11. Germany Flashcards
All of Germany’s main wine producing regions are at which latitude except for which region?
1) 49-50 north
2) Baden
What is Germany’s overall climate?
Cool continental
Along which river are most of Germany’s vineyards situated?
The Rhine and its tributaries
In what season does most rain fall in Germany?
Summer - warm but wet (500-800mm)
What soil plays an important role in Mosel and Ahr?
Dark slate that retains heat and reflects warmth at night
What is pendelbogen?
Replacement cane pruning with the can arched to the trellis
In which three regions can pockets of calcareous soil be found?
1) Baden
2) Pfalz
3) Rheinhessen
What four varieties tend to be planted on the calcareous soils?
1) Pinot Noir/Spatburgunder
2) Chardonnay
3) Pinot Blanc/Weissburgunder
4) Sylvaner (Franken)
On what soil is Pinot Gris commonly planted?
Clay-dominant
What is the advantage of pendelbogen?
The arching is thought to improve sap flow and increase the number of viable buds
What are the five leading white plantings?
1) Riesling
2) Muller-Thurgau
3) Grauburgunder
4) Weissburgunder
5) Silvaner
What are the two leading black plantings?
1) Spatburgunder
2) Dornfelder
What aspect of vineyard maintenance adds to the cost of Mosel and Rheingau vineyards?
Erosion - vignerons need to winch soil and rocks back up the slops
Describe Riesling in the vineyard (4)
1) Late budding
2) Thick wood
3) Late ripening
4) Frost resistant
When does Muller-Thurgau ripen and what is an advantage of this?
1) Earlier than Riesling
2) High yields in almost any conditions
Describe the wine characteristics of Muller-Thurgau (3)
1) Lower acidity than Riesling
2) Earlier drinking
3) Fruity, floral, simple
What has led to the rise in Spatburgunder plantings? (3)
1) Higher quality clones
2) Perfecting canopy management
3) Selecting harvest dates for ripeness, alcohol and acid
What two styles of wine is Dornfelder made into?
1) Fruity, easy drinking with some r/s
2) Ageworthy, lower-yielding and oak matured
What style of wine does Dornfelder produce? (3)
1) Deep colour
2) High acid
3) Fruity, floral
In which two regions is Dornfelder particularly successful?
1) Rheinhessen
2) Pfalz
Where is Silvaner likely to produce higher quality wines?
Franken
There are sizeable plantings of Grauburgunder and Weissburgunder in which three regions?
1) Rheinhessen
2) Pfalz
3) Baden (most important)
What international variety has been permitted since 1990?
Chardonnay
What are the nine key wine producing regions of Germany?
1) Ahr
2) Mosel
3) Rheingau
4) Nahe
5) Rheinhessen
6) Franken
7) Pfalz
8) Wurttemburg
9) Baden
What are two crosses capable of producing quality wines besides Muller-Thurgau?
1) Kerner
2) Scheurebe
Is enrichment permitted in Pradikatswein?
No
Why is enrichment becoming obsolete?
Climate change and improved viticultural techniques render it less necessary except for bulk production.
What is the traditional fermentation vessel?
Large old oak for oxygenation
What is the fuder?
1,000l oak vessel of the Mosel
What is the stuck?
1,200 oval oak vessel of the Rhine
New oak barriques might be used for what three white varieties?
1) Chardonnay
2) Weissburgunder
3) Grauburgunder
What two oak sources are common?
1) Pfalz - large
2) French - barriques
Why has stainless steel become popular? (4)
1) Temperature control
2) Easy to clean
3) Size (cost and economies of scale)
4) Inert (stylistic preference)
What is sussreserve?
Unfermented/partially fermented must
Sussreserve must be produced from what?
From grapes of the same region and quality as the wine it’s added to
How is sussreserve produced?
A small portion of must is separated pre-ferment, which is then clarified, chilled and SO2 is added
When is sussreserve added?
Prior to bottling, which potentially reduces the alcohol percentage of the final wine as it’s 0%
What is a more quality-minded approach to retaining sweetness? (3)
Stopping fermentation by:
1) Adding SO2
2) Racking
3) Filtering
RCGM can only be used at which level?
Deutscher wine
What is the sweet/dry sales and production trend?
