Germany Flashcards

1
Q

When did Rheingau vineyards such as Schloss Johannisberg and Kloster Eberbach are planted

A

12th century

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2
Q

When did wine industry goes into decline because of the Thirty Years War? The vineyards of flatter plains were takin over by agriculture

A

Early 16th century

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3
Q

When did new wine laws are introduced, based on the must weight of grapes, a principle which dominates German wine law to this day?

A

1830s

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4
Q

When did Germany becomes unified, so states can begin to trade amongst each other?

A

1871

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5
Q

Some of Germany’s wine institutes are founded e.g. Hochschule Geisenheim University in Rheingau and the Julius-Institute in Pfalz

A

Late 19th and early 20th century

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6
Q

When did the inexpensive, medium-sweet wines labelled as Leifbraumilch account for 60% of all German exports

A

Late 20th century

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7
Q

When did the fifth German wine law is passed. This lays the foundation for modern German wine production, establishing protected geographical labelling and classification of wine styles base on must weights

A

1971

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8
Q

Explain what is meant by Flurbereinigung.

A

Flurbereinigung can be translated as land consolidation and is a program of vineyard restructuring that involves the consolidation of many small, fragmented vineyards. Fragmentation has been a result of equal division inheritance laws (similar to the Napoleonic inheritance laws in Burgundy). This endeavor was undertaken to improve access to hard to reach vineyards by building roads etc. This was also an exercise in reducing costs for producers by having their vineyards adjacent rather than smaller plots scattered over a large area. This has allowed for more economical management of the vineyards through increased mechanization.

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9
Q

Most of Germany’s vineyards are some of the most northerly in the world. Between which degrees latitude do most of the vineyards lie?

A

49-50 N

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10
Q

Briefly explain how the Rhine river and the Taunus and Haardt mountains effect grape growing in Germany.

A

The river Rhine is one of the key reasons why viticulture and particularly the successful ripening of Riesling is possible in this marginal climate and northerly latitude. Proximity to large bodies of water moderate temperatures and this is what the river Rhine does. The result being an extended growing season which is key for ripening Riesling and the vineyards closest to the river benefit the most. The river also reflects sunlight and heat back on the vineyards.

The Haardt mountains are a continuation of the Vosges mountains in Alsace located directly south. The Pfalz vineyards are mostly planted at the base of the Haardt mountains in a long thin strip. The mountains provide the same protection from westerly winds and the rain that comes with it, creating a dry, warm and sunnier climate than surrounding areas that are not protected by these mountains. The resulting wine styles in this region are generally dry as the climate ripens grapes fully.

The Taunus mountains are in the Rheingau wine region and they are located north of the vineyards, which gives protection from cold winds. The vineyards are sandwiched between the Taunus mountains in the north and the river Rhine to the south.

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11
Q

What are the general soil types of Mosel?

A

Dark-colored slate soils

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12
Q

What are the general soils of Ahr?

A

Dark-colored slate soils and greywaque

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13
Q

What are the general soils of Rheinhessen?

A

Calcareous soils

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14
Q

What are the general soil types of Baden?

A

Calcareous soils

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15
Q

What are the general soil types of Pfalz?

A

Calcareous soils

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16
Q

Considering vineyard establishment and management, identify four options that may improve the ripeness of the grapes.

A
  1. Plant on slopes that are south east or west facing.
  2. Plant near a river.
  3. Clonal selection to pick clones most suited for the environment.
  4. Summer pruning to remove excess foliage.
  5. Green harvesting to remove grapes that are unlikely to achieve full ripeness.
  6. Selective hand harvesting.
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17
Q

What is the name of the German replacement-cane pruning system where the canes are arched in the trellis? The arching of the canes is thought to improve the flow of sap in the vine and increase the number of viable buds, in turn increasing yields.

A

Pendelbogen

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18
Q

Which two of Germany’s principal varieties are crosses?

A
  • Dornfelder
  • Muller-Thurgau
  • Scheurebe
  • Kerner
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19
Q

What are the typical characteristics of Riesling?

A
  • Can produce dry to sweet wines.
  • It has high acidity and often significant potential for aging.
  • Wines can have pronounced intensity and fruit flavor range from green fruit to tropical, often with floral notes such as white flowers or honeysuckle.
  • With age, the wines develop toast, honey and sometimes petrol-like aromas
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20
Q

what are the typical characteristics of Muller-Thurgau?

A
  • Medium acidity
  • simple floral and fruity aromas
  • high yields
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21
Q

What are the typical characteristics of Dornfelder?

A
  • deep in color
  • high in acidity with floral and fruity notes
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22
Q

What are the typical characteristics of Silvaner?

A
  • dry, medium-bodied wines
  • medium to medium (+) acidity
  • earthy characteristics
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23
Q

What percentage ABV enrichment does Zone A permit?

A

3% ABV

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24
Q

True or false?
De-acidifaction is permitted in Germany but acidification is not.

A

False.
Acidification is permitted, but only in the hottest years. Both acidification and de-acidification only tend to be used for high volume, inexpensive wines.

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25
Q

What are the name of vessel size 1000L?

A

Fuder

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26
Q

What is the name of the vessel size 1200L?

A

Stuck

27
Q

What is the name the vessel size 225L?

A

Barriques

28
Q

Describe how and why Süssreserve is used in the production of German wines.

A

Süssreserve is used to sweeten a dry wine. It must be produced from grapes of the same region and the same quality level as the wine to which it is added. It is common for the Süssreserve and wine to come from the same must; producers take a small proportion of must pre-fermentation, clarify, chill and protect it with SO2 so it remains fresh, and then add this must back to the fermented wine to create the desired level of sweetness. Süssreserve is added to the dry wine just prior to bottling.

