C22 - Germany Flashcards
1
Q
What climate does the majority of Germany’s vineyard areas have?
A
Cool continental (with the associated viticultural challenges) Wet summers with rain declining in autumn
2
Q
Where in Germany are vineyards noticeably warmer?
A
Baden in the far south
3
Q
What effect does Germany’s climate have on grapes?
A
The long, cool ripening period allows grapes to reach sugar ripeness while retaining acidity
4
Q
What kind of wines can be made in every region of Germany?
A
Botrytised sweet wines
5
Q
Why is there so much variance in German wines from year to year?
A
Due to high variations in annual water conditions
6
Q
What is the result of the marginal conditions in Germany?
A
Small differences in vineyards can have a large impact on the wines produced
7
Q
Describe the typically best site in all german regions
A
Steep, often stony slopes Southerly aspect
8
Q
Describe grape-growing practices in Germany
A
Worked on by hand In steepest parts, equipment is manoeuvred into place by winches Vines are head-pruned, individually staked with canes tied in at the top of the stakes to maximise grape exposure to light and air circulation
9
Q
What might the benefit be to a vine’s proximity to rivers in Germany?
A
Reflected sunlight can help grapes to ripen Air movement caused by flowing water can help to protect against frosts
10
Q
By which oenological characteristic are grapes classified in Germany? What effect does this have on the growing season?
A
By must weight (level of sugar in grape juice) The harvest can be spread out over a period of weeks and months
11
Q
It is possible to make a range of Qualitätsweine and Prädikatsweine each year from…
A
An individual vineyard
12
Q
How will harvest be performed in vineyards producing different levels of Qualitätsweine?
A
Pickers will pass through the vineyard several times to ensure that they get the ideal grapes for each category of wine
13
Q
Besides picking-passes, how else may grapes be sorted for different levels of wine in Germany?
A
They may be sorted and categorised after each picking
14
Q
What is the style trend in Germany? What has dictated this?
A
For dry wines The demands of the local market
15
Q
How may the red and white wines (of varying quality) of Germany be sold?
A
As Qualitätsweine
16
Q
Why are the dry red and white mass wines of Germany not usually labelled as Prädikatsweine?
A
This is largely the preserve of white wines
17
Q
In terms of vineyard plantings and quality, what is the most important wine grape of Germany?
A
Riesling
18
Q
Which grape must be used for Prädikatsweine?
A
There are several options
19
Q
What is the most widely planted grape variety in Germany?
A
Riesling
20
Q
What is the style of Riesling wines in Germany?
A
It varies due to differences in soil and climate From delicate and floral, to richer peachy fruit character Bone dry to lusciously sweet
21
Q
How are dry styles of Riesling in Germany often labelled?
A
Qualitätsweine
22
Q
What is the style range for dry Rieslings in Germany?
A
From light and fruity to very concentrated and intense
23
Q
How are many of the very best dry Rieslings of Germany labelled?
A
Grosses Gewächs (GG)
24
Q
Nearly all wines labelled as Prädikatsweine will have…
A
Residual sugar
25
Up to which category is possible to make a wine in a dry style?
Auslese
26
What is the key to understanding Prädikatsweine?
To think of them as an indicator of style
27
What is the most delicate of the Prädikatsweine styles?
Kabinett
28
Describe Kabinett wines
What levels of alcohol do they attain?
Light in body
High acidity
Flavours of green apple or citrus fruit, balanced with residual sweetness
Sweet styles will have an alcohol level of 8-9% abv
Drier styles can reach 12% abv
29
How can Kabinett wines be made sweet?
By stopping fermentation early (better quality wines) By adding sugar after fermentation (Süssreserve)
30
Why is stopping fermentation seen as a better quality way of creating sweetness?
It achieves a better sugar/acid balance
31
Describe Spätlese wines
Made in the same way as Kabinett wines, but more concentrated, riper and with a little more body, alcohol and sometimes sweetness
Citrus and stone fruit aromas (peach or apricot)
32
Describe Auslese wines
Made from individually selected extra-ripe bunches Richer and riper than Spätlese wines Noble rot can be involved
33
Describe Beerenauslese (BA) and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) wines
Noble rot essential to achieving required must weights for TBA - not essential for BA wines, but noble rot still typical Some sites more suitable than others, but these styles not necessarily produced every year Volumes vary considerably when produced Sweet and low in alcohol Flavours of honey, dried stone fruit, candied peel and flowers Some of the best sweet wines in the world
34
Describe Eiswein
Genuinely rare and made infrequently Very sweet Pure varietal fruit flavours
35
What is the flavour focus of Eiswein?
