Germany Flashcards
What is the fundamental principle of German wine law?
the classification of grapes according to their must weight at harvest
what are the four levels of German wine, which are in increasing order of must weight?
- Deutscher Wein (any style, grapes exclusively grown in Germany 8.5-15% abv),
- Landwein (ie PGI, 8.5-15% abv, at least 85% grown in region on label)
Deutsche Wein and Landwein only 2% of total production
- Qualitatswein (ie PDO, grapes from one of 13 quality wine regions - Anbaugebiete - which must appear on label)
- Pradikatswein (PDO, stricter, grapes from one of 40 quality wine districts - Bereich, but not mandatory on label, though Anbaugebiete is)
Wine laws governing German Qualitatswein
- Qualitatswein is a PDO (approx 70% total production)
- (unless GG) most German dry is labelled “Qualitatswein trocken” and Pradikatswein is used for white/sweeter
- grapes from one of 13 quality wine regions - Anbaugebiete - which must appear on label
- 7% abv to allow for sweet wines, no upper limit, enrichment permitted
- laboratory analysed and blind tasted before getting an AP number (Amtliche Prüfungsnummer - official test no.)
- 10-12 digit number indicates where/when tasted, vineyard location, bottler’s specific lot number
Why might a German, off-dry wine be labelled as ‘feinherb’?
- because “fine dry” sounds better/ drier to consumers than “half dry”
- ‘Feinherb’ (‘fine dry’) is not an official term, but describes wines that fall within the legal definition of halbtrocken and extends to wines with slightly higher levels of residual sugar
Why is it difficult for consumers to tell how dry or sweet a German Auslese, Spatlese or Kabinett is; and what do some producers do about it?
- because below Beerenauslese level, wines can be produced at all sweetness levels
- so some producers use the EU labelling terms
- trocken (dry)
- halbtrocken (off-dry)
- lieblich (medium/ medium sweet)
- süss (sweet)
wine laws governing German Prädikatswein (“distinction”)
- PDO category, wines exclusively from Bereich (40) though not mandatory on label - Anbaugebieten is.
- highest must levels, NO enrichment is permitted.
- AP numbered (lab/ tasting panel etc)
- any grape variety (though usually Riesling)
- voume depends on vintage (usually 1/2 Qualitatswein, but can get close in best years)
- Six levels of increasing must weight - Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Trockenbeerenauslese
What are the German sweetness levels (in residual sugar) corresponding to EU labelling terms?
- trocken (dry) no more than 4g/l or up to 9g/l where residual sugar does not exceed total acidity by more than 2g/l, as is usually the case with Riesling
- halbtrocken (off-dry) between 4 and 12g/l (or up to 18g/l where residual sugar does not exceed total acidity by more than 10g/l)
- lieblich (medium/ medium sweet) 12-45g/l res sugar
- süss (sweet) more than 45g/l res sugar
compare German Kabinett with Spatlese
- Kabinett grapes with lowest must weights
- lightest body/ highest acid, dry to med-sweet
- min 7% abv (sweeter) to (no limit, but top dry usually 12%
- light body, high acid, green apple, citrus, pear fruit
- Spatlese fully ripened grapes (picked 2 weeks later)
- again min 7%, also dry to med-sweet, higher alcohol
- more concentrated, riper stone fruits (Riesling), fuller body
one card on German Auslese
- specially selected, extra-ripe bunches (though can be machine-harvested and then hand-sorted)
- even riper/ more concentrated flavours than Spatlese,
- often honey characteristics and some botrytis (added complxity)
- can be dry, but best usually sweet balanced by high acidity, can long bottle-age
- min 7% abv (sweet), but often use EU labelling as well (not required by law) as wide range of must weights in this category
one card on German Beerenauslese (BA)
- individually selected berries (must hand harvest)
- must weights so high, wines always sweet, and min alcohol 5.5% (as for Eiswein & TBA)
- fermentation long and slow, reaching only low abv
- botrytis not mandatory, but common
- Riesling very ripe and dried stone fruit
- BA only produced in years suitable for noble rot (morning humidity, afternoon dry and warm)
- v low yields, v labour intensive, v little made
- rare, outstanding, super-premium
one card on German Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
- must weights so high, berries must be botrytised (need morning humidity, afternoon dry and warm)
- shrivelled (“dried”) raisin-like grapes produce tiny amounts of highly concentrated sweet wines, yet still balanced by high acidity, giving long life.
