Ahr, Mittelrhein, Franken

Question 1

What is the world’s most northerly wine region dedicated to red wine production?

Answer 1

Ahr!

Question 2

What parallel is Ahr located on?

Answer 2

50th

Question 3

What percentage of wine in Ahr is red

Answer 3

88%

Question 4

What is the dominant grape of Ahr

Answer 4

Spätburgunder

Question 5

What mountain range shelters the vineyards of Ahr from cold wines?

Answer 5

Eifel Mountains

Question 6

What is warmer, Ahr or Mosel?

Answer 6

Ahr!

Question 7

What soil of Ahr provides warmth

Answer 7

Rocky, volcanic Slate

Question 8

Climate of Ahr

Answer 8

Continental (VDP says mediterranean)

Question 9

Sole Bereich of Ahr

Answer 9

Walporzheim-Ahrtal

Question 10

Sole grosslage of Ahr

Answer 10

Klosterberg

Question 11

Top producers in Ahr

Answer 11

• Meyer-Näkel
• Kreuzberg

(both located in Dernau)

Question 12

Is barrique ever used in Ahr?

Answer 12

Sometimes for high end cuvees to create richer style

Question 13

What is Frühburgunder? Any challenges?

Answer 13

• early ripening mutation of Pinot Noir
• known as Pinot Noir Precocé in France
• Ripens about 2 weeks earlier than Spätburgunder
• thicker skins, less acid, often more approachable
• only ripe fruit, make target for birds and wasps
• prone to millerandage (uneven maturity in bunch)

Question 14

Where is Franken located?

Answer 14

• East of Frankfurt

- Centered along Main River as it flows from Bamberg to Frankfurt

Question 15

What river flows westward through Franken?

Answer 15

Main River

Question 16

What Anbaugebiet overlaps Bavaria?

Answer 16

Franken

Question 17

What is the most planted grape in Franken?

Answer 17

Müller Thurgau

Question 18

What is the most important grape in Franken?

Answer 18

Silvaner

• thrives and can ripen in cool climate when riesling cant
• smoky, full, mineral whites

Question 19

What is Steinwein

Answer 19

• old nickname for Frankish wine

- “stone wine”

Question 20

What village is Franken’s wine center?

Answer 20

Würzburg

Question 21

What is the name for the traditional squat flask shaped bottle used for Frankish wine?

Answer 21

Bocksbeutal

Question 22

Top producers in Frankern

Answer 22

Horst Sauer (Escherndorf)
Hans Wirsching (Iphofen)

Rudolf Fürst (Burgstadt)
Juliusspital Würzburg (Würzburg)
Castell’sches Domänenamt (Castell)

Question 23

Bereiche of Franken:

Answer 23

Mainviereck (West)
Maindreieck (North east)
Steigerwald (South east)

Question 24

Important Villages of Franken

Answer 24

Würzburg
Escherndorf
Iphofen
Bürgstadt

Question 25

Top Einzellagen in Würzburg

Franken

Answer 25

Stein

Leiste

Question 26

Top Einzellagen in Escherndorf

Franken

Answer 26

Lump

Question 27

Top Einzellagen in Iphofen

Franken

Answer 27

Julius Echter Berg

Question 28

Top Einzellagen in Bürgstadt

Franken

Answer 28

Centgrafenberg

Question 29

Where is the Mittelrhein

Answer 29

Narrow anbaugebiet following Rhine river north past Assmannshaused and Lorch in Rheingau

Question 30

What anbaugebiet does cultivation in Mittelrhein resemble? Why?

Answer 30

Mosel

• steep slate riverside slopes
• planted predominately to riesling

Question 31

What sweetness level is most wine in Mittelrhein produced?

Answer 31

trocken or halbtrocken

~80%

Question 32

What Grosse Lage (a monopole of Toni Jost) is one of the best sites in the Mittelrhein?

Answer 32

Hahn Grosse Lage

Question 33

What village near Koblenz is home to producer Matthias Müller and source of good wines in Mitterrhein?

Answer 33

Spay

Question 34

Mittelrhein Bereiche:

Answer 34

Loreley

Siebengebirge

Question 35

Top producers in Mittelrhein

Answer 35

Matthias Müller (Spay), 
Ratzenberger (Bacharach), 
Toni Jost-Hahnenhof (Bacharach), 
Frederich Bastian (Bacharach), 
Lanius Knab (Oberwesel)