Varietal purity The best Eisweins achieve a balance between acidity and sweetness
36
Which additional winemaking methods may winemakers use to maintain varietal flavours in Eiswein?
Using carefully selected yeast, handling juice with care and avoiding processes which can mask the flavours of the grape such as MLF and new oak
37
Give an alternative name for Müller-Thurgau
Rivaner
38
When was Müller-Thurgau created and between which grapes?
1880s
Riesling and Madeleine Royale
39
How does MT compare with Riesling?
It ripens earlier, but does not have the same level of acidity or intensity of flavour
40
What kinds of flavours can Müller-Thurgau produce?
Attractive floral and fruity flavours
41
What are quality levels of MT like in Germany?
Rarely high
42
What is the second most widely planted white grape variety in Germany?
Müller-Thurgau
43
Which white grape is on a steady decline? Why?
Müller-Thurgau The market for inexpensive medium-dry/medium-sweet Qualitätsweine made from the variety has declined
44
What is Germany's third most widely planted white grape variety?
Silvaner
45
Where is Silvaner mainly found in Germany?
In those regions where it has traditionally been strong Particularly Rheinhessen and Franken
46
What style is Silvaner made into?
Dry and sweet styles
47
What is the profile of Silvaner wines in Germany?
Less acidic and less overtly fruity than Riesling Sometimes have an earthy quality
48
What kind of quality can Silvaner produce?
High quality on the right sites
49
Name the 'other' white varieties which are growing in importance in Germany
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
50
How are Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder often labelled?
Using the French or Italian name
51
What style are Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder often made into?
Dry styles
52
How else is Spätburgunder known?
Pinot Noir
53
What is the third most planted grape variety in Germany?
Spätburgunder
54
What kind of German vineyards does Spätburgunder thrive in?
The warmer sites
55
Where is Spätburgunder most important in Germany?
Pfalz and Baden
56
What styles are Spätburgunder wines made into?
Dry Either relatively light and fruity or in a more concentrated style with oak aromas
57
Which is the second most widely planted black variety in Germany?
Dornfelder
58
What is fairly unique to Dornfelder wines in Germany?
They are very deeply coloured
59
List three more popular black grape varieties in Germany What style do they usually produce?
Portugieser Trollinger Scwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) Usually light-bodied and fruity wines, though some intensely coloured and flavoured examples with oak character do exist
60
How are Germany's less popular red wines marketed?
As Qualitätsweine and consumed by the domestic market
61
Where is the Mosel region?
Between where it joins the Rhine and the German border and its two small tributaries; the Saar and the Ruwer
62
Which grapes dominate the Mosel?
White grapes Mostly Riesling
63
Which varieties are permitted for Grosses Gewächs wines in the Mosel?
Only Riesling
64
Where in the Mosel is production concentrated?
In the centre of the region, in an area called the Middle Mosel
65
What are the Middle Mosel villages with an established reputation for top-quality wine?
Piesport Bernkastel Wehlen
66
Describe the best vineyards of the Middle Mosel
Very steep slopes Slate soils Right next to the river
67
Describe the Riesling wines of Mosel's best vineyards
Lighter in body, lower in alcohol and higher in acidity than those of Rheingau, Rheinhessen and Pfalz
Floral and green fruit flavours
68
How many plantings of Riesling are in the cooler Saar and Ruwer areas of Mosel
Only a tiny percentage of the overall plantings
69
How do the best wines of the Saar/Ruwer compare with those of the Middle Mosel?
They are comparable in style and quality, with even more acidity
70
What can happen in the Mosel in cooler vintages?
Grapes may not ripen in even the best sites The grapes may then be used in sparkling wine production
71
Where is the Nahe region?
Between Mosel and Rheinhessen
72
Where are the best sites in Nahe?
On steep, south-facing slopes on the banks of the river Nahe, between the villages of Schlossböckelheim and Bad Kreuznach
73
What are the best wines of Nahe made from?
Riesling
74
What is the most widely planted variety of Nahe?
Riesling
75
What style is Riesling made into in Nahe?
