Germany Flashcards
The northerly winemaking regions of Germany straddle what parallel?
the 50th parallel, amongst the world’s coolest vineyards.
The Cistercians of Burgundy founded what famous monastery in the Rheingau in 1136?
Kloster Eberbach monastery, where they amassed the largest vineyard holdings in Europe by the end of the Middle Ages
What vineyard remains an alleinbesitz of Kloster Eberbach for over eight centuries?
The walled Steinberg vineyard, an ortsteil within the commune of Hattenheim, was the monks’ centerpiece and remains wholly intact today
What is an an alleinbesitz?
monopole
What is an ortsteil?
district
What did Napolean establish in the late 18th Century?
his Civil Code, annexing all German lands west of the Rhine for France in the late 18th century
What happened in 1803 to all of the Church’s vineyard holdings in Germany?
were secularized
Where did Kloster Eberbach end up after being dissolved as a monastery?
in the hands of the state-run Hessische Staatsweingüter after World War II
What led to the vineyard organization and registration mandated by the German Wine Law of 1971?
the Napoleonic Code led to fractured ownership and a gradual, significant splintering of vineyards. By the 1960s, there were over 30,000 different vineyard sites throughout West Germany!
What did the German Wine Law of 1971 split up?
30,000 einzellagen were condensed in bureaucratic fashion into 2,600 registered vineyards, each with a minimum size of 5 hectares.
What are the few exceptions to the mandated minimum size of vineyards by the German Wine Law of 1971?
- Doctor vineyard in Bernkastel
- Kirchenstück and Freundstück vineyards in Forst
- Schloss Vollrads ortsteil vineyard in Rheingau
What are the country’s current most planted white and red varieties?
Riesling and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)
What does the “discovery” of Spätlese harvesting and the Auslese category date back to?
Spätlese- 1775
Auslese- 1787
What were the best wines produced along the Rhine called in English markets in the 19th century?
Hock
What Institute developed a number of hardier grape crossings that would ripen in greater abundance across a variety of sites?
The Geisenheim Wine Institute in the Rheingau, founded in 1872
What is Müller-Thurgau a cross of?
Originally thought to be Riesling x Silvaner, more recent DNA testing has proven Riesling x Madeleine Royale
What is Ehrenfelser a crossing of?
Riesling x Sylvaner
What is Kerner a crossing of?
Trollinger (a red variety also known as Schiava grossa or Vernatsch) and Riesling
What crossings are more notable for their ability to ripen where Riesling cannot?
Bacchus and Faber
The Bacchus grape is a crossing of what?
a Silvaner x Riesling cross with Müller-Thurgau
What Riesling x Silvaner crossing developed in the Rheinhessen, is one of the few to show real quality potential?
Scheurebe
The Faber grape is a crossing of what?
Pinot blanc and Müller-Thurgau
What s the most prominent German red crossing and is currently the country’s second most planted red grape?
Dornfelder, bred in 1956
What problems attacked the German wine industry in the late 19th century?
Phylloxera, The root louse, mildew problems, a huge depression, and two devastating world wars
What wine almost singlehandedly destroyed the image of German wine internationally in the 1980s?
Liebfraumilch, sweet, cheap, characterless beverage was a resounding commercial success
What rules regulate Liebfraumilch?
usually produced from Müller-Thurgau but cannot carry a grape name on the label, may be blended from vineyards throughout Rheinhessen, Nahe, Rheingau, and the Pfalz
What is the VDP?
Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter
What is Grauburgunder?
Pinot Gris
What is Weissburgunder?
Pinot Blanc
What red grapes are presently relevant in Germany?
Spätburgunder, Dornfelder, Blauer Portugieser, Trollinger, and Schwarzriesling
What is Schwarzriesling?
Pinot Meunier
What is Weissherbst?
a saignée rosé wine made from a single varietal and of at least QbA quality
What represent the two tiers of German “quality” wine?
Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein
What was Qualitätswein formerly known as?
Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA)
What was Prädikatswein formerly known as?
Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP)
Prädikatswein is at the apex of Germany’s legal quality pyramid, and wines in this category are further labeled by what following levels (prädikats)?
Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein
The prädikat level is determined by what?
the level of sugars in the grape at harvest, measured by degrees according to the Öchsle scale
Each anbaugiete has its own minimum requirements for each authorized grape; thus, the minimum required for each prädikat level is what?
expressed as a range
On the prädikat level scale, there is no what?
maximum sugar levels for each category, and grapes harvested at higher must weights may be declassified to a lower prädikat
A common phenomenon in the warmer vintages of recent years, when many Riesling grapes picked at ___ ripeness have been released as ___ instead
Spätlese, Kabinett
Prädikatswein must carry a minimum alcohol level of what?
