Germany Flashcards
What is the climate of Germany
Cool continental climate
annuel weather vary considerably, leading variation from year to year
Summers can be wet
Rain declines in autum
What is the warmer region of Germany?
Baden, far south
What are the factors influencing the climate in the vineyards and how are they affecting the grapes ?
Cool ripeing period gives the grapes times to reach ripeness and retain acidity.
When the conditions are right, noble rot will develop
The vineyards locations make significant differences in quality of wine
On what type of locations are the best vineyards?
How are they better ?
On steep and often stony slopes with southerly aspect
near a river to benefit from relfected sunlight and air movement that can protect against frost
- Maximise heat and sunlight
- Head-pruned, individually staked and canes tied at the top of the estake for exposure and air circulation
- Worked by hand because of extreme slopes
How are the wine classified ?
By must weight
How are they maximising picking to respect must weight ? ?
Harvest is spread out over a number of weeks and month. Pickers will pas through the vineyard several times to ensure that they get the ideal grapes for each category of wine.
What in the trend of German wine style ?
dry styles of wine
Wine and red, at all quality levels
Sold as Qualitätswein
What is the most planted variety, producing the best quality wine in Germany ?
Riesling
Can other grape variety than Riesling could produce Prädikatswein ?
Yes
Describe the characteristics of German Riesling
Vary widely from region to region
From delicate and floral to peachy fruit
From bone dry to lusciously sweeet
Describe the characteristic of German Dry Style Riesling
Often labelled Qualitätswein
Ligt and fruit to very concentrated and intense.
How are labelled the best German Dry style Riesling ?
Grosses Gewächs (G)
What is the PGI of Germany ?
What are called wines without GI ?
PGI : Landwein
Without GI : Deutscher Wein
Explain Qualitätswein
Category for German PDO
come from one of 13 winegrowing areas
winegrowin area must appear on the label
Explain Prädikatswein
Category within Qualitätswein
Made from higher must weights (sugar level)
6 levels based on increasing must weights
prädikats is whon on the label
What are the 6 Prädikastwein and their wine style ?
Kabinett - Dry to medium sweet
Spätlese - Dry to medium sweet
Auslese - Dry to sweet
Beerenauslese (BA) - sweet only
Eiswein - Sweet only
Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) - Sweet only
What are the two terms to indicate sweetness in German Wines ?
Dry - Trocken
off dry or medium - Halbtocken or feinherb
Feinherb is not legally defined
No obligation to put these indications on the bottle
Explain the new hierarchy for the source of the grapes in German Labelling
Five year transitionnal period to adopt the legislation as 2021. Wines can come from
- Winegrowing area
- Region (term region must appear on label)
- Village (the name of the village simply appears on label)
- Single vineyard (label with village and vineyard)
What is the labelling term form single vineyard in Germany ?
Village + name of the vineyard on label
Can be classified as Erstes Gewächs or Grosses Gewächs (must be dry and made to stricter regulations. Grosses gewächs is stricter)
What is the German association with its own classification. how does that work ?
VDP : Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter
Producer with its own vineyard and classifications
Members have classified vineyards by consensus and includes majority of best sites in Germany
Strict regulations, and focused on high quality wines
Are recognized by an eagle of the capsule
Single vineyard can be VDP.erste lage or DPP.Grosses lage.
Dry wine from single vineyards are VDP. Grosses Gewächs, and grapes are embossed on the neck of the bottle
Considered best dry wines in germany
Describe Kabinett wines
Most delicate
light body, high acidity, flavours of green appel or citrus fruit
balanced with residual sweetness
Sweet styles 8%-9%
Dry styles can reach 12%
Dry to medium sweet
What are the techniques to have residual sugar in Kabinett wines ?
For low quality wine: Add unfermented grape juice called Süssreserve
For high quality wine : Stop fermentation early.
Describe Spätlese wines
More concentrated, riper and more body and alcohol, and where relevant, sweetness than Kabinett from same region
Citrus and stone fruit aromas are common
Dry to medium sweet
Describe Auslese wines
Made from individually selected extra-ripe bunches
Richer and riper compared to spätlese from the same region, regardless of style noble rot can play an important part in the flavour profile
Dry to sweet
Describe Beerenauslese (BA) and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) wines
Noble rot is essential to reach sugar level for TBA,Not for BA
Howeverm Noble rot is typical for these wines
Not made every year and volumes vary
Sweet, low in alcohol
flavours of honey, dried stone fruit, candied peel and flowers
rank among best sweet wines in the world
Sweet only
Describe Eiswein
Noble rot is NOT key component
Focus on varietal purity
fine balane between acidity and sweetness
Flavours are accentuated by using selected yeast, handling the juice with care and avoiding malolactic converstion or oak
Name the white grapes grown in Germany
Riesling
Müller-Thurgau
Grauburgunder / Ruländer (Pinot gris)
Weißburgunder (pinot blanc)
Sylvaner