Germany-History, Wine Law Flashcards
Which monastic order was crucial to German viticulture? When? What did they do?
Cistercians of 8th cent
brought PN from Burgundy and planted Riesling
What effects did the era of the French Revolution have on German wine?
i. Liquidation of church holdings in vineyards
ii. Privatization of vineyards
iii. Dramatic increase in quality and export
In the early 19th cent. what were the British trade names for the following:
- wine from Middle Rhine
- fruity, crisp wine from Mosel
- Hock
- Moselle
When did phylloxera arrive in GR?
1872
What is #1 grape crossing of GR? Who developed it?
Müller-Thurgau
Swiss Dr. Hermann Müller from Thurgau at Geisenheim 1882
What were major effects of WWII era on GR wine trade?
- Removal of Jewish wine merchants (60-70% of German market)
- Ended wine auctions
- Nazi’s confiscated best and sweetest wines
- International boycott of German products after the war
- Total plantings left at 50,000 ha total
What was most internationally recognizable category of GR wine in the 1950s? Major producer?
Liebraumilch
Blue Nun (fd. 1921)
What is the name for systematic restructuring of vineyards in Germany? When did it begin?
Flubereinigung
1960s
What is the major piece of GR wine legislation from the mid 20th cent?
1971 Deutches Weingesetz
What are the major 3 areas of wine demarcation addressed in 1971 GR law?
- Aggregation of einzellagen (Flubereinigung)
- Intro of Grosslagen category
- Delimited 11 Anbaugebiete
What are the general req’s for flubereinigung? biggest flaw?
min 5ha for vineyard (einzellage)
shrank number from 30,000-2,700 delimited vineyards
enlarged some poor sites and eliminated some top ones
What are Grosselagen?
Major criticism of category?
No labeling distinction between Einzellagen and Grosslagen caused consumer confusion
Ex Piesporter Goldtröpfchen (prestigious einzellage) vs. Piesporter Michelsberg (grosslage across the town)
What are 3 categories originally outlined in 1971 GR laws? Which were added in 1982 update?
- Tafelwein (table wine)
- Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiet (QbA)
- Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP)
Landwein and Eiswein added in 1982
What is the Amtliche Prüfnummer? Which categories of wine does this apply to?
“official exam number,” A.P. number
5 digit code qualifying QbA and QmP wines
96% of country’s production qualify
When was the first update to the 1971 GR wine law enacted? What did it change?
1982
- introduced Landwein category and Eiswein designation
- Exempted some vineyards from min 5 ha
- raised min Öschle levels over time
What major vineyards of GR were exempted from the min 5 ha rule in 1982?
- Forster Kirchenstück (Pfalz)
- Forster Freundstück (Pfalz)
- Deidesheimer Hohenmorgen (Pfalz)
- Bernkasteler Doctor (Mosel)
- Kiedricher Turmberg (Rheingau)
- Schloss Vollrads (Winkel/Rheingau)
List the Öschle Scale range for each:
-Kabinett
-Spätlese
Auslese
-Beerenauslese
-TBA
-Eiswein
K=70-85 degrees S=80-95 degrees A=88-105 degrees B=110-128 degrees TBA=150-154 degrees E=110-128 degrees
Is there a Max Oschle scale rating for each Prädikat?
no, higher sugar levels can be declassified down
What is the Öschle Scale?
scale measuring degrees for ripeness of QmP wines
What new terms were introduced into GR wine law in 2000?
- Classic replaces halbtrocken
Feinherb (slightly off dry) informal term technically prohibited but used commonly in place of halbtrocken - Selection replaces trocken
- Erstes Gewächs formalized for dry wines from specific sites in Rheingau
What were the effects of EU wide reform of wine law in GR in late 2000s?
- 13 anbaugebiete became PDOs
2. shortened QbA and QmP categories, now 4 tier system exists
What is the current 4 tier system of German wine categories? Req’s for each?
