Germany

Question 1

In which latitude do most of Germanys vineyards lie? What effect does this have on viticulture?

Answer 1

With the exception of Baden, between 49-50°N, making them amongst the world’s most northern, making it a cool continental climate.
At this latitude, site selection is essential. Most vineyards are situated along the Rhine and its tributaries, providing a vital role in radiating heat; moderating temperature, and extending the growing season. The best vineyards are often on steep, south facing slopes to maximise sun exposure (some of them are extremely sleep, reaching gradients of 70% overlooking the mosel).

Question 2

What is each season like in Germany?

Answer 2

Winters can be very cold, usually cold enough for Eiswein production.
In spring, frosts are a major risk, although this is mitigated by the rivers and planting on slopes.
Summers are warm but also wet, average rainfall is 500-800mm but much of it falls in summer: increases risk of fungal disease, dilution, and in storms, hail.
Autumn’s are long and dry, allowing for long ripening periods during which grapes can develop high levels of sugar for Prädikatswein, and the morning mists along the river are ideal for botrytis development.

Question 3

Which mountain ranges influence viticulture? How?

Answer 3

The Taunus and Haardt, which shelter the vineyard areas from cold winds and the worst of the rain. At high latitudes, vineyards are planted at relatively low altitudes, mainly 200m.

Question 4

Which region has a noticeably different climate?

Answer 4

Baden. It’s farther south, stretching towards the Swiss border. Its noticeably warmer, drier and sunnier, though spring frosts can still pose a problem in cooler areas.

Question 5

What soil type can you find in the Mosel and Ahr?

Answer 5

Dark-coloured slate that retains heat in the day and re-radiates it at night, playing a key role of ripening in these cooler regions.

Question 6

What soil type can you find in Baden, Pfalz, Franken, and the Rheinhessen? What do you often find planted here?

Answer 6

Significant pockets of calcerous soils. Often planted with Spätburgunder, Weissburgunder and Chardonnay, or Silvaner in Franken.

Question 7

What soil type does Grauburgunder prefer?

Answer 7

Heavy clay.

Question 8

What interest is growing, regarding different soil types?

Answer 8

Producers are paying attention to how different varieties, especially Riesling, perform differently and show varying flavour profiles when grown in different soil types.

Question 9

What is an issue on the steepest slopes?

Answer 9

Eg those in the Mosel and Rheingau, erosion is a major issue, and vineyard owners are often forced to winch soil and rocks back up the slopes, adding to cost.

Question 10

How many ha under vine is there? How much wine does this produce?

Answer 10

100,000, giving Germany the 7th largest area under vine in Europe.
Average production is 9m hL in recent years.

Question 11

What yields are permitted across the different categories of German production? What yields do regions average?

Answer 11

In Pfalz and Baden average yields are over 100hL/ha (although this varies between vintage and region), though they were higher. Since the 1980s Germany has been forced to impose lower maximum yields by EU legislation. While these vary between region, they’re still around 150hL/ha for Deutscher Wein and Landwein, and 105hL/ha for Qualitatswein.
Quality minded producers work with much lower yields.

Question 12

How has vintage variation been affecting grape growing? What trend is this going in? Why?

Answer 12

In the coolest sites and years, grapes can struggle to fully ripen. However, vintage variation has been reducing in recent years, and while that’s been partly due to climate change, there has also been significant advances in vineyard management techniques, led by various research institutes. Improvements have been by choosing better clonal selection (especially for black varieties), summer pruning, green harvesting and selective hand harvesting.

Question 13

What is a key consideration of canopy management?

Answer 13

Maximising sunlight exposure and improving air circulation to decrease the risk of fungal diseases caused by wet summers.

Question 14

How are vines typically trained?

Answer 14

On the slopes, vines were traditionally staked individually with canes tied at the top. However, this method is labour intensive and requires skills that are gradually being lost. So, as a result of Flurbereinigung, all but the steepest vineyards now use single and double replacement-cane pruning with VSP and Pendelbogen.

Question 15

What is Pendelbogen?

Answer 15

Replacement cane pruning with the canes arched in the trellis. The arching of the cane is thought to improve the flow of sap in the vine and increase the number of viable buds, in turn increasing yields.

Question 16

What is the state of organics and biodynamics in Germany?

Answer 16

Not widely suited due to the disease risk caused by wet summers. As a result, growers have to spray regularly, and in places like the Mosel, the only feasible way to do this is with helicopter, which is likely that sprays will drift onto neighbouring vineyards, risking an organic producers accreditation.
Despite this, 9% of vineyards are certified organic.
There is considerable support for sustainable viticulture, and many estates employ some elements where they can.

Question 17

What is Germanys topography? How does this influence viticulture?

Answer 17

Many vineyards are challenging. On steeper slopes, vineyards are terraced or planted up the slopes.
Mechanisation is difficult or even impossible.
In some cases, slopes are so steep workers have to be winched up and down.
New technology is being introduced (small caterpillar tractors that can navigate steep slopes) and Flurbereinigung has improved accessibility and efficiency, though steeply slopes sites require significantly more labour than flatter sites. This increases cost significantly, and often only Riesling can command appropriate, sustainable prices.

Question 18

Why are labour costs often higher in Germany compared to other regions, even on flatter sites?

Answer 18

Even though mechanisation is widespread, German wine law requires grapes for wine of Beerenauslese level and above to be hand harvested, and many producers still hand harvest for other Prädikatsweine to ensure healthy fruit.
That being said, large-scale commercial operations producing high volume, inexpensive wines are highly mechanised and efficient.

