Germany Overview: GIs, Wine Law, Prädikats Flashcards
Learn the major regions, Prädikat system, climate, and topography of Germany.
Germany has some of the ____most and ____est vineyards in the northern hemisphere.
Northernmost and coolest vineyards in the northern hemisphere
What is the principal white grape of Germany?
Riesling
What are the 2 main rivers in Germany and in what regions are they?
Mosel River = runs through the Mosel region
Rhine River = runs through the Rheingau region
German wine regions are called ______.
Anbaugebiete (ahn-BAU-guh-beet)
Germany has 13 anbaugebiete (wine regions).
Which 4 do you need to know for the exam?
- Mosel
- Rheingau
- Rheinhessen
- Pfalz
In which quadrant of Germany are the bulk of Germany’s wine regions located?
Southwestern quadrant, near France and Switzerland.
What is the general climate of Germany?
Cool Continental
What are some features that help moderate the climate of Germany?
- Rivers (e.g. the Mosel and Rhine)
- Mountains (e.g. Tanus, Haardt)
Besides moderating climate, what other benefit do rivers provide?
Reflect sunlight, which is vital to ripening grapes in cool growing regions like Germany.
Generally, where are grapes planted in Germany?:
- valley floors facing any direction
- hillsides facing south
Hillsides facing south
Remember, Germany is very far north so vineyards are planted on south-facing hillsides as they need to soak up as much sunshine as possible to ripen.
What are the soils of Germany?
They vary depending on the region, but the top vineyards are planted on:
- Blue slate (Mosel)
- Red slate (Rheingau)
- Basalt (Baden, but you don’t have to know Baden for this exam - just know Basalt soil)
What are the advantages of German vineyards being planted on slate and basalt?
- Absorb heat during the day
- Release that heat overnight in this very cool climate
What are the white grapes of Germany?
- Riesling
- Müller-Thurgau
- Silvaner
What is Germany’s red grape?
Pinot Noir, aka Spätburgunder
What percent of production in Germany is white wine?
70%
What fermentation vessels are typically used in Germany?
- Stainless steel
- Large, old, neutral barrels
What is chaptalization?
The addition of sugar to the must (grape juice) – not to make a sweeter wine, but a stronger one.
Chaptalization is mostly used in cool regions where grapes struggle to ripen (and have insufficient sugar).
Is chaptalization allowed in Germany?
Yes, but it’s really only used for low-quality level wines (not Prädikat wines).
In Germany, wines can be fermented to:
- fully dry
- off-dry
- sweet
- all levels from dry to sweet
All levels from dry to sweet
What does the term ‘Trocken’ mean in English?
Dry
In Germany, wines WITHOUT geographic indication are called ____.
Wein
In Germany, wines WITH geographic indication have three levels:
- Landwein (PGI)
- Qualitätswein (PDO)
- Prädikatswein (PDO)
Landwein (PGI) wines are:
- Regional, acceptable quality, rarely exported
- Single site, high quality, always exported
Regional, acceptable quality, rarely exported
What is a Qualitätswein?
A wine from one of the 13 anbaugebiete.
Wines of this level can be dry to sweet.
Prädikatswein is a subset of _____ wines.
How many prädikat levels are there?
Subset of Qualitätswein
6 prädikat levels
What are the 6 prädikat levels from lowest price/ripeness to highest price/ripeness?
- Kabinett
- Spätlese
- Auslese
- Beerenauslese
- Eiswein
- Trockenbeerenauslese
Which 3 of the prädikat levels are most used as table wines?
- Kabinett
- Spätlese
- Auslese
What does Spätlese translate to in English?
What does Auslese translate to in English?
Spätlese = late harvest
Auslese = selected harvest
What kind of grapes are Eisweins made from?
Frozen grapes
Of the 3 highest price/ripeness prädikat levels, which 2 will always be affected by botrytis?
- Beerenauslese (BA)
- Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
When someone says, “All German wines are always sweet,” what do you know to be true?
Not all German wines are sweet!
The prädikat levels do not measure or indicate sweetness, or the residual sugar, in wine – the prädikat levels indicate the RIPENESS at which the grapes were picked.
How the wines are vinified – to complete dryness or medium-sweetness – is up to the winemaker.
Which 3 prädikat levels can be fermented dry and have Trocken on the label?
- Kabinett
- Spätlese
- Auslese
What does VDP stand for (what is it spelled out)?
Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter
Read more about the VDP here.
Who is in the VDP and what do they set out to do?
The VDP is an organization of >200 of Germany’s best winemakers committed to excellence who set out to make and promoted top-tier, top-quality wines from the highest-quality terroir and vineyards based on traditional German winemaking.
You do not need to know the VDP classification levels for this exam.
What region outside of Germany does the VDP emulate and model their classification after?
Burgundy
What are the typical wines made under the VDP classifications?
Dry Rieslings
In what year was the VDP founded?
1910
Grosses Gewächs:
- what does it translate to in English?
- these wines are always ____.
- grapes come from ______.
- Translates to Great Growth
- Wines are always DRY
- Grapes from top vineyards
Is Grosses Gewächs a legal term?
No; it’s a term used by the VDP classifying a dry wine from a top site.
What does the German term Gemeinde mean in English?
Village
For example, if you see Ürziger Würzgarten on a wine label, it means the grapes came from the village of Ürzig and the Würzgarten vineyard.
Try this one: Piesporter Goldtröpfchen. Which is the village and which is the vineyard?
On a German wine label, the first word (of the two words together) that ends in -er is the _____.
Village, or gemeinde.
What is an einzellage?
Single vineyard
