Continental's cheaper tires are not handmade in germany, cost prohibitive i guess.
Is the handling noticeably worse when the bike is loaded vs. unloaded?
I know on my bike that narrow tires seem squirrelly when i have a lot of weight in the rear. If i just have front panniers or no load on the bike they behave normally and as long as when bulking up I balance the f/r weight distribution I can maintain good handling qualities.