Liebfraumilch
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Liebfraumilch is a sweet white German wine. The name is a German word literally meaning "milk of our blessed mother" and derived from "liebe Frau" which translates to "beloved woman/lady".
The correct German spelling of the word is Liebfrauenmilch, named after the vineyard of the church Liebfrauenkirche in the Rhineland-Palatinate city of Worms. The term "Liebfrauen" in a church name generally stands for Mary, the mother of Jesus. Liebfrauenmilch is a high quality hock of very limited distribution. The Valckenberg wine company sells their wine produced in the original vineyard, "Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück," under the name "MADONNA Liebfraumilch," although ironically it is not legally a Liebfraumilch, but rather a QmP. The generic label Liebfraumilch is used to market low quality vintages from anywhere in the Rheinhessen/Nahe area. It is unknown in Germany and exclusively used for exports.
Peter Josef Valckenberg, a Dutch immigrant started a wine export firm in Worms in 1786. In 1808, he acquired the monastery vineyards from the French occupation forces. His family then developed and dominated the German export market. It remains a major company.
In the U.S. and the U.K., perhaps the best known example is Blue Nun. While the term is associated with low quality wine, Liebfraumilch is required by the German Wine Law to be one step above the lowest category, Tafelwein (table wine).
Trivia
There is a cocktail based on Liebfraumilch called One-Balled Dictator.In the British comedy Only Fools and Horses Series 6, episode called Dates, Delboy states that a refined woman should know the difference between Liebfraumilch and a can of Tizer.
It used to be the case that Blue Nun was a Liebfraumilch, but not anymore. The brand was acquired by another company and Blue Nun has since been upgraded to Qualitätswein status.
Mentioned in The Walt Disney Company movie Valiant by the villain Von Talon on how to do away with one of the prisoners “pigeon under glass, with a lovely Liebfraumilch reduction.”
http://www.wine-pages.com/features/bluenun.htm
Source
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