GERMANY

Question 1

GERMANY-IN GENERAL

Answer 1

• MOST WINE REGS: COOL CONTINENTAL CLIMATE/ VINS IN THE FAR SOUTH IN BADEN ARE NOTICEABLY WARMER
• SUMMERS CAN BE WET: RAIN DECLINES IN AUTUMN DURING FINAL STAGES OF RIP.
• LONG, COOL RIPENING GIVE GR=TIME TO REACH SUGAR RIPENESS WHILE RETAINING ACIDITY
• WHEN COND. ARE RIGHT=NOBLE ROT EVERYWHERE IN GERMANY
• ANNUAL WEATHER COND. VARY=LEADS SIGNIFICANT VARIATION IN QUALITY, QUANTITY & STYLE OF WINE MADE FROM YEAR TO YEAR
• SMALL DIF. IN VINS LOC=SIGNIFICANT DIF. IN QUALITY OF WINE

IN ALL REGS BEST SITES:

• ON STEEP & OFTEN STONY SLOPES W/ A SOUTHERLY ASPECT=MAXIMISE AVAILABLE HEAT & SUNLIGHT
• HAND HARVEST/ ON EXTREME SLOPES EQUIPMENT HAS TO BE MANOEUVRED INTO PLACE BY WINCHES

ON THESE SLOPES:

• VINES ARE HEAD-PRUNED, INDIVIDUALLY STAKED & CANES TIED IN AT THE TOP OF THE STAKE TO MAXIMISE GR EXPOSURE TO LIGHT & CIRCULATION OF AIR
• WHERE VINS ARE LOC NEAR A RIVER:
• REFLECTED SUNLIGHT HELP GR TO RIPEN & AIR MOVEMENT CREATED BY FLOWING WATER HELPS PROTECT AGAINST FROST

Question 2

GERMANY-IN GENERAL

Answer 2

• MUST WEIGHT: LEVEL OF THE SUGAR IN THE GR J
• WINES ARE CLASSIFIED BY MUST WEIGHT
• HARVEST CAN BE SPREAD OUT OVER A NUMBER OF WEEKS & MONTHS
• POSSIBLE TO MAKE QUALITATSWEINE & PRADIKATSWEINE EACH YEAR FROM AN INDIVIDUAL VINS
• PICKERS WILL PASS THROUGH THE VINS SEVERAL TIMES TO ENDURE THAT THEY GET THE IDEAL GR FOR EACH CATEGORY OF WINE/ GR CAN BE SORTED & CATEGORISED AFTER EACH PICKING

Question 3

MOSEL

Answer 3

• PROD. DOM: WHITE GR & RIESLING
• GG WINES: ONLY RIESLING PERMITTED

ESTABLISHED REP. OF TOP-QUALITY WINE=VILLAGES OF:

-PIESPORT

-BERNKASTEL

-WEHLEN

BEST VINS: VERY STEEP SLOPES W/ SLATE SOILS RIGHT NEXT TO THE MOSEL RIVER

RIESLINGS: L BODY/ L ALCOHOL/ H ACIDITY (COMP. W OTHER REGS)/ FLORAL, GREEN FRUIT FLAV. PREDOM.

TINY PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL PLANTINGS IN MOSEL:

COOLER SAAR & RUWER

-BEST WINES: SIMILAR IN BOTH STYLE & QUALITY TO MIDDLE MOSEL/ HIGHER ACIDITY THEN MIDDLE MOSEL/ COOLER VINTAGES EVEN BEST SITES GR DON’T RIPEN FULLY=USED FOR SPARKLING W PROD.

Question 4

NAHE

Answer 4

BEST WINES: RIESLING (MOST. W.P.)

GG: RIESLING (ONLY PERMITTED)

BEST VINS:ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER NAHE ITSELF IN THE SHORT SECTION BETWEEN THE VILLAGES OF:

-SCHLOSSBÖCKELHEIM

-BAD KREUZNACH

• THESE VINS: ON STEEP SOUTH-FACING SLOPES
• BEST WINES: RIESLING
• STYLE: LIES BETWEEN MOSEL & FULLER BODIED W FROM OTHER REGS/ PRONOUNCED ACIDITY OF MOSEL/ SLIGHTLY RIPER FRUIT CHARACT. AS THE CLIMATE HERE IS WARMER

Question 5

RHEINGAU

Answer 5

DOM. OF PLANT: RIESLING

• MAJ WINE STYLE: DRY
• MOST VINS: ON THE SLOPES OF THE NORTH BANK OF THE RIVER RHINE (IN THE WEST OF THE REG) & THE RIVER MAIN (IN THE EAST) & HAVE SOUTHERLY ASPECT
• MAJ OF VINS: ON THE SLOPES TO THE WEST OF THE REG & SURROUND VILLAGES OF:

-JOHANNISBERG

-RÜDESHEIM

• PLANTINGS: RIESLING DOM.
• MAJ: DRY STYLE
• RIESLINGS: M TO F BODY/ DISTINCT RIPE PEACH CHARACT.