7% (5.5% for Beerenauslese, TBA, and Eiswein wines)
At Prädikatswein level, winemakers may not what?
chaptalize
Prädikatswein must also carry what on the label?
an Amtliche Prüfungsnummer (AP Number), a series of five sets of numbers indicating that the wine has been approved by a tasting panel
What do the 5 numbers that make up an AP number indicate?
1- region where the wine was tested 2- commune in which the wine was bottled 3- bottler's code 4- unique code for the bottling 5- two numbers indicate the year in which the application was filed
While Prädikatswein as a category is intended to showcase Germany’s best efforts, many of the country’s superb Grosses Gewächs dry wines are released as what?
QbA, without mention of prädikat level
What is an anbaugebiete?
One of Germany’s 13 quality wine regions
Below the quality wine category are what?
the PGI category of Landwein and wines without geographic indication, or Deutscher Wein (known as tafelwein until 2009)
Landwein regulations?
Landwein originates in one of 26 broad regions, and must be trocken or halbtrocken in style
Deutscher Wein regulations?
100% German in origin, or a statement must be included on the label naming the countries that contribute to the blend, may state the variety on the label
Most Sekt, or German sparkling wine, is made at what level of quality?
Deutscher Wein
Most Sekt is produced by what method?
Charmat
Sekt may labeled as QbA if what?
it is produced from traditional grapes grown in one of the 13 anbaugebiete of Germany
What are the Minimum Öchsle Ranges for each Prädikat Level?
Kabinett 70-85° Spätlese 80-95° Auslese 88-105° Beerenauslese 110-128° Trockenbeerenauslese 150-154° Eiswein 110-128°
What was the VDP originally when founded in 1910?
the Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer, strove to promote unchaptalized natur wines, principally through wine auctions
What led the VDP to rewrite its internal constitution to promote superior standards while respecting new labeling laws, and change its name?
The 1971 Wine Law, it abolished the use of the term natur and created the category of QbA, for which chaptalization is legal
In 1984, what separate organization was formed to advance the classic, dry style of Rheingau Riesling?
Charta
What icon distinguishes Charta wines?
3 Roman arches, styled from the balcony of Graue Haus, in Winkel
What did the organization of Charta represent?
the first major attempt by producers to validate dry wines within a system that only rewards sugar
The core belief in the quality and tradition of dry wines started by Charta was adopted by whom?
the VDP, who merged Charta’s promotion of dry Riesling with a renewed emphasis on terroir and vineyard site as a measure of quality
Today, the VDP hosts how many estates?
200 of Germany’s finest estates as members
The VDP promotes their wines through what?
an extralegal, tiered hierarchy and a more restrictive classification of einzellagen than the government provides, as spelled out in the 2002 VDP Accord and subsequent revisions
Prior to the 2012 vintage, what represented the top tier of the VDP quality pyramid?
Erste Lage wines, (“first site”) term was reserved by VDP for Germany’s finest single vineyard sites.
Erste Lage wines carry what on the label?
a specialized logo- a “1” followed by a cluster of grapes
Erste Lage regulations?
hand-harvested, max yield of 50 hl/ha, min must weight equivalent to Spätlese
IF Erste Lage wines are DRY, the wines are denoted by what?
the initials “GG” (Grosses Gewächs)
Erste Lage wines that are lusciously sweet are labeled by what?
traditional prädikat levels
Grosses Gewächs wines are legally considered what?
trocken and may not contain more than 9 g/l of residual sugar
In the Rheingau, Grosses Gewächs wines frequently carry the alternative label of what?
Erstes Gewächs, a trademarked term established by Charta.
While Grosses Gewächs is barred by German wine law from appearing on wine labels—hence its indication by initials—__ ___ is a legally authorized term, and it may be spelled out in full
Erstes Gewächs
Grape varieties approved for Erste Lage wines vary according to each anbaugebiet, but there is a clear emphasis on what?
Riesling
55% of VDP estate vineyards are planted to what grape?
Riesling
Grosses Gewächs white wines may not be released before when?
September 1 of the year following the harvest
Grosses Gewächs red wines may not be released before when?
Sept 1st of 2nd year following harvest
Erste Lage wines labeled by prädikat may be released as soon as when?
May 1 of the year following the harvest
What must be listed on the label and approved by the VDP for Erste Lage wines?
The einzellage (in the style of the grands crus of Burgundy, the village name is dropped)
While a site may be recognized by both the German Wine Law and the VDP, the VDP’s demarcation is often what?
narrower, representing a return to pre-1971 vineyard boundaries
In early 2012, the VDP elected to create what?
a new, four-tier system designed to better emulate the model of Burgundy
What are the VDP Classification (2012 forward) and corresponding maximum yields?
