Germany Flashcards
Germany producers more than ____% of the world’s Riesling?
50
True or False: By 2015, just shy of half the wine produced in Germany was vinified dry?
True
These monks introduced the cultivation of both Riesling and Pinot Noir in Germany?
Cistercians
Who brought Vinifera to Germany?
Romans
Vineyard ownership in Germany migrated to the private sector completely after the _____________?
French Revolution
The generic term for German wines in the 1800s?
Hock
These two circumstances prompted the adoption of hardy, productive hybrid varieties during the 19th century in Germany?
a) Phylloxera
b) Cold-climate struggles
The “Blue Nun” movement began with this bottling in 1921?
a) H. Sichel Sohne Liebfraumilch
Explain the “Flurbereinigung.”
A campaign aimed at consolidating successive parcels of land divided by successive generations and to physically reconstruct vineyards, eliminating century old terraces to employ mechanized farming and increase production
Germany’s most current winelaw? Established in?
a) The Deutches Weingesetz
b) 1971
Explain what a goldkapsule indicates on a bottle of German wine?
Indicates a bottle of a higher level of sweetness and distinction than traditional Pradikat labeling. A longer Kapsule indicates an a wine of even higher distinction and rarity. The star system was also introdcued in MOsel, sometimes in conjunction with the GoldKapsule, to indicate reserve and rarity
Explain how the style of German wines changed from the beginning to the middle of the 20th century?
In the early 20th century, most German wine was dry, but as sterile filtration found its way into the winery more towards the middle of the decade, production of wines with calculated sweetness levels could be easily achieved. This also forced the requirements of wines labeled by Pradikat (Spatlese, Auslese) would now be defined by sugar accumulated during the vintage as opposed to sugar remaining in the final wine
What is “Sussreserve?”
Unfermented, sterilized grape juice used to sweeten a finished wine
The German title for an individual vineyard site? The number of Einzellagen pre/post 1971 wine law? The minimum size requirement for Einzellagen?
a) Einzellagen
b) 30,000/2,700
c) 5ha
Define “Grosslagen.”
“Collective” vineyard sites. Used to condense what were previously small, individual sites (by 1971 wine law). Convoluted the vineyard situation more than anything
Two categories of wine that the EEC’s Common Market Organization for Wine implemented in Germany in 1971? The third tier that was added because of Germany’s special circumstances with ripeness?
a) QWPSR (Quality Wines Produced in a Specific Region), or the German term, Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA)
b) Table Wine, in German, Tafelwein
c) Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP) as a subset of QbA
In 1971, ____ Anbaugebiete were created to accompany QWPSR?
11
How was QmP determined? Was chaptilization legal?
a) Must weight at harvest (ripeness)
b) Not with QmP, permissable with QbA
What is an A.P. number? Explain each set of digits in the number?
a) (Amtliche Prufungsnummer) A five digit identification tag given to a wine that qualifies as QmP or QbA
b) (1) Location of examining board (2) Village the wine was produced (3) Producer (4) Unique bottling number (5) Year wine was tested
Three seminal vineyards that escaped the 5ha minimum through a 1982 amendment?
Forster Kirchenstuck (Pfalz) Bernkastler Doctor (Middle Mosel) Kiedricher Turmberg (Rheingau)
What is a “Classic” wine by law in Germany?
R/S < 15g/L
ABV > 12.0% (11.5% in Mosel)
Single varietal, omit vineyard mention
Not released before Sept 1st of the following year
What is a “Superior” wine by law in Germany?
R/S < 9g/L (12g/L permissable for Riesling)
ABV > 12.0% (11.5% in Mosel)
Single varietal, single vineyard
Vineyards are hand-harvested
Not released before Sept 1st of the following year
EU reform to the original law of ‘71 added ___ anbaugebiete after the reunification of the country for a total of ___?
a) 2
b) 13
Anbaugebiete became formally known as _________ after the early 2000s reforms to German Wine Law?
Geschutze Ursprungbezeichnung (gU) - German equivalent of a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)
Define R/S ranges for all Pradikat wines.
Kabinett: 70-85deg Spatlese: 80-95deg Auslese: 88-105deg Beerenauslese: 110-128deg Eiswein: 110-128deg Trockenbeerenauslese: 150-154deg *ranges vary slightly by region, declassification is possible as maximums are not absolute
With all of this nonsense, four recognized categories of wine exist in Germany today. Detail them.
a) Wein - formerly Tafelwein, carries no geographic designation; variety and vintage are permitted on the label
b) Landwein - an IGP category, including trocken/halbtrocken wines produced from any of the 26 approved region (Landweingebiete)
c) Qualitatswein - PDO for most of the country’s top dry wines; includes Pradikatswein, min ABV of 7.0%
d) Pradikatswein - PDO for sweet wines, minimum 7% ABV (min 5.5% for BA on up)
How many wineries are represented by the VDP?
