates the least revenue and the least profit. So, a clear case for the "cut list"? Let's take a closer look:
Our "Flop" of the Year 2025
The Rieslaner Beerenauslese is at the bottom of the revenue and profit list. But what kind of wine is it anyway?
The Rieslaner Beerenauslese
Our Rieslaner is a very fine, sweet drop that is extremely high quality – the liter costs a mere 78 Euros (We sell the 0.5 liter bottle for €39.00). That's enough to make your throat go dry from shock. How does this price come about?
Only a few years are suitable for a Rieslaner harvest
A Rieslaner can only be harvested in a few years, because the weather has to be perfect for it: The autumn has to be bursting with sunshine! For us winemakers, this is always like looking into a crystal ball: Because a sunny August can well be followed by a completely rainy September – and that would immediately destroy the Rieslaner harvest. So our worried gaze towards the sky becomes ever more intense the further autumn progresses. We are happy if, on average, we can harvest Rieslaner once every five years. Our last harvest was from 2019. So it's truly rare!
Not a prolific harvest
Photo: Overripe, raisin-like, dried-out grapes.
When the sun shines intensely, the grape dehydrates while still on the vine. This forms almost tiny natural raisins, right in the vineyard. When we press these "almost-raisins," understandably not much comes out... meaning you need a lot, a lot of tiny raisins. But what is ultimately obtained is a deliciously concentrated syrup with high sweetness. (Yes, the whole thing is an extremely sticky affair!). So it's not very prolific, or, to put it another way: You need a hell of a lot of grapes to get a tiny sip.
Long fermentation time
Due to its high sweetness, the wine needs to rest and ferment longer, a total of about 30 days more than an average Riesling. This also drives up costs.
How much Rieslaner is there in Germany?
With this background knowledge, it probably doesn't surprise you that only a few winemakers cultivate Rieslaner. And that's precisely why this grape variety covers only 85 hectares out of approximately 130,000 hectares nationwide – or, to put it in percentages, only 0.065%. So it is a real, small treasure. That's why we only sell Rieslaner in 0.5-liter bottles (for €39.00 a bottle). Our last bottling was just under 200 liters, so only 390 bottles – while we bottle a whopping 50,000 liters of Riesling per year.
What is the difference between Rieslaner and Riesling?
One could say that Riesling is the father of Rieslaner, and Silvaner is the mother. Hence the name ;-). The cross is a new creation for the wine world from 1921, bred in Veitshöchheim near Würzburg.
A Rieslaner contains roughly the same amount of alcohol as a normal dry Riesling (i.e., 11% vol), but much more residual sweetness. However, it is not so sweet that you could confuse it with marzipan! Because its very fine balance between acidity and sweetness distinguishes Rieslaner – and that makes it unique.
But the best way to find out is to try it yourself. Click here for the 2019 Rieslaner Beerenauslese.
The noble sweet Rieslaner is perfect as an aperitif – or already a dessert in itself. Therefore, it should be savored drop by drop on the tongue, eyes closed, taking a deep breath and thinking of nothing else while tasting it!
Increasing value
The Rieslaner ages like George Clooney – it remains attractive. Therefore, you can still enjoy drinking it in twenty or thirty years. Sip by sip.
Does the flop have to go?
As a family business, we can make heartfelt decisions that would not be feasible with a purely profit-driven supervisory board. The Rieslaner is a treasure, a noble gem. It is also proof that we possess the special expertise to transform dried-up almost-raisins into a noble drop.
Of course, we don't sell it in bulk. We don't need to. We are happy about every little bottle that finds its connoisseur. In this sense: Look forward to our very special flop!
Your noble-sweet-minded Counts
2019 Rieslaner Beerenauslese 0.5 Liter
Rare, rarer... Rieslaner. This noble sweet wine captivates with its fine acidity, which perfectly balances the residual sweetness.
Very aromatic, powerful, and intense – a true delight that makes the tongue dance.
For €39.00
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