Richard Tauber quit his day job in 2013 following a successful career in milk. That's right. From the dairy sector to the wine business. What could possibly go wrong?

But all that time around the cleanliness and precision needed for pasturization informed Richard well. His winery, a 500 square foot marvel in a small collection of buildings underneath an apartment complex on the outskirts of Brixen (Bressanone in Italian), defies logic. As we first approached the address he gave me, I thought here was no way we could be in the right place. This could have been one of those little strip malls where you drop off your dry cleaning, get your nails done, or order a pizza for takeout. What was going on here?

Pure magic, that's what. 

Anyone wishing to pursue a winery project should only look to Richard, and how to do it small, and do it right. Our kind of guy. He farms 5 steep (like, REALLY steep) parcels near Brixen, on such a grade that the work cannot be done by tractor, only on foot. There are just about 4 total acres of vines. 

He claims he spends 80% of his year among his vines, a splendid collection of Riesling, Sylvaner, and the local Kerner--and the rest dedicated to making flawless wine, getting it into bottle, then hoping some dude like me will eventually come around.

And that's how it came to pass that along with a couple Cru deep divers, we ended up around a table in the "suburbs" of Brixen, with 3 scintillating white wines in our glasses, and Richard Tauber not doing much other than slicing really good ham off a gorgeous Berkel slicer to go along. It was perfect, and even though I don't often do this, I asked Richard to buy some wine on the spot. His smile said it all.

"You're eating all my ham. I guess I have to!"

Riesling 2021--And then, there is Riesling--the wine that doesn't exist at Weingut Tauber. When I asked Richard about how to assemble the 6-pack, he thought three each of the Kerner and Sylvaner would be a nice idea. But I balked, because the Riesling he showed us (only the second one he has bottled), stole the show. So it turns out that not only did we eat all his ham, but we bought nearly all his Riesling too. He only made 600 bottles in 2021 and we snagged 20% of them. You all know my affinity for this grape. Well, here might be one of my favorite versions ever--a complex, rich, yet fine Riesling, that you'll just want to smell and smell and smell. And then you'll taste it and it will be game over.