Germany Flashcards
1
Q
Riesling accounts for what % of Germany’s vineyard plantings?
A
25%
2
Q
World’s largest producing country for Riesling?
A
Germany, comfortably
3
Q
Examples of old German wineries dating back to 12th century (x2)
A
Schloss Johannisberg
Kloster Eberbach
(both in Rheingau)
4
Q
Germany unified in what year
A
1871
5
Q
Wine insitutes in Germany (x2)
A
Hoschshule Geisenheim University (Rheingau)
Julius Kuhn-Institut (Pfalz)
6
Q
What is/was Flurbereinigung?
A
German program of vineayrd restructuring
Consolidation of small, fragmented vineyards
Building of access road
7
Q
Germany climate
A
Cool continental (except Baden - further south, drier,w warmer, sunnier)
8
Q
Why is site selection so important in Germany?
A
Northerly latitude (49-50) River radiates heat etc
9
Q
Best vineyard exposition in Germany
A
Steep, south-facing slope
Maximum sun exposure
10
Q
How steep are slopes in Germany?
A
Up to 70%!
Mosel
11
Q
How can Germans mitigate against spring forst?
A
Rivers
Planting on slopes
12
Q
Germany gets 500-800mm rain, a lot of it in summer. So what?
A
Increase fungal risk
Dilute grapes
Hail
13
Q
Two mountain ranges in Germany
A
Taunus
Haardt
14
Q
What are Taunus and Haardt?
A
Mountain ranges in Germany
Shelter vineyards from cold winds and rain
15
Q
Significance of dark coloured slate in Mosel and Ahr?
A
Retains heat during day
Radiates it outa gain at night
16
Q
Weissburgunder aka
A
Pinot Blanc
17
Q
Spatburgunder aka
A
Pinot Noir
18
Q
Grauburgunder aka
A
Pinot Gris
19
Q
Effects of erosion in eg Mosel
A
Adds cost
Must winch soil and rocks back up slopes
20
Q
Germany land under vine
A
400,000ha
21
Q
What is Pendelbogen?
A
Germany
Repalcement cane pruning with the canes arched in the trellis
22
Q
Benefit of Pendelbogen?
A
Repalcement cane prunign withc anes arched in trellis
Improve sap flow -> increase # of viable buds -> increase yields
23
Q
Germany not suited to organice why?
A
High risk of disease = lots of spraying
24
Q
How is spraying done in Mosel?
A
Steep slopes so helicopter
25
Germany: split between white and black grapes planted?
61% white
| 39% black
26
Riesling is what % of German plantings?
23%
27
Why is Riesling successful in Germany?
Survive cold German winters
| Late budding with thick wood = frost resistant
28
Muller-Thurgau synonym
Rivaner
29
Rivaner synonym
Muller-Thurgau
30
Benefit of Muller-Thurgau?
Can produce high yields in almsot any conditions
31
Germany's most planted black grape?
Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)
32
Dornfelder style
Deep colour
High acid
Fruity and floral
33
Silvaner is particularly good in which German region?
Franken
High quality, dry, medium bodied
Medium to medium (+) acid
Earthy
34
Chardonnay allowed in Germany since when?
1990
| Plantings remain low
35
High-quality German Chardonnay from where?
Warmer areas
Southern Pfalz
Kaiserstuhl in Baden
36
Early example of a German cross
Muller-Thurgau
37
What drove the development of German crosses?
Mid 20th century
| High yields of grapes with high must weights encouraged by German wine Laws
38
What is Scheurebe?
A German cross
Full bodied wines with intense ripe grapefruit, peach
Acidity lower than Riesling but high enough to age
A quality example!
39
Most successful black-grape crossing in Germany?
Dornfelder
40
Is enrichment common in Germany?
Yes, due to cool temperaturse
Not permitted for Praditkatswein
Enrichment allowed up to 3% (EU Zone A - everywhere except Baden)
41
Why is enrichment becoming less common in Germany?
Less common outside bulk production
| Fruit is consistently riper naturally
42
Germany: what is a Fuder?
