General German info Flashcards
What is the primary grape grown in Ahr?
Spatburgunder
What is the primary grape grown in Baden?
Spatburgunder
What is the primary grape grown in Franken?
Muller Thurgau
What is the primary grape grown in Hessische-Bergstrasse?
Riesling
What is the primary grape grown in Mittelrhein?
Riesling
What is the primary grape grown in Mosel?
Riesling
What is the primary grape grown in Nahe?
Riesling
What is the primary grape grown in Pfalz?
Riesling
What is the primary grape grown in Rheingau?
Riesling
What is the primary grape grown in Rheinhessen?
Muller-Thurgau
What is the primary grape grown in Saale-Unstrut?
Muller-Thurgau
What is the primary grape grown in Sachsen?
Muller-Thurgau
What is the primary grape grown in Wurttemberg?
Trollinger
Which region has the most Riesling?
Pfalz - 5567 ha
Which region has the most Muller Thurgau?
Rheinhessen - 4366 ha
Which region has the most Grauburgunder?
Baden - 1801 ha
Which region has the most Weissburgunder?
Baden - 1272 ha
Which region has the most Chasselas?
Baden - 1116 ha
Which region has the most Silvaner?
Rheinhessen - 2451 ha
Which region has the most Kerner?
Rheinhessen - 1097 ha
Which region has the most Spatburgunder?
Baden - 5699 ha
Which region has the most Portugieser?
Pfalz - 1967 ha
Which region has the most Dornfelder?
Rheinhessen - 3428 ha
Which region has the most Trollinger?
Wurttemberg - 2345 ha
Rank the regions’ planting of white grapes over red, in %.
Mosel – 90.6% Rheingau – 85.1% Mittelrhein – 85% Sachsen – 81.2% Franken – 80.7% Nahe – 74.8% Hessische-Bergstrasse – 78.9% Saale-Unstrut – 73.8% Rheinhessen – 69.1% Pfalz – 61.8% Baden – 56.9% Wurttemberg – 28.9% Ahr – 15.2%
Rank the regions’ in hectares planted:
Rheinhessen – 26490 – 26.1% Pfalz – 23489 – 23.1% Baden – 15280 – 15.1% Wurttemberg – 11345 – 11.2% Mosel – 8787 – 8.6% Franken – 6111 - 6% Nahe – 4149 – 4.1% Rheingau – 3134 – 3.1% Saale-Unstrut – 755 – 0.7% Ahr – 559 - 0.6% Sachsen – 483 – 0.5% Mittelrhein – 459 – 0.5% Hessische-Bergstrasse – 441 – 0.4%
Rank the grape varieties planted in Germany, overall.
- Riesling – 21.9%
- Muller-Thurgau – 13.4%
- Spatburgunder – 11.5%
- Dornfelder – 7.9%
- Silvaner – 5.1%
- Grauburgunder – 4.4%
- Blauer Portugieser – 4.3%
- Weissburgunder – 3.6%
- Kerner – 3.6%
- Trollinger – 2.4%
- Schwarzriesling – 2.3%
- Regent – 2.1%
- Bacchus – 2.0%
- Lemberger – 1.7%
- Scheurebe – 1.6%
- Chardonnay – 1.1%
- Gutedel (Chasselas) – 1.1%
- Traminer – 0.8%
- St. Laurent – 0.7%
- Huxelrebe – 0.6%
Muller-Thurgau is a crossing of what?
Riesling x Madeleine Royale
Regent is a crossing of what?
Diana x Chambourcin (American hybrid, so technically a hybrid)
Scheurebe is a crossing of what?
Bukettrebe x Riesling
Kerner is a crossing of what?
Trollinger x Riesling
Dornfelder is a crossing of what?
Helfensteiner x Heroldrebe
Bacchus is a crossing of what?
(Silvaner x Riesling) x Muller-Thurgau
What does Abfuller mean?
bottler or shipper who assumes the responsibility for the origin and quality of a wine.
Define Alleinbesitz.
A vineyard which is owned by only one owner (similar to a monopole in France).
Define Amtliche Prüfungsnummer
commonly referred to as the AP#; a quality control number on all QbA and QmP wines. The number contains the Exam Board number, commune number, producers registered number, an application number and the year of the application. Some producers use the application number as a sequential indication of sweetness.
Define Anreicherung
Broad term for sweetening must before or during fermentation. Whereas chaptalization means the addition of sugar only, enrichment also includes the addition of grape must, concentrated grape must, and RCGM.
