German Wine Regions Flashcards
What are the important German wine regions?
Rheingau Rheinhessen Nahe Pfalz Baden Württemberg Franken Mosel Ahr
What are Germany’s top four regions in terms of wine production (in order)? What percentage of production do they account for?
Rheinhessen
Pfalz
Baden
Württemberg
80% of total wine production.
In what part of Germany is the majority of wine production located?
In the southern and southwestern parts of the country
What percentage of German vineyards is planted in Rheinhessen?
25%
How does Rheinhessen’s production and yields compare to other regions of Germany? Why?
It is among the highest in both. The area is relatively warm and dry, protected by the Hunsrück and Taunus mountains with the majority of vineyards planted on the valley floor, which is warm and fertile.
What are the most planted varieties in Rheinhessen?
White grapes comprise 71% of vineyard area. Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Grauburgunder, and Weissburgunder are the most planted white varieties.
Of the black varieties planted, Dornfelder covers roughly double the area of Spätburgunder
True or False
Bulk production still dominates winemaking in Rheinhessen but vineyard area is shrinking
False. Bulk production is still a major production but vineyard area is expanding to accommodate it.
What is the significance of Rheinterrasse to Rheinhessen?
It is a source of high quality wines with a good reputation.
Where is Rheinterrasse located? What makes it a source of high quality wines?
It is a stretch of steep slopes on the west bank of the Rhein near Oppenheim and Nierstein. The east facing aspect and proximity to the Rhein river improve ripeness. The steepness of the slopes improve sunlight interception and drainage.
What is Roter Hang?
A strip of vineyards in the Rheinterrasse around Nierstein and Nackenheim. Roter Hang means “Red Slope” and the soils here are iron-rich slate, clay, and sandstone.
Where is Pfalz located in Germany?
Directly south of Rheinhessen with the Haardt Mountains to the west and the Rhein plains to the east. It runs directly into Alsace in the south.
The Haardt Mountains are a continuation of what French mountain range?
The Vosges Mountains
What makes the vineyards in Pfalz unique to other German wine regions?
They are not centered along a river valley
True or False
Drought can be a concern in Pfalz.
True. The Haardt Mountains, like the Vosges, acts as a rain shadow. Pfalz is the driest German wine producing region.
How does vineyard area and plantings in Pfalz compare to Rheinhessen?
Slightly lower area under vine
- similar varietal plantings.
66% of plantings are white; 25% devoted to Riesling.
Muller-Thurgau,
Grauburgunder,
Weissburgunder.
Black: Dornfelder
Spätburgunder.
How do the wines of Pfalz typically compare to those of Rheinhessen?
They are usually fuller bodied with riper fruit aromas.
Where are the most renowned vineyards of Pfalz located?
In Mittelhaardt,
an area in Northern Pfalz around the villages of
Bad Dürkheim,
Wachenheim,
Forst,
Deidesheim, and
Ruppertsberg.
What makes the area of Mittlehaardt an excellent area for grape cultivation?
The vineyards are planted on steep south and east facing slopes with protection from rain and winds (due to the Haardt Mountains)
What type of soil is found in Mittelhaardt? How does this affect the wines?
A wide range including limestone, sandstone, basalt, and clay. The variety allows producers to experiment with the different flavors of the terroir.
Where is Südliche Weinstrasse located? What is it known for?
In the southern Pfalz along the border with France. It is typically an area for inexpensive wines, though some producers are making high quality Spätburgunder, Weisburgunder, and Grauburgunder.
Where is Baden located?
It is a non-contiguous winegrowing area that stretches from north of Heidelberg to the Swiss border with vineyards around Franken and Würtemberg and the east of the Bodensee.
Where is the main vineyard area of Baden located? How is the climate affected by the geography there?
On the eastern side of the Rhein opposite Alsace. Its extreme southerly location, coupled with some rain shadow effects from the Vosges, makes it the warmest, sunniest, and driest wine producing region in German overall.
What types of wine is Baden known for?
Red wines, mostly from Spätburgunder, produced in a variety of styles due to the many soils types found in the region. These often see oak aging.
What area in Baden produces red wines with the fullest body and highest alcohol? Why?
The steep south facing slopes around Kaiserstuhl, a range of hills formed by volcanic activity, topped with loess soils. The area is dry and warm, allowing the development of complex, smoky ripe fruit aromas
What areas in Baden produce more delicate wines with higher acidity? Why?
The bereiche of Ortenau, Tuniberg, and Breisgau. Ortenau is a generally cooler area while Tuniberg and Bresigau hac large deposits of calcareous soil.
What are the most planted varieties in Baden?
60% of plantings are white varieties. Muller-Thurgau is the most planted white varietal and second most overall, and the area is a source of inexpensive white wines due to the warm climate. Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder, and Chardonnay are also planted. Riesling is a small proportion but is used to make all Prädikat levels, some high quality and fuller bodied.
Spätburgunder is the most planted varietal.
Is Baden a source for very good quality white wines?
Yes, specifically from Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder, and Chardonnay. These wines often spend time in oak.
Where is Württemberg located?
Around Stüttgart, east of Baden and south of Franken