Grosse Lage: “Grand Cru” Wines (max. 50 hl/ha)
Erste Lage: “Premier Cru” Wines (max. 60 hl/ha)
Ortswein: Village Wines (max. 75 hl/ha)
Gutswein: Regional Wines (max. 75 hl/ha)
From 2012 onward what is Erste Lage?
The Erste Lage sites are NOW Grosse Lage while the premier cru sites are termed Erste Lage
Producers of Grosse Lage wines will be held to the preexisting standards for top sites, and the wines may be what?
dry (“GG”) or sweet (labeled by prädikat)
Producers of sweet wines may make a range of prädikat levels from a Grosse Lage site, but dry wine is limited to what?
1 dry wine may be produced in each of the top vineyards
The former Erste Lage logo will be applied only to what?
wines of Grosse Lage quality; An indication of either Grosse Lage or Erste Lage will appear on the capsule
The Grosses Gewächs category is reserved for what?
Grosse Lage
Producers of Erste Lage dry wines must label their products as what?
trocken
While all VDP members are committed to Grosse Lage, individual member organizations in each anbaugebiet may choose whether or not to develop what?
an Erste Lage designation
What is an example of an anbaugebiet that is developing their Erste Lage designation?
The Pfalz- some former top sites, like Paradiesgarten and Kalkofen in Deidesheim, will be recast as “Premier Cru”
What is an example of an anbaugebiet that is unlikely to adopt the Erste Lage tier?
The Rheinhessen VDP organization
The tiers of ___ and ___ are modeled on Burgundy’s village and regional wines, respectively
Ortswein, Gutswein
Name some members of the VDP
Robert Weil, Reichsgraff von Kesselstatt, Dr. Loosen, Egon Müller, Joh. Jos. Prüm, Dönnhoff, Keller, Bürklin-Wolf, Toni Jost
What is mandatory in the VDP?
Estate-bottling
Capsules on all VDP member estates’ bottles must be emblazoned with what?
VDP logo, a stylized eagle clasping a cluster of grapes
What does Bürklin-Wolf label its Grosse Lage wines as?
“GC”—for “Grand Cru”—rather than “GG”
In the Mosel, producers may now make Grosse Lage wines at every prädikat level, but producers in Pfalz will not be able to produce what?
Kabinett Grosse Lage
The state-affiliated German Wine Institute at Mainz also created what?
its own simplified hierarchy for drier styles of wine, which debuted with the 2000 vintage
The German Wine Institute at Mainz substituted terms for the more cumbersome halbtrocken and trocken?
The terms Classic and Selection
According to The German Wine Institute at Mainz, Classic wines are considered what?
“harmoniously dry” with a maximum residual sugar content of 15 g/l
According to The German Wine Institute at Mainz, Selection wines are considered what?
“superior dry” with a maximum residual sugar content of 9 g/l (12 g/l allowed for Riesling)
According to The German Wine Institute at Mainz, Wines labeled “Classic” are single varietal wines and omit what?
any mention of a vineyard on the label
minimum alcohol content of “classic” wines?
a superior min alcohol content of 12% (11.5% in the Mosel)
“Selection” wines are ___ vineyard wines from a ___ variety
single
What are yields and must weight requirements for “Selection” wines?
60 hl/ha, must weight must be equivalent to Auslese, hand-harvested
Unlike the VDP’s stringent hierarchy, Classic and Selection are what?
legally recognized terms and may be used by producers in any anbaugebiet that meet the requirements
The VDP and Classic/Selection are what?
essentially competing systems
Despite its lack of legal backing and more difficult terminology, the VDP system is clearly what?
superior to Classic/Selection wines, the better producers support VDP and its stricter guidelines, while the marketplace has not embraced the Classic/Selection wines.
The Mosel was known as what until August 1, 2007?
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
The Mosel is highly regarded for what?
its pure, light, low alcohol Kabinett Rieslings and is well known for the precipitous slate slopes the vines inhabit.
Many producers in the Mosel choose to bottle small quantities of “reserve” selections with a what?
goldkapsel—a gold-colored capsule
What does a goldkapsel usually indicate?
additional sweetness due to a higher must weight, and is most commonly encountered on Auslese bottlings
Even richer bottlings than Auslese in the Mosel are marked with what?
a Lange Goldkapsel (a longer gold capsule), this length and color may be the only clue to a substantial difference in price and character
The Goldkapsel is a device used almost exclusively by whom?
Mosel producers
The Goldkapsel is a means of subverting the 1971 Wine Law, which prohibited additional qualifications of the prädikat level on the bottle, such as what?
feine and hochfeine
The Mosel River emerges from the Vosges Mountains in France and flows eastward into Germany, joining with what?
its tributaries (the Saar and Ruwer) until it merges with the Rhine at Koblenz, marking the end of the Mosel Valley and the border of the Mittelrhein anbaugebiet
The Mosel is divided into what 6 bereiche?
