Ch. 11 – Germany Flashcards
History of German wine
Back to 12th century
16th century - widely exported through river Rhine
Decline in early 16th century (thirty years war) - plains planted with grains and vineyards pushed into steep slopes.
1830 new wine laws based on must weight
early 20th century - foundation of wine institutes (Hochschule Geinsenheim University and Julius Kuìhn-Institute) - wave of modernizing
19th century established reputation for world class wines followed by Phylloxera, mildew, world wars
After war - production of inexpensive wine
Flurbereinigung - program of restructuring - consolidating small vineyards and building access roads
1971 modern German wine law - establishing geographical labeling and classification of styles based on must weight.
Flurbereinigung
Program of restructuring
Consolidating small vineyards and building access roads
Making easier mechanization and reducing costs
Without which viticulture would not be financialy viable.
Climate
49-50 degrees North (excluding Baden)
Cool continental climate
Site selection is essential - along river Rhine and tributaries (radiating heat, moderating temperature, extending growing season)
Warm but wet summers (500-800mm most fall in summer) -risk of fungal diseases, dilution of grapes, storms, hail
Long, dry autumns - long ripening periods to accumulate sugar. Morning mists along river ideal for Botrytis
Mountain ranges - Taunus and Haardt - shelter vineyards from cold winds and worst of rain.
Vineyards planted in relatively low altitudes around 200m
Effect of proximity to Rhine
Radiating heat
Moderating temperature
Extending growing season
Location of best vineyards
Steep south-facing slopes (to maximum sun exposure)
Climate of Baden
Noticeably drier, warmer and sunnier
Spring frost can be concern in cold areas
Soils
Wide variety - plays important role in ripening
Mosel and Ahr - dark coloured slate retains heat during the day and radiates back at night
Calcaire pockets in Baden, Pfalz, Rheinhessen (planted with Pinot Noir, Weissburgunder and Chardonnay)
Franken calcaire - Silvaner
Franken clay - Grauburgunder
Erosion is major problem (adding cost)
Vineyard management
Considerable vintage variation (grapes can fail to fully ripen)
High maximum yields
Ripeness was improved by better clonal selection, summer pruning, green harvesting and selective hand harvesting
Canopy management is essential - maximising sun exposure and improve air circulation.
Single or double replacement cane pruned with VSP and Pendelbogen (canes arched at trellis - improved flow of sap - improved yields)
Difficult or impossible mechanisation (increased labour)
Not well suited to organic viticulture (only 8% certified)
Common pruning and trellising
Single or double replacement cane pruned with VSP and Pendelbogen (canes arched at trellis - improved flow of sap - increased number of buds and improved yields)
Steps taken to improve ripeness
Better clonal selection
Summer pruning
Green harvesting
Selective hand harvesting
Proportion of white/black grapes
in 1980 - 90% of grapes were white
2017- 39% black 61% white
Does grape variety need to be mentioned on label?
No, but usually they are
German crosses
To cope with cool climate
Muller-Thurgau - ripens earlier than Riesling
Scheurebe - full bodied wines with intense grapefruit and peach aroma. High acidity (possible for ageworthy wines)
Kerner - quality wines with high acidity and fruity floral notes of Riesling
Dornfelder
German Riesling
23% of all plantings
Winterhardy, late budding, relatively frost resistant.
Late ripening (needs good sun exposure and dry autumns)
May not fully ripen in cool years
High quality wide range of wines
High acidity even when fully ripe
Significant ageing potential
Can produce high natural levels of sugar and is susceptible to Botrytis
Pronounced intensity, great aromatic complexity
Green to tropical aromas, floral (white flowers, honeysuckle.
With age - toast, honey, petrol aromas
Muller-Thurgau
Also Rivaner
Ripens earlier than Riesling
Can produce high yields in any almost conditions
used in inexpensive blands such as Liebfraumilch
Lower acidity than Riesling (medium), less structure, simple floral and fruity aromas for early drinking
Spatburgunder
German most planted black variety 11.5%
Warmer areas such as Baden
Increasingly recognised as high quality, complex wine often with barrel ageing
Whole bunch ferment sometimes used
Less new oak tendencies
Dornfelder
Most significant black German cross
Second most planted black variety
Deep colour, high acidity, fruity and floral aromas
2 styles - one fruity simple with residual sugar and complex ageworthy style with focus on tannin and structure, fermented or aged in oak.
