Drink of the Week: A. Christmann Spätburgunder 2011

The red wines of Germany and Austria are on a hot streak. Case in point? Today’s Drink of the Week. A Pinot Noir by another name, this Spätburgunder comes from lauded German producer A. Christmann (7^th generation Steffen Christmann is currently at the helm). Crafted with organically farmed grapes from the Pfalz region, it finds balance between high acid fruits and an undercarriage of dried herbs and earth. Serve it with a slight chill alongside late summer salads, or at room temperature with roasts come early fall. And for more on the red wines of the region, check out “Scarlet Fever” in our current September/October issue. $25, astorwines.com