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Introductory Turned Certified Sommelier - Matt & Ryan > Germany > Flashcards

Germany Flashcards

1
Q

Where is Pfalz located?

A
  • Geographically contiguous with Alsace
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2
Q

Rheingau - grape varieties?

A
  1. Riesling

2. Spatburgunder (pinot noir)

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3
Q

Why are slate and basalt prized as such great soils in Germany?

A

They absorb the daytime heat and retain it at night

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4
Q

What should you look for on a German wine label? (8)

A
  1. Producer
  2. Vintage
  3. Alcohol Level
  4. Wine Region (Anbaugebiet)
  5. Village Name (Gemeinde)
  6. Vineyard Name (Einzellage)
  7. Grape Variety
  8. Ripeness at Harvest Level (Pradikat)
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5
Q

Rheingau - mountain range?

A

Taunus Mountains (provide protection)

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6
Q

Rheingau - soils?

A

Slate and others

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7
Q

What does the VDP classification of vineyards emulate?

A

Burgundy’s Grand Cru model

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8
Q

What type of latitude is Pfalz on relative to the rest of the Germany?

A

Relatively southerly latitude

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9
Q

Rheinhessen - grape varieties?

A

WHITE

  1. Riesling (best but not most planted in Rheinhessen)
  2. Muller-Thurgau
  3. Silvaner
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10
Q

What is the topography like in Germany?

A
  • Rolling hills w/ rivers

- Steep hillside vineyards on river banks

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11
Q

What style of wine does Pfalz focus on?

A

Dry wine

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12
Q

Rheingau - location?

A

Sout of Mosel on Rhine River

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13
Q

Is chaptalization allowed in Germany?

A
  • It is controversial and against the law for most quality levels
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14
Q

The Haardt Mountain are the northerly extension of the __________ Mountains.

A

Vosges

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15
Q

Name 5 of the 13 regions in Germany.

A
  1. Mosel
  2. Nahe
  3. Rhienhessen
  4. Pfalz
  5. Baden
  6. Wurttemberg
  7. Franken
  8. Hessiche Bergstrasse
  9. Rheingau
  10. Mittelrhein
  11. Ahr
  12. Saale-Unstrut
  13. Sachsen
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16
Q

What type of grape variety is Grauburgunder?

A

Pinot Gris

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17
Q

Describe the range of quality in Rheinhessen.

A
  • Liebfraumilch to top vineyards for dry Riesling

- Specificity of village and vineyard is key

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18
Q

Mosel - viticulture? (5 points)

A
  1. Long growing season to achieve ripeness
  2. South-facing slopes very close to Mosel River
  3. Ripening a challenge
  4. High in acidity
  5. Low in sugar
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19
Q

What overall effect do rivers have on viticulture in Germany?

A

They reflect sunlight up the steep slopes to warm the vineyards and a very difficult ripening environment.

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20
Q

Name three primary aspects of viticulture in Germany.

A
  1. Steep, south-facing hillsides
  2. Long, cool growing season making it difficult to ripen grapes
  3. Planted along river valleys of Rhine, Mosel, and their tributaries
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21
Q

What are the soils in Germany?

A
  • Varies BUT…

- Best vineyards are planted on heat-retaining soils and rocks such as slate and basalt

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22
Q

What is Liebfraumilch?

A
  • Cheap, sweet wine

- Mainly made from Muller-Thurgau

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23
Q

__________ is Germany’s oldest winemaking region and one of the greatest locations for the pure expression of Riesling.

A

Mosel

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24
Q

Pfalz - climate?

A
  • Sunny and dry

- One of the warmest growing areas in Germany

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25
Q

Rheinhessen - topography - what kind of land does it have?

A

Flat, fertile farmland

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26
Q

The Rheinhessen has the __________ area under vine and is the __________ wine region in germany.

A

Most; largest

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27
Q

Mosel - vinification? (3 points)

A
  1. Stainless steel fermentation
  2. Residual sugar left in wine to counter acidity
  3. Alcohol in finished wine generally low topping out at 8%
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28
Q

Rheinhessen - location and geography?

A
  • South of Rheingau

- Large sprawling wine area

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29
Q

What are Grosses Gewachs?

A

Dry or trocken wines from the top vineyard sits in VDP classification

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30
Q

What does the word “einzellage” mean in English?

A

vineyard

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31
Q

What are the designations for wines with geographic indication in Germany?

A
  1. Landwein (PGI)

2. Qualitatswein (PDO)

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32
Q

Define Qualitatswein (PDO).

A
  1. Quality wine from 1 of 13 major regions (called Anbaugebiete)
  2. Includes top trocken wines
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33
Q

Why are vineyard sites placed along river valleys in Germany?

A

The rivers act as a climate moderator by providing warmth and reflecting sunlight

34
Q

Mosel - grape varieties?

35
Q

What are the primary climate moderators in Germany?

A

Rivers and Mountains

36
Q

What latitude are most wine regions on in Germany?

A

49 or above

37
Q

Where are the best vineyards found in Rheinhessen?

