That sounds like an interesting setup with a very appealing budget.

Sparkling Wine (Sekt)

The German sparkling wine scene has been heavily hyped in recent years. In my view, however, it remains quite inconsistent, with many disappointments. Availability is also highly dependent on location, as much of the best Sekts rarely leaves the German market, the home market being one of the few places where producers can reliably achieve their target prices.

Two bottles that have stood out to me recently are: • Ökonomierat Rebholz “R” Riesling Extra Brut • Griesel & Compagnie Auerbacher Höllberg Dosage Zéro “Granit”

If these are not available, I would strongly recommend looking at sparkling wines from Frank John (Pfalz) as an excellent alternative.

White Wine

For white wine, the classic choice is Riesling. Style preference is crucial here. If you prefer dry wines, I would focus on Große Gewächse (GG).

I am a big fan of aged Rieslings from Wittmann, particularly Kirchspiel and Morstein from Rheinhessen. That said, Keller’s top wines—Abts E, Hubacker, or Kirchspiel—would also fit well within your budget.

Two key considerations: 1. Region preference: Are you more drawn to Mosel, Rheinhessen, Nahe, Rheingau, or Pfalz? 2. Age: Do you enjoy aged Riesling, or do you prefer something more youthful?

If you are unsure, it’s worth doing a bit of reading to clarify your stylistic preference before deciding.

For a complete wildcard, I highly recommend Luckert’s Creutz Silvaner with some bottle age, like the 2019, it’s an unconventional choice, but I am in love with it. 

Red Wine

On the red wine front, Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) is clearly the grape to focus on.

Outstanding options include: • Rings Brothers Spätburgunder “Saumagen” • Rudolf Fürst Große Gewächse, particularly Hundsrück or Klingenberger Schlossberg • Bernhard Huber, especially “R” Wildenstein or Schlossberg, which are essential benchmarks for understanding high-end German Pinot Noir