- Bernkastel
- Burg Cochem
- Saar
- Ruwertal
- Obermosel
- Moseltor
The ___ bereich is the largest, occupying a stretch of the Mosel from Trier to Zell, wherein most of the Mosel’s greatest gemeinden and einzellagen are located
Bernkastel
In Bereich Bernkastel, name the important einzellages
Trittenheim, Piesport, Brauneberg, Bernkastel-Kues, Graach-an-der-Mosel, Wehlen, Zeltingen, Ürzig, and Erden
Bereich Bernkastel, sandwiched in between Cochem and Ruwertal is known as what?
The Mittelmosel
What are the soils like in the Mittelmosel?
composed of dark blue Devonian slate, although red slate characterizes the vineyards near Erden
What does the blue slate that characterizes the Mittelmosel contribute to the vines?
absorptive, retains heat and the river reflects warmth onto the vines, allowing them to ripen in a region where the annual average temperature is 49° F—8° colder than the grapevine’s ideal annual temperature
Mittelmosel slopes predominantly share what aspect?
southward-facing
Name two commonly encountered grosslagen within the Bernkastel bereich
Badstube and Michelsberg
Describe the grosslagen of Badstube
an be the source of decent wines sourced from the region around Bernkastel-Kues
Describe the grosslagen of Michelsberg
a commercially made, rather unfortunate smear on the integrity of Piesport
What is Piesport’s greatest vineyard, a world apart from those labeled Piesporter Michelsberg?
Goldtröpfchen—“droplets of gold”
Name some producers in the Goldtröpfchen vineyard of Piesport
Reinhold Haart and Reichsgraff von Kesselstatt
What is special about the Goldtröpfchen vineyard, structurally?
it is a natural amphitheatre
What are the Mosel’s “Sundial” vineyards?
features a sundial in the cliff face, allowing vineyard workers to know the time
Name some of the Mosel’s “Sundial” vineyards
Brauneberg’s Juffer-Sonnenuhr vineyard, Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Zeltinger Sonnenuhr
Bernkastel-Kues is the site of what famous vineyard?
The Doctor vineyard
Aside from quality, what sets The Doctor vineyard apart from other Mosel counterparts?
the source of a miraculously curative wine in the 14th century and an exception to the 1971 German Wine Law (in terms of ha land)
Those growers to the east of the vineyard whose vines were excluded from Doctor in 1984 may label their wines as what?
Alte Badstube am Doktorberg
The wines of Bernkasteler Lay are of high quality, name the producer providing some more compelling examples.
Dr. Loosen
In Graach, who owns the great alleinbesitz Josephshöfer?
Reichsgraff von Kesselstatt
Name the neighboring vineyard to Josephshöfer in the Mittelmosel that produces good wines
Domprobst
What is an alleinbesitz?
A monopole
Name some producers exemplifying the Sonnenuhr vineyards of Wehlen and Zeltingen
Joh. Jos. Prüm estate and Dr. Loosen
What is the “spice garden” of Ürzig?
Würzgarten
Name some prominent producers of Würzgarten wines based in Ürzig
The Mönchhof estate and its subsidiary Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben
What emerges near Erden, characterizing the great vineyards of Prälat and Treppchen?
Red slate
What is one of the Mosel’s warmest sites?
Prälat in Erden
Name a premier producer of Prälat in Erden
Dr. Loosen
What does the the Saar bereich cover?
vineyards surrounding a portion of the Saar River, a tributary of the Mosel south of Trier
Despite its more southerly location, the Saar Valley is actually what?
cooler than the Mittelmosel, due to its higher altitude
What creates less of a warming effect in the Saar Valley in comparison to the Mosel?
The river is smaller than the Mosel, and the Saar’s slate soils are less uniform
Since the Saar Valley is actually cooler than the Mosel, what are the wines like?
higher acidity in the wines, but in hotter years, such as 2003 or 2005, Saar wines can be exceptional
What is Scharzhofberger?
an ortsteil (district) within the gemeinde (community) of Wiltingen, is highly regarded as one of the Mosel’s finest sites; Egon Müller is its greatest grower
Where is the The Ruwertal bereiche located?
northeast of the Saar Valley, stretching from Waldrach to the village of Ruwer, where the Ruwer tributary—a stream, really—joins the Mosel
What is the climate of the Ruwetal bereiche?
temperatures are again cooler than the Mittelmosel, and make ripening difficult
Without a powerful force of water to carve its way through the region, the vineyards in the Ruwetal have what?
gentler slopes than those found along the Mosel River
What are the 2 exemplary vineyards of the Ruwer?
both are monopoles!
- Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg (part of a trio of monopoles owned by the von Schubert-Grünhaus estate)
- Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg, owned by Karthäuserhof
Formerly the Zell bereich, Burg Cochem includes what?
the lower Mosel Valley, from the village of Zell north to Koblenz
Burg Cochem is often referred to as what?
the Terrassenmosel, as the narrowing river and intensely steep slopes make terraced vineyards necessary
Some of Europe’s steepest vineyards are located in Burg Cochem, reaching what?
gradients of 65%
What vineyard in Burg Cochem is responsible for some of the bereich’s best wines?
The vineyard of Uhlen in Winningen
What bereiche are south of the Saar, along the Luxembourg border?
The Obermosel and Moseltor bereiche
What is the dominant grape in the southernmost bereiche of The Obermosel and Moseltor?
Elbing, rather than Riesling
Name some important towns and corresponding vineyards in the Saar
Wiltingen: Scharzhofberger
Saarburg: Rausch
Name some important towns and corresponding vineyards in the Ruwer
Eitelsbach: Karthäuserhofberg
Mertesdorf: Abtsberg, Herrenberg, Bruderberg
Name an important vineyard in the Mosel town of Trittenheim
Apotheke
Name some important vineyards in the Mosel town of Piesport
Goldtröpfchen, Domherr
Name some important vineyards in the Mosel town of Brauneberg
Juffer, Juffer Sonnenuhr
Name some important vineyards in the Mosel town of Bernkastel-Kues
Doctor, Lay
Name some important vineyards in the Mosel town of Graach an der Mosel
Domprobst, Josephshöfer (monopole of Reichsgraff von Kesselstatt)
Name some important vineyards in the Mosel town of Wehlen
Sonnenuhr
Name some important vineyards in the Mosel town of Zeltingen
Sonnenuhr
Name some important vineyards in the Mosel town of Ürzig
Würzgarten
Name some important vineyards in the Mosel town of Erden
Prälat, Treppche
If the Mosel is Germany’s oldest winemaking region, modern viticulture first appeared in the ___
Rheingau
The Rheingau is home to what storied estates?
Kloster Eberbach and Schloss Johannisberg
The Rheingau was the earliest beneficiary of the Church’s influence, and its vineyards were the first to be what?
Demarcated
The more recent drive to produce noble dry Riesling got its start where?
In the Erstes Gewächs wines of Charta, spearheaded by the Bernhard Breuer (of the Georg Breuer estate) in Rüdesheim
Geisenheim, is located in the Rheingau, yet it is less affected by the mid-20th century surge in crossings plantings than what?
the neighboring Rheinhessen
What does the Rheingau have a a higher proportion of than any other anbaugebiet?
Riesling; (nearly 80% of vineyard acreage)
What is the Rheingau’s sole bereich?
Johannisberg
What is Riesling sometimes known as due to Rheingau influences?
Johannisberg Riesling and Rhine Riesling
The heart of the Rheingau is essentially what?
one long southeast-facing slope
Where are most of the Rheingau’s vineyards found?
On the Rhine River as it flows westward from the city of Wiesbaden to Rüdesheim, on the northern bank of the river.
What are the vineyards like in Rüdesheim?
they tilt downward, but the Rheingau’s inclines are much less dramatic than those found in the Mosel
Why is the Rheingau actually warmer than much of the Rheinhessen to the south?
Like the Mosel, the Rhine provides warmth to the slopes of the Rheingau
What are the soils of the Rheingau?
upper slope vineyards dominated by slate, lower vineyards closer to the water contain a mixture of clay, loess, alluvial sand and red slate.
How do Rheingau rieslings compare to their Mosel counterparts?
more powerful, typically fuller in body and more concentrated, yet acidity can be bracing
What accounts for over half of the Rheingau Riesling production?
Dry wines, the VDP has listed more sites for Erste Lage in the Rheingau than any other anbaugebiet.
Where Mosel uses green glass, what is the traditional bottling for Rheingua Riesling?
flute-shaped brown bottle, the “Rheingauer Flöte,”
What lies on the western end of the Rheingau, to the northwest of Rüdesheim?
the village of Assmannshausen
Assmannshausen maintains a majority of the Rheingua’s what?
center for red wine production, Spätburgunder
Where does the best Pinot Noir come from in Assmannshausen?
the Höllenberg vineyard produced by August Kesseler
Name an important vineyard in Assmannshausen in the Rheingau
Höllenberg
Name important vineyards in the Rheingau’s Rüdesheim
Berg Roseneck, Berg Rottland, Berg Schlossberg
Name an important vineyard in the Rheingau’s Geisenheim
Schloss Johannisberg
Name an important vineyard in the Rheingau’s Johannisberg
Hölle
Name important vineyards in the Rheingau’s Winkel
Schloss Vollrads, Jesuitengarten, Hasensprung
Name some important vineyards in the Rheingau’s Hattenheim
Pfaffenberg (monopole of Schloss Schonborn), Mannberg, Steinberg
Name some important vineyards in the Rheingau’s Hallgarten
Schönhell, Jungfer
Name an important vineyard in the Rheingau’s Erbach
Marcobrunn
Name an important vineyard in the Rheingau’s Kiedrich
Gräfenberg
Name an important vineyard in the Rheingau’s Eltville
Sonnenberg
Name an important vineyard in the Rheingau’s Hochheim am Main
Hölle, Kirchenstück
The landscape between Geisenheim and Johannisberg to the east is dominated by what?
