Ch. 11 – Germany Flashcards

Question

Landwein (Germany)

Answer 1

equivalent to PGI At least 85% of grapes has to come from the Landwein region on label In most regions only Trocken and Halbtrocken styles allowed Only tiny proportion of annual production

Answer 2

PDO category Grapes come exclusively from one of 13 wine regions (Anbaugebiete) - name must appear on label All styles allowed (including sweeter wines) Enrichment is permitted Must undergo laboratory test and blind tasting before release. Those who pass are given AP number, which must appear on label (when and where tasted, lot number, location of vineyard)

Answer 3

PDO category but with stringent rules Grapes must come from one of the 40 Bereich (wine producing districts smaller than Anbaugebiete) but name 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 Amount produced strongly depends on vintage Six levels of Pradikatswein ('distinction') Kabinett Spatlese Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese

Answer 4

light in body, highest in acidity dry to medium-sweet can have alcohol as low as 7%; dry wines reach 12% Green and citrus aroma

Answer 5

Usually picked 2 weeks after Kabinett; fully ripe grapes Greater concentration of ripe fruit flavour (stonefruit for Riesling) Slightly higher alcohol and fuller body dry to medium-sweet Minimum alcohol is 7%

Answer 6

Made from specially-selected extra-ripe bunches of grapes Hand harvesting is not compulsory Honey characteristics, some grapes may be affected by Botrytis Can be dry, but usually sweeter in style with balance of sweetness and acidity which gives potential for long term ageing Alcohol can be as low as 7%

Answer 7

Individually selected berries - must be harvested by hand Always sweet Slow fermentation reaching low alcohol levels (min. 5.5%) Berries do not have to be affected by botrytis but it is very common Very ripe and dried stone fruits Only produced in years suitable for noble rot to form Yields are very low Rare and expensive

Answer 8

Minimum must weight same as BA Grapes must be picked frozen at temperature below -7C any time between December and February Grapes must be pressed while still frozen, artificial freezing is not permitted Grapes must be very healthy High acidity, concentrated, peach, grapefruit flavours

Answer 9

Grapes must be affected by botrytis (very high must weight) Highly concentrated, extremely sweet wines, balanced by high acidity Long and slow fermentation often below 8% abv Extremely low yields, only in suitable years, some of the most expensive wines of Germany

Answer 10

Trocken - dry Halbtrocken - off-dry Lieblich - medium-sweet Suss - more than 45g/l

Answer 11

designates wines which are affected by Botrytis

Answer 12

Einzellagen and Grosslagen names can only be used on Qualitatswein and Pradikatswein Village name + vineyard name, e.g. Piesporter Goldtropfchen Name of village can be skipped if it is very well known

Answer 13

medium-dry white wine of Qualitatswein level with at lease 18g/L RS. Mostly Muller-Thurgau (though can also contain Riesling, Silvaner, and Kerner) Mostly from Rheinhessen & Pfalz

Answer 14

Founded in 1910 - group of producers who wanted to promote wines without enrichment (at the time naturweine) Around 200 members (identified by the VDP logo which must appear on the capsule); only 5% of production. Stricter regulations for growing and winemaking including lower yields, higher minimum must weight and growing predominantly traditional grape varieties for their region Audited every 5 years Encouraging sustainable viticulture Pradikatswein is used only for wine with RS; dry wines must be labeled Qualitatswein trocken Introduced four-tier vineyard classification system

Answer 15

VDP Gutswein - regional wines, max. yield 75hl/ha VDP Ortswein - village wines, produced from grape varieties typical to region, max. yield 75hl/ha VDP Erste Lage - 'first class' equivalent to premier cru - excellent quality wines with ageing potential - stricter growing and winemaking conditions apply - Only selected varieties for each region - lower max yields - grapes must be harvested by hand and ripe enough to qualify at least for Spatlese. - Village and vineyard name on the label. VDP Grosse Lage - equivalent to Grand Cru - even lower max yields - Permitted varieties differ dependent on Anbaugebiete (Riesling in all, Spatburgunder in all but Nahe and Mosel) - Dry whites cannot be released until September year following harvest. - Red wines spend 12mths in oak - Dry wines are designated Grosses Gewachs (only GG can appear on label) - Only vineyard name appears on label not the village.

