European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday May 16. 1988 the stars and stripes Page 3 t for Calif wines pass test with flying colors by Crystal Laura Ostaff to Heidelberg wine lovers tested claims thai California wines arc among the Best in Pic world at the California wine Pavilion this weekend and California passed inc its. This is great  said Karin in fold a Heidelberg resident. I Don t Ever want to drink German wines again. This wine has a culture and it is not Loo sour like German  according to legislation passed last year All class i stores overseas now must give american wines equitable treatment. And military package store nations already Are beginning 10 Sec an increase in me number of american wines on the Spiel its. The Complete Slock of new wines will be available by late summer said Harold Simpson director . Twenty seven wineries whose products currently arc or soon will be. On the Usa eur Gass i inventory attended the three Day Pavilion. The Pavilion also offered 3 by reservation Only California Grill that paired special menus with wines. We want people to have the Opportunity to try All of our wines said Bill Juckel president or Jekl Vineyard in Greenfield Calif. Then they can decide for themselves. There will be types of wine that they prefer and maybe some thai they Don i care for. Hut it is just a preference of  vintners poured to Cir wines into the glasses of sceptics and talked about the Region us hair Vineyard growing grapes and fermentation in Oak barrels is. Steel tanks. They boasted about the world class status of their wines and recanted anecdotes from International taste test Ings where the California wines ranked first. But Pavilion attendees were More impressed by the taste than the talk. Cant. Pete Landwei from Ramstein a found a taste he liked in a Galto wine. This is great stuff he said. And Al 11.75 a bottle it s really a  after spending a total of 3j years in Germany Cape. Mark Fredericks of Rhein main and had become a Tan of German wines. I mostly drink German wines he said. But what i be lasted today is really Greal. I be always thought that German wine was a bargain even i the current Mark rate but Uiese wines Urc Vicy  wine fanciers examine labels during the lasting of cell Fornola wines at Ibe american embassy in Paris. Sinei february All wines in military package stores arc trial cd in on a Flat rate. And the , distributors pay ship Ping charges to overseas shipping Points on the cast coast. The 95 California wines represented at the Pavilion and available through class i were listed at prices ranging from 90 cents for Stanford Brut Cham Pine to ii 6.05 for Sterling Reserve Ca Bernet Sauvignon. The average Price is around h.50. Even the German wine Queen was impressed with the California wines Barbara Kratti comes from the Ahr wine growing urea and after receiving the honorary Royal title has spent the last year representing the German wine Industry. " Fin tasted american wine two years ago. They arc very different to the wines in my Valley she said. The i inti noir we have in my Valley also but from California it has a difference in taste hut they arc Good. I think they arc belter than he wines from Italy and  German wine growers acini Schmidt and Hartsul Keppler arc staunch sup porters of California wines and the Exchange of technology in wine producing. Both have spent Lime in California with Gary Andrus of inc Pine Ridge winery in the Napa Valley learning about inc american wine Industry. Thol is where i fell in love with Cali fornia  Schmidt said. Years earlier Schmill had lasted a cheap wine that left him with a bad impression of Cali fornia wines. I Laler Learned that not All inc wines arc junk wines. I think Many people buy inc cheap wines then stay away from the California wines. But the better wines have a totally different  All the wines Here today Are first class Keppler said. They have a sir nil car taste it i Hie Lusic of High  in addition to bringing their wines to inc military Market inc California Vint ners have Blancd a major push into the local West German Market As Well. Since Early May the vintners have conducted tastings for hotel and rest ural owners in Berlin Hamburg Munich and Wiesbaden. Not Only were they surprised by our Quality there were actually orders taken Andrus said. The vintners plan to upgrade a distribution system and eventually open local offices to establish an information base to promote their wines to inc German Public