Germany Flashcards
Name the Anbaugebiete of Germany
Ahr
Baden
Franken
Hessische Bergstraße
Mittelrhein
Mosel
Nahe
Pfalz
Rheingau
Rheinhessen
Saale-Unstrut
Sachsen
Württemberg
What is an Einzellage(n)?
a legally registered single vineyard
What is a Grosslage(n)?
a legally registered assemblage of single vineyard sites (typically indicates slightly lower quality than an einzellage wine)
What is a Bereich?
Political district, used as an Anbaugebiete sub-region.
What are the Bereich of the Mosel?
Burg Cochem, Bernkastel, Saar, Ruwertal, Obermosel, Moseltor
What is an Anbaugebiete?
One of Germany’s 13 growing regions
At what latitude are Germany’s wine regions found?
51.3° (Saale-Unstrut) - Northernmost
49.6° (Mosel/ Nahe/ Rhingau/ Franconia)
47.3° (Württemberg) - Southernmost
Why are most German vineyards south facing?
Cool climate prohibits grape ripening without the temperature influence and sunlight hours of south facing vineyards
What is the most important soil type of the Mosel?
Slate (Devonian slate, blue slate, red slate)
What is the most planted and most important white grape variety of Germany?
Riesling
What is the most important red grape variety of Germany?
Spatburgunder
Which quality levels allow for Chaptilization?
Deutscher Wein
Landwein
Qualitätswein
Describe the QbA vs Prädikatswein
QbA - Qualitätswein bestimmer Anbaugebiete
(Third quality tier)
Quality wine from a defined region
-receives AP number
-permits chaptalization
Prädikatswein (formerly QmP)
(Highest quality tier)
Quality wine with a special attribute (refers to ripeness levels)
-receives AP number
-does not permit chaptalization
What are the Prädikatswein levels in sequence from lowest must weight?
Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese/ Eiswein, Trockenbeerenauslese
What is trocken?
“Dry” or “No Sugar”. Legally the max residual sugar is 9 g/L. Corresponds to acidity level +2 g/L.
What is halbtrocken?
Wines between 5 g/L and 18 g/L of Residual Sugar. Term is being replaced with “Feinherb” (popular in the Mosel: 10 g/L - 20 g/L) and “Classic”.
What is Sekt?
Sparkling wine made in Germany at multiple quality levels.
What are the quality levels of Sekt?
Deutscher Sekt
Sekt bestimmer Anbaugebeite (Sekt b.A.)
Winzersekt
Perlwein
What are the regulations for Deutscher Sekt?
Grapes must come from Germany. No vintage, grape, or quality regulation.
What are the regulations of Sekt bA?
Grapes must come from an Anbaugebeite. Mostly Charmat wines, but some Traditional Method wines.
What is Winzersekt?
Single vintage
Single grape variety or pinot cuvée
Traditional method
Aged on lees for at least 9 months
Perlwein
Not a protected term, but typically very slightly carbonated wine (1-2.5 atmosphers of pressure). May have PDO designation. Broad quality levels
What were the 1971 Wine Law changes?
-Establishment of 4 quality tiers (Detscher Wine, Landwein, Qba, QmP)
-Emphasis on ripeness (implementation of Oeschle)
-Reorganization of 30k einzellagen into 2600 registered vineyards
-Created grosslage
-Established minimum vineyard size (5ha)
When and how did the vine arrive in Germany?
Vitis Vinifera arrived in Germany through the Romans in the 3rd Centrury.
What are Blue Nun & Liebfraumilch?
Low quality sweet wines (white blends) that were popular in their time but damaged Germany’s reputation for quality.
What is the impact of rivers in Germany viticulture?
The rivers in Germany have steep river slopes on which the south facing exposures are used for vine growing. The rivers provide temperature regulation, protect against wind, and reflect light onto the vineyards to warm the vineyard soils.
Where is the Mosel? How is it organized?
The Mosel river extends 545km from the Voges mountains in France, runs NE along the Luxembourg border, and empties into the Rhine river. Organized by Bereich.
Where is the Rheingau?
The northern (right) bank of the Rhine river where it flows 50km west from Hochheim. Directly north of the Rheinhessen.
Where is Rheinhessen?
Germany’s largest wine region by vine acreage. The left bank (south) of the Rhine river where it bends south toward toward Worms.
Where is Pfalz?
The Pfalz extends from Alsace in the south to the Rheinhessen in the north. Removed from the Rhein River, and along the foothills of the Haardt Hills.
What are the Burgundian grapes that are grown in Germany?
Chardonnay, Spatburgunder, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder-Ruländer
What is Müller-Thurgau?
Grape variety also know as Rivaner. Second most planted white grape in Germany. Cross between Riesling x Madeleine Royale. Most planted white grape in the Rheinhessen, Baden, Franconia, Saxony, Saale-Unstrut
What is Silvaner?
