Germany Flashcards
Top two (most widely planted) white grapes in Germany
1 - Riesling
2 - Muller-Thurgau
Leading red grape in Germany
Spatburgunder
German name for Pinot Gris
Grauburgunder or Rulander
German name for Pinot Blanc
Weissburgunder
Basic German “wine” (formerly “table wine”) made from 100% German grapes
Deutscher Wein
ggA
geschuzte geographische Angabe (PGI category)
gU
geschuzte Ursprungbezeichnung (PDO category)
Two levels of gU wines
Qualitatswein
Pradikatswein
Levels of the German Pradikat (from lowest to highest)
Kabinett Spatlese Auslese Beerenauslese/Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese
Level of the German Pradikat that translates to “late harvest”
Spatlese
Level of the German Pradikat that translates to “selected harvest”
Auslese
Level of the German Pradikat that translates to “selected dried berries”
Trockenbeerenauslese
Scale used in Germany to determine grape ripeness (density)
The Oechsle Scale
Germany has 13 of these “Quality Wine Regions”
Anbaugebiete
Germany has just over 40 of these “regional” or “district-style” appellations
Bereiche
Germany has just over 160 of these geographically-based appellations
Grosslagen
Germany has over 2700 appellations, which are somewhat “vineyard based”
Einzellagen
Germany’s 13 Quality Wine Regions
Ahr, Baden, Franken, Hessische Bergstrasse, Mittelrhein, Mosel, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, Sachen, Wurttemberg
VDP
Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter (the Association of German Pradikat Wine Estates)
Four levels of wine/vineyard classification in the VDP scheme
Grosse Lage (highest)
Erste Lage
Ortswein
Gutswein
Unfermented grape juice that may be added to wine after fermentation
Sussreserve
German sparkling wine produced using the traditional or tank method
Sekt
German sparkling wine produced via carbonation
Schaumwein
Weissherbst
Single-variety rose of at least Qualitatswein-level quality
The Mosel River runs northeast (from Trier) until it flows in to the ______ River.
Rhine
Central area of the Mosel
Mittelmosel
Two important tributaries of the Mosel
Saar
Ruwer
Wine region located along the Rhine River, including 15 miles (24 km) where the river flows west
Rheingau
The one (and only) Bereich of the Rheingau
Johannisberg
Wine region located to the southwest of the Rheingau
Nahe
Leading wine region in terms of area under vine and quantity/output
Rheinhessen
Wine region located north of Alsace
Pfalz
Wine region located along the Main River
Franken
Wine region located to the north of Baden, named for a mountain road
Hessische Bergstrasse
Region heavily planted to red grapes, with many vineyards located in teh Neckar River Valley
Wurttemberg
Wine region located (in part) along the Rhine River and Lake Constance
Baden
Considered the warmest Bereich in Germany
Kaiserstuhl (Baden)
Wine region that (despite its northerly location) is planted to 85% red grapes
Ahr
Two wine regions in the former East Germany
Sachsen
Saale-Unstrut
Where are the northernmost winegrowing regions of Germany located
Well above the 50th parallel of latitude and far from the moderating influence of a large body of water
What is Germany’s wine reputation built upon?
World-class Riesling
What is true about Riesling?
One of the most cold-hardy grape varieties
What are German Rieslings known for?
Quality
Complexity
Ageability
Why is Germany consistently among the world’s largest importers of wine?
It is a major wine-consuming country and imports the styles of wine it cannot make
Is Germany a major wine exporter?
Yes, it is amongst the top ten nations in export
Where is Germany located?
In north-central Europe, reaching as far north as Denmark and the Baltic Sea
Where are the winegrowing regions of Germany?
With the exception of a few small districts in eastern Germany – all of the wiengrowing areas are in teh southwest quadrant of the country
Where are the majority of Germany’s winegrowing regions found?
Near a river or on the shores of Lake Constance
What is Lake Constance called in Germany?
Bodensee
What is the lifeblood of the German wine industry?
The Rhine River and its tributaries
What does the Rhine River make up?
Most of Germany’s border with Switzerland and France as it flows westward from Lake Constance to Switzerland, then along the French-German border north past Alsace, continuing on through western Germany until it flows out of the winegrowing region altogether and into the Netherlands
What is the second important river in Germany?
Mosel
Where does the Mosel river flow?
Out of France’s Vosges Mountains past Luxembourg, and then northeast through prime wine territory, until it empties into the Rhine
Other name for the Mosel river in France?
Moselle
Important tributaries of the Rhine River
Ahr
Nahe
Main
Neckar
What is Germany’s climate
Northern continental with mild summers, cold winters, and moderate precipitation year round
Why are the majority of the vineyards of Germany concentrated near waterways?
It is so cool that grapes struggle to ripen before winter arrives. The flowing water moderates local climates and reflects sunlight back onto the vineyards helping to warm the vines in this marginal climate
Which vineyard orientation is advantageous in this northerly latitude?
South-facing hillside
Why are south-facing hillside vineyards advantageous?
Maximize sun exposure and warmth
Aside from south-facing hillsides, where else is advantageous for German vineyards?
