Germany and Austria Flashcards
How does Germany’s climate influence wine styles produced in various regions?
Germny is Europe’s northernmost producing wine producer meaning its environment is cool. Red grapes don’t ripen properly in SOME parts of Germany. Climate is ERRATIC meaning that vintages vary from uyear to year. Many of great wines along rivers and on steep slopes. RIVERS act as jheat regulators. Steep slopes facing southwest are bet. sometimes tractors fall over because it’s so steep
How does Austria’s climate influence wine styles compared to Germany?
Austria only produces less than 1% of world’s wine. Austrian climate is continental, but is warmer and drier than Germany. Dry&sweet wines(sweeter than German i guess?). It is all from Eastern Austria, where the Alps receded into hills (hilly)
What historic events influenced the growth of the wine industry in the Austria?
1800s: Austrian wines blended into German wines
1980s Glycol Scandal (diethylene glycol makes wines appear sweeter and fuller). Industry colapses
1990s: quality improves
2000s: Austrian wine becomes trendy
What terms on a German wine label are meaningful and what do they tell us?
Deutscher Wein, (german)
Deutscher Landwein, (regional;?)
QbA(Qualitatswein, quality wine that can be chaptalized
QmP. (Pradiktswein) quality wine that cannot be chaptalized
must come from a single district/Bereich within a quaklity region
Trocken (dry; ≤9 g/L, g acid = sugar + 2),
Halbtrocken (off dry; 9-18 g/L),
Feinherb (somewhat dry).
How do we determine if a wine was made by a grower or cooperative or simply bottled
by the person named on the label?
Answer: terms on the wine label will tell you
Weingut: Wine Producing Estate
Weinkelleri: Blender
Winzergenossenschaft: Wine-grower co-op cellar
GutsbfUllung: estate-bottled Grower Producer
ErzeurgerabfUllung: cooperative (estate-bottled)
AbfUller: bottler/shipper
How do we determine if a wine is still or sparkling?
?? bubbles??
What are the classifications of German and Austrian wines and what flavor differences
might one find when comparing them?
designated Based on ripeness, not sweetness. All wines from table wine to Auslese can be dry, medium-dry or sweet.
Deutscher Wein,
Deutscher Landwein,
QbA (Qualitätswein),
QmP (Qualitäätswein mit Prädikat, includes dessert wines, which includes Eiswein).
How does the classification of wines in Germany differ from that of France?
Although German wines are named after the places they come from, the grape name is usually part of the wine name/label. The finest German wines have a Prädikat, which is an indication of the ripeness of the grapes at harvest. Germany’s system assigns the highest rank to the ripest grapes.D116
What are the major grape varieties grown in Germany and in Austria? (Emphasis will be
on the ones tasted in class)
Germany: Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Noir, Silvaner, Ruländer (Pinot Gris), Blauer Portugieser, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Kerner.
Austria: Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Welschriesling, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc.
What are the signature grape varieties for Austria and Germany?
Germany: Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Noir.
Austria: Grüner Veltliner, Riesling.
What are the labeling requirements and how does one decode a German or Austrian wine
label?
Germany: Deutscher Wein, Deutscher Landwein, QbA, QmP. Austria: German model coexists with DAC (Districtus Austria Controllatus), a new system based on terroir rather than ripeness levels.
What historic events influenced the growth of the wine industry in the Germany?
100 BC: The Romans cultivate the vine.
7th century: The church’s influence begins.
1800s: Napoleon secularizes the vineyards.
What winemaking practices are unique to Germany? e.g. use of Süssreserve
Trellising techniques
, chapitalization allowed up to the QbA level,
fermented dry and adjusted by adding sweet reserve (Süssreserve).
How have the recent EU labeling regulations affected Germany?
The EU regulations have been designed to accommodate existing regulations of several member states. In particular, the existing regulations concerning French wine, with its detailed appellation laws, formed a basis, while also making room for the very different German wine classification system. In general, the EU wine regulations provide for minimum standards across EU, while making it possible for individual member states to enact stricter standards in certain areas in their national wine laws.
