Germany

Question 1

Germany is home to some of the world’s _______ vineyards.

Answer 1

Coolest

Question 2

Germany Factors of Production

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

Germany Grape Varieties

Answer 3

70% White
Riesling
Müller-Thurgau
Silvaner
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Question 4

What is Chaptalization?

Answer 4

The addition of sugar (against the law for most quality levels)

Question 5

What is dry fermentation called?

Answer 5

Trocken

Question 6

What is Wein?

Answer 6

German wines without geographic indication

Question 7

What is Landwein (PGI)?

Answer 7

Regional wines, rarely exported

Question 8

What is Qualitätswein (PDO)?

Answer 8

Quality wine from one of 13 major regions called Anbaugebiete. This category includes top trocken wines

Question 9

What is Prädikatswein (PDO)?

Answer 9

A subset of Qualitätswein categorized by ripeness at harvest. There are six prädikate levels of quality. These wines are often, but not necessarily, sweet.

Question 10

What are the six levels of Prädikatswein from lowest to highest quality?

Answer 10

Kabinett (Sweet or Dry)
Spätlese (Sweet or Dry)
Auslese  (Sweet or Dry)
Beerenauslese (BA)
Eiswein
Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)

Question 11

What is VDP?

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

What is GG (Grosses Gewächs)?

Answer 12

These are dry, or trocken, wines from the top vineyard sites in the VDP Classification

Question 13

What information is on a German wine label?

Answer 13

Where the wine is from
The ripeness of the grapes at the time of harvest
The style of wine

Question 14

What does Anbaugebiet mean?

Answer 14

Wine Region

Question 15

What does Gemeinde mean?

Answer 15

Village Name

Question 16

What does Einzellage mean?

Answer 16

Vineyard name

Question 17

What does Prädikat mean?

Answer 17

Ripeness level at harvest

Question 18

What are the German wine regions.

Answer 18

Mosel
Rheingau
Rheinhessen
Pfalz

Question 19

Germany’s oldest winemaking region

Answer 19

Mosel

Question 20

Mosel Factors of Production

Answer 20

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%

Question 21

Mosel Grape Variety

Answer 21

Riesling

Question 22

Rheingau Factors of Production

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Rheingau Grape Varieties

Answer 23

Riesling

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Question 24

Rheinhessen Factors of Production

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Rheinhessen Grape Varieties

Answer 25

Riesling
Müller-Thurgau
Silvaner

Question 26

Pfalz Factors of Production

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Pfalz Grape Varieties

Answer 27

Riesling
Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)