Schloss Johannisberg, where successful harnessing of botrytis in the late 18th century led to the development of Spätlese and Auslese
East of Johannisberg is Winkel, home to what historic ortsteil?
Schloss Vollrads and the lauded Jesuitengarten and Hasensprung vineyards
Continuing up the Rhine river, past Oestrich, are the riverside villages of what?
Hattenheim and Erbach
Who are principal growers based in Hattenheim?
Schloss Schönborn and Langwerth von Simmern
The Pfaffenberg vineyard in Hattenheim is a monopole of whom?
Schloss Schönborn
The Mannberg vineyard in Hattenheim is almost entirely owned by whom?
von Simmern
What low-lying village and vineyard is contiguous to the eastern edge of Mannberg, and is renowned for its quality in warm vintages?
Erbacher Marcobrunn
At a higher elevation up the slope from Hattenheim is the commune of what?
Hallgarten
Hallgarten is home to what monastery?
Kloster Eberbach, whose secular evolution saw the cloister buildings used as a Prussian insane asylum and a women’s prison before being rededicated as a functional winery and museum.
Due north of Erbach is what hill village singularly famous for the wines of Robert Weil?
Kiedrich
Describe the Kiedrich wines of Robert Weil
holdings in the Gräfenberg vineyard are the source of outstanding sweet wines, especially at Auslese level and above
To the east of Eltville, the Rhine is joined by the smaller ___ River, which feeds into the Rhine from the east
Main
What is the eastern segment of the Rheingau, separated from Eltville and the rest of the Rheingau by the suburbs of Wiesbaden?
The village of Hochheim
Describe the vineyards of Hochheim
distinguished by a gentler slope than those elsewhere in the Rheingau, yet the area is uncharacteristically warm
What is the Hochheim’s finest vineyard and producer?
Kirchenstück and Franz Künstler
What is directly south of the Rheingau, and it is bordered by the Rhine River to the north and east, the Nahe to the west, and the Pfalz to the south?
The Rheinhessen
What historically important city marks the southern edge of the Rheinhessen?
Worms
What is the Rheinhessen’s northern outpost, situated across the Rhine from Wiesbaden?
Mainz, home of the German Wine Institute
The Rheinhessen has more what than any other anbaugebiet?
land under vine
What is the Rheinterrasse?
A region larger than the entire Rheingau, is an extended reach of eastern exposures protected from frost and the winds that sweep through much of the rolling, unwooded expanse of the Rheinhessen
The Rheinterrasse stretches from where to where?
Bodenheim southward through the winemaking towns of Nierstein and Oppenheim, terminating near Mettenheim
What is the most prestigious sector of the Rheinterrasse?
the Roter Hang, a slope of red clay and slate spanning 180 ha between Nierstein and Nackenheim
The Titanic’s wine list reportedly featured what wine as its most expensive offering, eclipsing First Growth Bordeaux?
a Roter Hang Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling
Who is a marquee producer within the Roter Hang; the estate owns over three-quarters of Rothenberg, one of the Rheinhessen’s premier sites?
Gunderloch
What is considered a regional specialty of the Rheinhessen?
Silvaner, -the Rheinhessen has a more acreage devoted to Silvaner than any other winegrowing region in the world, including Franken
Rheinhessen Riesling and Sylvaner is often produced in what styles?
Riesling- halbtrocken or sweeter styles
Silvaner- usually dry
What quality-driven Rheinhessen producers are making some of Germany’s best dry Riesling?
Weingut Keller in Flörsheim-Dalsheim and Wittmann in neighboring Westhofen
What is Germany’s most elusive and expensive dry bottling of Riesling?
the micro-production “G-Max,” arrives from an undisclosed vineyard site in Keller’s portfolio
Both Keller and Wittmann belong to what association of over two dozen young and dynamic winemakers in Rheinhessen committed to raising quality throughout the region?
“Message in a Bottle”
What wines cast a long shadow over the Rheinhessen?
Blue Nun and Liebfraumilch
What is an important einzellage in Rheinhessen’s Nackenheim?
