by Al Drinkle
2018 Leitz Riesling “SOS”
Trocken - Rheingau, Germany
Created with the express purpose of benefiting the restaurant industry during Covid-19, SOS is a dry, exhilarating and delightfully complex Riesling… But it’s a restaurant-only wine, so you won’t find it on our shelves or in any other shop in the province.
Unless you've been safeguarding your sanity by avoiding any and all updates regarding the pandemic, you're undoubtedly aware that Alberta restaurants are once again open for dine-in service. Those establishments that have financially survived the first couple rounds of lockdown are eager to welcome you through their doors, albeit with limited capacities and other pandemic regulations.
Even at the best of times, the restaurant industry is a notoriously difficult place to thrive financially. Virtually nobody gets rich, and in fact, it's much more likely that fortunes amassed in more lucrative vocations are depleted in the pursuit of a successful establishment. But restaurants are a crucial part of our social fabric. They are oases of conviviality, catalyzers of positive human interaction, and they improve mental health. One could even argue, if one had more space, that restaurants are an integral part of what makes us human. And independent restaurants are more likely to be part of an important nexus that supports small-scale farming and local culinary artisans.
Anybody who enjoys the restaurant experience should be grateful that despite all obstacles, there are still beautiful lunatics whose intrinsic love for this masochistic profession allows the industry to perpetuate. But we can no longer take this for granted.
It's completely understandable if concerns of health or anything else dissuade you from entering a public dining room at the moment, but please keep in mind that there are other ways that you can help the restaurants that you value get through these difficult times. Several kitchens are continuing to offer the most ambitious and tantalizing takeout options in human history, and the sales of gift cards are eminently helpful for the cash flow of a business—you could even purchase one for yourself to use later.
When you plan on venturing out, we encourage you to be on the lookout for a wine that was created with the express purpose of benefiting the restaurant industry during Covid-19. It's called “SOS” and it’s a dry, exhilarating and delightfully complex Riesling from Rheingau legend, Johannes Leitz. The fruit is estate-grown in Erbach—a village with vineyards of immeasurable historical prestige, but presently lacking a resident ambassador who’s actualizing the potential of the hallowed terroir. It’s been adopted by Leitz for this economically revitalizing project.
SOS is a restaurant-only wine, so you won't find it on our shelves or in any other shop in the province. At the time of writing, you can check it out at Von der Fels, A1 Café, Teatro, Rain Dog Bar, Deane House, Vendome Café, Carino and Restaurant Yarrow YEG. It's set up so that you can affordably imbibe a Riesling that would normally be too expensive for a sommelier to offer by the glass, and the restaurant in question benefits because a couple layers of pricing has been removed before the wine gets to them. Ordering a glass or a bottle of SOS is a rare act that's simultaneously delicious for you, and nurturing of an indispensable industry.
