Prost! 31 days of Riesling Returns

31 days of Riesling returns this July and we are delighted to be celebrating the king of German grapes and somm favourite! Tori Vickerman interviews Caroline Tanner from Wines of Germany for insider tips and tricks on how to get involved in the campaign and more importantly how you can get your hands on £1,000 towards new German wine listings.

Firstly, is there anything new this year to the campaign that people should be aware of?

After the full rebrand of the campaign last year, the focus of 2019 has been on consolidating this and focusing on outreach around the UK. That being said, in the pipeline for this July we have been looking at several new initiatives. We’ll be working with influencers to publicise the campaign further, holding a launch party at Newcomer wines (you’re all invited!) and we’re building more social content, interviewing previous winners of the prizes to show why everyone should get involved! 

What are some of the ways that restaurants can get involved with 31 days?

Simply, its all about promoting at least two German Riesling producers on your list for one week throughout July. Make the most of our brand spanking new point of sale and create an eye-catching display. Consumers are increasingly looking for experiences, so if you can make your offering stand out, you’ll sell more wine.

We really want to be wowed by creativity and dedication to the Riesling cause. This can take many different forms, in the past we have had people offer 31 different Rieslings by the glass for the month, prepare exclusive Riesling-paired tasting menus and have generally sought new ways to engage consumers and get them to try and love Riesling.

What’s the most important criteria you look for when picking a winner?

The most important criteria, which people often overlook, is to actually fill out an evaluation to let us know what things they have done in the name of Riesling and what the outcomes of these activities are. We will be changing this up this year, creating a user-friendly online form, so make sure you include as much detail as you can and really sell yourself. 

What’s the prize this year?

The best retailer and restaurant will each win £1,000 towards new German wine listings, and there is also a £500 prize for the runner-up.

Any other tips?

Make the most of your social media. It’s becoming an increasingly important tool for the industry, and we recognise this with a prize for the best digital campaign.  

Finally, what do you love about Riesling?

What’s not to love about Riesling? Firstly, FLAVOUR! Riesling has it in bucket-loads, so if you’re looking for something interesting and delicious, Riesling fits the bill. Also, it’s amazingly versatile as a food partner due to the huge range of styles that can be produced – pretty much whatever you fancy cooking, there’ll be a Riesling to pair with it.

I’m particularly enjoying sparkling Riesling at the moment, there’s some really nice Sekt out there that I think could be the next big thing for the bubbles-obsessed UK. If you can get your hands on some aged Riesling, you’re in for a treat – even just a few years in bottle can do amazing things to this wine, the depth of flavours that mysteriously appear go a long way to explaining why Riesling has long been a favourite of the wine trade.

Lastly, for dinner parties you can’t beat a Riesling magnum! The giant flute bottle looks amazing and is a real talking point, especially when filled with such delicious wine.