Zeller Schwarze Katz

Sweet German white wine is one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Nobody can quite find a dish to pair it with, or a reason for its existence.

It is not that we dislike Germans. They have, of course, had their ups and downs. But the Black Forest, Munich and Hamburg’s waterfront make Germany a wonderful place.

Had they left this wine on the drawing board, it might possibly have been the best country in the world.

Somewhere along the way, the intention was presumably liquid happiness. The result was liquid misfortune with a screw cap.

Find a dish that goes with it and we will question the existence of your taste buds.

Sweet German white wine in a green bottle with a black cat on the label.

A persistent sweetness that gives you plenty of time to wonder whether the cat is trying to warn you.

The aftertaste lingers. So does the question of why.

Serve chilled. The longer it stays in the fridge, the longer it takes before anyone drinks it.

Pour a small glass and try to think of a suitable dish.

Once you give up, you can talk about a lovely holiday in Munich instead.

We developed drinking gorgonzola and skyr with fermented herring ourselves. Yet someone in Germany had already made this wine.

That gave us the courage to carry on.

Because someone should have stopped us.