197
Production stipulations to be a part of the VDP?
- Wines must be estate grown
- Hand-harvesting is required for wines of Auslese Pradikat and above
- Grosslagen is forbade from being used on labels
- Logo must be present of capsules
The name of the VDPs logo?
Traubenadler
The VDP was first found in ______ as ____________? The organization promoted what kind of wines?
a) 1910
b) VDNV - Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer
c) Natural Wines (Unchaptalized)
The formal, three-tier vineyard classification system of Germany began in _________ and was revised to what it is today, a four-tier system in __________?
a) 2002
b) 2012
Entail the four-tier German vineyard classification?
a) Gutswein - regional wine
b) Ortswein - village tier
c) Erste Lage - 1er cru vineyards
d) Grosse Lage - grand cru vineyard
How are Erste Lage wines labeled? Grosse Lage wines?
a) Village preceeded by the vineyard
b) Just the vineyard name
Name 5 Grosse Lage sites in the Mosel and a producer that specializes in the site.
a) Goldtropfchen (Piesport) - Reingold Haart
b) Himmelreich (Graach) - Willi Schaefer
c) Hofberg (Dhron) - AJ Adam
d) Wurzgarten (Urzig) - JJ Christoffel
e) W. Sonnenhuhr (Wehlen) - Joh Jos Prum
Ortswein wines typically display the ____________ in addition to the village on their labels? Give three examples.
a) Soil Type
b) Kalkstein (limestone), Blauen Schiefer (blue slate), Bundsandstein (red sandstone)
Trocken may be used on VDP labels but only from the __________ category down? ____________ is reserved for a dry wine from a ____________ site.
a) Erste Lage
b) Grosses Gewachs (Great Growth)
c) Grosse Lage
At what minimum ripeness must a Grosses Gewachs be harvested at?
Spatlese
Is chaptalization legal with Grosses Gewachs wines?
Yes; as these bottlings are simply recognized as Qualitatswein
List maximum yields for all four German categories of origin.
a) Landwein - 75 hl/ha
b) Ortswein - 75hl/ha
c) Erste Lage - 60hl/ha
d) Grosse Lage - 50hl/ha
The Erste Lage tier of origin is still not used in these three Anbaugebiete?
Mosel
Rheinhessen
Ahr
The EU standard minimum for varietal labeling as followed in Germany?
85%
Cistercian monks first cultivated Riesling at ________________ in 1435?
Kloster Eberbach (Rheingau)
Explain how yields affect dry/off-dry styles of Riesling?
Lower yields are necessary for for higher concentration in powerful, dry wines. Higher yields are preferable for sweeter styles as wines gain their concentration from RS.
List the three most common aging vessels along with their volume found in German wineries.
a) Halbstuck - 600L
b) Stuck - 1200L
c) Doppelstuck - 2400L
List the genetic parentage of Muller-Thurgau?
Riesling
Madeline Royale
Libfraumilch was largely based off of this varietal?
Muller-Thurgau
These two varietal traits were largely responsible for the uprooting of most Riesling and the replanting of Muller-Thurgau in the early 20th century?
High yielding
Early Ripening
Germany is ____ largest producer of Pinot Noir in the world? The three Anbaugebiete where Pinot is most prevalent?
a) 3rd
b) Baden (leader), Pfalz, Rheinhessen
German for this mutation of Pinot Noir, known as Pinot Noir Precoce in France?
Fruhburgunder
The second most-planted red variety of Germany? The grape is a cross of?
a) Dornfelder
b) Helfensteiner, Heroldrebe
Where does Grauburgunder perform best in Germany?
Baden; across the Rhine from Alsace
Silvaner is a cross of?
Traminer
Osterreichisch-Weiss
Germany ranks ________ in terms of global production of Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder)?
1st
This grape is often used to season new barrels before Riesling makes its way into them?
Weissburgunder
Scheurebe is a cross of? And is most successful where?
a) Riesling x Bumoseltkettrebe
b) Rheinhessen, Pfalz
Two less-planted, important red varieties in Germany aside from Dornfelder and Pinot Noir? Found where?
a) Trollinger (Schiava in Alto-Adige), Schwarzriesling (Pinot Munier)
b) Wurttemberg
Where does Germany rank in terms of global sparkling wine production?
3rd
The Sekt tax was instituted by _____________ in ________ at $_________ per bottle.
a) Kaiser Wilhelm
b) 1902
c) 1.02 Euro
This was the first winery in Germany to focus solely on sparkling wine?
Volker Raumland (Rheinhessen)
Most Sekt in Germany is made from? Is long lees aging encouraged?
a) Riesling
b) No; interferes with Riesling’s aromas
What and where is Geisenheim?
Germany’s premier enological school (Rheingau)