Answer 16

Founded to promote dry wines from best vineyards of Rheingau Erstes Gewachs status for the best vineyards in Rheingau and now it is legaly protected term Only Riesling or Spatburgunder Must be hand harvested from low-yielding vineyards Dry wines with must weight to classify at least as spatlese in 1999 joined VDP and growers who used Erstes Gewachs can now label wines GG

Answer 17

Anbaugebiet - The lowest level tier of Qualitätswein - The grapes must be grown in one of 13 German wine-growing areas Region - Replaces both Bereich and Grosslage - Label must say "Region" Ortwein - Label must bear village name Einzellage - Can be dry or sweet - Must be made from one or more recommended grape varieties and be at least Kabinett must weight.

Answer 18

Erstes Gewächs - At least 85% from one approved variety - Grapes must be picked selectively - Lower max yields - Minimum alcohol of 11% - Must be dry - Must pass a tasting test if ordered by the regional bodies - Subject to specified release dates Grosses Gewächs - At least 85% from one approved variety - Grapes must be hand-harvested - Even lower max yields - Minimum alcohol of 12% - Must be dry - Must pass a tasting test - Subject to specified release dates * For both categories, it's possible to indicate a smaller parcel, known as a Gewann, if it's entered into the vineyard register.

Answer 19

Warm and dry - accounts for 25% of German production Sheltered by mountains - Hunsruck and Taunus Warm fertile valley floors (good for Liebfraumilch)

Answer 20

Dominated by white wine - #1 Riesling, #2 Muller-Thurgau, and many other varieties (Grau, Weiss, Silvaner) Bulk production dominates - Led by merchant houses - Higher quality led by small estates and co-ops

Answer 21

Rheinterrasse Steep sloping vineyards with east exposure - maximising sunshine Moderating influence from Rhine - warmer evenings and longer ripening season RIesling - ripe lemon and peach 'Roter Hang' Rotliegenden soil (iron rich red soil w/ slate, clay, sandstone) - produces smoky Rieslings 'Wonnegau' south - Riesling and Spatburgunder

Answer 22

Haardt Mountains (rain-shadow as in Alsace) to the west, Rhine to the east Driest German region - drought is concern not centered around river

Answer 23

production only slightly smaller than Rheinhessen dominated by white - #1 Riesling, #2 Muller-Thurgau, plus others (Grau, Weiss) Fuller body than Rheinhessen and more ripe fruit Suitable climate for reds - Dornfelder and Spatburgunder

Answer 24

'Mittelhaardt' northern part, south-east facing slopes - maximum sunshine and protection from winds - ripe full bodied Riesling. - Wide variety of soils, giving different expressions. 'Sudliche Weinstrasse' w/ more fertile sandstone soils - inexpensive production in past - now great Spatburgunder, Grauburgunder and Weissburgunder. High-volume production led by merchant houses, higher-quality production led by small estates and co-ops

Answer 25

Split into multiple Bereiche East of the Rhine, opposite Alsace - benefits from rain shadow of Vosges. Relatively south latitude - sunniest, warmest, driest region

Answer 26

Known for reds Spatburgunder (often oak aged, variety of styles thanks to variety of soils and microclimates) - Around Kaiserstuhl (volcano) - fullest expressions, smoky, complex - Cooler sites such as 'Ortenau' give more acidity and delicate fruit 60% plantings are white - high volume, inexpensive blends from Muller-Thurgau - Developing reputation for good Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder and Chardonnay (often in oak) 75% from co-operatives (ex. Badischer Winzerkeller)

