Germany: Winemaking

Question 1

Germany: Winemaking

Answer 1

• Bulk wine still accounts for a large portion of wine production
• Increasing number returing to minimal intervention winemaking , ambient yeast,, and reduced fining and filteration
• Also experimenting with less contact
• and oak
• Enrichment is common practice due to. cool temps
• EU Zone A - 3%
• EU Zone B max 2% - ( Baden )
• De-acidification is also permitteed as is acidiction but only in the hottest years
• ( usually for high volume wines )
• Traditional wine making matured in large old casks to allow for some oxygen
• 1,000L L Fuder of Mosel and 1,200:L STuck are still used today
• German oak from Pfalz are used in large vessels, small barrels are French
• Ferment in SS tanks is the normal
• Ease of cleaning and temperature
• Does not introduce flavours or oxygen and is a common choice for mid priced and prem Rielsing
• New oak masks primary flavours and is only used in red wines and Chardonnay, Weissburgunder and Grauburgunder
• In the 60s and 70s , all but the finest wines were fermented to dryness and the sweetened post ferment using **Sussreserve **- sugar made from the grapes f the same region to which the wine is added - sometimes from the same must
• Producers take a small amount of the must before ferment and then clarify and chill, protect with SO2 and then add it back into the must
• Added to the dry wine before bottling - contains min or no alcohol and may slightly reduce the alcohol of the final wine
• Sussreserve is thought to give less blanced wines and used in bulk production
• Quality minded producers will stop the ferment by adding S02 , racking or filtering
• Sweetening through RCGM may only be used in Deutcher Wein
• Grapes destined for BA, Eiswein or TBA have very high must weights
• Ferment will stop naturally due to high sugar levels leaving high RS and low level of alcohol ( 5.5 and 8%)
• Since 80’s trocken is very popular
• and wines are fermented to dryness
• Top qulaity producers still make off dry wines and some speciality late harvest
• Sweetness was often used to mask high acid and bitterness in the wine
• from under ripe grapes
• RED wines :
• Bulk use thermovinification for quick extraction of flavour and colour , fermented off skins to produce fruity red wines
• Whole bunch, cold maceration and some oak are common practice
• ROSE wines :
• SS tank at cool temperatured for early release
• High priced, quality rose are aged in old oak
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