Germany Flashcards
Germany is home to some of the world’s _______ vineyards.
Coolest
Germany Factors of Production
Location: The majority of vineyards are clustered in the southwestern corner of Germany near the borders of Belgium, France and Switzerland. Most wine regions are at the 49th parallel or above.
Climate: Cool and continental with strong moderating influences from rivers and mountain ranges.
Topography: Rolling hills with rivers and steep hillside vineyards on riverbanks.
Soil: Varies depending on the region, but the best vineyards are planted on heat-retaining soils and rocks such as slate and basalt. These soils are prized for absorbing sun during the daytime and retaining heat at night.
Viticulture: Vineyards are generally planted on steep south facing hillsides, maximizing sunlight and warmth to achieve ripeness in the grapes. The grapes enjoy a long cool growing season but struggle to fully ripen.
Germany Grape Varieties
70% White Riesling Müller-Thurgau Silvaner Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)
What is Chaptalization?
The addition of sugar (against the law for most quality levels)
What is dry fermentation called?
Trocken
What is Wein?
German wines without geographic indication
What is Landwein (PGI)?
Regional wines, rarely exported
What is Qualitätswein (PDO)?
Quality wine from one of 13 major regions called Anbaugebiete. This category includes top trocken wines
What is Prädikatswein (PDO)?
A subset of Qualitätswein categorized by ripeness at harvest. There are six prädikate levels of quality. These wines are often, but not necessarily, sweet.
What are the six levels of Prädikatswein from lowest to highest quality?
Kabinett (Sweet or Dry) Spätlese (Sweet or Dry) Auslese (Sweet or Dry) Beerenauslese (BA) Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
What is VDP?
Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter is the German association of more than 200 top producers. Founded in 1910 it is committed to quality in dry riesling and designed to emulate the grande cru model of Burgundy.
What is GG (Grosses Gewächs)?
These are dry, or trocken, wines from the top vineyard sites in the VDP Classification
What information is on a German wine label?
Where the wine is from
The ripeness of the grapes at the time of harvest
The style of wine
What does Anbaugebiet mean?
Wine Region
What does Gemeinde mean?
Village Name
What does Einzellage mean?
Vineyard name
What does Prädikat mean?
Ripeness level at harvest
What are the German wine regions.
Mosel
Rheingau
Rheinhessen
Pfalz
Germany’s oldest winemaking region
Mosel
Mosel Factors of Production
Location: Northern limit of viticulture at the 49th parallel along the Mosel river. These are some of the northernmost vineyards in the world.
Climate: Cold and continental, moderated by the Mosel River
Topography: Very steep vineyards - among the steepest in the world. Facing south to capture the warmth of the sun.
Soil: Slate that is porous yet heat-retaining
Viticulture: A long growing season to achieve ripeness. Vines are planted on precipitous, south-facing slopes very close to the Mosel River. Harvested grapes are generally high in acidity and low in sugar.
Vinification: Mostly stainless-steel fermentation. Residual sugar is left in wine to counter-balance the intense acidity. Alcohol in the finished wine is generally low, often topping out at just 8%
Mosel Grape Variety
Riesling
Rheingau Factors of Production
Location: South of the Mosel on the Rhine River with a backdrop of the Taunus Mountains
Climate: Continental and slightly warmer with the more southerly latitude. The Taunus Mountains provide protection. The Rhine river reflects sunlight directly up onto the vines, providing additional light for photosynthesis and warmth for ripening.
Soil: Mixture of slate and others
Topography: The Rheingau boasts one long south-facing slope on the north bank of the Rhein
Viticulture: More reliable ripeness than the Mosel
Rheingau Grape Varieties
Riesling
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)
Rheinhessen Factors of Production
Location: Large, sprawling wine area just south of the Rheingau.
Climate: Continental
Topography: Flat, fertile farmland
Soil: Red sandstone mixed with slate
Viticulture: The Rheinhessen is the largest wine region in Germany. The best vineyards are found on a small strip along the steep west bank of the Rhein. Specificity of village and vineyard is key.
Rheinhessen Grape Varieties
Riesling
Müller-Thurgau
Silvaner
Pfalz Factors of Production
Location: The Pfalz is geographically contiguous with the Alsace, despite the important fact that the Rhine river separates the two regions. The Haardt Mountains are the dominant influence in the area and are the northerly extension of the Vosges Mountains of France.
Climate: A relatively southerly latitude with sunny and dry climate, making this one of the warmest growing areas in Germany
Soil: Limestone
Viticulture: Ripening is much easier than most German regions
Vinification: Focus is on dry wines
Pfalz Grape Varieties
Riesling
Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)