Rothenberg
What are important einzellage in Rheinhessen’s Nierstein?
Hipping, Pettenthal
What are important einzellage in Rheinhessen’s Oppenheim?
Schützenhütte, Sackträger
What are important einzellage in Rheinhessen’s Westhofen?
Morstein, Kirchspiel
What is an important einzellage in Rheinhessen’s Dalsheim?
Hubacker
The Pfalz, is known to English-speakers as what?
the Palatinate and officially named the Rheinpfalz until 1992
What is one of the warmest winegrowing regions in Germany?
The Pfalz
What is the climate of the Pfalz?
sunny and dry
What is the soil makeup of the Pfalz
extremely complex, with layers of red sandstone, calcium-based limestone, loess, red slate, basalt, igneous granite and alluvial gravel.
The Pfalz is a natural continuation of what?
France’s Alsace, which borders it to the south
In the Pfalz, the Vosges Mountains are rechristened as what?
the Haardt hills, rarely rising to heights of more than 500 or 600 meters on this side of the border.
What Pflaz producer has to cross the border into sovereign France to work his holdings in the Kammerberg Grosse Lage vineyard?
Schweigen’s Friedrich Becker, one of Germany’s most esteemed producers of Spätburgunder
Historically, the most important vineyards of the Pfalz region lie where?
further north, on the east-facing slopes of the Haardt hills in the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse
Recently, what part of the Pfalz has propelled into the spotlight?
the southern Pfalz (Südliche Weinstrasse)
What winemakers have brought the Southern Pfalz into light as a premier production zone for dry Riesling and Weissburgunder?
Becker and Hansjörg Rebholz
What is home to the Pfalz’s warmest and most exceptional vineyard site?
Forst- the Grosse Lage Kirchenstück
What are some highly regarded neighboring sites to Forster’s Kirchenstück?
Jesuitengarten, Pechstein, and Ungeheuer
In general, Pfalz Riesling is what?
among Germany’s most full-bodied, and the wines are almost invariably dry
In the Mittelhaardt, what are the most recognizable estates?
The "3 Bs": 1. Bassermann-Jordan 2. von Buhl 3. Bürklin-Wolf & Müller-Catoir
What are making big strides in the Pfalz region?
Pinot varieties
What has a reputation for sweet wines in the Pfalz dating back to the 1940s?
Scheurebe
What is dry and sweeter Scheurebe like?
Dry- may resemble pyrazine-laden Sauvignon Blanc
Late harvest- character more akin to cassis, can be opulent and memorable
What is making an appearance in the Pfalz and in many major producers’ portfolios, due to a domestic interest in the grape?
Sauvignon Blanc
In addition to some almond and lemon trees, what present grape is a reminder that the Pfalz’s climate really is a little warmer!?
Sangiovese!
In the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse, what is an important vineyard in Kallstadt?
Saumagen
Name some important vineyards in the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse that don’t lie within specific towns (Gemeinden)
Ungstein
Bad Dürkheim
Wachenheim
In the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse, what are some important vineyards in Forst?
Kirchenstück, Freundstück, Pechstein, Ungeheuer, Jesuitengarten
In the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse, what are some important vineyards in Deidesheim?
Langenmorgen, Hohenmorgen, Kieselberg
In the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse, what are some important vineyards in Ruppertsberg?
Reiterpfad, Gaisböhl
What is a monopole of Bürklin-Wolf?
Gaisböhl in Ruppertsberg in the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse
In the Mittelhaardt-Deutsche Weinstrasse, what are some important vineyards in Königsbach?
Idig
In the Südliche-Weinstrasse, what is an important vineyard in Siebeldingen?
Im Sonnenschein
In the Südliche-Weinstrasse, what is an important vineyard in Birkweiler?
Kastanienbusch
In the Südliche-Weinstrasse, what is an important vineyard in Schweigen?
Kammerberg
To the west of the Rheinhessen, the Nahe’s best vineyards are situated along where?
the Nahe River, a tributary of the Rhine
What is the premier grape of the Nahe?
Riesling
What are Nahe riesling’s stylistically?
generally sweet and can be difficult to pin down, falling between the Mosel and the Rheingau in style
Where are the Nahe’s best wines usually found?
In a small stretch on the banks of the Nahe as it flows northward in the center of the region
What are some of the Nahe’s best villages?
Schlossböckelheim, Oberhausen, Niederhausen, Norheim, Bad Münster, and Bad Kreuznach
What are the most well-known, expensive wines of the Nahe?
The rich, sweet prädikat wines of Dönnhoff
What Dönnhoff wines are especially well-known?
those sourced from his monopole vineyard Oberhauser Brücke and Hermannshöhle in Niederhausen, the Nahe’s finest site.
