22. Germany Flashcards
Describe the climate of the Germany.
- mostly cool continental climate
- Baden is noticeably warmer
- wet summers
- drier autumns
- long cool ripening = retain acidity
- long growing season (wines characterized by must weight/ripeness)
Where are the best sites in Germany located?
- steep, stony slopes w/ southerly aspect
- hand harvesting
- head-pruned
- individually staked
- canes tied at the top
-near rivers: reflected sunlight to retain heat, air flow
What is the most widely planted grape variety in Germany?
Riesling
Describe German Riesling.
- ranges from delicate and floral to richer and peachy
- ranges fro bone dry to luciously sweet
Describe Qualitatsweine wines.
- dry
- ranges from light/fruity to very concentrated/intense
- best are Grosses Gewachs (GG)
Describe Pradikatsweine wines.
- nearly all will have residual sugar
- can still be dry
- indicator of style
What are the levels of the Pradikatswine classification?
- Kabinett
- Spatlese
- Auslese
- Beerenauslese
- Trockenbeerenauslese
Describe Kabinett Riesling.
- most delicate
- light body
- high acidity
- green apple, citrus
- balanced with residual sweetness
- sweeter will have lower alcohol
- drier will have medium alcohol
Describe Spatlese Riesling.
- more concentrated, riper
- more body, alcohol
- could be sweeter
- citrus, stone fruit (peach, apricot)
Describe Auslese Riesling.
- made from individually selected, extra-ripe bunches of grapes
- range from dry to sweet
- richer, riper
- sometime noble rot
Describe Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling.
- noble rot typical for BA
- noble rot essential for TBA
- sweet
- low alcohol
- honey, dried stone fruit candied peel, flowers
- best sweet wines in the world
Describe Eiswein.
- extremely rare
- key is varietal purity
- no noble rot
- careful winemaking techniques (selective yeasts, no MLF, no new oak)
What are the two PDO labelling systems in Germany?
- Qualitatswein
- Pradikatswein
What is GI wine labelled?
Landwein
What is wine without a GI labelled?
Wein