Define Deutscher Sekt
sparkling wine made by any method from grapes grown in Germany
Define Edelfaule
noble rot
Define Einzellage
single vineyard
Define Erste Gewachs
legal term used for dry wines in the Rheingau from the best vineyards
Define Erzeugerabfüllung
grown and produced by the same grower or cooperative
Define Feinherb
half-dry, no legal definition.
Define Flaschengärung
bottle fermented sekt
Define Flurbereinigung
restructuring of German vineyards
Define Fuder
1000 liter cask common in the Mosel
Define Grosses Gewächs
VDP classification of dry wines from the best vineyards, must be Spätlese ripeness
Define Grosslage
a collection of vineyards; misleading term for inexpensive wines
Define Gutsabfüllung
grown, produced and bottled by the same person/estate
Define Halbtrocken
half-dry, generally less than 18 g/L residual sugar
Define Handgerüttelt
Hand Riddled
Define Kellerei
wine cellar (or wholesaler)
Define Leiblich
medium-sweet
Define Rotling
Rosé wine that is produced from a mixture of red and white varieties. A Rotling must have pale red or clear red color
Define Stuck
1200 liter cask commonly used in the Rheingau
Define Schneewein
Snow wine; a term used to describe an ice wine made from grapes gathered when snow covered the vineyards.
Define Trocken
dry; generally less than 4 g/L residual sugar but can be slightly higher depending on acid content and region
Define Weissherbst
rosé from a single variety of red grape
Define Winzergenossenschaft
co-op
With whom did vitis vinifera arrive in Germany?
The Romans
Winemaking was established on the Mosel by when?
The 4th Century
What was instrumental to wine growth in the Middle Ages?
The church
Who had the largest vineyard holdings in Europe during the Middle Ages, which were in Rheingau?
The Cistercians of Burgundy with their Kloster Eberbacj monastery.
Who revoked the Church’s influence in German viticulture?
Napoleon
When were the Church’s vineyard holdings secularized?
1803
When did the German wine law organization happen?
1971
What is the most common red grape?
Spatburgunder
When did Spatlese harvesting “begin”? Who started it?
1775, Schloss Johannisberg
What was Rhine wine called in English markets?
Hock
Who is responsible for many of the hardier grape crossings?
Geisenheim Wine Institute in Rheingau
Where can Liebfraumilch be from?
Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Nahe, Rheingau
What does the first number set in the AP number signify?
The region where the wine was tested.
What does the second number set in the AP number signify?
The commune in which the wine was bottled.
What does the third number set in the AP number signify?
The bottler’s code.
What does the fourth number set in the AP number signify?
A unique code for the bottling.
What does the fifth number set in the AP number signify?
The year in which the application was filed.
Landwein must be what in style?
trocken or halbtrocken
Most German sparkling is produced with what method?
Charmat
What is the minimum Ochsle range of Kabinett?
70-85
What is the minimum Ochsle range of Spatlese?
80-95
What is the minimum Ochsle range of Auslese?
88-105
What is the minimum Ochsle range of Beerenauslese?
110-128
What is the minimum Ochsle range of Trockenbeerenauslese?
150-154
What is the minimum Ochsle range of Eiswein?
110-128
What is the VDP?
Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter
What organization was formed to advance dry Rheingau riesling?
Charta
How many estates are in the VDP
About 200
What are Erste Lage now known as, as of 2012?
Grosse Lage
What was the logo of Erste Lage wines?
A “1” followed by a cluster of grapes.
What were the Erste Lage rules?
Hand harvested
Max yield of 50 hl/ha
Minimum must weight equivalent to Spatlese
What are dry Erste Lage wines called?
“GG” - Grosses Gewachs
What is the max RS of Grosses Gewachs?
9 g/l
Erstes Gewachs are what?
Grosse Gewachs from Charta, which unlike Grosse Gewachs, can have its full name on the label.
How much of VDP estate vineyards are planted to Riesling?
55%
When can Grosses Gewachs be released?
Sep 1 after year of harvest
Whose demarcations are more narrow? German Wine Law of 1971 or the VDP?
VDP
What is Erste Lage now comparable to?
Premier Cru
How many dry wines can top GG sites produce?
1
Erste Lage dry wines must be labeled what?
Trocken
What are the 4 levels of VDP classification?
Grosse Lage
Erste Lage
Ortswein
Gutswein
What is the max yield of Erste Lage wine?
60 hl/ha
What is the max yield of Ortswein?
75 hl/ha
What is the max yield of Gutswein?
75 hl/ha
What is the difference between Mosel and Pfalz VDP wines on the Pradikat scale?
Mosel can make wines at all classifications, no Kabinett in Pfalz.
What are the two categories of the German Wine Institute at Mainz?