1. Wein (Formerly Tafelwein)
no geo des, can be
Deutscher Wein if
German grapes, vint and
var allowed on label
2. Landwein
IGP category, includes
trocken, halbtrocken,
from any 26 regions
called landweingebiete
3. Qualitätswein
PDO category, most of
top dry wines, includes
Prädikastwein, 96% of
production, almost all
exports, min of 7% alc
(exempt from EU
standard of 8.5%
4. Prädikatswein
PDO, all of best sweet
wines, min 7% alc,
BA/TBA/Eiswein min
5.5% alcWhat is min alc for GR Prädikatswein? Why is this unique?
7% alc (rest of EU is 8.5%)
BA/TBA/Eiswein min of 5.5%
What is the VDP?
(VDP) Verband Deutscher Präkidatsweingüter
Brief history of GR VDP?
- Fd. 1910
- Originally VDNV (Naturweinversteingerer)
- Promoted sale of unchaptalized (natur) wines at auction
- 1971 laws banned term “Natur,” VDNV rebranded as VDP (b/c Natur still allowed for other additives like süssreserve)
- VDP new goal was creation of stricter req’s for winemaking than 1971 laws
- 1984=began developing own vineyard classification using old tax registries and Napoleonic maps (rediscovering old vineyards subsumed by Flurbereinigung)
- 2002=launched formal 3 tier vineyard system
- 2012=minor changes to system leading to current model
- Currently 195 (2017) members, national org is composed of 10 regional bodies
What are general req’s for VDP wine?
- Higher min must weights, lower max yields than legal req’s
- Everything estate grown
- Hand-harvest for Auslese and above
- Min 80% of traditional grapes (Generally excluding crossings)
- Prohibits use of Grosselagen
- Mandatory seal on label (Seal=Traubenadler)
b. Most producers omit Gutswein and Orstwein from label - May release wines at any Prädikate, but must be sweet if using term (Ie, no spätlese trocken, auslese trocken, etc for dry wines)
- Trocken may be used at Erste lage level and below
What is the Traubenadler?
Eagle symbol mandatory for all VDP wines of GR
What is the current structure of VDP wine? when was it enacted?
2011 vint-on
Gutswein (regional)
Ortswein (village)
Erste Lage (premier cru)
Grosse Lage (Grand Cru)
What are the max yields for each level of VDP wine?
Gutswein (regional)=75hl/ha
Ortswein (village)=75hl/ha
Erste Lage (premier cru)=60hl/ha
Grosse Lage (Grand Cru)=50hl/ha
How are Gutswein generally labelled in VDP system?
usually anbaugebeit + fantasy cuvée
How are Ortswein generally labelled in VDP system?
Typically village name + soil cuvee”
i. Kalkstein=Limestone
ii. Blauen Schiefer=Blue Slate
iii. Buntsandstein=red sandstone
How are Erste Lage wines generally labelled in VDP system?
Typically village name + vineyard
i. Ex, Iphöfer Kronsberg (Franken)
How are Grosse Lage wines generally labelled in VDP system?
Typically just vineyard, a la Burg GC’s
What is the legal classification of VDP wines in GR? What does this mean for allowable winemaking techniques?
just Qualitätswein!
so…things like Chaptalization is legal, common practice w/ Spätburgunder
What is the major caveat to remember about the VDP?
VDP is not a legal organization, and therefore may not always follow the same rules for everyone!
What is the national and regional structure of the VDP?
1 national org composed of 10 regional bodies
Which regions do not have Erste Lage category under VDP?
Mosel, Ahr, Rheinhessen
What are some examples of pre-VDP marketing terms allowed on a producer basis by VDP?
- Bürklin-Wolf top vineyards labeled as “GC” and “PC”
2. Schloss Johannisberg labels “Silberlack” GL Riesling as “trocken”
Which estate famously bounced from the VDP in 2014? Why?
Koehler-Ruprecht of Pfalz forbidden to use traditional marketing terms, so…they gone.
Which region is allowed to violate max yields for Grosse Lage wines in VDP? For what style and why?
Mosel producers make Grosse Lage Kabinett at 60-70 hl/ha because style is better suited for higher yields
