Apparently bowing to this conventional wisdom, the well-known Rheingau firm Knyphausen presents us with a simplified label -- which it bills as "A limited edition with easy to read German wine labels" -- and sells it simply as "Knyphausen Rheingau Riesling Kabinett."

The result? Instead of being impressed, I'm a little suspicious. Fine print lists its estate-bottled and QmP quality status, but why is there no village or vineyard name? Did they leave them off for simplicity, or because the wine's made from anonymous grapes? It's actually quite a good wine at a fair price, but the missing information leaves me vaguely dissatisfied.

Baron zu Knyphausen 1990 Rheingau Riesling Kabinett ($8.99/50 cl)
Bright gold color. Lovely candy-apple, honey and caramel aromas over a whiff of old-Riesling "diesel." Flavors consistent with the nose, full and rich; tart acidity nicely balances fresh-fruit sweetness. If the label didn't say "Kabinett," I'd swear this was an Auslese, and a good one at that. Importer: Valkenberg International Inc., Tulsa, Okla. (Nov. 26, 1997)

FOOD MATCH: Remembering the success of a Germanic pork roast with the previous day's Mosel, I converted the leftover pork into a Northern Italian treat, layering cabbage leaves with ground pork mixed with a light balsamella sauce and Parmigiano. It was an excellent match, further demonstrating that even a touch of sweetness doesn't rule out good Rieslings with dinner.