Germany Flashcards
When was the German Wine Law introduced
1971
Four categories of wine by law
Deutscher Wein (grown and bottled in Germany)
Landwein/Wein mit geschützter geographischer Angabe g.g.A.
Qualitatswein/geschutzte Ursprungsbezeichnung g.U.
Pradikatswein
13 Anbaugebiete for Qualitatswein and Pradikatswein
Ahr Hessiche Bergstrasse Mittelrhein Mosel Nahe Rheingau Rheinhessen Pfalz Franken Wurttemberg Saale-Unstrut Sachsen
Bereich
District within an Anbaugebiet
example: Bereich Bernkastel and Bereich Nierstein
Grosslage
Collection of vineyard sites
example: Rosengarten (Rhudesheim)
Einzellage
Individual vineyard site
German most important white grapes
Riesling
Muller-Thurgau (Riesling x Madealine Royal)
Silvaner
Grauburgunder Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) Kerner Bacchus Scheurebe
German most important red grapes
Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)
Dornfelder
Blauer Portugieser
To name a single grape varietal on the label the wine must contain a min of
85% of that grape
Soil Mosel
Red en blue slate which radiates heat on the grapes during the day and at night, helping to ripen them.
Increase drainage and ads its own character to the wine
Soil Rheingau
Loess quatzite
Trocken
Dry style
No more than 4 g/L residual sugar
or
No more than 9 g/L if the acid content is not lower than 2 g/L
Halbtrocken
Semi-dry
No more than 18 g/L residual sugar if the acid content is not lower than 10 g/L
Feinherb
Off-dry, usually slightly sweeter than Halbtrocken
Classic
Category introduced in 2000
Must be dry or off-dry (max 15 g/L residual sugar)
Made from a traditional grape variety and from 1 anbaugebiet, which must be noted on the label along with the name of the producer
Meant to be a classic wine typical for the respective anbaugebiet
Selection
Category introduced in 2000
In addition to the criteria for ‘Classic’ wines the grapes must be hand-picked
Min of 12.2 alcohol
an max of 12 g/L of residual sugar
Not be released until 1st of September following the year of harvest
Erste Gewächs
Rheingau
Indicates dry wines with a max of 13 g/L of residual sugar
Riesling or Spatburgunder which reached spatlase level
Not be released until 1st of September following the year of harvest
VDP
Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter, 1910
To preserve Germany’s traditional viticultural heritage, producing terroir-oriented wines and to help dry wines to their previously renowned status
Grosses Gewachs
A dry white wine max 9 g/L of sugar from a Grosse Lage
Must be of Spatlase must weight but will be labeled qualiteitswein trocken and carry the GG on the logo
VDP Hierarchy
Grosses Gewachs
Erste Lage
Ortswein
Gutsweine
Ortswein
Applied to wines of superior quality from a village’s best vineyards which are planted with typical grape varieties of the region.
Rheingau climate
South facing vineyards, reflection form the Rhine and protected by the cold north winds by the hills
Rheingau grapes
Mainly Riesling 80%
Bereich Johanisberg
Only Bereich in the Rheingau
Schloss Johannisberg and Schloss Vollrads
Best known single vineyard sites in Rheingau
Lorchhausen Rudesheim Winkel Johannisberg Oestrich Erbach Hattenheim Rauenthal Eberbach Kiedrich Eltville Hochheim Geisenheim Assmannnshausen
The villages of the Reheingau
Assmannshausen
Village in the Rheingau
Notable for the red wines 60% Spatburgunder
Hocheim
Where the name Hock was derived (riesling)
Liebfraumilch
Originally from the Rheinhessen
Blended wine from Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Pfalz or Nahe. Must be qualiteitswein from one of these regions and must contain a min of 70% Riesling, Muller Thurgau, Silvaner or Kerner
Semi-sweet min 18 g/L. max 45 g/L.
Pfalz
Germanys second largest wine producing region
The worlds largest Riesling area
Pfalz Bereiche (2)
North: Mittelhaardt Deutsche Weinstrasse
South: Südliche Weinstrasse
Pfalz grape varieties
Riesling comes first
Dornfelder
Muller Thurgau
Nearly 40% of the regions output is red, the best being made from Spatburgunder
Pfalz Riesling
Being more full bodied than the Rheingau and less soft than the Rheinhessen with a typical full bouquet. Best drunk with a meal
Wachenheim Forst Deidesheim Rupperstberg Bad Durkheim Haardt Kallstadt Koningsbach Neustadt Ungstein Siebeldingen Birkweiler Schweigen
Villages of Pfalz
Mosel
Steep south facing slopes
Mosel Bereiche
Bernkastel Burg Cochem Moseltor Obermosel Ruwertal Saar
Mosel grape varieties
Most important, Riesling, accounts for 60% of the total area under vine
Muller Thurgau is the next most planted grape
Mosel wine styles
Traditionally low in alcohol, 8-10%
Trocken and Halbtrocken wines may have a higher level of alcohol
Fresh and fruity wines usually with high acidity
Villages Bereich Benkastel (Mittelmosel)
Trittenheim Neumagen Piespoort Bernkastel Brauneberg Graach Wehlen Zeltingen Urzig Erden
Villages Bereich Ruwertal
Mertesdorf
Eitelsbach
Kasel
Villages Bereich Saar
Wiltingen Oberemmel Ockfen Saarburg Serrig
Franken
Main variety is Muller Thurgau, followed by Silvaner. Silvaner produces the best Franken wines around Wurzburg, the center of wine trade.
Mainly medium dry to dry and full bodied, suitable to accompany food
Sold in flat side flacks called Bocksbeutel
Nahe
Riesling is the most common followed by Muller Thurgau and Dornfelder
Riesling makes the best quality wines here
Ahr
Most northerly wine region
Spatburgunder accounts for 60% of the total production
Baden
Baden is dominated by the Pinot varieties
Spatburgunder is the most planted grape followed by Muller Thurgau, Grauburgunder and Weissburgunder
Sekt
Name for sparkling wine in Germany
Sekt b.A
Must originate from one of the 13 anbaugebieten en is usually produced by the traditional method
Chaptalization is not permitted for Pradikatswein T/F
True
Six Pradikats
Kabinett Spatlase Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese
Kabinett
Fine, light and elegant usually not very high in alcohol
Spatlase
late picked grapes, the grapes are fully ripen and the wines are slightly sweeter
Auslese
elected grapes that have become overripe and may have been attack by edelfaule (noble rot)
Beerenauslese
Special selected berries that have been attacked by edelfaule (noble rot). Only made in outstanding years and a min of 5.5% alcohol is required and grapes must be hand picked
Eiswein
Made from overripe grapes, not affected by edelfaule, but caught by frost
Trockenbeerenauslese
Dried up selected berries, only in exceptional years when edelfaule has effected the grapes and they have been left on the vine to shrivel up
Hand picked an min of 5.5% alcohol