A

Small strip along steep west bank of Rhine River

38
Q

What levels of sweetness are wines fermented in Germany?

A
  1. Trocken (dry)
  2. Off-dry
  3. Lusciously sweet
39
Q

Where is Mosel located?

A
  • Northern Limit of viticulture (49 parallel); some of most northernly vineyards in the world
  • Along Mosel River
  • Western Germany
  • Close to borders of Belgium and France
40
Q

What grape varieties are produced in Germany?

A 
WHITE (70% of production)
1. Riesling
2. Muller-Thurgau
3. Silvaner
RED
1. Spatburgunder (pinot noir)
41
Q

Mosel - climate?

A

Cold continental

42
Q

Germany produces the purest expression of what variety?

43
Q

In the 1980’s, over 60% of all German wine exports were of _________. What did this do to the image of quality German wine and how long was its impact?

A
  • Liebfraumilch

- Damaged it for decades

44
Q

Define Landwein (PGI).

A

Regional wines; rarely exported

45
Q

How many pradikate levels of quality are there?

46
Q

Name the four most important regions in Germany.

A
  1. Mosel
  2. Rheingau
  3. Rheinhessen
  4. Pfalz
47
Q

Collectively, what is the group of 13 major wine regions in Germany called?

A

Anbaugebiete

48
Q

In Germany, the vast majority of wines are fermented in __________.

A

Stainless steel and large oak casks

49
Q

Germany contains three extremes that lead to the production of the world’s purest expression of Riesling. What are they?

A
  1. World’s coolest vineyards
  2. Northernmost extreme latitude (49th degree)
  3. Best vineyards among world’s steepest grade
50
Q

What is the VDP?

A

German association of over 200 top producers

51
Q

How do the Haardt Mountain impact the Pfalz region?

A

Protects and provides warm, sunny, dry environment

52
Q

What is the VDP committed to?

A

Quality; making dry riesling from the best terroir and vineyard sites

53
Q

Pfalz - grape varieties?

A 
WHITE
1. Riesling
2. Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
3. Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
RED
1. Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)
54
Q

What is the important cause and effect relationship in Germany?

A

Climate > Ripeness > Wine Style

55
Q

What is wine without geographic indication called in Germany?

56
Q

Pfalz - soils?

57
Q

What are the primary climate moderators in Rheingau and what do they do?

A
  1. Taunus Mountains provide protection

2. Rhine River reflects sunlight

58
Q

Does the pradikate level dictate sweetness of the final wine?

A

No. Pradikate levels are determined when the grapes are picked in the vineyard. How the wine is fermented is a different story.

59
Q

What is the term for the subset of Qualitatswein categorized by ripeness at harvest?

A

Pradikatswein (PDO)

60
Q

What are the main rivers of important wine regions in Germany?

A
  1. Rhine River

2. Mosel River

61
Q

What type of grape variety is Weissburgunder?

A

Pinot Blanc

62
Q

When was the VDP founded?

63
Q

Mosel - topography?

A
  • Steep vineyards (among steepest in world)

- South-facing (to capture sun’s warmth)

64
Q

How is ripening in Pfalz impacted by its southerly latitude?

A

Significantly less challenging that in most other German regions

65
Q

Rheinhessen - soils?

A

Red sandstone w/ slate

66
Q

What river separates Alsace from Pfalz?

A

Rhine River

67
Q

Rheingau - topography?

A

One long, south-facing slope on the north bank of the Rhine River

68
Q

What is the primary grape variety in Germany?

69
Q

Why are vineyard sites place on steep, south-facing hillsides in Germany?

A

To maximize sunlight and warmth to achieve ripeness in grapes

70
Q

What does the German acronym GG stand for?

A

Grosses Gewachs

71
Q

What does the German acronym VDP stand for?

A

Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter

72
Q

What is the climate in Germany?

A

Cool continental

73
Q

What does the suffix “-er” mean when appended to a village name on a German wine label?

A

“from that place” such as Urziger, meaning “from Urzig”

74
Q

Mosel - soil?

A

Heat-retaining slate

75
Q

What is the dominate geographic influence in Pfalz?

A

Haardt Mountains

76
Q

Rheingau - climate?

A
  1. Continental, slightly warmer (more southerly latitude)
77
Q

Mosel - climate moderators?

A

Mosel River

78
Q

List the Pradikate levels of quality in order of ascending quality.

A
  1. Kabinett
  2. Spatlese
  3. Auslese
  4. Beerenauslese(BA)
  5. Eswein
  6. Trockenbeerenauslese(TBA)
79
Q

Where are the majority of vineyards in Germany clustered?

A
  • Southwestern corner

- Near borders of Belgium, France, Switzerland

80
Q

Rheinhessen - climate?

A

continental

81
Q

How does the ripeness (viticulture) in Rheingau compare to that of Mosel?

A

Ripeness is more reliable in Rheingau

82
Q

What fermentation vessels are used in Mosel?

A

Stainless steel

Introductory Turned Certified Sommelier - Matt & Ryan (28 decks)

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