Towards trocken/halbtrocken
What was the traditional use for sweetness?
To mask bitter/unripe fruit and balance acid
What technique is employed in the winery for inexpensive red?
Thermovinification for quick extraction and fermentation off skins for a fruity wine with low tannins
What are the four quality levels of German wine?
1) Deutscher Wein
2) Landwein
3) Qualitatswein
4) Pradikatswein
What is the fundamental principal of German wine law?
Categorising according to must weight
What is Deutscher Wein? (3)
1) Wine without a GI from German fruit
2) 8.5-15% in any style
3) Inexpensive; accounts for a small % of crush
What is Landwein? (4)
1) 8.5-15%
2) Commonly trocken/halbtrocken
3) 85% from the region on the label
4) PGI equivalent
What is Qualitatswein? (3)
1) From 1/13 abaugebeite - stated on the label
2) Minimum 7% in any style
3) Any style
What is Amtliche Prufungsrummer (AP)
A 10-12 digit number that indicates when a Qualitatswein was lab tested, the vineyard location, and bottler’s lot #
What is Bereich?
1/40 named sites for Pradikatswein
Does the Bereich need to be on the label?
No, but Anbaugebeite does
From which varieties can Pradikatswein be produced?
Any so long as it’s permitted by the Anbaugebeite
Describe Kabinett (3)
1) The lightest in body but highest in acidity
2) Citrus, green fruit
3) Dry to medium-sweet
Describe Spatlese (4)
1) Picked two weeks after Kabi
2) Riper - stone fruit and fuller body
3) Slightly high alcohol at relative residual sugar level
4) Dry to medium-sweet
Describe Auslese (3)
1) Extra-ripe - honeyed if Botrytis included
2) Dry to sweet
3) Often but not mandatory hand-harvested and/or hand-sorted
Describe Beerenauslese (4)
1) Hand-harvested
2) Always sweet; minimum 5%
3) Botrytis common but not essential
4) Very ripe, dry stone fruit
Describe Eiswein (3)
1) Harvested below -7 degrees, Nov-Feb
2) Pressed while frozen
3) High acidity, concentrated peach and grapefruit
How are growers protecting Eiswein fruit from disease/predators?
Plastic sheeting
What is the minimum ABV for Kabi, Spat & Aus?
7%
Describe TBA (2)
1) Botrytis essential
2) Rarely higher than 8%
What is a criticism of the Pradikats system?
Kabinett to Auslese and be produced in any sweetness level so it is difficult for consumers to determine sweetness levels
What is trocken?
No more than 4g/L residual sugar or up to 9g/L where the residual sugar doesn’t exceed total acidity by more than 2g/L
The trocken to suss EU sweetness labelling terms refer to what?
The level of residual sugar rather than how dry or sweet the wines taste i.e. a Muller at the same level as a Riesling will likely taste sweeter due to Muller’s lower acidity
What is halbtrocken?
4-12g/L residual sugar or up to 18g/L where the residual sugar doesn’t exceed total acidity by more than 10g/L
What is Lieblich? (2)
1) Medium/medium-sweet
2) 12-45g/L residual sugar
What is suss? (2)
1) Sweet
2) >45g/L residual sugar
What is feinherb? (3)
1) Fine dry
2) Not legislated
3) Halbtrocken and slightly sweeter
What might Goldkapsel signify?
A greater % of botrytis fruit due to potential sweetness range in the Auslese category
What is the order of German vineyard categorisation (small to large) (4)
1) Einzellagen (a vineyard)
2) Grosslagen (a group of vineyards)
3) Bereich (districts)
4) Anbaugebeite (regions)
At which two quality levels are Grosslagen and Einzellagen permitted?
Qualitatswein and Pradikatswein
What is a consumer difficulty regarding Einzellagen and Grosslagen labelling?
There is no clear distinction between them.
I.e. Piesporter Goldtropfchen is an Einzellagen, but Piesporter Michelsburger is a Grosslagen
What is Liebfraumilch? (4)
1) Qualitatswein level
2) Medium-dry - at least 18g/L
3) 70% Riesling, Muller-Thurgau (most common) or Kerner
4) Mostly from Rheinhessen and Pfalz but also Rheingau and Nahe
VDP has stricter standards than German wine law. What are five?
