Müller-Thurgau

Müller-Thurgau is a white wine grape created in 1882 by the Swiss-born botanist Hermann Müller, a crossing of Riesling and Madeleine Royale that ripens early, yields generously and thrives in cool climates where Riesling struggles to ripen. The wines are soft and approachable: low in acidity, light to medium in body and gently aromatic, with delicate floral and muscat notes over apple, peach and a whisper of nutmeg. For decades it was Germany's most widely planted grape and the workhorse behind oceans of inexpensive, medium-sweet wine such as Liebfraumilch. Best drunk young and fresh, it is a mild, easy-going white — fruity, fragrant and unintimidating.