In Praise of Kabinett: Testing “Kabis geht immer”

Inspired by Jancis Robinson’s September 27, 2025 article “In Praise of Kabinett”, where she quotes German wine writer Paula Redes Sidore’s declaration, “Kabis geht immer” (“it’s always a good time for a Kabinett”), I set out to test that theory.

At the San Francisco Wine Trading Company, I found the Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Klamm Riesling Kabinett and the Dönnhoff Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett. Perfect! A chance to compare two vineyards side by side: same producer and same vintage (2023) but different vineyards. 

To test Sidore’s phrase, I opened the bottles with two different dishes: tuna sashimi and okonomiyaki.

With the tuna, I started with a simple sprinkle of lemon salt from the Seto Islands. The gentle citrus lifted the brightness of both wines equally. But it was the next variation that surprised me. A slice of tuna wrapped with a shiso leaf. The herbal note from the shiso made the vibrant acidity of both Dönnhoffs burst forward. It sharpened the citrus and green apple tones and minerality of the Klamm and drew out the floral aromas wrapped around aromas of peach and nectarine and tropical notes of lychee, mango and cantaloupe of the Leistenberg. The Leistenberg also had a long finish with a faint touch of marmalade and a hint of eucalyptus. 

I then turned to the hearty okonomiyaki, Osaka’s savory pancake layered with cabbage, green onion, pork belly, a tangy sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise wrapped in egg batter. Both wines balanced okonomiyaki’s sweet-salty richness with their acidity cutting through the umami. But I thought the Klamm paired better, with its firmer structure and leaner fruit profile giving it a clean finish against the sauce. The Leistenberg was fine but it was more delicious on its own with its luscious fruit.

In the end, Sidore’s phrase proved correct. Kabis geht immer.