What are some important vineyards in the Nahe’s Niederhausen?
Hermannshöhle, Hermannsberg
What are some important vineyards in the Nahe’s Schlossböckelheim?
Kupfergrube, Felsenberg
What is the world’s most northerly wine region dedicated to red wine production?
The Ahr, one of Germany’s smaller anbaugebiete
Despite its location north of the 50th parallel, 88% of the Ahr’s wine is red, with ___ as the region’s dominant grape
Spätburgunder
The Ahr surrounds what?
the Ahr River, a tributary of the Rhine
The Ahr’s terraced vineyards are sheltered from cold winds by what?
the Eifel Mountains
What offers warmth in the Ahr?
Steep slopes of rocky, volcanic slate
The VDP actually describes the Ahr’s climate as what!?
“Mediterranean”, warmer than the Mosel !
What is the Ahr’s one bereich and grosslage?
Walporzheim-Ahrtal, and Klosterberg
Name top producers in Ahr Spätburgunder
Meyer-Näkel and Kreuzberg, utilize barrique in their high-end cuvees to create richer styles
Where is the Franken centered?
along the Main River as it flows westward from Bamberg toward Frankfurt, to the east of Hochheim
What is the Franken also well-known for?
The region produces a lot of beer—Franken and Bavaria overlap
What is Franken Silvaner like?
fashioning smoky, full, mineral-tinged dry white wines
___ succeeds in Franken’s cool climate, where ___ has difficulty ripening, yet was surpassed by ____ in plantings in the mid-20th century.
Silvaner, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau
What producers in the Franken produce excellent examples of Silvaner?
Hans Wirsching (Iphofen) and Horst Sauer (Escherndorf)
What is is Franken’s wine center?
Würzberg
What vineyard within Würzberg lends its name to “Steinwein”, an old nickname for Frankish wine in general?
the vineyard Stein
Almost all Franken wine is dry, and some excellent Grosses Gewächs Rieslings are now appearing, along with what else?
Afew notable bottlings of Spätburgunder and Frühburgunder
What is Frühburgunder?
An early-ripening strain of Pinot Noir
Traditionally, the wines of Franken are bottled in the squat, flask-shaped ___
bocksbeutel
What are the important Franken vineyards in Würzburg?
Stein, Leiste
What is the important Franken vineyard in Escherndorf?
Lump
What is the important Franken vineyard in Iphofen?
Julius Echter Berg
What is the important Franken vineyard in Bürgstadt?
Centgrafenberg
The Mittelrhein is a narrow anbaugebiet following the Rhine River northward past what?
Assmannshausen and Lorch in the Rheingau
How is cultivation in the Mittelrhein similar to the Mosel?
steep, slate riverside slopes planted predominantly to Riesling
How does Mittelrhein wine differ from Mosel wine?
nearly 80% of the wine is either trocken or halbtrocken
What is one of the Mittelrhein’s finest sites?
The Hahn Grosse Lage vineyard, a monopole of Toni Jost in Bacharach
What is also the source of some good wines near Koblenz?
The village of Spay, especially from the estate of Matthias Müller
With just over 400 ha in the entire anbaugebiet, ____ is one of Germany’s smallest.
Hessische-Bergstrasse
What does Hessische-Bergstrasse not have?
The only anbaugebiete without a VDP Grosse Lage site.
Baden and Württemberg are larger regions in …
southern Germany
Baden covers a large area where?
along the French border
Württemberg is located where?
to the east, south of Franken
Baden and Württemberg both have separate zones where else?
along the Swiss border to the south, on the shores of Lake Boden (Bodensee)
What is Germany’s warmest winegrowing region?
Kaiserstuhl, is located in Baden
What is preferred in the Baden?
Spätburgunder and other red grapes as the entire area is too hot for quality Riesling
Württemberg contains most of Germany’s what?
Schwarzriesling, and Lemberger (Blaufränkisch) is a common variety, but few of the wines leave the area
Baden and Württemberg are dominated by what?
mass production and co-operatives
What rosé is common in the Baden?
Weissherbst
What rosé is common in Württemberg?
Schillerwein, a style of rosé produced by fermenting red and white grapes together
What anbaugebietes are located in former East Germany, and were added when the country was reunified in 1990?
Sachsen (Saxony) and Saale-Unstrut
Where is Sachsen located?
in the Elbe River Valley, and is one of Germany’s smallest winegrowing regions
What is the most planted grape in Sachsen?
Müller-Thurgau
What is a local specialty in Saxony?
Goldriesling, an aromatic crossing developed in Alsace
Where does Saale-Unstrut lie?
at the confluence of the Saale and Unstrut rivers, and is Germany’s northernmost winegrowing region
What are common varietals in Saale-Unstrut?
Müller-Thurgau and Weißburgunder
