22 - Germany Flashcards
which country is producing the highest concentration of world-class Rieslings?
Germany
red grape in Germany with a growing reputation for premium quality (2 names)
Pinot Noir = Spätburgunder
Climate of Germany
- most of the wine regions have a Cool Continental climate
- the vineyards in the far south in Baden are noticeably warmer
summers in Germany
can be wet
rain in Germany
- summers can be wet
- the rain generally declines in autumn during the final stage of ripening
the long, cool ripening period in Germany gives the grapes time to …
… reach sugar ripeness while retaining their acidity
where can botrytised sweet wines be made in Germany?
in every region
- how are the annual weather conditions in Germany?
- what effect does this have on the wine?
- vary considerably
- leading to significant variation in the quality, quantity & styles of wine made from year to year
in … conditions, … differences in vineyard location can make … differences in the quality of wine
in MARGINAL conditions, SMALL differences in vineyard location can make SIGNIFICANT differences in the quality of wine
the best vineyard sites in Germany are …
found on steep & often stony slopes with southerly aspect
what can maximize the heat & sunlight of vineyards in Germany?
- steep & often stony slopes with southerly aspect
- near a river: reflected sunlight & air movement
steep vineyards in Germany have to be worked by …
hand
on the most extreme slopes in Germany, the equipment has to be ..
manoeuvred into place by winches
pruning etc in the step slopes of Germany
vines are head-pruned, individually staked & the canes tied in at the top of the stake to maximise grape exposure to light & circulation of air
what effect can rivers near the vineyard give?
reflected sunlight can help the grapes to ripen, & the air movement created by flowing water can help protect against frosts
how is the wines classified in Germany?
by must weight (the level of sugar in the grape juice)
what is must weight?
the level of sugar in the grape juice
why can the harvest be spread out over a number of weeks & months in Germany?
because of the fact that wines are classified by must weight
can one vineyard in Germany only make one type of wine?
no, it is possible to make a range of Qualitätsweine & Prädikatsweine each year from an individual vineyard
how is it possible to make a range of Qualitätsweine & Prädikatsweine each year from an individual vineyard in Germany?
- wines are classified by must weight
- pickers will pass through the vy several times in order to ensure that they get the ideal grapes for each category of wine
- grapes can also be sorted & categorised after each picking
the ongoing trend in German winemaking is for … styles of wine
DRY
what wines are sold as Qualitätsweine in Germany?
red & white & at all quality levels
what is the most important grape variety in Germany?
riesling
why does Riesling in Germany express itself differently from region to region, and even from vy to vy?
variation in climate & soil
flavours and characteristics of Riesling in Germany
- flavours can range from delicate & floral to a richer peachy fruit character
- wines can range from light & fruity to very concentrated & intens
what is GG?
- Grosses Gewächs
- used by an independent group of German wine producers called the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP)
- classified their vineyards which, by consensus, include the vast majority of the best sites in Germany
- dry wines
- bottles labelled with GG and a bunch of grapes embossed on the neck of the bottle
- Trademark of the VDP & NOT part of the German wine law
are all Prädikatsweine sweet?
nearly all wines labelled as Prädikatsweine will have residual sugar, but up to the category Auslese it is possible for these wines to be made in a dry style
the different categories of Prädikatsweine in Germany () & their wine style (sweetness)
- Kabinett - dry to medium sweet
- Spätlese - dry to medium sweet
- Auslese - dry to sweet
- Beerenauslese - sweet only
- Eiswein - sweet only
- Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) - sweet only
Kabinett - riesling
(char., alc)
- the most delicate Prädikatsweine
- light in body
- high acidity
- flavours of green apple or citrus fruit
- often balanced with residual sweetness
- sweet styles: alc 8-9% abv
- drier styles can reach 12% abv
how can kabinett be sweet, and what process give best quality?
- sweeten after fermentation by adding unfermented grape juice (Süssreserve)
–> not used to make high-quality wines - stopping the fermentation early, before the yeast has converted all of the sugar in the juice to alcohol
–> achieves a better sugar/acid balance
how is a Spätlese riesling compared to a Kabinett rsl from the same region?
- more concentrated
- riper
- have a little more body & alcohol
- where relevant, a little more sweetness
characteristics of a Spätlese riesling in Germany
- citrus & stone fruit aromas (peach, apricot)
- more concentrated, riper, little more body, alcohol, and, where relevant, sweetness, compared with a Kabinett wine from the same region
what are Auslese wines made from?
individually selected extra-ripe bunches of grapes
Auslese wines compared to Spätlese wines from the same region
- richer & riper
can Auslese have noble rot?
yes. Regardless of style noble rot can play an important part in the flavour profile of Auslese wines
is noble rot essential for BA & TBA?