- min alcohol 5.5%, but fermentation long and slow, rarely reaching beyond 8%
- v low yields, v labour intensive, under 100 bottles
- only made in suitable years
- most expensive wines made in Germany
one card on German Eiswein
- Pradikat status 1982, same minimum must weights as TBA, but picked when frozen sub -7oC, any time from Nov (us Dec) and Feb: vintage is start of harvest
- must also be pressed whilst frozen (no artificial freeze)
- grapes must be fully healthy (any rot amplified by concentration of freezing)
- waiting for freeze often lose some/all crop to disease/ predators (some plastic sheet to protect until freeze)
- Riesling high acidity, intense pure peach/grapefruit
- rare, premium
climate of Germany
- cool continental (Baden south warmer) 49-50oN - extreme
- 500-800m rain: summers wet - fungal risk, (but little rain at harvest)
- Autumn long, dry - long cool ripening retains acidity, allows development of high natural sugar levels for Pradikatswein
- noble rot can occur in every region (and also not!)
- margins important - best sites steep, stony slopes, facing south to maximise heat and sunlight
- rivers can reflect sun to help ripen, air movement from flowing water protects v frost
there are 13 anbaugebieten (principal wine-producing regions) in Germany. What do WSET identfiy as the top 9?
In size order
- Rheinhessen (25%, lots of bulk)
- Pfalz (20%+, bulk some better)
- Baden (reds)
- Württemberg (light fruity reds)
- Mosel (some of world’s best Rieslings)
- Franken (Sylvaner)
- Nahe
- Rheingau (small, prestigious)
- Ahr (northerly but mainly black)
one slide on Pfalz
- 2nd largest region, continuation of Alsace vineyards
- narrow 80km n of French border, lie east of Haardt Mts (continuation of Vosges), so driest region of Germany
- Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Grau & Weissburgunder, but 40% black, Dornfelder & Spatburgunder
- GG wines Riesling, Weissburgunder or Spatburgunder
- most famous vineyards around Mittlehaardt (Forst & Deidesheim) - steep slopes to west of villages make ripe fuller bodied Riesling, but mainly drier styles
- significant producers incl Dr Bürklin-Wolf
4 things about German wine
- MUST WEIGHTS (grapes classified at harvest)
- Cool climate (little oak)
- Riesling
- Spatburgunder (PInot Noir)
grape growing in Mosel (includes tributaries Saar & Ruwer)
- northerly region, site selection crucial for ripening
- steep, south facing slopes overlooking Mosel
- best sun, (some) reflection from river
- dark slate soil radiates heat
- soils grey, blue, brown & red - subtle differences
- topography means working vineyards labour/expensive
- low yields of sweetest wines adds to cost
- Saar & Ruwer a bit higher and cooler, so acid even higher: sheltered south facing slopes best
- flatter sites, eg Piesport, for less complex, esp Muller Thurgau, bottled by merchant houses
10 rock star Mittel Mosel vineyards (village name first) and one from Saar
- Brauneberg (Juffer, Juffer-Sonnenuhr)
- Erden (Treppchen, Prälat)
- Graach (Himmelreich, Domprobst)
- Ürzig (Würzgarten)
- Wehlen (Sonnenuhr)
- Bernkastel (Doctor)
- Piesport (Goldtröpfchen)
- SAAR (Schwarzhofberg)
Mosel is famous for producing the world’s greatest Rieslings? Is that all it does?
- 90% white (Riesling 60%, but Muller Thurgau etc)
- Moselland co-op in Bernkastel is the world’s largest producer of Riesling, making 20% of region’s wine
- home to small prodcuers (eg Egon Muller, Markus Mollitor) but also major cos eg F W Langguth (Blue Nun and Erben), source wine elsewhere in Germany/ other countries
flavour profile of Mosel Riesling compared to other regions
- paler in colour, lighter in body, lower in alcohol, higher in acidity
- pronounced floral and green fruit aromas
- balance of fruit and acid gives long ageing potential
- famous for sweet styles in every Pradikats category
- winters almost always cold enough for eiswein
- drier wines on increase (GG must be 100% Riesling)
what is unusual about Franken?
- Silvaner (Sylvaner) is considered the most prestigious grape and planted more than Riesling (though most planted grape is Muller-Thurgau)
one slide on Franken
- most east, most continental - shorter season (spring frosts) warmer summers, cool autumns, harsh winters
- Silvaner most prestigious, Muller Thurgau most planted
- Silvaner early budding (but given best frost-free sites on River Main) early ripening (avoids cold autumns)
- best sites s and s-e chalk slopes around Würzburg
- full bodied dry floral and wet stone aromas
- Rudolf Furst produces v g Spatburgunder on steep sandstone terraces in west Franken
- Franken wines often use trad flask shaped Bocksbeutel