1,000L wooden cask in Mosel
43
Germany: what is a Stuck?
1,200 oval-shaped wooden cask
| Rhine
44
Oak country of origin in Germany?
Often German oak
From Pfalz
French oak common for smaller vessels eg barriques
45
Germany: enrichment with RCGM only permitted for what category?
Deutscher Wein
46
Germany's current wine law dates to when?
1971
| NB there is a revised 2021 one
47
Fundamental principle of German wine law?
Classify grapes according to their must weight at harvest
48
Four quality levels of German wine?
Deutscher Wein
Landwein
Qualitatswein
Pradikatswein
49
Deutscher Wein formerly known as what?
Tafelwein
50
Wine without a GI in Germany, from German grapes: what category?
Deutscher Wein
51
Deutscher Wein: alcohol levels?
8.5%-15%
52
German equivalent of PGI wine?
Landwein
53
Landwein: rules
85% of grapes from Landwein region named on label
8.5-15% abv
trocken or halbrtocken
tiny proportion of production
54
Two German PDO categories
Qualitatswein
| Pradikatswein
55
The 13 designated quality wine regions in Germany are known as what?
Anbaugebiete
56
Qualitatswein: minimum abv?
7%
There's no max level
NB this is lower than Deutscher Wein and Landwein
57
Most everyday drinking and high volume wines in Germany fall under what category?
Qualitatswein
58
What is Amtliche Prufungsnummer?
akak AP
Qualitatsein and above undergo lab analysis and blind tasting
This 10-12 digit number appears on label showing when wine was tested etc
59
What's stricter, Qualitatswein or Pradikatswein?
Pradikatswein has stricter rules
| Both are PDOs
60
Grapes for Pradikatswein must come from what sort of area?
One of 40 Bereich
| a smaller region than Anbaugebieten, used in Qualitatswein
61
Does Pradikatswein need to come from Riesling only?
No, can be produced from any grape variety
62
Six Pradikatswein levels in ascending order of must weight
1. Kabinett
2. Spatlese
3. Auslese
4. Beerenauslese
5. Eiswein
6. Trockenbeerenauslese
Krystian Should Absolutely Be Eating Tacos
63
Pradikatswein: Kabinett style
```
Lightest body
Highest acid
Dry to medium-sweet
Sweeter wines can have abv as low as 7%
Dry wines can reach 12%
```
64
Riesling Kabinett style
Light body
High acid
Green and citrus fruit
65
Spatlese grapes picked when?
Fully ripened
| Usually picked about two weeks after Kabinett grapes
66
Pradikatswein: Spatlese style
```
Greater concentration of riper fruit flavours than Kabinett
Stone fruit
Slightly higher alcohol
Fuller body
Dry to medium-sweet
Min 7% alcohol
```
67
Which Pradkitatswein types can be dry?
Kabinett, Spatlese and Auslese CAN be dry
68
Why does Auselese sometimes have additional (unofficial) terms on the label, e.g. Trocken or whatever?
Because range of must weights in this category is so wide
| Help to indicate sweetness levels
69
What gives Auslese good potential for bottle age?
Balance of sweetness and acidity
70
Legal minimum abv for Auselese?
7% (sweeter styles)
71
Why must Beerenauslese (BA) be harvested by hand?
Made from individually selected ebrries
72
Beerenauslese always sweet. T/F
True
73
Minimum ABV for Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese?
5.5%
| Sweet, long slow ferment, low alcohol!
74
German Eiswein msut be picked at what temperatuer?
-7C and below
| Frozen!
75
What time of year does German Eiswein harvest happen?
December (sometimes Nov) to February
76
German Eiswein pressing when
Takes place when grapes are still frozen
| Artificial freezing not allowed
77
Noble (or other) rot in Eiswein?
No, must be healthy grapes
78
Riesling Eiswein style
High acid
| Concentrated, pure peach and grapefruit
79
Trockenbeerenausele: noble rot?
Yes, always
80
Most expensive wines in Germany are what style?