TBA & BA WINES: SOME OF GERMANY’S BEST BA & TBA WINES MADE HERE TOO:

-HUMID COND. GENERATED BY RIVER RHINE

Question 6

RHEINHESSEN

Answer 6

LARGEST VINE GROWING REG

PLANTINGS: VERY BROAD RANGE OF BLACK & WHITE VAR

MOST PLANT: MÜLLER THURGAU & RIESLING

BLACK VAR: 30% OF THE PLANT. DORNFELDER, PORTUGIESER, SPÄTBURGUNDER (P.N)

GG WINES: RIESLING & SPÄTBURGUNDER

REP. OF RHEINHESSEN VILLAGE: OFTEN REFFERED TO RHEINTERRASE

• NIERSTEIN
• VINS OF NIERSTEIN: SITUATED ON STEEP SLOPING VINS ON THE WEST BANK OF THE RHINE CENTRED AROUND THE VILLAGE OF NIERSTEIN
• RIESLINGS: FULLEST-BODIED IN GERMANY

*NUMBER OF GROWERS WORKING IN AREAS DON’T HAVE A LONG-STANDING REP (FOR EX: NEAR WORMS)=AS A RESULT RHEINHESSEN HAS GAINED REP. FOR INNOVATION & EXCELLENCE

Question 7

PFALZ

Answer 7

2ND LARGEST WINE-GROWING REG IN GERMANY

MAJ OF VINS: CONTINUATION OF ALSACE’S VIN

• THEY RUN IN A NARROW 80KM STRIP NORTH FROM THE FRENCH BORDER & LIE TO THE EAST OF HAARDT MOUNTAINS=WHICH ARE CONTINUATION OF VOSGES
• DRIEST OF GERMAN REG=VINES SUFFER FROM WATER STRESS

PLANTINGS: RIESLING (M.P.)/ LONGEST REP FOR HQ W.M

GG WINES: RIESLING, WEIBBURGUNDER, SPÄTBURGUNDER

OTHER WIDELY GROWN: WHITES

• MÜLLER THURGAU
• GRAUBURGUNDER (P.G) GRADUALLY INCREASING
• WEIBBURGUNDER (P.B) GRADUALLY INCREASING

BLACKS:

• ONLY ACCOUNT:40% OF THE VIN AREA
• DORNFELDER: 2ND MOST.W.P.
• PORTUGIESER: SIG.P. (FOR LOCAL MARKET)
• SPÄTBURGUNDER: GAINING INTERNATIONAL REP

MOST ESTABLISHED QUALITY VINS SURROUND: (AREA OFTEN REFFERED AS MITTELHAARDT)

-FORST

-DEIDESHEIM

• VINS: SET ON THE STEEP SLOPES TO THE WEST OF THE VILLAGES
• RIESLING STYLE: RIPE/ FULLER BODIED/ YOUNG, ENERGETIC GROWERS: MAKING TOP QUALITY WINES (AS RHEINHESSEN)/ MAJ STYLE: DRY

Question 8

BADEN

Answer 8

• WARMEST & MOST SOUTHERLY WINE REG
• MOST WIDELY P. VAR: SPÄTBURGUNDER
• WINES: FULLEST BODIED GERMAN WINES W/ H ALCOHOL

VINS: SPREAD OVER A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREA ALTHOUGH IN TERMS OF VIN. AREA, ONLY 3RD LARGEST VINE-GROWING REG. IN GERMANY

MOST OF VINS: SPACED OUT OVER A NARROW STRIP LAND THAT FOLLOWS THE RHINE TO THE SWISS BORDER

THE 3RD OF THE PLANT. ARE CONCENT. IN THE AREAS OF:

-KAISERSTUHL

-TUNIBERG

*BOTH SITUATED OPPOSITE COLMAR IN ALSACE

• BEST VINS: ON SOUTH-FACING SLOPE OF THE KAISERSTUHL (AN EXTINCT VOLCANO)
• KAISERSTUHL: REP. FOR TOP QUALITY SPÄTBURGUNDER (MOST W.P. IN BADEN)

OTHER SUBSTANTIAL PLANTINGS:

• MÜLLER THURGAU
• GRAUBURGUNDER
• WEIBBURGUNDER
• RIESLING

GG WINES: RANGE OF WHITE & BLACK VAR

Question 9

FRANKEN

Answer 9

DOM. OF GRAPES: WHITE W.M

GRAPE: SILVANER : EARLY FLOWERING & RIPEN. / SUSCEPTIBLE TO FROST DAMAGE/ PLANT. IN WARMEST SITES

-CONSEQUENTLY: SILVANER= ABLE TO ACHIEVE A CONCENT. THAT IS RARELY ACHIEVED ELSEWHERE IN GERMANY

BEST WINES: FROM SOUTH-FACING SLOPES AROUND

• WÜRZBURG
• STYLE: DRY W/ RICHNESS ON PALATE/ EARTHY Q/ FLASK-SHAPED BOTTLES

GG WINES: SILVANER, RIESLING, WEIBBURGUNDER, GRAUBURGUNDER, SPÄTBURGUNDER