This week’s column is being filed from Lufthansa Flight 492 from Frankfurt to Vancouver, fresh from a whirlwind four-day German wine trip. The folks from Wines of Germany had invited two dozen sommeliers and educators from around the world to dive deep into the good stuff.

I took part in plenty of regional seminars, tours, tastings, and one late night when I may or may not have been dancing to a DJ spinning old-school techno while surrounded by Swedish, Japanese, and British wine pros doing the same.

Yep, among the many presentations, the taking of notes, and interviews with winemakers, there was indeed cheer to be had, and is anything cheerier than a glass of sparkling wine? Not to the Germans, who consume more than 25 percent of its global production, often referring to it as Sekt when it is homegrown. From schinkenspeck to schnitzel to stinky cheese, there’s plenty of food to wash down with the stuff, and many of them are just fine on their own, thank you very much.

Out of the Mosel region, Dr. Loosen Sparkling Riesling NV ($16.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) continues to be a dependable pour year after year. It’s made in the Charmat style, where the second fermentation takes place in a tank (rather than the traditional method, or Champagne style, where it happens in the bottle). Although there are more than 27 grams of residual sugar in the wine, there’s also generous acidity, which keeps all those Anjou pears, grilled peaches, and notes of lemon curd aloft.

Speaking of the Mosel, I had a chance to catch up with winemaker Nik Weis, whose family’s St. Urbans-Hof winery has been the stuff of legend for generations. His Old Vines Riesling 2016 ($26.49, B.C. Liquor Stores), out of sedimentary soils, has well-concentrated fruit—including lime, pink grapefruit, and mango—with a good stony minerality and vibrant acidity.

Although it’s been a couple of years since his last (relatively regular) visit to Vancouver (he says to say hi to everyone and is pushing to return soon), there’s an extra kinship his family has with our region. Some of our more famous Okanagan old-vine Rieslings from the likes of Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Tantalus Vineyards, and Sperling Vineyards were cuttings brought over from St. Urbans-Hof’s nursery in 1978, making them 40 years old now that we’re in vintage 2018!

Of course, we ventured beyond Mosel wines, with one of the days centred around the Pfalz region. It’s the second-largest German growing region, next to the Rheinhessen (which sits north of it), while the French region of Alsace is situated to the south.

Surroundings include the Palatinate Forest, which keeps the area nice and cozy, with warmer temperatures than many might expect in German wine country. Although grapes grow very well here, almonds, figs, lemons, and olives have also made themselves right at home. Soil types vary, from clay and marl to limestone and granite.

To get a taste of the region, perhaps take Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Riesling Trocken 2016 ($27.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) for a spin in your glass. The apple-blossom and jasmine aromatics sure are pretty, leading the way to the apple jamboree on the palate.

For something a little different, perhaps Valckenberg Gewürztraminer 2016 ($20.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) may be just the thing when in the mood for takeout Thai food. Those roasted peaches, litchis, and pinches of nutmeg in their off-dry style will envelop things well.

And then there’s the Rheinhessen.

Plenty of rolling hills, a touch cooler and breezier than the Pfalz, it’s just so darn pretty. Although Riesling is the king grape (among many) in the region, I particularly enjoyed the area’s Spätburgunder (German for Pinot Noir) at almost every opportunity. If I were to generalize, I find the typicity of the grape in the region to be along more of a savoury style, with roasted tomato, red currants, oregano, and sage being the four notes I wrote down in my book most often.

Although I believe that Pinot Noirs the world over benefit from a bit of a chill, I particularly enjoyed the zesty freshness exhibited whenever my pour was a touch on the cool side. Thörle Spätburgunder 2016 ($25.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) is a good door into this world, and a great excuse to get your bratwurst on.