Answer 27

Mainly light fruity reds - Trollinger, Lemberger, Schwartzriesling, - Gaining a reputation for higher quality reds with oak aging, particularly from Lemberger Dominated by local co-op (Moglingen) Warm summer temperatures - ideal for red (70%)

Answer 28

Very notherly - site selection is very important Steep south-facing vineyards - best sun exposure - sunshine reflected from the river - Dark colored slate soil - radiates heat Slate soils in variety of colours - grey, blue, brown, red Labour intensive

Answer 29

Upper Mosel, Middle Mosel, Lower Mosel Middle - largest and has the best vineyards (village:vineyard) - Bernkastel (Doctor) - Piesport (Goldtropfchen) Moselland co-op accounts for 20% Small producer: Markus Molitor Large producer: F.W. Langguth (maker of Blue Nun)

Answer 30

Dominates plantings in Mosel Paler in colour, lighter in body, lower alcohol, higher acidity Pronounced floral and green fruit aroma Balance of acidity and flavour intensity for great potential to ageing. Strong reputation for sweeter styles Almost always cold enough to produce Eiswein

Answer 31

W-shape around river Main the most continental climate of Germany - warmer summers but shorter growing season with colder autumns and harsh winters Spring frost is a particular problem

Answer 32

Majority is white grapes - Drier styles traditionally produced - #1 Muller-Thurgau, #2 Silvaner - Riesling makes up a relatively small proportion Silvaner - early-ripening so can ripen before temp drop in the fall - early-budding but given the best sites, where frost is less of a problem - South-facing slopes on chalky soil - Full-bodied, dry wines with wet stone and floral aromas Spatburgunder (on steep sandstone terraces) Bocksbeutel - flat, round-shaped bottle with short neck

Answer 33

Relatively small number of vineyards spread over a large area - wide variety of soils and microclimates. Protected by Hunsruck Mountains - mild temperatures and low rainfall East has warmer conditions - Slopes can be as steep as in Mosel - Slate and sandstone Cooler conditions in the west

Answer 34

predominantly white - 30% Riesling - between Mosel and Rheingau/Rheinhessen in style, body, ripeness Inexpensive Muller-Thurgau on fertile gentle slopes.

Answer 35

Small but highly prestigious region - produces some of Germany's highest quality and most age-worthy Rieslings Protected from cold northerly winds by Taunus Mountains South facing aspect - fuller bodied Rieslings than Mosel The Rhine is wider here - Moderating influence, protects against frost - High humidity ideal for noble rot

Answer 36

Focus is on quality here, with lower yields Around Johannisberg and Erbach Mid-slope - Moderating influence from river - Far enough to avoid humidity that would increase risk of fungal disease

Answer 37

Dominated by white grapes - 78% Riesling Majority in dry style but also reputed for botrytised sweet wines At the western end, Spatburgunder is the key grape (Steep south-facing Hollenberg vineyard is renowned for full bodied Pinot Noir) Dominated by estate producers - Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Vollrads

Answer 38

Very notherly but dominated by black varieties River Ahr cuts narrow sheltered valley with steep south-facing slopes and soil is dominated by heat-retaining dark slate and greywacke (dark sandstone) Traditionally late harvested with RS Now making dry Spatburgunder, with relatively high tannins, spice, barrel aged Dominated by co-ops. - Mayschoss (world's oldest co-op)

Answer 39

High labor costs due to steep slopes, low yields for sweet wines, vintage variation - wines command high prices but still unsustainable for some producers - Number of growers is declining Best wines typically made by estate producers - Merchant houses make a lot of high-volume wine - Co-ops are still strong (30%) Domestic market is very important (fourth largest consumer in the world, also strong importer) Small exports but growing in value - Shifting away from bulk wine exports to bottled wine - USA, Norway Riesling weeks (German Wine Institute)

Answer 40

Generation Riesling by German Wine Institute