Germany Flashcards
What is the general climate in Germany?
Cool Continental
What is the Grand Cru equivalent for dry wines in Germany? Is this German law?
Grosses Gewachs (GG) No
What do aromatic grapes benefit from climatically in Germany?
Cool, long ripening season
Where can botrytised wines be produced in Germany?
Every region
What are common features of the best sites in Germany? (2)
Steep
South-facing
How might vines be trained on super steep slopes?
Why?
Head trained with canes tied to the top of individual stakes.
Maximise light exposure and air flow
What are the two fundamental classifications for wine in Germany?
Qualitatswein
Pradikatswein
What are PGI wine labelled as?
Landwein
What are the 6 levels of Pradikatswein? What are they based off?
Kabinett Spatlese Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese
Must weight at harvest
Qualitatswein, Kabinett and Spatlese can be? (Sweetness)
Dry to Medium Sweet
Auslese can be? (Sweetness)
Dry to Sweet
Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Trockenbeerenauslese can be? (Sweetness)
Sweet only
What is the assumed sweetness of a Qualitatswein?
Dry
What kind of ABV would be typical of a sweeter style Kabinett?
Dry style?
8-9%
Up to 12%
While all can be dry-medium sweet, what differentiates Kabinett, Spatlese and Auslese? In which style might you see some noble rot?
Ripeness of fruit
Auslese might see some noble rot playing a role
What body/alcohol and aroma clusters are indicative of a Kabinett Riesling?
Citrus and Green apple
light bodied, low alcohol
Which wine styles might see noble rot? Which must see noble rot into order to reach the must weight to qualify for its classification?
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese must see noble rot
Which Sweet style will never see noble rot?
Eiswein
What are some aromas indicative of BA and TBA? (4)
Honey, dried fruit, candied peel, flowers
What is the name of the independent group of producers who have classified their vineyards as the best in Germany? What is the name of their classification? What style of Riesling does is this term almost solely relevant to?
Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter (VDP)
Grosses Gewachs (GG)
Qualitatswein (dry wines, red and white)
Other than Riesling, what are the 4 white grapes of Germany?
Muller Thurgau
Silvaner
Grauburgunder
Weisburgunder
How does Silvaner compare to Riesling? (acidity, flavour)
Lower acidity
Less fruity, more earthy
Portugeiser, Trollinger and Schwarzriesling (Meunier) are the ‘other’ black grape varieties. What are the two most relevant?
Spatburgunder
Dornfelder
What is the third most planted grape in Germany?
Spatburgunder
What is the German name for Pinot Noir and which two regions does it do best in?
Spatburgunder
Pfalz and Baden
What are the three best known villages in Mosel?
Piesport
Bernkastel
Wehlen
Where is production concentrated in Mosel? What is the nickname for this area?
In the middle
Middle Mosel
Saar and Ruwer are tributaries of what river? Which region are they relevant to? Which area are they comparable to, but how does acidity differ?
Mosel river
Relevant to Mosel
Middle Mosel but tend to be even more acidic
What type of soils are best in Mosel? Where are the best vineyards located in terms of proximity to the river?
Slate soils
Close to the river
In terms of body, alcohol, acidity and 2 clusters, describe Mosel Riesling in relation to other regions
Lighter Lower Higher Green fruit Floral
What are the 7 regions of Germany?
Mosel Nahe Rheingau Rheinhessen Pfalz Baden Franken
What is the only permitted GG grape in Nahe? What is it’s style like in comparison with the other regions?
Riesling
Style site between Mosel and the fuller bodied styles of Rheingau, Rheinhessen and Pfalz
The best Nahe wines are produced between the two villages Bad Kreuznach and ?
Schlossbockelheim
Rheingau sits on the north bank of the rivers Rhine and Main providing a south-facing aspect. This, plus … hills to the north provide optimal ripening conditions
Taunus
What two grapes can make Grosses Gewachs wines in Rheingau?
Riesling
Spatburgunder
In which two villages do a majority of vineyards lie in Rheingau?
Johannisberg
Rudesheim
What flavour is indicative of Rheingau Riesling?
Ripe peach
Germany’s best … wines can be produced in Rheingau? Why?
BA and TBA
Humid conditions created by the Rhine River
How do wines in Rheingau’s east (Main River) compare to those on the Rhine River?
Riper
Which region is Germany’s largest?
Rheinhessen
What two grapes can be classified GG in Rheinhessen?
Riesling
Spatburgunder
A large variety of grapes is planted in Rheinhessen, what percentage of these are black?
30%
The vineyards around which town built the reputation for Rheinhessen? What is significant about the Rieslings produced here?
Nierstein
Fullest-bodied
What are the two most planted grapes in Rheinhessen?
Muller Thurgau
Riesling
What has Rheinhessen developed a reputation for in recent years? This rep comes from newly recognised regions e.g. Worms
Innovation and Excellence
After Rheinhessen, what is the second largest region in Germany?
Pfalz
What is the name of the mountains that are a continuation of the Vosges?
Haardt
What do the Haardt mountains protect Pfalz from? (Same as the Vosges in Alsace)
Westerly, rain-bearing winds
In warmer years, what is a threat to vines in Pfalz?
Water stress
What is the most planted grape in Pfalz?
What is the second most planted grape?
Riesling
Dornfelder
What three grapes can be used to make GG wines in Pfalz?
Riesling
Weisburgunder
Spatburgunder
Which two villages are surrounded by the most established vineyards in Pfalz?
This area is known as Mittelhaardt.
Forst
Diedesheim
Outside of the area known as Mittelhaardt (Forst and Diedsheim) what is Pfalz increasingly known for?
Innovation
Where do the fullest bodied, highest alcohol German wines come from?
Baden
Despite being spread over a large geographical area, where does it sit in terms of actual vineyard area?
Third
Where is Portugieser grown to cater for the local market?
Pfalz
What grape is Baden known for an as such widely planted to?
Spatburgunder
The best vineyards in Baden sit on the …-facing slopes of the Kaiserstuhl, which is?
South-facing
An extinct volcano
What is the most planted white grape of Baden? What other 3 follow?
Muller Thurgau
Grauburgunder
Weisburgunder
Riesling
Where can a wide variety of black and white grapes be used to make GG wine?
Baden
Which region praises Silvaner as it’s most prestigious and widely planted grape?
Franken
Silvaner is early flowering and ripening. What is the risk in Franken? It is subsequently planted where?
Frost
Warmest sites
What is the distinctive character of Silvaner?
Earthiness
What are the 4 grapes allowed into GG wines from Franken?
Silvaner, Riesling, Weisburgunder, Spatburgunder
Where are significant plantings of Silvaner mainly found?
Where it has traditionally been strong
Rheinhessen, Franken
