When all 194-cm of Johannes Deppisch looms before you, complete with his warm, spontaneous smile, you're inclined to think that his wines must be as powerful as he is. In fact, they're light, dry and fruity, and as refreshing as a visit to Josef Deppisch Weingut. Founded in 1872 in Marktheidenfeld, the winery is about an hour by car from Frankfurt in one of Germany's smaller exclusive wine-producing regions, at a point where a little part of Baden reaches up into the Rhein River near Franconia, in northern Bavaria.
Germany is one of the many countries I always enjoy visiting for its wine and other gustatory pleasures. The Federal Republic has 13 official wine-producing regions extending across from Meissen (near Dresden) in the east to Trier, Germany's historic oldest city, in the west, and from as far north as Ahr to as far south as southernmost Baden, home of the Black Forest.
Wines produced in northerly climes tend to be light, fresh, dry and not very alcoholic. Deppisch wines typify the breed, with a consistent excellence honed by five dedicated generations. Make a firm note of this winery and this region, nestled in the fabled Spessart Forest where Franconia and Baden converge.