T&T PREMIUM BRANDS WINE WORLD SELECTION

The Wide World of Riesling...as we, T&T, see it...First and Foremost... we love Riesling ... in all of its infinite flavors and styles...as a light, refreshing spicy wine with overtones of citrus and or stone-fruit, or more fulsomely endowed with tropical richness, with playful minerality or more substantial stone, freshly young and effervescent or solid and substantial with careful aging.

Riesling is the world's most food friendly wine and goes with just about anything - other than red-hot spiced dishes, heavy-handed red, tomato-based sauces; or, dense red meats (although many might argue otherwise)

There's Riesling and there's Riesling...properly pronounced "REES-LING!"
When you say Riesling right,
You can't help but smile.
Smile --e and the whole world smiles with you!

Riesling demand has been soaring worldwide as newcomers to wine and seasoned veteran wine friends seek, lighter, unencumbered natural-tasting refreshment. Wine enjoyment as a beverage as well as accompanying meals - from light snacks and luncheons to multi-course dinners - has grown exponentially in recent years.

And Riesling, once considered more "noble" than Champagne by connoisseurs, is being rediscovered around the globe.

The American market, too, is seeking a broader spectrum of Riesling, not just the fulsome Late Harvest Spaetleses but also drier versions of basic Quality Wines -- House or "Guts-" Riesling and Kabinett-, and even occasional "cluster selection" or Auslese in prime-level Riesling categories, in both dry and off-dry versions.

Riesling's natural spicy, light fruit character which can also "darken" and evolve into lush, fulsome intense fruit substance, goes very well with America's expanding preoccupation with Pacific Rim cuisines - Indian, Ceylonese, Indonesian, Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Philippino, Pacifica and Japanese foods, as well as zesty, savory sauces and preparations from the New World.

So, T&T Premium Brand's white wine emphasis is on Riesling, as well as other German whites which include Pinot blanc (Weissburgunder) Pinot gris (Grauburgunder) and Rieslaner- a hybrid of Riesling and Silvaner as well as the Gewuerztraminer and drier versions of Scheurebe.

T&T'S sole Italian producer, Ripapiglia, has no Riesling -- Tuscany isn't suitable, but it offers instead an Italian Chardonnay-Sauvignon blanc cuvée. This are intended for those wine lovers expanding their interest in lighter, refreshing natural white varietals. We are also discussing its Vernaccia, Trebbiano and Viognier white wines.

Other Italian producers are now considering collaboration with us. Italian Riesling, Gruener Veltliner (an Austrian favorite,) Sauvignon and a slew of other Austrian-style wines including reds are in the wings. Also Austrian wines from Austria, and there's more to come in 2008. And all are food friendly!

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Germany's Emerging Reds

Germany's red wines are now offering much more concentration, fruit and heartier flavors. Pinot noir - Spaetburgunder - straight or mixed with Dornfelder, Dunkelfelder and more concentrated versions of Lemberger (German Bardolino, essentially) are typical, exciting reds rapidly overtaking traditionally gentle Trollinger and Lemberger.

Pinot Meunier known as Schwarz- or Black Riesling and unusual newer varietals like Domina and Regent are appearing on the market, 100% pure or in interesting blends. Some, not all will soon join our listings.

That's why T&T are seeking out selected, high quality individual producers of German Reds as well as Rieslings nation-wide -- including at this time seven of Germany's lesser known appellations - Ahr, Baden, Franken, Hessian Mountain Road, Nahe, Saale-Unstrut and Wuerttemberg, as well as the ever-popular Mosel, Rheingau, Rheinhessen and Rhenish Palatinate (Pfalz.)

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T&T'S Raison d'être:

With so many great German producers already in North America, why does T&T even bother to exist and then find additional producers of essentially similar wines?

Basically, it's simple...We think Riesling is the "Chardonnay of the Future." And, there's not enough to go round. Indeed, there's only a finite amount of Riesling produced by Germany's traditional exporters...recent vintages have seen lower yields. Most of this goes to the United Kingdom, followed by the US and then Japan.

But, there's also a growing, unquenchable thirst for Riesling - and other white wines not impacted by heavy oak flavoring. Demand is beginning to exceed supply even though almost all other wine producing countries of the world are taking a shot at it. However, no one makes Riesling quite as right and as much of it as the Germans, although we are also interested in Austrian and even Italian "takes" on Germany's national grape.

T&T's mission is to find adequate quantities of fine Riesling from German producers not previously represented in the North American market, or in Korea and other countries, present them to importers and distributors, who will make them available to the public in super markets, specialty (and, where applicable, State Liquor Stores, ) and in fine dining establishments.

T&T knows that certain German red varietals can compete on an international level with Pinot Noir from other nations; Germany's unique aucthontonic varietals like Dornfelder, Dunkelfelder, Lemberger can along with its limited Cabernet Sauvignon production be used to produce extremely flavorful dry cuvees in both red and rosé wines. We feel the public deserves the chance to become acquainted with and enjoy these well-crafted taste sensations.

As small as Germany's production area is, all 13 official areas being barely half the size of Bordeaux, France's largest growing area, there's lots to discover and enjoy!

And the exact same holds true for T&T Premium Brands beer selections of finely crafted, specialty beers from smaller, private German breweries.

Interestingly, most Vintners we know, usually take a break with a beer. Given their hyper-critical sense of taste, winemakers set great store on top quality brews when they need a break from the cellar.

As both Torben & Tom have had extensive pre-histories in the beer area, and are as obsessed with beer quality as with wine quality, it's no surprise that T&T Premium Brands Marketing is also developing a beer division as well. For as much as we savor fine wine, we also enjoy putting on the Lederhosen, knee socks, and the decorated, flax pull-over shirts and head out to the Biergarten or the Wies'n for Gemütlichkeit and Gerstensaft (Barley-juice, ie - beer)

We seek True Old World flavor. And highly unusual items -- including beers made from grains other than wheat and barley, such as millet ("Hirse") and spelt ("Dinkel") or "Urkorn" -- an ancient local grain -- as well as low or non-Gluten and Alcohol beers and refreshing beer-based drinks.

As they say, there's a fine beer for every occasion, every mood, every food, and just plain simple quaffing!

Very shortly T&T will be bringing over some new beers which meet these requirements for you.

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