As with the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, the north side of the river which benefit from extra sunlight reflecting off the water
Which two places have notable soils in Germany?
Mosel
Rheingau
What style of soils are found in Mosel and Rheingau?
Dark blue and red slate-based soils
How are the dark blue and red slate-based soils of Mosel and Rheingau helpful?
Ideal for absorbing solar heat during the daytime and radiating it back at night
German term for states?
Lander
How many Lander are in Germany?
16
Where are most of the winegrowing regions located?
Primarily in the states of Baden-Wurttemberg, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate
Are red or white grape varieties more predominant in Germany?
White
How much of total production is white wine in Germany?
2/3rds
How many varieties are permitted in Germany?
More than 100, but about 20 encompass almost all of the vineyard acreage
What is the most widely planted grape in Germany?
Riesling
How much of acreage is planted to Riesling in Germany?
More than 1/5th
Where is Riesling especially dominant?
Rheingau and Mosel
What is Muller-Thurgau a crossing of?
Riesling X Madeline Royale
What is the second most common grape in Germany?
Muller-Thurgau
What was Muller Thurgau developed for?
Its hardiness, although it is somewhat lacking in resemblance to Riesling in taste and longevity
Other leading white grape varieties of Germany
Silvaner Grauburgunder/Rulander Weissburgunder Kerner Gewurztraminer Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay
German name for Pinot Gris
Grauburgunder
Rulander
German name for Pinot Blanc
Weissburgunder
Is Gewurztraminer widely grown in Germany?
No, it is well-known but not widely grown
What is Kerner a crossing of?
Riesling X Schiava Grossa
German name for Pinot Noir
Spatburgunder
What is the leading red grape of Germany?
Spatburgunder
Where does Spatburgunder fall in terms of which grape is grown most in Germany?
Third
Other important red grape varieties of Germany
Dornfelder Blauer Portugieser Trollinger Blaufrankisch St. Laurent
What is Dornfelder known for?
Deeply-hued red grape known for its floral aromas
What is most of Blauer Portugieser used for?
Light red wines or Rose
When was German wine law reformed to match the EU?
2009
What are the 3 categories of German wine law?
Wein
ggA
gU
How are the categories of German wine law further divided?
By geographic loaction and the degree of ripeness achieved by the grapes at harvest
Former name of the Wein category
Tafelwien (Table wine)
What is Wein used for?
Basic wine; ther are very few guarantees of quality at this level
What is most of Wein made for?
Domestic market
What can be done to wines at the Wein level?
They may be enriched or chaptalized ot increase the final alcohol hlevel
What is some of the wine at the Wein level?
imported bulk wine, mostly from Italy
What is required to use the term Deutscher Wein?
Grapes must be 100% German in origin
What does ggA stand for?
geschutzte geographische Angabe
What is ggA equivalent to in the EU?
PGI
Former name for ggA?
Landwein (country wine)
Are ggA quality wines?
No, but they are a step up from the basic wein quality
What is required for ggA?
Grapes must be slightly riper than those for wein (half a percent more potential alcohol)
85% must be grown in Germany in one of the designated Landwein regions, with the particular region specified on the label
Is Chaptalization allowed in Landwein?
Yes
What styles may ggA be produced in?
Trocken or Halbtrocken
Trocken
Dry
Halbtrocken
Off-dry
What does gU stand for?
geschutzte Ursprungsbezeichnung
When was gU established?
2009
What was gU formerly?
Included the wines previously covered by the Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) and Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP)
What is the EU equivalent to gU?
PDO
What is required for gU?
Must carry a place-name on the label, and 100% of the grapes must come from the named region
What are the subcategories of gU?
Qualitatswein
Pradikatswein
What are the wines of Qualitatswein defined as?
Quality wine from a designated region
What does Qualitatswein represent?
Largest proportion of German wine output
What is required for Qualitatswein?
Must come from one of thirteen Anbaugebiete
Be made with one of the approved grape varieties
Reach sufficient ripeness for reconition as a quality wine
German specified winegrowing regions
Anbaugebiete
How many Anbaugebiete are in Germany?
13
Is Chaptalization allowed for Qualitatswein?
Yes
What is the highest quality level designation of German wine?
Pradikatswein
What is Pradikatswein defined as?
Quality wine with attributes
What is required for Pradikatswein?
Must be produced from grapes grown within the same 13 Anbaugebiete as Qualitatswein
Is Chaptalization allowed for Pradikatswein?
No
How many subcategories are in Pradikatswein?
6
German for special attributes
Pradikate (subcategories of Pradikatswein
What are the Pradikate based on?
ripeness levels achieved in the vineyard
What are the Pradikate in ascending order of grape ripeness?
Kabinett Spatlese Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese
Kabinett wine
Light to medium bodied wines made from grapes with the lowest ripeness level. Avg. alcohol is 7% to 10%
What does Spatlese mean?
Late Harvest
Spatlese wine
Wines of additional ripeness made from grapes harvested after a designated picking date. With the extra ripening time, the grapes develop more intense flavors and aromas than Kabinett
What does Auslese mean?
Selected harvest