Somewhere between that of Mosel and the fuller-bodied style of Rheingau, Rheinhessen and Pfalz
Pronounced acidity of Mosel
Riper fruit character than that of Mosel due to warmer character
76
Which varieties are permitted for Grosses-Gewächs wines in Nahe?
Riesling only
77
How is Rheingau best described?
Small but prestigious
78
Where is Rheingau?
North of Rheinhessen, east of Mosel
79
Where in Rheingau are most vineyards situated? Describe them
On the slopes of the north bank of the River Rhine (in the west of the region) and the River Main (in the east) They have a southerly aspect
80
Other than their southerly aspect, what other feature of the best sites in Rheingau contributes to their favourable terroir?
The protection from winds offered by the Taunus Hills to the north
81
Where are the majority of vineyards in Rheingau?
On the slopes to the west of the region and surrounding the villages of Johannisberg and Rüdesheim
82
Which grape variety dominates plantings in Rheingau?
Riesling
83
What style are the wines of Rheingau?
Dry
84
Describe Rieslings of Rheingau
Medium to full-body
Distinctive ripe peach character
85
What other style of wines can be made in Rheingau? Why?
Some of Germany's best BA and TBA wines
Due to high humidity
86
Around which village to the east of Rheingau are vineyards centred around?
Hochheim
87
Describe wines from around Hochheim
Can be riper and fuller bodied due to a slightly warmer climate
88
Which other grape variety can do well in Rheingau? Where specifically?
Spätburgunder
To the west of Rüdesheim in the village of Assmannhausen
89
Which grapes of Rheingau can be used for Grosses Gewächs wines?
Riesling
Spätburgunder
90
What is the largest wine region in Germany?
Rheinhessen
91
Which varieties are planted in Rheinhessen?
There's a very broad range of varieties planted
92
What are the most planted white varieties in Rheinhessen?
Müller-Thurgau and Riesling
93
Which red varieties dominate in Rheinhessen?
What percentage of plantings do they occupy here?
Dornfelder
Portugieser
Spätburgunder
30%
94
Which wines of Rheinhessen can be used for GG?
Riesling
Spätburgunder
95
Where are the best wines of Rheinhessen produced?
On the steeply terraced vineyards on the west bank of the Rhine, centred around the village of Nierstein
96
What are the terraces around Nierstein sometimes called?
The Rheinterrasse
97
What reputation do the Rheinterrasse have in the wine world of Germany?
As producing some the fullest bodied Rieslings in Germany
98
What other wine movement is happening in Germany? Whereabouts and what is happening?
In some less known parts of Rheinhessen e.g. the area in the south near Worms, top-quality wines have begun to be produced
99
What reputation does Rheinhessen have?
As a result of its new winemaking movement, it has a reputation for innovation and excellence
100
What is the second largest wine producing area of Germany?
Pfalz
101
How can the vineyards of Pfalz be seen geographically?
As a continuation of the vineyards of Alsace
102
Describe the vineyards of Pfalz
They run in a narrow 80km strip from the french border and lie to the east of the Haardt mountains (which are a continuation of the Vosges mountains)
103
Describe the climate of Pfalz and its effect on vines
It is the driest of the German regions and the vines can suffer from water stress
104
What is the most widely planted variety in Pfalz?
Riesling
105
What reputation does Pfalz have in Germany for winemaking?
It has the longest reputation for high quality winemaking
106
Which other white grape is widely grown in Pfalz?
Müller-Thurgau
Increasing plantings of Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder
107
What percentage of vineyard area do black grape plantings account for in Pfalz?
Just under 40%
108
What is the second most planted grape of either colour in Pfalz?
Dornfelder
109
Which other red grapes are grown in Pfalz?
Portugieser (for the local market)
Spätburgunder (which is gaining an international reputation)
110
From which varieties can GG wines be made in Pfalz?
Riesling
Weißburgunder
Spätburgunder
111
Where are Pfalz's most established quality vineyards located?
Forst
Deidesheim
112
What is the collective name for Forst and Deidesheim?
Mittelhaardt
113
Where in relation to Mittelhaardt are the vineyards?
On the steep slopes to the west
114
What is the style of wines produced in Mittelhaardt?
Ripe and fuller-bodied
115
Besides Rheinhessen, where else in Germany are new and young producers making top-quality wines?