Classic and Selection
Describe “Selection” wines
Single-vineyard, single-variety wines
What is a Goldkapsel?
the capsule used in Mosel for reserve selections
What mountain range does the Mosel come from?
Vosges
What is the largest bereich in Mosel?
Bernkastel
What is most of the soil like in Bernkastel?
Devonian blue slate
What is the soil like in Erden?
Red slate
Most of Rheingau’s slopes face what direction?
southeast
What is Assmanhausen known for?
Spatburgunder
What small river joins the Rhine in Rheingau?
Main
What city marks the southern edge of Rheinhessen?
Worms
What is “Message in a bottle”?
An association of more than 25 young and dynamic winemakers in Rheinhessen committed to raising quality throughout the region.
What are the Vosges mountains called in Pfalz?
Haardt hills.
The Nahe is a tributary of what river?
Rhine
Franconia is in which larger region?
Bavaria
What is the only German region without a VDP Grosse Lage?
Hessiche-Bergstrasse
Who could be considered the top estate in Sachsen?
Villa Sachsen
Who could be considered the top winery in Wurttemberg?
Schnaitmann
Name the top producer in Johannisberg
Schloss Johannisberg
Name the top producer of Wiltingen
Egon Muller
Name the top producer of Saarburg
Zilliken
Name the top producer of Eitelsbach
Karthauserhof
Name the likely top 3 producers of Piesport
Reinhold Haart
Bollig-Lehnert
Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt
What seas are north of Germany?
Baltic Sea, North Sea
The northern third of Germany is in what?
The North European plain
What are the minimum alcohols of Qualitatswein and Qualitatswein Erstes Gewachs?
7, 12-13%
What are the minimum must weights of Qualitatswein and Qualitatswein Erstes Gewachs?
55-72, 85-90
What are minimum alcohols for Pradikat wine?
7% for Kab/Spat/Aus, 5.5% for Beeren/Eiswein/TBA
What are considered the best vintages in Mosel, since 2000?
2011, 2009, 2006, 2005
What are considered the best vintages in Rhein since 2000?
2001, 2011, 2009, 2004
What is the Oechsle scale?
A hydrometer scale measuring density of grape must.
Named after Ferdinand Oechsle.
1 degree Oe = 1 gram of difference between…
- 1 liter of must at 20 degrees Celsius (68F), and
- 1 liter of water
Example: Minimum Oechsle for Mosel Kabinett is 73 Degrees Oe. So, specifc mass has to be 1073 grams per liter.
What is the general minimum Oechsle for TBA?
150
Rheingau’s top dry wines are classified as what?
Erste Gewachs
What is the southernmost village of Pfalz?
Birkweiler
What is the northernmost village of Pfalz?
Dirmstein
Where is Scharzhofberg?
In Saar, about 1 mile east of the Saar river.
What vineyard is across the river from Piesport?
Goldtropfchen
What 3 great vineyards sites run immediately east of the city of Urzig?
Wurzgarten, Pralat, Treppchen
What vineyard is across the river from the city of Wehlen?
Sonnenuhr
Where is Assmanhausen
Very Western Rheingau
What 2 famous Rheingau vineyards are not on the river?
Schloss Vollrads
Schloss Johannisberg
What German wines can be chaptalized?
Qualitatswein
What is the maximum temperature at harvest for Eiswein?
-7 C or 19.4F
Josephshofer is a monopole owned by who and where?
Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, Mosel
Pfaffenberg is a monopole owned by who and where?
Schloss Schonborn, Hattenheim, Rheingau
Gaisbohl is a monopole owned by who and where?
Dr Burklin Wolf, Ruppertsberg, Pfalz
When was the Kloster Eberbach monastery founded and where? What are they known for?
1136, Rheingau. Large vineyard holdings.
What did the German Wine Law do?
Delineated vineyards.
Created QBA and Pradikat (formerly QmP)
When did QMP become Pradikat?
2007
What is the mandated minimum size for vineyards from the German Wine Law of 1971? What are the exceptions?
5 hectares
Doctor in Bernkastel
Kirchsenstuck in Forst
Freundstuck in Forst
Schloss Vollrads orsteil in Rheingau
What is the significance of Alte Badstube am Doktorberg?
Wines labeled this are east of the Doctor vineyard, and excluded from it as of 1984.
What are the orsteils of Rheingau?
Schloss Vollrads
Schloss Johannisberg
Schloss Reichartshausen
Steinberg
Josephshofer is a monopole for who and where?
Reichsgraf von Kessellstatt - Graach, Mosel
Name 3 monopole vineyards of Maximin Grunhauser
Abtsberg
Bruderberg
Herrenberg