TBA
Tiny quantities
Tiny yields
Not produced every year
81
Trocken
dry
| max 4g/l (or up to 9g/l where RS does not exceed total acidity by more than 2gl)
82
Halbtrocken
Off-dry (4-12g/l)
83
Lieblich
Medium, medium sweet
84
Suss
Sweet
| 45g/L and more
85
Does residual sugar always coincide with perceptible sweetness in German wine?
No. A high acid Riesling will taste drier than a medium acid Muller Thurgau with the same amount of RS
86
Germayn: likely to find trocken (dry) wines in warmer or cooler regions?
Warmer
Ripeness of fruit can balance acidity without need for sugar (esp for Riesling)
e.g. BAden: 65% trocken; Mosel: 30% trocken
87
Feinherb
not defined by law
"fine dry"
basically like halbtrocken/off dry
fall within legal definition of halbrocken but always go slightly higher
88
Goldkapsel
gold capsule
| designates German wines with botrytis
89
Grosslagen vs Grosse Lage
Grosslagen: category term for colective vineyard sites (large sites 600-1,800ha)
Gross Lage: equivalent of Grand Cru in VDP classification
90
Einzellagen
Individual vineyard sites in Germany
1ha to 200ha in size
Average 38ha
Split among owners
91
Grosslagen
Bigger collective vineyard sites (vs Einzellagen)
600-1,800ha
167 registered
92
Einzellagen and Grosslagen names can only be used on what categories of German wines?
Qualitatswein
| Pradikatswein
93
Liebfraumilch
Legally defined term
Once mainstay of German wine exports
Medium dry white wine, Qualitatswein level
18g/l RS minimum
70% Riseling, Silvaner, Muller-Thurgaua nd Kerner
In practice: mostly Muller-Thrugau
94
What does VDP stand for? What does it mean?
Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter
Producers group, most influential
200 members
95
VDP members own what % of German vineyard
5%
96
Riesling accounts for waht % of VDP vineyards?
50%
97
VDP members use what category for their dry wines?
Qualitatswein only
| Pradikat for wines with RS only
98
What are the four tiers of VDP calssification?
VDP Gutswein
VDP Ortswein
VDP Erste Lage
VDP Grosse Lage
99
VDP Gutswein
bottom tier of VDP classification
equivalent to generic/regional Burgundy
must come from a member's holdings within a region
75hl/ha
"Guts" below your "hearts"/"orts"
100
VDP Ortswein
second-from-bottom tier of VDP classification
equivalent to Burgundy village wines
grapes that are typical of their region
75hl/ha
101
VDP Erste Lage
```
VDP second-best classification (3/4)
Equivalent to Burg premier Cru
Ageing potential, strict growing and making regulations
60hl/ha
Hand harvest
Village and vineyard name on label
```
102
VDP Grosse Lage
VDP equivaelnt of Grand Cru
103
Grosses Gewachs
Dry wine from Grosse Lage (VDP Grand Cru)
| "GG" trademark appears on label, NOT the phrase "Grosses Gewachs"
104
Erstes Gewachs
Part of Rheingau Charta (1984)
Dry wines from Riesling or Spatburgunder
Minimum must weight = Spatlese
1999: became part of VDP, so now can use "Grosses Gewachs" instead
105
New German Wine Law (2021): transitional period until when?
2025
106
What is Ortwein?
Village-level wine as in Burgundy
107
What is Einzellage
```
single vineyard (Germany)
dry or sweet
```
108
Germany: 4 highest-producing regions make 80% of German wine. What are they?
Rheinhessen
Pfalz
Baden
Wurttemberg
109
Two small regions in east of Germany (mostly white Muller Thurgau, Weissburgunder, Riesling)
Saale-Unstrut
| Sachsen
110
Rheinhessen has what % of German vineyards?
25%
111
Largest German wine region by production volume?
Rheinhessen
| 25% of land under vine
112
Climate in Rheinhessen? Affected how by what mountain ranges?
