Germany: Introduction, Growing Environment, and Winemaking Flashcards
What percentage of German vineyards are planted to Riesling?
25%
By 1980, what percentage of Germany’s exports was for Liebfraumilch?
60%
Germany became synonymous with inexpensive medium sweet wines produced from Muller Thurgau and Kerner
By the 16th century, German wines were widely exported. What geographical features enabled this?
Vineyards were close to the Rhine River, enabling easy transportation
Why did the German wine industry go into rapid decline in the early 16th century?
What happened to the location of the vineyards as a result of this?
Because of the 30 year war
Flatter valley plains were taken over for more lucrative grain production, pushing the vineyards onto the steeper slopes, a distinctive feature today
In what year did Germany become a unified country?
1871
Name two famous German wine institutes founded in the late 19th/ early 20th century that have played an important role in modernising the German wine industry.
Hochschule Geisenheim University
Julius Kühn-Institut in Pfalz
What was Germany’s reputation for wine like in the late 19th / early 20th century?
They had a reputation for great quality
Top Rieslings commanded the same prices as classed Bordeaux
What events in the late 19th / early 20th century caused German wine production to decline?
Phylloxera
Mildew
Two world wars
What types of wines did Germany begin producing after the Second World War?
Inexpensive branded wines
What is Flurbereinigung?
What were the effects of Flurbereinigung?
This was the consolidation of many small, fragmented vineyards and the building of access roads
This resulted in increased efficiency and reduced costs. Without Flurbereinigung, many vineyards would have become economically unviable
At what latitude are most German wine producing regions found?
49 - 50 degrees north
Baden is an exception
What is the average rainfall in Germany?
When does most rain tend to fall?
What effects can this rainfall have?
Annual rainfall is between 500-800mm
Most rain falls in summer
This can increase the risk of fungal disease, dilution, and in heavy storms, hail
What expositions do the top German vineyard sites have?
Best vineyards are often on steep south-facing slopes to maximise sunlight exposure
In Germany, winters are cold and spring frosts can be an issue. What factors help mitigate frost risks?
Planting on slopes
Planting close to rivers
What type of weather would you expect in autumn in Germany?
How does this affect ripening?
Long and dry autumns
This allows for long ripening periods during which grapes can develop high levels of natural sugar required for Prädikatswein
Whereabouts on the slopes would you expect German vineyards to be planted and why?
Vineyards are planted lower down the slopes, usually around 200m above sea level
Vineyards are at high latitude, so at higher altitudes it would be to cold to ripen grapes sufficiently
What type of soils would you find in Ahr and Mosel?
How does this help ripening?
Dark coloured slate
Ahr and Mosel are two of the coldest German wine regions: dark slate retains heat during the day and radiates it back to the vine at night, helping ripening
What might growers do to stop tackle erosion in the steep vineyards in Germany?
They have to winch soil and rocks back up the slopes, adding to cost
What volume of German wine is produced annually on average?
9 million hl
What is the average maximum yield for Deutscher Wein and Landwein?
What is the average maximum yield for Qualitatswein?
Deutscher Wein and Landwein: 150hl/ha
Qualitatswein: 105hl/ha
Although German wine regions still experience vintage variation, what vineyard management techniques have reduced this in recent years?
What key natural factor has also reduced vintage variation?
Better clonal selction Summer pruning Green harvesting Selective hand harvesting Good canopy management: maximise sun exposure and increase air flow
Climate change
What is Pendelbogen?
Replacement cane pruning with the canes arched in the trellis
The arching of canes is thought to improve the flow of sap in the vine and increase the number of viable buds, increasing yields
What percentage of German vineyards are farmed organically?
Why is organic viticulture particularly difficult in Germany?
9%
Disease pressure is high in Germany, meaning producers need to spray regularly
What factors have enabled German growers to produce better red wines?
Increasing temperatures
Better clones
Better vineyard management
Better winemaking techniques
Give the key characteristics of the Riesling vine
Late budding (avoids frost) Late ripening Thick wood (frost resistance) Susceptible to botrytis Retains high acidity even when fully ripe
Why did German plantings of Riesling fall in the 1970s and 1980s?
Describe why plantings of Riesling have now recovered and are continuing to grow
In cold years Riesling can fail to ripen.
Producers turned to more reliable German crosses, as these could achieve the must weights required by law
Improved vineyard techniques, rising temperatures and an emphasis on quality have all meant that Riesling is back in favour
Give the key characteristics of the Müller Thurgau vine
Crossing
Produced to ripen earlier than Riesling
High yielding
Plantings have more than halved
Give a typical tasting note for a Müller Thurgau wine
Simple fruity and floral aromas
Medium acidity
Early drinking
Give a typical tasting note for a Dornfelder wine
Deep colour
Sour cherry, blackberry, floral notes
High acidity
Sometimes with residual sugar
Examples made with lower yields can show more structure and complexity, fermented and/ or aged in oak
Where would you expect to find the best examples of Silvaner wines?
Give a typical tasting note for a quality Silvaner wine from this region
Franken
Green and tropical fruit, earthy character
Medium to medium (+) acidity
Dry
What types of wines are mostly produced from Silvaner?
How does it compare with Riesling in terms of acidity and aromatic complexity?
Mostly large amounts of inexpensive wine (exception is Franken)
It is less aromatically complex and has lower acidity than Riesling
Where might you find high quality oaked examples of Chardonnay in Germany?
Pfalz
Kaiserstuhl in Baden
What is the most planted black grape variety in Germany?
Explain how vineyard management is improving the quality of wines from this varietal
Spätburgunder
Better clones
Better canopy management
Selecting harvest dates to balance alcohol, acidity and ripeness of fruit and tannins
What techniques in the winery might German producers use when making Spätburgunder wines
Some producers may use wholebunch fermentation, with stems adding tannins to the wines
Some may cold soak
In general producers are toning down the use of new oak and some are using larger oak vessels
What type of soils is Grauburgunder suited to?
Heavy, clay soils
Give a typical tasting note for a Grauburgunder wine
Dried and fresh stone and tropical fruit, honey
Medium acidity
Medium to full body, depending on sweetness
Is enrichment practiced commonly in Germany? Why?
What is the maximum that wines can be enriched?
Enrichment is often practiced due to cool temperatures, although it is not permitted for Prädikatswein
Wines from Baden can be enriched to a maximum of 2%
All other regions are allowed to enrich up to 3%
In what region might you expect producers to use 1000l Fuder?
Mosel
A proportion of new oak might be used for ageing some wines in Germany. Which varietals are particularly suited to this?
Red varietals
Grauburgunder
Weissburgunder
Chardonnay
In the 1960s and 70s, what was the main method used in Germany to sweeten wines?
Is this method commonly used today?
What other methods are used to obtain sweet wines?
Süssreserve (unfermented or partially fermented must) was added to dry wines
Süssreserve is still used in large commercial wineries
Quality minded producers will stop the fermentation to produce sweet wines (racking, filter, SO2 addition or chilling)
RGCM can only be added to Deutscher Wein
Describe how inexpensive German red wines designed for early consumption may be handled in the winery
Thermovinification: quick extraction of flavour and colour
Wine can then be fermented off the skins for fruity reds with low tannin
Wines are not oak matured
