🍷 Schillerwein

Schillerwein is a rosé from Württemberg in south-west Germany. It is a local kind of Rotling, a wine made from a mix of light and dark grapes. The key point is that grapes or must are mixed, not finished white and red wines.

The name comes from the German word schillern, to shimmer. The colour is lively, from light pink to pale red, as if it changes in the light. It is usually a light, fresh, inexpensive everyday wine. Local varieties such as Trollinger, Lemberger and Riesling often go into the mix.

Under German rules, the name Schillerwein may only be used for wines from Württemberg. Similar Rotling wines exist in other regions but carry other names. Schillerwein shows how one type of German wine can have different local names. In Baden a similar wine is called Badisch Rotgold, and in Saxony Schieler.