Grape variety also know as Sylvaner. Cross between Traminer x Österireich Weiss.
What is the Oechsle scale?
Hydrometric measurement system. Compares must weight to water at 20°C.
What is a Bocksbeutel?
“Goat scrotum”. Traditional bottled used for Silvaner in the Franken region.
Where is Dr. Loosen located?
Mosel (Bernkastel):
Bernkasteler Lay
Graacher (Himmelreich, Domprobst)
Wehlener Sonnenuhr
Ürziger Würzgarten
Erdener (Treppchen, Prälat)
Where is Selbach-Oster located?
Mosel (Zeltingen):
Zeltinger (Himmelreich, Schlossberg, Sonnenuhr)
Wehlener Sonnenuhr
Graacher Domprobst
Bernkasteler Badstube
Where is Robert Weil located?
Rheingau (Kiedrich):
Kiedricher Klosterberg
Kiedricher Turmberg
Kiedricher Gräfenberg
What are the top Germany vintages of the 2000s +?
2015 (warm opulent - slightly reduced yields)
2011 (Extremely good vintage & high quality sweet wines)
2009* (“Amongst the greatest vintages)
2005 (Ripe but good structure - low yields. good for BA & TBA)
2003 (Very hot vintage - great quality wines from top producers)
2001 (very good with long growing season - good for botrytis)
What was the monastic influence on vineyard definition?
The majority of vineyards were owned by monasteries (especially the Cistercian order). Many of the vineyards derive their names from monastic influence.
Name 8 villages in the Mosel
Brauneberg (Juffer, Juffer Sonnenuhr)
Erden (Pralat, Treppchen)
Graach (Himmelreich, Domprobst, Josephofer)
Urzig (Wurzgarten)
Wehlen (Sonnenuhr)
Winningen (Rottgen)
Bernkastel (Doctor, Lay)
Piesport (Domherr, Goldtröpfchen, Grafenberg)
Zeltingen (Sonnenuhr)
Name 8 villages in the Rheingau
Assmannshausen (Hollenberg)
Hallgarten (Handelberg, Jungfer)
Hattenheim (Steinberg)
Hochheim (Hölle)
Johannisberg (Holle, Schloss Johannsiberg)
Kiedrich (Grafenberg, Turmberg)
Rauenthal (Baiken, Nonnenberg)
Rudesheim Berg (Kaisersteinfels, Roseneck, Rottland, Schlossberg)
Winkel (Jesuitengarten)
Erbach (Hohenrain, Marcobrunn, Scholssberg, Siegelsberg, Steinmorgen)
Name 6 villages in the Rheinhessen
Bingen (Scharlachberg)
Florsheim-Dalsheim (Burgel, Hubacker)
Nackenheim (Rothenberg)
Nierstein (Bruderberg, Olberg, Orbel, Pettenthal)
Westhofen (Kirchspiel)
Worms (Liebrauenstift-Kirchenstruck)
Name 6 villages in the Pfalz
Birkweiler
Deidesheim (Langemorgan, Hohenmorgen)
Forst (Kirchenstück, Ungeheuer, Jesuitengarten*)
Gimmeldingen
Haardt
Konginsbach
Schwweigen
Siebeldingen
Deidesheim
What are 2 important villages in the Ahr?
What is an important village in Hessische Bergstrasse?
What is an important village in Baden?
What are the top villages in the Nahe?
Niederhauser Hermannshöhle
Oberhauser Brücke
Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube
Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg
What is a important village in Württemberg?
Remstal-Stuttgart: Stetten, Schnait, Fellbach, Untertürkheim, Winterbach
Württembergisch Unterland: Stetten, Schozach, Neipperg, Schwaigern, Kleinbottwar, Hohenbeilstein, Neckarsulm, Heilbronn, Gundelsheim, Besigheim, Mundelsheim, Bönnigheim, Verrenberg, Maulbronn, Weinsberg
What is an important village in Franconia?
Iphöfen (Julius-Echter-Berg, Kronsberg, Kalb)
Wuerzburg (Stein) *GG
What is an important village in Saxony?
Meissen: Seusslitz, Proschwitz, Meissen, Pillnitz, Radebeul
What is an important village in Saale-Unstrut?
Schloss Neuenburg: Bad Kösen, Freyburg, Weischütz, Karsdorf, Naumburg
What is the climate of the Mosel?
Cool. Highly reliant on the warming effect of the river’s reflection.
What is the climate of the Rheingau?
Warmer than Rheinhessen in the south due to the effects of the Rhine river
What is the climate of the Rheinhessen?
What is the climate of the Pfalz?
What is Scheureve?
