German Flashcards
Which is the largest Germany wine region?
Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest wine region. The region lies in a valley of steep rolling hills, with the best sites along the river. In addition to being responsible for the about 20% of the country Riesling production. Rheinhessen boasts the world’s most significant acreage dedicated to the ancient grape, Silvaner.
Name the six Prädikatswein levels in ascending order of must weight.
Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, and Trockenbeerenauslese.
What is Kabinett wine?
A light, low-alcohol wine with flavors of green apple and citrus, often with a hint of sweetness.
What are the two main categories of German wine classification?
Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein.
What is Qualitätswein?
A category of German wine that must come from one of the 13 designated wine regions and meet specific quality standards. It can be chaptalized.
What is Prädikatswein?
A higher category of German wine that is classified by ripeness levels at harvest. It cannot be chaptalized.
Describe Spätlese wine.
A wine made from late-harvested grapes, offering more body, sweetness, and complex fruit flavors than Kabinett.
What is Auslese wine?
A richer, more intense wine made from selectively handpicked ripe grapes, often with notable sweetness.
What characterizes Beerenauslese wine?
A sweet dessert wine made from individually picked berries affected by botrytis (noble rot).
What is Eiswein?
A sweet wine made from grapes naturally frozen on the vine, concentrated in sugar and acidity.
Describe Trockenbeerenauslese.
An extremely rare and sweet wine made from shriveled, botrytis-affected grapes, with very high sugar content.
What are Anbaugebiete?
The 13 official wine regions in Germany designated for Qualitätswein production.
Describe the Mosel wine region
Known for its steep vineyards and slate soils, producing light, floral Rieslings with high acidity.
What is special about the Rheingau region?
It is renowned for its full-bodied, elegant Rieslings and some of the best Pinot Noir in Germany.
What characterizes the Pfalz wine region?
A warm climate region producing rich, full-bodied wines, including Riesling and Pinot varieties.
Describe the Baden wine region.
Germany’s warmest region, known for producing high-quality Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc.
What is unique about Franken wines?
Known for Silvaner, often in Bocksbeutel bottles, with a focus on dry, full-bodied white wines.
What is the VDP classification system?
A private classification by the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter focusing on vineyard quality, including Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) and Erste Lage (Premier Cru).
What does Grosses Gewächs (GG) signify?
A designation for dry wines from top-quality VDP classified vineyards (Grosse Lage).
What is German Sekt?
Sparkling wine produced mainly from Riesling or Pinot Noir, with varying levels of sweetness.
What are the key aspects of German wine laws?
Regulations include region of origin, grape variety, minimum alcohol levels, and production methods.
What do the terms “Trocken” and “Halbtrocken” mean?
“Trocken” means dry, and “Halbtrocken” means off-dry (slightly sweet).