1) Lower maximum yields
2) Higher minimum must weights
3) Predominantly traditional varieties
4) Encourages sustainable viticulture
5) Audits every five years
How must VDP dry wines be labelled?
Qualitatswein Trocken
What are the four levels of VDP quality?
1) Gutswein (region)
2) Ortswein (village)
3) Erste Lage (1er cru)
4) Gross Lage (Grand cru)
What is the max yield for Gutwein and Ortswein?
75hL/ha
Name five Erste Lage requirements
1) 60 hL/ha
2) Hand-harvested
3) At least Spatlese ripeness
4) Traditional winemaking
5) Village and vineyard on the label
Name five Gross Lage requirements
1) 50 hL/ha
2) White - dry released after 1 September the year post-harvest
3) Red - 12 month oak and released after 1 September after maturation
4) Pradikatswein released after 1 May post-harvest
5) Varieties determined according to Anbaugebeite
What are two VDP Grosse Lage labelling requirements?
1) G.G. permitted, Grosses Gewaches isn’t
2) Vineyard permitted, village isn’t
What is the only anbaugebeite where botrytis is permitted within VDP Grosse Lage?
Ahr
Spatburgunder is allowed in VDP Grosse Lage for all anbaugebeite except two. Which?
1) Mosel
2) Nahe
What is purpose of the Rheingau Charter?
It was introduced to promote dry wines from Rheingau’s best vineyard sites
What is the legally protected term for wines from the best sites under the Rheingau Charter?
Erstes Gewachs
Name three requirements of Erstes Gewachs (Rheingau)
1) Riesling or Spatburgunder
2) Hand-harvested
3) Dry with a minimum must weight equivalent to Spatlese
What are the four new levels since 2021 for Qualitatswein?
1) Anbaugebeite (winegrowing area)
2) Region (formerly Bereich)
3) Village/Ortswein
4) Vineyard/Einzellage
Within the 2021 classification what are the three tiers of single vineyard wines?
Single vineyard > Erstes Gewachs > Grosses Gewachs
Single vineyard/Einzellage wines must be the equivalent of what Pradikat? (2021 classification)
Kabinett
Within the 2021 classification, what are three requirements for both Erstes and Grosses Gewachs?
1) Single vineyard or smaller parcel within
2) Must be dry
3) Single grape approved by the anbaugebeite
Within the 2021 classification, what are four requirements for both Erstes Gewachs?
1) Picked selectively
2) 60-70 hL/ha
3) Pass sensory test if ordered
4) Released 1 March of the following year
Within the 2021 classification, what are two requirements for both Grosses Gewachs?
1) Handpicked
2) 50 hL/ha max
3) Compulsory sensory test
4) Released 1 Sep of following year for whites and 1 June of the next year for reds
What is the largest Anbaugebeite?
Rheinhessen
What two mountain ranges shelter the Rheinhessen?
1) Hunsbruck
2) Taunus
What quality level dominates Rheinhessen?
Bulk
Name a premium area of Rheinhessen
Rheinterrasse
Describe Rheinterrasse
Steeply sloping vineyards on the west bank of the River Rhine facing east for cool morning sunshine with moderation from the river
Name the reputed strip of Rheinterrasse
Roter Hang
What is Rotliegenden?
Iron-rich red soil of slate, clay and sandstone common in Roter Hang
Name a significant Rheinhessen producer
Keller
Name the other high quality area of Theinhessen
Wonnegau
What topographical peculiarity is particular to Pfalz compared with the rest of Germany
It is not situated along a river
What can be found in the east and west of Pfalz vineyards?
East - Haardt mountains
West - Rhine Plain
What is the renowned area of vineyards in Pfalz?
Mittelheim (north)
Mittelheim consists of which five villages?
1) Bad Durkheim
2) Wachenheim
3) Furst
4) Deidesheim
5) Ruppertsberg
Describe Mittelheim vineyards (4)
1) South-facing
2) Foothills of Haardt
3) Wind protected
4) Lime, sand, basalt, clay
What/where is the traditional area for inexpensive production in Pflaz and why?
