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Introductory Sommelier Exam (CMS) > Germany: Wine Regions > Flashcards

Germany: Wine Regions Flashcards

Learn the specifics about Germany's wine regions and the grapes grown there, the styles produced, and why they taste they way they do.

1
Q

Which of Germany’s wine regions is the oldest?

A

Mosel

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2
Q

On what parallel is the Mosel wine region?

A

49th parallel

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3
Q

What is the climate of the Mosel?

A

Cool Continental

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4
Q

Which river helps moderate the Mosel wine region?

A

Mosel River

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5
Q

What is the landscape of the Mosel wine region?

A

Very steep, south-facing vineyards

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6
Q

What is the soil of the Mosel wine region?

A

Slate

  • porous, well draining
  • excellent heat retention
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7
Q

What grapes are grown in the Mosel?

A

Riesling

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8
Q

Riesling grown in the Mosel is typically:

  • ultra-ripe, low acid, high alcohol, dry
  • ripe, medium acid and alcohol, dry
  • just-ripe, high acid, low alcohol, off-dry
A

Just-ripe, high acid, low alcohol, off-dry

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9
Q

Most Mosel Rieslings are vinified in what type of vessel?

A

Stainless steel

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10
Q

Why do most Mosel Rieslings have residual sugar?

A

To balance out the ripping-high acidity.

Think lemonade: if there’s too much lemon juice (acidity), you need sugar to balance out that sharpness.

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11
Q

Why are most Mosel Rieslings so low in alcohol?

A

Because the grapes struggle to ripen at that northerly latitude, their sugars are low which in turn means a lower-alcohol wine.

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12
Q

Name two gemeinden (villages) in the Mosel famous for their Rieslings.

A
  1. Ürzig
  2. Piesport
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13
Q

The Rheingau is north or south of the Mosel?

A

South of the Mosel

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14
Q

What mountain range is on the north side of the Rheingau?

A

Taunus Mountains

These mountains protect the Rheingau from cold northerly winds.

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15
Q

What is the climate of the Rheingau?

A

Continental

Rheingau is a bit warmer than the Mosel due to its being further south.

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16
Q

Which river runs through the Rheingau?

A

Rhine River

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17
Q

What is the soil of the Rheingau?

A

Slate for the top vineyards with some clay and sand on lower slopes.

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18
Q

Where are the vineyards of the Rheingau located, and which direction do they face?

A

South-facing vineyards on the long slope on the north side of the Rhine River.

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19
Q

What are the grapes grown in the Rheingau?

A
  • Riesling (white)
  • Spätburgunder (red)
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20
Q

Name 1 famous vineyard in the Rheingau.

A

Schloss Johannisberg

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21
Q

What is Kloster Eberbach?

A

Originally, it was a monastery founded by Cistercian monks in 1135.

The monastery dissolved in the 1800s and today it’s known as a top-tier, single vineyard.

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22
Q

Where is the Rheinhessen in relation to Rheingau?

A

South of Rheingau

23
Q

What is the climate of Rheinhessen?

A

Continental

24
Q

What is the landscape of the Rheinhessen?:

  • flat with fertile soil
  • steep hills with infertile soil
A

Flat and fertile

25
What are the soils of the Rheinhessen?
* Red sandstone * Slate
26
What are the white grapes of Rheinhessen?
* Riesling * Müller-Thurgau * Silvaner
27
Rheinhessen is the \_\_\_est wine region in Germany.
Largest
28
What is Liebfraumilch?
An inexpensive, sweet white wine made mostly from Müller-Thurgau. It was heavily exported in the 1980s and very popular at the time, but it ended up being a blemish on the perception of German wines for decades.
29
Where are the top vineyards in the Rheinhessen located?
A thin ribbon of steep hills on the **WEST bank of the Rhine River**, between Nackenheim and Nierstein. ## Footnote *This area is best known for today's high quality, dry Rieslings.*
30
Clue to German pronunciation of "ie" and "ei":
You pronounce the second vowel, meaning: * If the i is after the e, you pronounce the i * e.g. Nackenh**ei**m (nack-en-hime) * If the e is after the i, you pronounce the e * e.g. P**ie**sporter (peece-porter)
31
The Pfalz region in Germany is pretty much a continuation of the \_\_\_\_ region in France.
Alsace
32
What river separates the Pfalz from Alsace?
**Rhine** River
33
What is the mountain range on west side of Pfalz?
**Haardt** Mountains
34
The Haardt Mountains are an extention of what other mountain range?
**Vosges** Mountain range
35
The Haardt Mountains provide the Pfalz with a \_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_.
Rain shadow
36
Between the Pfalz's southerly latitude and it being in a rain shadow, it has one of the \_\_\_\_est growing areas in Germany.
**Warmest**
37
What is the soil in Pfalz?
Limestone
38
What are the white grapes of Pfalz?
* Riesling * Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) * Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
39
What is the red grape of the Pfalz?
**Spätburgunder**, aka Pinot Noir
40
What style of wine does the Pfalz mainly produce?
**Dry wines** ## Footnote *Pfalz Rieslings tend to be fuller, riper, and higher in alcohol vs. Mosel Rieslings.*
41
A winemaking region in Germany is called:
Anbaugebeit ## Footnote Anbaugebeite would be plural
42
What is an einzellage?
A vineyard ## Footnote Plural is einzellagen
43
What is a grosslage?
Vineyards ranging in size from 600 to 1,800 ha, usually comprising several einzellagen
44
What is a Bereich?
Wine-producing districts - they're smaller than Anbaugebieten ## Footnote There are 40 Bereich in Germany
45
What is an Ortswein?
* A **village wine** (they're equivalent to village wines in Burgundy); * These are produced from grape varieties that are typical of their region.
46
What is Sekt?
German sparkling wine
47
What is the crossing of Zweigelt?
Blaufränkisch x St. Laurent
48
What is the crossing of Müller-Thurgau?
Riesling x Madeleine Royale
49
Name 2 important villages in Rheingau.
1. Rudesheim 2. Erbach
50
Name 2 important villages in Pfalz.
1. Deidesheim 2. Wachenheim
51
Name 2 important villages in Rheinhessen.
1. Nackenheim 2. Nierstein
52
What does halbtrocken mean?
Off-dry
53
What does trocken mean?
Dry

Introductory Sommelier Exam (CMS) (40 decks)

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