Mosel Mastery
David Schildknecht celebrates the life of a visionary winemaker whose work at the family estate and beyond helped reshape the image of fine German wine
A tribute to Wilhelm Haag, who left us late last December, is bound to begin as did one’s personal acquaintance with his vice grip of a handshake. Even those who had been warned and that trademark greeting, like its instigator, acquired legendary status within Haag’s lifetime were sure to be taken aback. Time seemed to confirm Einstein’s predictions under the force of that huge, powerful right hand, worn hard by viticultural labor punctuated by the almost equally strenuous recreational pursuit of rowing. (Haag met the love of his life, Ilse, at a regatta). Withdrawal or resistance was futile. There was nothing to do but squeeze back with all of one’s might. How to interpret this signature gesture: as greeting or intimidation, some sort of challenge or a glimpse into the personality you were about to experience
AN APPRECIATION
I had a couple things cued up to run this week, but both can wait. Maybe I’ll get to them in a few days.
Today I need to write about the passing of Howard G. Goldberg – the “G” (“for Gerson”) was important to him – which I heard about just yesterday.
Howard was the New York Times wine columnist for many years, and he was the man who “discovered” me, in a column from July 15, 1987. The precursor to the modern organization
Wines Of Germany had staged a tasting of the 1986 vintage in NYC, to which I sent a lot of samples. Howard noticed that most of his favorite wines had my name on them, and he reached out to me.