Germany Flashcards
What style of wine is Liebfraumilch?
From where did it originate?
An inexpensive, medium-sweet* white wine from Germany that must contain at least 70% Riesling, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau and Kerner (typically Müller-Thurgau dominates the blend);
Originated in Worms in the southern Rheinhessen.
*Note that on p.168 the textbook also calls Liebfraumilch “medium-dry” – know you can use both terms as the WSET does, too.
q
Name two vineyards in Germany that date back to the Middle Ages.
Schloss Johannisberg;
Kloster Eberbach.
Both in Rheingau.
In what 2 ways did the fifth German wine law of 1971 lay the foundation for modern German wine production?
It established protected geographical labelling;
It established the classification of wine styles based on must weights.
4
q
What is the overall climate of Germany?
Cool and continental.
With the exception of Baden, most of Germany’s winemaking regions lie around this latitude.
49–50°N
What role do rivers play in Germany’s cool climate?
Radiate heat;
Moderate temperatures;
Extend the growing season.v
In Germany, frosts pose the greatest threats during which season?
What helps mitigate frost in Germany?
Spring;
River airflow and its reflection of sunlight, and airflow down the slopes (downdrafts) help mitigate frost.
Summers in Germany are:
a. warm and wet
b. hot and dry
c. rainy and cold
a. warm and wet
What is the average rainfall in Germany?
When does most of it fall?
500 - 800mm; most of it falls in the summer.
Since rain in Germany falls mostly during the summer, what threats does it pose?
It increases the risk of:
fungal disease;
dilution of grapes;
hail in heavy storms.
Autumns in Germany are:
a. warm and wet
b. long and dry
c. rainy and cool
b. long and dry
What are 2 benefits from Germany’s autumns being long and dry?
Long ripening periods – grapes can develop high levels of natural sugar required for Prädikatswein;
The morning mists along the rivers are ideal for the development of botrytis.
At what elevation are most of the vineyards in Germany planted?
200m asl
Name two important mountain ranges that protect Germany’s vineyard areas from cold winds and the worst of the weather.
Taunus and Haardt
The wine region Baden in Germany is noticeably:
a. drier, warmer and sunnier than Germany’s other wine growing regions
b. wetter, cooler, and cloudier than Germany’s other wine growing regions
a. drier, warmer and sunnier
Germany’s soils are:
a. varied
b. homogenous
a. varied
How does the dark slate found in Mosel and Ahr help to ripen fruit in the vineyards?
a
It retains heat during the day and radiates it out at night.
In Germany, there are pockets of calcareous soils found in certain regions.
In which regions can these pockets of calcareous soils found, and which grape varieties are planted in these pockets?
a
In Baden, Pfalz and Rheinhessen:
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir);
Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc);
Chardonnay
In Franken:
Silvaner
In Germany, the grape variety that prefers more heavy, clayey soils is:
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
How does erosion in the vineyard add to the cost of vineyard maintenance?
Vineyard owners regularly need to haul soil and rocks back up the slopes because they erode and fall down the steep slopes.
What are some factors that have reduced vintage variation in recent years in Germany?
Significant advances in vineyard management techniques;
Better clonal selection (especially for black grape varieties);
Summer pruning;
Green harvesting;
Selective hand harvesting;
Climate change.
Germany is or is not widely suited to organic and biodynamic viticulture?
Is not – the disease pressure is always high due to wet summers.
What 3 factors have contributed to the increase in quality of Germany’s red wines?
Development of better clones;
Better vineyard management and winemaking techniques;
Increasing temperatures in the vineyard.
In Germany, Riesling accounts for what percent of all plantings?
Nearly a quarter (23%).
Riesling ripens:
a. early
b. mid
c. late
c. late
It needs good sun exposure and dry autumns to fully ripen.
Why is Riesling ideal for producing sweet wines?
It retains high acidity even when fully ripe;
It can produce high natural levels of sugar;
It is susceptible to botrytis, making it ideal for making sweet wines.
Müller-Thurgau ripens earlier or later than Riesling?
Earlier
Some producers in Germany use less new oak now on their Spätburgunders than they did just a decade ago.
What winemaking technique do they deploy to help with tannin structure?
They use whole bunch fermentation with the stems which contributes tannins.
Germany’s second most planted black variety is:
Dornfelder
Dornfelder is used to make two different styles of wine.
What are those styles?
a fruity, easy-drinking style, sometimes with a little residual sugar, showing aromas of sour cherry and blackberry;
a more complex style made from lower yields which shows greater focus on tannins and structure, fermented or aged in oak, and has aging potential.
q
Which region in Germany is known for producing high quality Silvaner?
Franken
Name three white grape varieties grown in Germany that are crosses (as opposed to hybrids).
Müller-Thurgau;
Scheurebe;
Kerner.
Large format traditional vats:
Fuder
Stück
Why is it common for mid-priced and premium Riesling to ferment in stainless steel?
No oxygen is introduced;
No flavors are added;
Helps retain primary fruit aromas.
Why is new oak rarely used on German Rieslings?
It would mask the grape’s primary aromas.
What is Süssreserve and what is it used for?
It is unfermented or partially-fermented grape must;
It is added back to a fermented wine to create the desired level of sweetness (it was often used to mask high acidity and bitterness from under-ripe grapes).
In Germany, what is the only quality level that allows a winemaker to use RCGM to sweeten their wine?
Deutscher Wein
What are the four quality levels of German wine in increasing order of must weight?
Deutscher Wein;
Landwein;
Qualitätswein;
Prädikatswein.
Landwein is the German equivalent of a:
a. IGT wine
b. PGI wine
c. PDO wine
b. PGI wine
Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein are both in the PDO category, but which one has more stringent regulations?
Prädikatswein