- noble rot is essential to achieve the must weights necessary for TBA
- it is not essential for wine labelled BA (it is possible to reach the minimum must weight without noble rot)
- however, noble rot is typical for these wines
Are BA & TBA made every year?
Volumes?
- BA & TBA are not necessarily made every year
- volumes vary considerably when they are made
characteristics of BA & TBA riesling in Germany
- sweet
- low in alcohol
- flavours of honey, dried stone fruit, candied peel & flowers
Eiswein in Germany
- noble rot is NOT involved, focus is rather on varietal purity
- best: very fine balance between acidity & sweetness
- winemakers seek to maintain varietal flavours, which can be accentuated by using carefully selected yeast, handling the juice with care & avoiding processes that could mask the flavours of the grape, such as MLF or new oak
what are PGI wines in Germany labelled?
Landwein
what are wines without a GI labelled as in Germany?
Deutscher Wein
how many regions are there for PDO in Germany?
there are 13 delimited regions
how are the German wines classified?
by minimum must weight at harvest
2 fundamental levels in the appellation system of Germany
Qualitätswein
Prädikatswein
how is Prädikatswein subdivided in Germany?
- Kabinett
- Spätlese
- Auslese
- Beerenauslese
- Eiswein
- Trockenbeerenauslese
demands for PDO wines in Germany
- all PDO wines must come from only one region
- the name of the region will appear on the label
- for Prädikatsweine the Prädikat level will also appear on the label
wine labels in Germany
- all PDO wines must come from only one region
–> the name of the region will appear on the label - for Prädikatsweine the Prädikat level will also appear on the label
- varietal labelling is common
Labels may also include information about:
1. sweetness: trocken, halbtrocken/feinherb
2. vy location: village & vy-name
3. indication of quality: GG for VDP
sweetness-labelling in Germany
- dry wines: trocken
- off-dry: halbtrocken or feinherb
- trocken & halbtrocken: legally defined
- feinherb: NOT legally defined
- many wines do not have any indication of sweetness on the label but this can often be deduced from either the wein category or the alcohol level
labelling of vineyard location in Germany
- commonly stated on German wine labels
- name of the village comes first, followed by the name of the vineyard
ie. Piesporter Goldtropfchen - the vast majority of the wines labelled this way will be from small single vineyards
- lower quality wines that are made from grapes that come from a large number of neighbouring vineyards can be labelled in the same way
ie. Piesporter Michelsberg - there is nothing on the label to indicate whether a wine is from a single vineyard or not but the retail price is normally a very reliable indicator
indication of quality in Germany & VDP
- the Prädikat levels are a good indicator of style. However, there are no legally defined labelling terms that can be used to indicate the quality level of a wine
- this has to some extent been addressed by an independent group of German wine producers called the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP)
- the members have classified their vineyards which, by consensus, include the vast majority of the best sites in Germany
- this classification is typically only seen on labels when members make dry Qualitätsweine from the best vineyard sites
- these dry wines are called Grosses Gewächs
- bottles labelled with GG and a bunch of grapes embossed on the neck of the bottle
- trademark of the VDP & NOT part of the German wine law
Other grape varieties in Germany (9)
- Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner)
- Silvaner
- Grauburgunder/Ruländer (PG)
- Weissburgunder (PB)
- Spätburgunder (PN)
- Dornfelder
- Portugieser
- Trollinger
- Schwarzriesling (Meunier)
German name for:
1. Pinot Gris
2. Pinot Blanc
3. Pinot Noir
4. Meunier
- Grauburgunder/Ruländer (PG)
- Weissburgunder (PB)
- Spätburgunder (PN)
- Schwarzriesling (Meunier)
Müller-Thurgau is a crossing between …
Riesling x Madeleine Royale
when was the crossing Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner) made?
in the 1880s
Müller-Thurgau ripens … than Riesling
earlier
acidity & flavour intensity of Müller-Thurgau compared to Riesling
lower acidity & flavour intensity
characteristics of Müller-Thurgau
- lower acidity & flavour intensity compared to Rsl
- attractive floral & fruity wine
second most widely planted white variety in Germany
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau is the … most widely planted white variety in Germany
second
quality of wines of Müller-Thurgau in Germany
rarely produces wines of high quality
- Plantings of Müller-Thurgau in Germany is … increasing or decreasing?
- Why?
- decreasing
- the market for the inexpensive medium-dry/medium-sweet Qualitätsweine made from the variety has declined
the third most widely planted white grape variety in Germany
Silvaner
Silvaner is the … most widely planted white grape variety in Germany
third