Warm and dry
| Sheltered by Hunsruek and Taunus mountains
113
Where did Liebraumilch come from originally?
Worms, southern Rheinhessen
114
Rheinhessen more white or black grapes?
White (71%)
115
Main grape variety in Rheinhessen
Riesling
116
What sort of production dominates Rheinhessen?
Bulk prodctuion
Plantings still on the rise to supply it
Lots of merchant houses
117
Longest established quality wine sub-region of Rheinhessen?
Rheinterrasse
Steep-slopes
West bank of river near Nierstein and Oppenheim
118
What/where is Roter Hang? So what?
Sub-region of Rheinhessen
| Rotliegenden soil = iron rich red soil = smoky Riesling
119
Quality producers in Rheinhessen?
```
Weingut Gunderloch (Rheinterrasse)
Weingut Keller (near Worms)
```
120
Pfalz sits between what two features?
```
Haardt Mountains (west)
Rhine plain (east)
```
121
Pfalz sits in a river valley. T/F?
False
Unusually for Germany it doesn't
between Haardt Moutnains and Rhine plain
122
Pfalz is warmer than Rheinhessen. So what?
Slightly riper fruit flavours, fuller bodied wine
| Potential for red wine
123
Germany's two largest wine regions: what are they and which is bigger
Rheinhessen and Pfalz
| Rheinhessen is *slightly* bigger
124
Best quality area within Pfalz?
Mittelhaardt
125
Area in Pfalz traditionally known for inexpensive wine production
Sudliche Weisntrasse
126
Is Baden one contigous/continous region?
No, split into multiple districts (Bereiche) e.g. Ortenau, Tuniberg
127
Baden best known for white or red wines?
Red wines
Spatburgunder
Complex, oak
128
What makes Baden ideal for making high volume inexpensive blends?
Warm, dry condition
| Muller Thurgau led blends
129
Co-ops makes what % of Baden wine?
75%
130
Largest co-op in Baden?
Badischer Winzerkeller
| one of Germany's biggest
131
Wurttemberg near which city?
Suttgart
132
Wurttemberg mainly makes what kind of wine?
Light, fruity reds
| Domestic market
133
Which co-op makes most wine in Wurttemberg?
Moglingen
134
What is Wurttemberg's commercial USP?
Red wines from Trollinger, Lemberger and Schwarzriesling
| Point of difference for export markets
135
What % of Mosel production is white?
90%
136
Riesling is what % of Mosel plantings?
60%
137
Best vineyards in Mosel located where? Why?
Steep, south-facing slopes
| It's extremely far north = allows grapes to ripen (sun exposure)
138
Mosel split into three sections. What are they?
Upper Mosel, Middle Mosel, Lower Mosel
139
Largest and best known of Mosel's three parts?
Middle Mosel
140
Best vineyards in Brauneberg (Mosel)
Juffer, Juffer-Sonnenuhr
141
Best vineyard in Urzig (Mosel)?
Wurztgarten
i.e. Urziger Wurtzgarten
the spice garden!
142
Best vineyard in Wehlen (Mosel)?
Sonnenuhr
143
Best vineyard in Bernkastel (Mosel)?
Doctor
| i.e. Bernkasteler Doctor
144
Format for Mosel vineyard names?
```
Village name (with an -er added) then vineyard
ie Wurtzgarten is a vineyard in Urzig = Urziger Wurtzgarten
```
145
What makes Mosel Rieslings distinctive?
Paler colour, lighter body, lower alcohol, higher acidity
| Pronounced floral, green fruit
146
What makes Mosel Riesling capable of long ageing?
Lower alcohol
| Higher acid
147
Historically, Mosel best known for sweet or dry wine?
Sweeter styles
| Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese
148
Name a co-op in Mosel
Moselland
149
High quality small producers in Mosel eg
Egon Muller
Markus Molitor
Dr Loosen
150
Why does Franken have the most continental climate in Germany?