Question 19

Why has Germany always had a focus on white varieties? How is this reflected with plantings?

Answer 19

Varieties such as riesling and German crosses can naturally tolerate the conditions.
In 1980, 90% of plantings were white. In 2017, 39% of plantings were black.

Question 20

What did red wine from Germany used to be like? How had it changed?

Answer 20

Light and fruity, often with RS, but quality has greatly improved thanks to the development of better clones, particularly with Spätburgunder and Dornfelder, better vineyard management and winemaking techniques, as well as increasing temperatures in the vineyard.

Question 21

How have plantings changed since the 1990s?

Answer 21

Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder and, to a lesser extent, Chardonnay plantings have risen considerably.
There are only small plantings of other international varieties, with Merlot, Cab Sauv and Sauv B showing promise, but in small quantities.

Question 22

What is the regulation for labelling variety?

Answer 22

They do not need to be stated, but often are.

Question 23

What are the advantages and disadvantages of growing Riesling in Germany?

Answer 23

Successful as it can survive the cold winters and, being late budding with thick wood, is relatively frost resistant.
However, it is late ripening and needs good sun exposure and dry autumn’s. In cooler sites and years it may not ripen fully. Because of this plantings fell in the 1970s and 80s as producers turned to the more reliable German crosses which could easily achieve the must weights by law. (Though this is being mitigated with improved technique and warming climate, and plantings are beginning to grow).

Question 24

What is the breakdown of top varieties by plantings in Germany?

Answer 24

Riesling 23%, 23,000ha
Müller-Thurgau 12
Spätburgunder just under 12
Dornfelder 7.5
Grauburgunder 7
Weissburgunder just over 5
Silvaner just under 5

Question 25

How have plantings of each variety fluctuated since the 1970/80s?

Answer 25

Riesling: recovering and beginning to grow
Müller-Thurgau: the most planted grape in the 70s and 80s, as the popularity of wines such as Liebfraumilch have fallen, plantings have more than halved.
Spätburgunder: the most planted black grape of Germany (11.5% total plantings) and has enjoyed a rapid rise olin popularity, both domestically and on export markets. Plantings have almost trebled.
Dornfelder: grown from nothing to become Germanys second most planted black variety in the last 30 years. Has been especially popular in the Rheinhessen and Pfalz, where it has more plantings than Spätburgunder.
Silvaner: plantings have almost halved since 1980, though decline has stabilised.
Grauburgunder and Weissburgunder: grown considerably in popularity since the 1990s, and have now overtaken Silvaner. Now considerable plantings in the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and especially Baden.

Question 26

Why is the popularity of Spätburgunder growing? What are current winemaking trends?

Answer 26

Germany is increasingly being recognised as producing a high-quality, complex and dry Spätburgunder, often with oak ageing.
Vineyard management is improving with producers using higher quality clones, perfecting canopy management and selecting harvest dates to balance alcohol, acidity and ripeness of the fruit and tannins.
Some producers use whole bunch, the tannins from stems contribute to overall tannins without the need for oak.
In general, producers are using less oak and some are using more larger oak vessels than 10-20 years ago.

Question 27

What styles of wine can be produced from Grauburgunder and Weissburgunder?

Answer 27

Both can produce very good wines, some of which are aged in oak.
Grauburgunder likes heavier soils and can produce wines with medium acidity and aromas of stone fruit and tropical (sometimes dried) fruit and honey. They range from dry and medium body, to fuller bodied sweet wines (labelled Ruländer).
Weissburgunder can produce well balanced wines with medium (+) acidity and delicate citrus and stone fruit aromas.

Question 28

What is the history of Chardonnay within Germany?

Answer 28

Permitted since 1990 and plantings remain very low.
High quality examples are being produced, often with oak ageing, in warmer areas such as southern Pfalz or Kaiserstuhl in Baden.

Question 29

What are the other permitted varieties in Germany? What styles of wine are they producing?

Answer 29

Portugieser, Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier), Trollinger (Schiava) and Lemberger (Blaufrankisch) produce mainly simple, fruity wines for drinking young, especially in Württemberg. Some higher quality examples are now being produced from lower yielding sites, especially from Lemberger.

Question 30

Why were German crosses introduced, and when was the first example?

Answer 30

Developed by the various German wine institutes to cope with Germanys cool climate.
One of the earliest examples was Müller-Thurgau, developed in the 1880s to ripen earlier than Riesling.

Question 31

When did the number of new crossings really start to increase? What was a fairly universal trait of these wines?

Answer 31

The mid 20th century, as the drive for producing high yields of grapes with high must weights was encouraged by the German wine laws.
Unfortunately, most new varieties produced wines with a high level of sugar but without sufficient acidity or aromatic character to balance it. Nevertheless, they were widely used in inexpensive blends such as Liebfraumilch.

Question 32

What is the current state of German crossings? Why?

Answer 32

As techniques have developed to allow better ripening of other varieties, especially Riesling, reliance on and interest has fallen considerably, even with those that have proven themselves capable of producing good-quality wines.

Question 33

What are examples of good German crossings?

Answer 33

Scheurebe, in particular, that can produce full-bodied wines with intense aromas of ripe grapefruit and peach. Acidity levels are lower than Riesling, but still high enough to make ageworthy wines and some high-quality sweet wines.
Kerner also produces good quality wines up to high Prädikat levels with high acidity and some of the fruity, floral characteristics of Riesling.
A number of black crossings were developed, including perhaps the most successful: Dornfelder.