I'm doing or have done (depending on when you view this article) an Oktoberfest wine tasting for a company that's beginning their Valentine's Day ordering season this month.  Stay with me on this.  I know your thinking; what does Valentine's Day have to do with Oktoberfest?

Did you know that Oktoberfest originated in 1810 with the marriage of the Crown Prince of Bavaria, Prince Ludwig, who would go on to be come King Ludwig I, to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen of Austria?  Therefore, it is only fitting that Valentine's Day be associated with Oktoberfest.  Love is in the air!

Think of Oktoberfest as kind of a warm-up to the start of the holiday season.  Use this time to get together and toast old friends, as well as make new ones.  And what better way than to open a bottle of good German Riesling?  This month's recommendation is one of my favorites.  It is a Riesling Auslese from Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler of the town of Bernkastel on the Mosel River in southwestern Germany.
 

This particular one is from his vineyard Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg (above view), which is planted with vines that are at least 35 years old producing a rich full-bodied wine that is complex and develops great depth and charm as it ages.  Did I mention that good Rieslings are one of the few white wines that can be aged?

This one is dee.licious!  It pairs exceptionally well with spicy Asian or Fusion dishes, smoked fish, salty cheeses, or stands on its own.  It can usually be found for around $40.00 a bottle and is worth every penny.  Try it with any of the above or serving it with dessert the next time you have friends over and want them to become best friends. 

Here is some interesting trivia regarding Oktoberfest.  As I stated earlier, the marriage of Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese was vary popular with the citizens.  Large crowds began gathering as the big day approached and the citizens were invited to attend some of the festivities celebrating the royal union.  However, the crowds were so large that many of the public festivities had to be held outside of the city's gate to Munich in a field.  The field was afterwards named Theresienwiese or Theresa's Field in honor of the Crown Princess and now-days is affectionately referred to as just de Wies'n. 

In 1811, the first carousel and swings were setup in the Wies'n to entertain folks.  Of course, now-days you can find every conceivable amusement ride at Oktoberfest.  But, what I consider to be the best part is that beer stations were setup throughout the Wies'n for visitors to quench their thirst.  And a thirsty bunch they were!  In 1896 the beer stations were replaced with beer tents and some beer halls built by enterprising landowners backed by some of the local breweries.  Oktoberfest has grown over the years to become the world's largest festival with an estimated 6 million visitors annually coming from all around the globe.