Furthest east
151
Climate in Franken
```
Most continental of major regions (furthest east)
Warm summers
Shorter growing season
Cool autumn
Harsh winter
Spring frost
```
152
Franken long tradition for dry or sweet whites?
Dry
| 82% plantings are white, mostly Muller Thurgau
153
Silvaner buds early or late
Early
| Spring frost
154
Silvaner ripens early or late. So what?
Ripens early
| Suitable for Franken's shorter growing season (can ripen fully in time)
155
Silvaner wine style
Full bodied, dry
| Floral, wet stone
156
Bocksbeutel
Flat, round-shaped bottle with a short neck
| Traditional in Franken
157
Franken wineries owned by charities (2)
Burgerspital
| Juliusspital
158
Nahe located between which two other regions?
Mosel and Rheinhessen
159
Account for wide variety of soils and growing conditions in Nahe?
Small number of small estates scattered over a large area
160
Nahe protected by what?
Hunsruck Mountains
| Mild temperatures, low rainfall
161
White wine accounts for what % of Nahe plantings?
75%
162
Nahe Riesling vs. Mosel?
Nahe slightly warmer = lower acidity but riper fruit, more body (vs Mosel)
Less so than Rheingau and Rheinhessen though
163
Two villages in Nahe
Schlossbocelheim
| Bad Kreuznach
164
Producers in Nahe
Weingut Donnhof
Emrich-Schonleber
Paul Anheuser
165
Most planted red variety in Nahe?
Dornfelder
followed by Spatburgunder
Black varieties only 25% of plantings though
166
Rheingau extends along the Rhine from where to where?
Wiesbaden to Lorchhausen
| + short section of river Main around Hochheim
167
What protects Rheingau from cold northerly winds?
Taunus Mountains
168
Why are Rheingau Rieslings more full bodied (vs Mosel)
Protected from cold northerly winds
South facing aspect
Better ripening, riper fruit character
169
Rhine River is quite wide (1km) in Rheingau. So what?
Moderating influence on temperatures = less frost risk
| Increase humidity = good for botryris
170
Best vineyard areas in Rheingau?
Steep slopse around Rudesheim, Geisenheim, Johannisberg, Hattenheim, Erbach
171
Best position on slope in Rheingau for dry wines?
Mid slope
| Some moderating influence from river, but far enough away to avoid humidity
172
White wines account for what % of Rheingau plantings?
86%
| Mostly Riesling
173
Riesling in Rheingau: more dry or sweet?
Predominantly dry
Country-wide trend for drier styles started here
also: botrytised sweet winse
174
Region for Spatburgunder in Rheingau? (funny name)
Assmanshausen
| Hollenberg vineyard
175
Are co-ops important in Rheingau?
Less so than elsewhere
| Historic home of aristocracy, a lot of Schlosses
176
Important Rheingau producers
Schloss Johannisberg
Schloss Vollrads
Weingut Robert Weil
177
Ahr best known for red or white?
Domainted by black varieties (83%)
178
Why so much red wine in Ahr?
Sheltered valley, steep, south-facing slopes
| Heat-retaining dark slate and greywacke
179
Traditional style of reds from Ahr?
Late harvest
| Residual sugar
180
Co-op in Ahr
Mayschoss
Founded in 1868
oldest in the world apparently
181
Co-ops produce what % of Ahr wine
75%
182
Germany: number of growers has fallen but plantings gone up slightly. How/why?
More plantings on flatter valley sites = bulk wine production, larger producers
183
Account for high production costs in Germany? So what?
Steep slopes
High cost of labour
Low yields (Esp for sweet wines)
Vintage variation
So: some growers leave the business
184
What is Generation Riesling
A 2005 program to give young winemakers (under 35) a platform to promote - German Wine Institute
185
What is Weinkellerei?
German for merchant houses/negociants
186
Co-ops receive the crop from about what % of total German vineyard?
30%
187
Account for shift in German production towards drier whites and more reds
Changing tastes among German consumers
| Domestic market very important
188
German wine exports have gone up or down?
Almost halved this century
| Now around 1 million hl (10% of production)
