Wset Advanced: Chapter 23. Germany

Front 1

How do Germans classify quality in their wines

Back 1

The must weight of the grapes after harvest.

Front 2

Deutscher Wein

Back 2

Wine produced and blended form anywhere in Germany.

Front 3

Geographical Classification in Germany (4)

Back 3

Four different sizes of delineation.
Anbaugebiet
Bereich
Grosslage
Einzellage

Front 4

Anbaugebiet

Back 4

Designated wine producing regions of Germany. The Anbaugebiet must always appear on the label.

Front 5

How many Anbaugebiet are there?

Back 5

13

Front 6

Bereich

Back 6

This is a district within an Anbaugebiet. These districts are large and there may be more than one with an Anbaugebiet. Usually Bereich appears on the label alongside the village or district name.

Front 7

Einzellage

Back 7

An individual wine producing vineyard. Unfortunately the word 'Einzellage' isn't put beside the vineyard name itself, so it may cause confusion.

Front 8

Grosslage

Back 8

A group of vineyards that can often cover an area of over 1000 hectares. Unfortunately this name is often confused with the Einzellage name.

Front 9

PDO wines

Back 9

Protected Denomination of Origin. In Germany it's called geschutzte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g.U.).

Front 10

(g.U.)

Back 10

Protected Denomination of Origin. Guarantees the origin of where the grapes are grown and where the wine is made.

Front 11

QbA (Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete) (5)

Back 11

- Wines that are produced from grapes grown exclusively in one of the thirteen regions

- Blending with other regions is forbidden

- Must show the region from which it's made and must give some indication of the style.

- May undergo must enrichment

- Minimum must weight is lower than Pradikatswein

Front 12

Pradikatswein (4)

Back 12

- Indicates a quality wine with special attributes
- The grapes must come from a single Bereich
- No must enhancement, can use sussreserve post-fermentation however.
- Must show which of the six levels of Pradikat it belongs to.

Front 13

Pradikat specifications (3)

Back 13

- Defined in law with ascending levels of must weight.
- While this could be a guide to determine sweetness in wine it is not reliable because it is not a marker of residual sugar
- Defines wine from a specific Bereich

Front 14

The six pradikat levels

Back 14

- Kabinett

- Spatlese

- Auslese

- Beerenauslese

- Trockenbeerenauslese

- Eiswein

Front 15

Kabinett (4)

Back 15

-Rieslings made in this style will be light bodied,

-high in acidity,

- with flavours of green apple and citrus.

- Dry styles are 12% ABV. Sweet are 8-9%

Front 16

Spatlese (6)

Back 16

- Late harvest wine
- More concentrated flavours
- More body
- Second Pradikat level
- Less green fruits, more citrus and stonefruit
- Can be sweet or dry

Front 17

Auslese (4)

Back 17

- Wines are made from individually selected bunches.
- Highest pradikat level that can appear as a dry wine
- Rich and ripe
- Can be made goldkapsel

Front 18

Goldkapsel

Back 18

A style of Ausles reisling tha can exhibit an overt Botrytis character.

Front 19

Beerenauslese (5)

Back 19

- Indicates a rare expensive sweet wine
- Made from individually selected grapes
- Ideally with flavours and acids enhanced by noble rot
- high labour costs
- makes rich wines that are ripe, sweet and high in acidity

Front 20

Eiswein (6)

Back 20

- Made from grapes that are frozen on the vine
- Requires temperatures lower than -8ºC
- Ice remains in the press, highly concentrated must is made. - Pure fruit flavours with very high acidity and sweetness.
- Sugar content will be at least as sweet as BA wines
- Very low yield, high cost

Front 21

Trockenbeerenauslese (6)

Back 21

- Small production
- Made from grapes that have the highest must weights in Germany
- Made only in the finest vintages
- Rarely has more than 8% ABV
- Very high residual sugar/acidity
- Top quality TBA are among the world's most expensive wines

Front 22

Explain the laws surrounding Pradikat harvest

Back 22

- BA and TBA must be hand harvested

- Individual state governments have the authority to decide if Ausles or Eiswein harvest will be by hand or mechanical

Front 23

g.g.A.

Back 23

German PGI labelling system. Terms are registered with EU.

Front 24

Landwein (3)

Back 24

- Must be trocken or halb-trocken

- Must weight should be higher than deutscher wein

- Accounts for a small percentage of production

Front 25

Deutscher Wein (3)

Back 25

- Uses juice from anywhere in Germany
- Allows blending across Germany
- Some large-volume inexpensive brands are in this category.

