Germany, Austria

Question 1

What are the quality wine ratings by country?

Answer 1

1- EU = VQPRD - Vin de Qualite Produit dans les Regions Determines
2-FRANCE = VDQS = Vin Deliminee de Qualite Superior
vins de pays = VDQS - AOC
3- ITALY = IGT - Indication Geographica Tipica
IGT - DOC- DOCG
4- SPAIN = DO (2 DOC Priorat and Rioja)
5- GERMANY = QbA (tafelwein), QmP (Pradikat)
Pradikat is the distinction based on must weight. Cannot increase alcohol w/ chapitalization
6- USA = AVA

Question 2

Germany

Bullets about region

Answer 2

• 50th parallel - most Northernly wine country
• Long ripening period allows development of fruit - hallmark of German wine
• 2 world wars put progress on back burner
• Mechanization made new wine regions

Question 3

Germany - Wine laws

Wine laws

What is the official wine law?

Answer 3

1971 German wine laws
“Anti Elite Law” Politically correct but bad for wine lovers.
To avoid counterfeiting (like 1985 Austrian wine scandal - cheap Austrian wine being blended with German wine.)

• Established 5 different levels of German wine quality
• Codified 6 Pradikats -Equal opportunity assessment based on potential alcohol in grapes
• Use of Grosslage names on labels allowed
• Flurbreinigung (restructuring of vineyards) The declassification of hundreds of single vineyards to bigger sites (Einzellage to Grosslage)

Question 4

Germany - Wine laws

What are the 5 levels of German wine quality?

Answer 4

In descending order = 
Classic & Selection,
QmP= pradikat
QbA
Landwein = Trocken or Hlabtrocken, From 1 of 21 regions, (Vins de Pays, IGT)
Tafelwein

Question 5

Germany - Wine laws

1- Pradikat levels measured in what?
2- What quality classification is Pradikat?

Sweetness levels

Answer 5

See Sweet wine for more detail:

1- Oeschle measures grape must weight

Kabinet - Spatlese - Auslese - Beernauslese - Eiswein - Trokenbeerenauslese

2- QmP

3- Trocken, Halbtrocken, Lieblich, Suss
(Fine Herb after Trocken for extra credit)

Question 6

Germany - Wine laws

Flaws of 1971 wine laws

Answer 6

• Harvest ripeness and must weight the measure of quality regardless of grape vairety
• Quality of vineyard 2ndary to level of residual sugar
• Allowed for grosslage names on label
• Flurbureingung increased size of vineyard by adding lesser quality ones
• Went from Einslage to grosslage
• Didn’t address high yield

Question 7

Germany - Wine laws

Unofficial wine regulation

Answer 7

VDP
Club Founded 1984 - 200 members - answer to 1971 law of declassification - establish old vineyards and fight for qulaity and prestigue of wine
Logo of Eagle with grape cluster
•Members mapped out best Lagen, yields and styles.
•Quality measured by ‘vineyard’ Lage
Since it is unofficial, wines are relegated to Landwein.
Uses Burgundian Pyramid linked to terroir

Question 8

Germany - Wine laws

VDP pyramid

Answer 8

In descending order of best quality;

VDP Grosse Lage (Big site) best quality like a grand cru
VDP Erste Lage (First site) top qulaity like a premium cru
Classified Lage = classified
Orts or Guts wein = village

Question 9

Germany - White grapes

Answer 9

Riesling - #1 in grape quality quantity, petrol, neoprene
Muller Thurgau - #2
Gewurtztraminer
Weissburgunder
Silvaner
Rieslaner
Gelber-Muskateller
Scheurebe
Grauburgunder - pinto gris

Question 10

Germany - Red grapes

Answer 10

Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)
Fruhburgunder (Pinot Madeleine)
Lemberger (Blaufrafrankische)

Question 11

Germany - wine regions

Answer 11

Mosel - Saar-Ruwar
Rheingau = most prestigious sml region of world
Rheinhessen = Largest
Nahe
Pfalz
Baden
Franken

Question 12

Austria

Bullets

Answer 12

•Home of high quality biodynamic winemaking
•Geek wine culture - artisinal
•Like Germandy, best wines are Riesling
•Drier than Germany, but sweets are sweeter
•1985 Wine scandal - producers caught adding antifreeze to wine to make taste fuller & sweeter as shortcut.
-mass market for inferior wine collapsed
-Austrian wine laws not strictest in Europe

Question 13

Austria

1- 7 Pradikatswein and what measured by?

2- What is the Austrian quality classification of Pradikat?

Answer 13

1. KMW = measure of must weight

Spatlese - late harvest
Auslese - best berries
Beerenauslese - bad grapes removed
Esiwein
Strohwein
Ausbruch - botrytized only
Trockenbeerenauslese

2- DAC

Question 14

Austria -

2 most important white and 2 most important red grapes

Answer 14

White
Reisling - drier than german
Gruner Vetliner - most planted

Red
Blaufrankisch - more important
Zwiegelt
St. Laurenkt

Question 15

Austria

4 main Wine regions

Answer 15

There are 4 wine growing regions concentrated on the East border stretching form N to S
1- Niederosterreich= largest region (wachau most important region within - also Kremstal, Kamptal)
2- Burgenland = botrytized wines form here (and reds)
3- Styria = world class sauvignon blanc
4- Wein (Vienna) = field blend Gemischter Satz

Question 16

Austria

Wachau main points

Answer 16

•Along the Danube - most famous growers here
•Steep terraces and solid rock
To deal with the wine scandal of 1985 and to stand out from the rest of Austria for excellence, they made their own codex (Vinea Wachau) dividing white wines into 3 categories based on their alcohol potential. Like a Wachau Pradikat

Steinfeder = up to 11.5% kabinet
Federspiel = 11.5 to 12.5% most common Kabinet
Samragd = 12.5 minimum full body late harvest wines

Question 17

Austria quality pyramid

Answer 17

DAC (Like AOC DOC)
Pradikatswein
Kabinett
QBA
Landwein
Tafelwien