Cross between Silvaner x Riesling
Created by Dr Georg Scheu
Some Pfalz producers are more proud of their ‘Scheu’ than their Riesling.
What is Kerner?
Cross between Riesling and Trollinger (Schiava Grossa)
Used for blending.
Most represented in the Pfalz and Rheinhessen
What is Rieslander?
Silvaner X Riesling cross from Würzburg
Used for producing BA and TBA wines
Synonyms- Mainriesling and Wuerzburg
What is Portugieser?
Slovenian red grape also known as the Blauer Portugieser
Mostly found in the Rheinhessen and Pfalz
What is Baccus?
Early ripening cross between Silvaner x Riesling x Muller-Thurgau
Used as a blending grape with Muller-Thurgau
Commonly found in Franconia
What is Ehrenfelser?
Cross between Riesling and Knipperlé (alsatian variety).
Found in the Rheinhessen and the Pfalz
What is Dornfelder?
Second most grown red grape in Germany
Dark skinned variety
Crossed between Helfensteiner x Heroldrebe
Can be found with wood aging
Commonly found in the Rheinhessen and the Pfalz
What is Elbing?
White grape found mostly in the Mosel (called Moselle in France)
Previously the most planted grape variety in Germany
Offspring of Gouais Blanc - similar parentage to Riesling
What are the common vine training methods for the steep slopes of Germany?
Terracing, stakes. Trellising is new and posses some challenges to assent/ descent, airflow, etc.
Where is Botrytis Cinerea most present in Germany? What is it called in German?
location. Edelfäule.
What are the Oechsle levels for Qualitatswein?
~51-72 (~7% - ~ 10% potential ABV)
What are the min Oechsle levels for Kabinett wines?
Mosel (73°)
Rheinhessen (73°)
Nahe (73°)
Pfalz (73°)
Rheingau (75°)
What are the min Oechsle levels for Spätlese wines?
Mosel (80°)
Rheinhessen (85°)
Nahe (87°)
Pfalz (90°)
Rheingau (85°)
What are the Oechsle levels for Auslese?
Mosel (88°)
Rheinhessen (92°)
Nahe (92°)
Pfalz (100°)
Rheingau (100°)
What are the Oechsle levels for Eiswein/ BA?
Mosel (110°)
Rheinhessen (120°)
Nahe (120°)
Pfalz (120°)
Rheingau (125°)
What are the Oechsle levels for TBA?
150°
What is an important village in the Nahe?
What is an important village in the Mittelrhein?
What is a Füder?
Traditional 1000L cask historically used in the Mosel as a unit of sale to wholesalers.
What is a Stück?
Short for Stückfässer. The traditional 1200L cask of the Rheingau (and the greater Rhein river regions)
What is Süssreserve?
Sweet grape must that is sulfered and stored at low temperatures before the onset of fermentation. It is used for adding residual sugar back to dry wines. This is permitted for Qualitatswein and only for Pradikatswein if the must is from the same grapes as the wine.
Which quality tiers permit chaptalization in Germany?
Deutscher Wein and Qualitätswein
What is Landwein?
The tier below Qualitatswein. Comes from 26 broad regions in Germany and must be released as Trocken or Halbtrocken wines.
What does the term “selection” mean on a German wine label?
Troken (must be hand-harvested)
What does the term “Classic” mean on a German wine label?
Halbtroken
What is Erste Lage?
“Premier Cru” vineyard sites
Regionally defined varietal requirements
Hand-harvested
May be produced as Troken, Feinherb, or with Pradikat indication
Carries the Erste Lage logo
Labeled with village and vineyard name
What is the VDP?
Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter
Association of Germany’s best wine producers
200 members from all 13 anbaugebeite
Est. in 1910
Quality tiers based on the Burgundian model:
* Grosse Lage: Grand Cru vineyards (dry wines)
* Erste Lage: Premier Cru vineyards
* Ortsweine: village level wines
* Gutsweine: traditional estate wines
What is Grosse Gewachs?
Dry wine from Grosse Lage vineyard site
What is Erste Gewachs?
Dry wine from Erste Lage vineyard site
What are the VDP requirements?
What is the difference between Grosslage and Grosse Lage?
Grosslage: vineyard districts defined by German wine law (1971)
Grosse Lage: “Grand Cru” vineyards as defined by the VDP
What does Orsteil mean?
A vineyard area or township within a district. When an orsteil is used on a label, only the vineyard name is used (estate name is used instead of the village name). (i.e. Scharzhofberger, Schloss Vollrads, Schloss Johannisberg)
Describe the Amtliche Prüfnummer
The “AP” number (translates to Official Approval Number) is a group of 5 numbers:
Example: 2 606 319 011 07
2 - Testing center
606 - Village where producer is located
319 - Producer’s code number
011 - Application number
07 - Year the producer filed the application