Sudliche Weinterrasse
South (warmer), fertile sandstone
Name a Pfalz producer
Burklin-Wolf
What makes Baden Germany’s warmest, driest region? (2)
1) Its southerly latitude
2) Vosges rain shadow
What is Baden’s most planted variety?
Spatburgunder
Baden’s climate is also suited to which variety and style?
Inexpensive Muller-Thurgau
What company type is common in Baden? Given an example
1) Co-op
2) Badischer Winzerkeller
Name two Bereich in Pfalz and their respective wine styles
1) Ortenau - cool, delicate, marked acidity
2) Kaiserstuhl - full, high alcohol, ripe and smoky
What is Wurttemberg’s main style?
Light, fruit reds for domestic consumption
What and why are three important varieties in Wurttemberg?
1) Trollinger
2) Lemberger
3) Schwarzriesling
Gives producers a potential point of difference in export markets
What are two topographical/geological factors (besides aspect) beneficial to ripening in the Mosel?
1) Sunshine reflection off the river
2) Dark coloured slate (grey, blue, brown, red)
The Mosel can be split into three. What are the sections and which is largest?
1) Upper
2) Middle - largest
3) Lower
What are seven notable villages in Mosel?
1) Brauneberg
2) Erden
3) Graach
4) Urzig
5) Wehlen
6) Bernkastel
7) Piesport
Name a vineyards in Brauneberg
Juffer
Name a vineyard in Erden
Treppchen
Name a vineyard in Graach
Himmelreich
Name a vineyard in Urzig
Wurzgarten
Name a vineyard in Wehlen
Sonnenuhr
Name a vineyard in Bernkastel
Doctor
Name a vineyard in Piesport
Goldtropchen
Where might inexpensive Muller-Thurgau wines be planted in Mosel?
Piesport
What is the largest co-op in Mosel?
Moselland (20% of production)
What two other rivers run through the Mosel region?
1) Saar
2) Ruwer
Where are the Saar-Ruwer vineyards planted?
South, south-east and south-west aspects in the sheltered side valleys
What is the most famous Saar vineyard?
Scharzhofberg
What is Germany’s most continental region and why?
1) Franken
2) Furthest east
Franken’s vineyards are planted on the slopes of which river?
Main
What are the two most-planted varieties in Franken?
1) Muller-Thurgau
2) Silvaner
When does Silvaner bud and ripen?
Early
Where are Franken’s best Silvaner sites?
South and south-east facing vineyards on chalky soils around Wurzburg
Where in Franken might Spatburgunder be found?
To the west on steep terraces of Sandstone
What is Bocksbeutel?
A flat, rounded bottle with a short neck traditional to Franken
Name a Franken producers
Rudolf Furst
What mountain range protect Nahe?
Hunsruck - mild temperatures and low rainfall
Name a producer of Nahe
Donnhoff
Is Nahe cooler in the east or west?
West
Between which two villages are Nahe’s best vineyards?
Schlossbockelheim and Bad Kreuznach
What are Nahe’s soils?
Slate and sandstone
Why might Rheingau wines be fuller and riper than Mosel?
The region is protected from cold northerly winds by the western end of the Taunus mountains coupled with south-facing slopes
The Rhine is widest in Rheinhau. What two impacts does this have?
1) Increases humidity
2) Reduces frost
Around which five villages are Rheingau’s best vineyards?
1) Rudesheim
2) Geisenheim
3) Johannisberg
4) Hattenheim
5) Erbech
What is Rheingau’s dominant style?
Dry Riesling but reputed for Botrytis Riesling
Where might Spatburgunder be found in Rheinhau? (2)
1) West where the river turns north
2) Steep, south and south-west facing Hollenberg vineyard
Name two Rheingau wineries
1) Schloss Vollrads
2) Schloss Johannisberg
Despite being one of Germany’s most northerly regions, Ahr is dominated by Spatburgunder. Why?
The Ahr River cuts a steep, sheltered valley with heat retaining dark slate and greywacke
What is greywacke?
Dark sandstone
Based in Ahr, what is thought to be the world’s oldest co-op?
Mayschoss
Name an Ahr producer
Jean Stodden
What has led to the reduction in number of growers across Germany?
Cost of farming vs what consumers will pay
Describe the pattern of German export sales
Volume halved but value increased 200-300 euros per hL
