WINES FROM GERMANY

 

GERMANY

·         Not much wine – about 10% of France or Italy.

·         National beverage is beer.

·         Long history of wines – probably started by the Romans – great fame since Charlemagne’s time (800 AD).

·         Best vineyards near the 50º line – chances of good wines look slim but when they are good, the style is inimitable.

·         In good years the sugar-acid balance is artistic – perfect combination of soil & fruit, of character & interest.

·         The finest wines are even enjoyed alone, lest any food should distract them.

·         Vineyards are primarily in the valleys of Rhein and Mosel – most northerly in Europe.

·         Steep riverbanks → good sunshine and warmth released by river during the night.

·         Short summers – early winters – often frost → early picking = chaptalisation is allowed in the poorer years.

·         Some best and rare wines are made from over-ripened grapes.

·         Degree of ripening, therefore, is a major criterion for grading the wines.

·         Labels often name grapes.

·         Best wines from the great German grape Riesling.

·         Price of quality is quantity – yield of Riesling is half of that of commoner Sylvaner.

·         Sylvaner is popular in some areas (e.g. Franconia) but lacks the balance and breed of Riesling.

·         Müller-Thurgau is a hybrid of Riesling and Sylvaner.

·         Spätburgunder & Portugieser – red wine source – the valley of Ahr is the only specialist area foe red wines (of course not comparable to the whites).

 

 

 

 

WINE LAWS OF GERMANY

·         Controlled by a series of laws since 1879 – codified in 1930.

·         Govt. published new laws on July 19, 1969 – made effective on July 19, 1971 – aligned old laws with prevailing ones, also promulgamated laws of other E.E.C. countries.

·         Controls and defines very specifically all better wines by different picking times.

·         Previously 50,000 named wines – now less than 3,000.

·         1971 laws fixed the minimum area as 5 hectares (13 acres) for a vineyard. Neighbouring smaller ones had to come under one name – only a few of extraordinary fame allowed to retain individual identity.

·         1971 laws – three basic grades of quality.

Deutscher Tafelwein

·         Most ordinary – consumed locally – almost no export – only broad regional names (Rhein, Mosel, etc.)

·         If only Tafelwein – most likely to be blended with cheaper wines from abroad.

Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA)

·         Usually referred to just as Qualitätswein (a quality wine from a controlled growing district).

·         Good quality but natural sugar-content is low (must-weight 65).

·         Chaptalisation (for 10% al v/v, minimum must-weight required is 75).

·         QbA wines carry a test-number.

·         Best had young.

Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP)

·         The best wines (a quality wine with special attributes/distinction).

·         Chaptalisation not allowed – grapes have to ripe properly – not possible in bad years.

·         Minimum must-weight is 75.

·         Carries a test-number.

·         QmP wines carry degrees of sweetness – previously traditional meanings – now determined by must-weight.

Gradation of QmP wines

·         Kabinett: minimum m-w 75 – picked generally in October (later than rest in Europe).

·         Spätlese: minimum m-w 80 – 2 to 3 weeks later – sweeter and richer than Kabinett.

·         Auslese: minimum m-w 90 – fully ripened grapes handpicked from ripened branches – fuller-bodied and sweeter than Spätlese.

·         Beerenauslese: minimum m-w 120 – only in very good years.

·         Trockenbeerenauslese: minimum m-w 150 – highest quality – raisin-like grapes with edelfäule – in exceptionally good years only.

·         In exceptionally good, sunny years – several pickings from the same vineyard.

·         Subsequent pickings are better – each picking costs more = extra labour and higher risks.

·         An unusual QmP wine is Eiswein – ripened to fullest extent – partially frozen. Typical German wine speciality – once or twice in a decade – very expensive – highly flavoured, sugary, also high in acid – normally consumed at the end of a meal (like liqueurs).

WINE REGIONS OF GERMANY

·         11 regions fall under Qualitätswein.

·         Each region has 2 or more districts (total 34).

·         Each district has several villages.

·         Each village has several vineyards.

·         About 1400 wine-villages (gemiende).

·         About 2600 vineyards (einzellagen).

·         Each of these may appear on the label.

Rhein wines (Hock wines)

·         5 of the 11 wine regions: Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Rheinpfaltz, Mittelhein and Nahe – the first three are important.

·         Elegantly light & dry – some slightly sweet.

·         Liebfraumilch used to be a wine from Rheinhessen, now a generic term for all Rhein wines.

·         The English refer to Rhein wines as Hock wines – from Hockheimer, a popular wine.

·         Rhein bottles are made of brown glass.

·         The better-known wines are:

·         Rheingau – Winkeler, Johannesberger, Eltviller

·         Rheinhessen – Bingener, Oppenheimer, Nackenheimer

·         Rheinpfalz – Wackenheimer, Ungsteiner, Forster

Mosel wines

·         Another major region: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

·         The valleys of the Mosel river and its two tributaries.

·         Slightly less sweet than Rhein wines – lower strength.

·         High natural acidity but with good balance.

·         Mosel bottles are made of green glass.

·         The better-known wines are:

·         Mosel – Bernkastler Doktor, Piesporter, Zeltingener

·         Saar – Ockfeler, Wiltengener, Ayler

·         Ruwer – Grunhausener, Kaseler, Eitelsbacher

Franken (Franconia) wines

·         Much drier – less intense bouquet.

·         Referred to as Steinwein.

·         Marketed in flagon-shaped bottles – bocksbeutel.

·         Some better-known wines: Winterhausener, Kitzingener, Stettener, Randersacker, Eschendorfer

Baden-Württemberg wines

·         States of Baden and Württemberg have been merged.

·         Baden – rich, fruity & full-bodied whites.

·         Württemberg – more reds & rosés but better-known for whites.

·         Some better-known wines:   Kaiserstuhler, Buehler, Ortenauer

·         Other regions (not much important)

·         Ahr – main region for reds.

·         Bergstrasse – the smallest region.

GERMAN SPARKLING WINES

·         Generic term is Schaumwein. Most likely to be made from French/Italian grapes/wines. German grapes are too expensive for making Schaumwein.

·         If made from 100% German grapes, its termed as Qualitätsschaumwein.

·         If secondary fermentation in bottle, its termed as Sekt.

·         German sparkling wines have a stronger bouquet & flavour compared to nthe French ones.

·         More schaumwein is produced than champagne.

Some well-known brands: Rüttgers Club, Deinhard Kabinett, Faber Krünung, Kurpferberg Gold

·         Crackling wine: Perlwein

GERMAN WINE LABELS

·         Seems to be confusing – actually gives very specific and detailed information.

Label Info

·         Wine category: QmP, QbA, Tafelwein, etc.

·         QmP wines: degree of ripeness.

·         Region: Rheingau, Ruwer, etc.

·         Village and/or Vineyard: Bernkastler Doktor (village followed by vineyard), Bereich Bernkastler (collective vineyard), etc.

·         Amtliche Prüfungsnummer (AP No.) – indicates year of examination, community number, examination board number, bottler number, etc.

·         Vintage year: 85% grapes from the declared vintage year.

·         Alcohol-content

·         Content

·         Bottler: Abfuller

·         Bottled by producer/grower: Erzengerabfüllung

·         From the producer’s own harvest: Aus eigenem Lesegut

·         Grape name mentioned on most. If not, either an easily recognisable wine from Riesling or the maker does not want attention.