Mostly Rheinhessen and Pfalz
Silvaner
spelled Sylvaner in Alsace
Lower in acidity and aromas than Riesling
Large amounts of simple wines with fruity aromas (green to tropical)
Where yields are controlled (Franken) can produce high quality dry, med bodied wine with med (+) acidity and disctinctive earthy characteristics.
Grauburgunder
Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Baden
some aged in oak
likes heavier soils
medium acidity, stone fruit aroma, tropical fruit and honey
Med bodied dry style to full bodied sweeter (often labeled Rulander)
Weissburgunder
Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Baden
med + acidity delicate citrus and stone fruit aroma
Chardonnay
allowed since 1990
plantings are low
Warmer areas such as Pfalz and Baden
Other grapes
Portugieser
Schwartzriesling (Pinot Meunier)
Trollinger (Schiava)
Lemberger (Blaufrankisch)
Vessels for production of wine
Traditionally produced in large old oak (Central European oak)
- 1000L Fuder (Mosel)
- 1200L Stück (oval shaped)
Stainless is becoming norm now
New oak is rarely used for Riesling, but proportion is used for Grau, Weissburg and Chardonnay
Sussreserve
unfermented or partialy-fermented grape must to sweeten the wine
Must be produced from grapes from the same region and same quality level as the wine produced
It is common for sussreserve to come from the same must as the wine where it is added
Added to dry wine before bottling
Minimal or no alcohol - lowers the final alcohol level
Thought to produce less balanced wines
Options for sweetening wine
Sussreserve
RCGM (only for Deutscher Wein)
Stopping fermentation by adding SO2, filtereng or rackling
Fermentation for Beerenauslese, Eiswein or TBA usually stops itself because of high sugar level around 5-8%
Sweetness was often used to cover unbalanced acidity or underipe grapes
Winemaking progress and adjustments
Significant advance in knowhow and technology
Lot of experimentation with Grau and Weissburg. with lees and oak, natural ferm.
Enrichment is common practice (BUT not allowed for Pradikatswein) Zone A up to 3% (Baden zone B up to 2%)
De-acidification permitted (as well as acidification)
Production of inexpensive red wines
Often termovinification to extract colour and flavour
Fermented off skins to produce low tannin wine
Production of premium Pinot Noir
Cold maceration, whole bunch fermentation, maturation in oak
Proportion of rose production
11% sold mostly domesticaly
Creation of German wine law
1971
General German wine law
Increasing must weight with few rules regarding growing and winemaking
Deutscher Wein
Landwein
Qualitatswein
Pradikatswein
Deutscher Wein
Without geographical indication
Exclusively from grapes from Germany
Alcohol must be between 8.5 and 15%
Any style
Enrichment is permitted
Only tiny proportion of German wine production
Landwein
equivalent to PGI
At least 85% of grapes has to come from the region on label
Alcohol between 8.5% - 15%
In most regions only Trocken and Halbtrocken style allowed
Enrichment is permitted
Only tiny proportion of annual production
Qualitatswein
PDO category
Grapes come exclusively from one of 13 wine regions (Anbaugebiete) - name must appear on label
All styles allowed
Minimum alcohol 7% (to allow sweeter styles)
No maximum alcohol
Enrichment is permitted
Must undergo laboratory test and blind tasting before release. Those who pass are given AP number (amtliche Prufungsnummer) which must appear on label (when and where tasted, lot number, location of vineyard)
Anbaugebiete
13 PDO regions in germany
Amtliche Prufungsnummer
Appears on label of Qualitatswein
Mandatory lab test and blind tasting before release
Indicates when and where tasted wine was tasted, lot number, location of vineyard
Pradikatswein
PDO category but with stringent rules
Grapes must come from one of the 40 Bereich (wine producing districts smaller than Asbaugebiete) which number does NOT need to appear on label
However name of Anbaugebiete must appear on label
Wines with highest must weight
Enrichment is not permitted
Any grape variety but mainly associated with Riesling
About half of the production of Qualitatswein
Strongly depends on vintage
Six levels of Pradikatswein ('distinction') Kabinett Spatlese Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese
Kabinett
light in body, highest in acidity
dry to medium sweet
with residual sugar can have alcohol as low as 7%
dry wines reach 12%
Green and citrus aroma