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