29
Q

Briefly explain how sweetness is achieved in Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines.

A

Beerenauslese roughly translates as “selected late harvest of berries” and the prädikatswein system which Beerenauslese is covered, requires the wine to be sweet and to have a minimum must weight (2nd highest in the system). This can be achieved by leaving the grapes on the vine for an extended period to ensure maximum ripeness and high sugars. Noble rot is not required but generally some berries will have noble rot.

On the other hand, trockenbeerenauslese roughly translates as “dried berries selected late harvest” and the dry is in reference to the level of noble rot the berries need to have. They need to be fully shrivelled and the must weights are the highest required in the prädikatswein system.

For both wines, the fermentation will be slow and will naturally stop before dryness due to the extremely high sugar levels in the must. The finished wines are sweet and low in alcohol (5.5-8% ABV).

30
Q

What are the winemaking techniques widely used for inexpensive, high-volume red wines?

A
  • Theomovinification
  • Matured in stainless steel
  • De-acidifation
31
Q

What are the techniques commonly used for high-quality, premium red wines?

A
  • Maturation in oak
  • Cold soaking
  • Whole bunch fermentation
32
Q

What are the top varieties of production in Germany?

A
  • Riesling
  • Muller-Thurgau
  • Spatburgunder
  • Dornfelder
  • Grauburgunder
  • Weissburgunder
  • Silvaner
33
Q

What are the 4 quality levels of German wine?

A
  • Deutscher Wein
  • Landwein
  • Qualitatswein
  • Pradikatswein
34
Q

What are the levels of Pradikatswein?

A
  • Kabinett
  • Spatlese
  • Auslese
  • Beerenauslese
  • Eiswein
  • Trockenbeenauslese
35
Q

What does “trocken” mean?

A

“dry” - wines with no more than 4g/l residual sugar (or up t p 9 g/l where residual sugar does not exceed total acidity by more than 2 g/l, as is usually the case with Riesling)

36
Q

What does halbtrocken mean?

A

“off-dry” - wines with between 4 and 12 g/l of residual sugar (up to 18 g/l where residual sugar does not exceed total acidity by more than 10 g/l)

37
Q

What does “lieblich” mean?

A

“medium/ medium-sweet” - wines with between 4 and 12 g/l of residual sugar

38
Q

What does “suss” mean?

A

“sweet” - wines with more than 45 g/l of residual sugar

39
Q

What does “ Einzellagen” mean?

A

individual vineyard sites

40
Q

What does grosslagen mean?

A

collective vineyard sites

41
Q

What are the requirements for Liebraumilch?

A
  • at least 18 g/l residual sugar
  • must contain at least 70% Riesling, Silvaner, Muller-Thurgau and Kerner
  • the majority of wines came from Rheinhessen and Pfalz, and some are from Rheingau and Nahe
42
Q

What is the full name of VDP?

A

Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter

43
Q

When did the VDP established?

A

1910 as VDNV Verband Deutscher Naturweinvesteigerer

44
Q

What is the VDP regional wines called and what is the max yield?

A

Gutswein, 75 hl/ha

45
Q

What is the VDP village wine called and what is the maximum yield?

A

Ortwein, 75 hl/ha

46
Q

What is the VDP premier cru vineyards wines called and what is the maximum yield?

A

Erste Lage, 60 hl/ha

47
Q

What is the VDP grand cru wines called and what is the maximum yield?

A

Gross Lage, 50 hl/ha

48
Q

What is the dry wines from Grosse Lage called?

A

Grosses Gewachs, the term cannot appear on the label, instead of VDP “GG” trademark is used. Only the vineyard name appears on the lablel and not the village

49
Q

What is the aging requirement of VDP Grosse Lage dry white wine?

A

cannot be released until 1st September in the year following the harvest

50
Q

What is the aging requirement of VDP Grosse Lage red wines?

A

at least 12 months aging in oak cannot be released until 1st September in the year after that

51
Q

What is the aging requirement of VDP Grosse Lage sweet wines?

A

may be released on 1st May following the harvest

52
Q

When was Charta introduced? What are the purpose of the organization?

A

1984, to promote dry wines from the best vineyard sites of the Rheingau

53
Q

What is the term Erstes Gewachs in the Rheingau Charta?

A

the best sites in Rheingau and is now a legally-protected term for wines from these sites

54
Q

What are the grapes for Erstes Gewachs?

A

Riesling and Spatburgunder

55
Q

What are the requirements for the Rheingau Charta?

A
  • hand-harvested from lower-yielding vineyards
  • the wines must be dry with a minimum must weight equivalent to Spatlese
56
Q

When did the member of the Charta joined the VDP in Rheingau?

A

1999

57
Q

As 2021 wine laws, what are the classifications of single vineyards?

A
  • Grosses Gewachs
  • Erstes Gewachs
  • Single Vineyard
58
Q

In 2021 laws, what are the classification of qualitatswein?

A
  • Vineyard
  • Village (Ortsweine)
  • Region
  • Winegrowing area
59
Q

What category replaces both Bereich and Grosslage in 2021 laws?

A

Region. The label must state ‘region” on the label

60
Q

In 2021 laws, what is village wines called?

A

Ortwein

61
Q

What the quality level Einsellage must be?

A

Kabinett quality/must weight

62
Q

What is the max yield and the alcohol requirement of Erstes Gewachs in 2021 laws?

A

60 hl/ha or 70 hl/ha on steep slopes, 11% ABV

63
Q

What is the max yield and the alcohol requirement of Grosses Gewachs in 2021 laws?

A

50hl/ha, 12%

64
Q

What is the aging requirement for Erstes Gewachs in 2021 laws?

A

1st March of the following year