Pfalz
116
What style are the wines of Pfalz being made into?
Drier styles
117
What is the warmest/most southerly region of Germany?
Baden
118
What are the wines of Baden like?
Fullest-bodied with highest alcohols
119
Describe the size of Baden
The vineyards are spread over a large area, but in terms of vineyard area, it's only the third largest in Germany
120
Where in Baden are most of the vineyards located?
They are spaced out over a narrow strip of land that follows the Rhine to the Swiss border
121
Around which areas are nearly a third of plantings focused in Baden?
Kaiserstuhl and Tuniberg (opposite Colmar in Alsace)
122
How and where are the best vineyards of Baden situated?
They are on the south facing slope of Kaiserstuhl (an extinct volcano)
123
What is the most widely planted variety in Baden?
Spätburgunder
124
Which area has the best reputation for Spätburgunder in Baden?
Kaiserstuhl
125
After Spätburgunder, what are the most widely planted varieties in Baden, listed in descending order?
Müller-Thurgau Grauburgunder Weißburgunder Riesling
126
Which variety can be used for GG wines in Baden?
A range of red and white wines can be used
127
What is unusual about Franken in relation to the rest of Germany?
Riesling is neither most widely planted, nor is it considered to be prestigious
128
What is seen as the top wine grape of Franken?
Silvaner
129
What are the key viticultural characteristics of Silvaner?
Early flowering and ripening Susceptible to frost damage
130
On what kinds of sites is Silvaner planted in Franken?
In the warmest sites
131
What is the result of Silvaner being planted in the warmest sites of Franken?
It is able to reach a level of ripeness rarely achieved elsewhere in Germany
132
Where are the best wines of Franken?
From the south-facing slopes around Würzburg
133
Describe the best wines of Franken
Dry, with a richness on the palate With an earthy quality
134
What is distinctive about the way Franken Silvaner is packaged?
They are bottled in distinctive flask-shaped bottles
135
Which varieties can be used for GG wines?
Silvaner Riesling Weißburgunder Grauburgunder Spätburgunder
136
How are some German PGI wines labelled?
Landwein
137
How is German wine without a GI labelled?
Deutscher Wein
138
How many delimited regions are there for German PDO wines?
13
139
What is the big difference between Germany's delimited regional PDO system and France's?
Germany's is not linked to specific grape varieties
140
How are German wines typically labelled?
Varietally and classified by minimum must weight at harvest
141
What are the two fundamental levels in the German classification system?
Qualitätswein
Prädikatswein
142
How is the Prädikatswein level divided?
Into six Prädikat levels
143
All PDO wines in Germany must come from...
Only one region
144
What must appear on a German PDO label?
The name of the region For Prädikatsweine, the Prädikat level Varietal labelling is common
145
Other than Prädikat levels, how may different levels of wines be labelled?
Dry= Trocken Off-dry/medium= Halbtrocken
146
What is the alternative to Halbtrocken as a labelling term in Germany? Why may this be used instead?
Feinherb Some producers believe 'Halbtrocken' has an association with lower quality wines
147
What is the legal definition of 'Feinherb'?
There is no legal definition
148
Other than written indications, how else may sugar levels be deduced for a German wine?
From the wine category or alcohol level
149
When stated on German labels, how is vineyard location expressed? Give an example
Village name followed by vineyard name Piesporter Goldtröpfchen
150
How from the location name, may one deduce whether a German wine is from a single vineyard or multiple?
It is not possible from location labelling, but price is a good indicator
151
List in order, German categories by minimum must weight, from lowest to highest, including what style they can be made into
Qualitätswein - dry to medium sweet Prädikatswein Kabinett - dry to medium sweet Spätlese- dry to medium sweet Auslese - dry to sweet Beerenauslese - sweet only Eiswein - sweet only Trockenbeerenauslese - sweet only
152
How may quality be indicated on a German label?
There is no legally defined labelling term indicating quality
153
Which German organisation has attempted to address the issue of labelling quality indications? Who are they?
Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) A group of producers who have classified the vast majority of the best vineyard sites in Germany
154
For which wines may Grosses Gewächs be used? How does it appear on labels?
Dry Qualitätsweine from the best vineyard sites
'GG' and a bunch of grapes embossed on the neck of the bottle
155
When did GG become a part of German law?
It is not a part of German law