Front 26

Trocken

Back 26

Dry

Front 27

Halb-Trocken (2)

Back 27

- Off-dry

- There is a growing trend to use the word 'feinherb' instead

Front 28

Classic (6)

Back 28

- Harmoniously dry PDO wines

- Above average quality

- Minimum alcohol level of 12% (11.5% in Mosel)

- Maximum residual sugar content 15g/l

- Single vintage, single region. Stated on label.

- Varietal wines that are typical for their region

Front 29

Selection (6)

Back 29

- Harmoniously dry PDO wines
- Must weight of Auslese +
- Maximum residual sugar 9g/l (12g/l for riesling)
- Single vintage,
- single einsellage.
- Not common. Most wines that would qualify would also qualify for prestigous VDP labels.

Front 30

VDP

Back 30

Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter

Prestigious association of the self-appointed best producers in Germany

Front 31

How does the VDP labelling system work? (3)

Back 31

- Obliged to maintain an unwavering commitment to quality

- Recognition of the very best vineyards in Germany

- Trademarks are of their own labelling and terminology, they are not recognized by German wine law.

Front 32

Erste Lage (3)

Back 32

- Very best vineyards of VDP, and Germany itself.
- Logo is of a number 1 and a bunch of grapes
- Varities are limited to 5

Front 33

What varieties are permitted in Erste Lage wines (5)

Back 33

- Varieties are limited to Riesling, Sylvaner, Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder, Spatburgunder

Front 34

Grosses Gewachs

Back 34

- Term launched in 2001 to label dry Erste Lage wines

Front 35

Erstes Gewachs (3)

Back 35

- Used in the Rheingau
- The term that preceded Grosses Gewachs
- Still incorporated into the wine law of Hessen

Front 36

If a VDP member wants to make a sweet pradikat styled wine. . .

Back 36

- Must conform to a higher must weight than what is required by German wine law

- Can be labelled Erst Lage, just not Grosses Gewachs (seems obvious)

Front 37

Germany (climate) (4)

Back 37

- Cool continental, northern limit for ripening grapes
- Southern Baden vineyards are moderate
- Long dry autumn
- Large variance in weather conditions from year to year, vintages are important.

Front 38

How does noble rot develop in Germany?

Back 38

Germany's autumns are long and relatively mild. Usually they are dry, but if they are humid then noble rot develops.

Front 39

How does Germany's long autumns affect the wines?

Back 39

The cool long ripening period gives the time to develop a good level of natural sugar while retaining their acidity.

Front 40

What are some ways terroir is used to ripen grapes in Germany (4)

Back 40

- Increased slope helps increase sun exposure

- Stony soils help re-radiate sun and heat soils

- Southern facing aspect greatly increases sun

- Proximity to water lowers diurnal range and helps maximize growing season

Front 41

What are the most important grape varieties (3 white) ( 2 black)

Back 41

- Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Sylvaner

- Spatburgunder, Dornfelder

Front 42

Riesling (6)

Back 42

- Most famous and most planted (20%)

- Ripens late

- Because of it's hardiness and it's high levels of acidity, Riesling is ideal for late harvest wines

- Expresses itself differently from region to region

- Flavours can range from green fruit and floral notes to Stone fruit and citrus.

- Can be extremely long lived.

Front 43

Muller-Thurgau (5)

Back 43

- Crossing between Riesling and Madeline Royale
- Ripens early
- Does not have the same level of acidity or flavour as Riesling
- suited for bulk production
- When yields are controlled, it produces an attractive floral fruity aroma

Front 44

Silvaner (5)

Back 44

- Traditionally found in places where it has a following. Rheinhessen and Franken

- Ripens early

- Moderate acidity, neutral fruit

- Earthy quality

- Can produce premium wines

Front 45

Grauburgunder/Rulander

Back 45

Pinot Gris(dry) / Pinot Gris (sweet)

Front 46

Weissburgunder

Back 46

Pinot Blanc

Front 47

Schereube (3)

Back 47

- Silvaner x Riesling

- Strong grapefruit aromas

- really good for sweet wines

Front 48

Spätburgunder (3)

Back 48

- Thrives in warmer climates (Pfalz, Baden, Ahr)

- Traditional made lighter bodied fruitier styles

- Lately there has been success with full bodied styles with oak aging.

Front 49

Dornfelder (4)

Back 49

- Developed recently (1956)
- Deeply pigmented skins
- High yields
- suited for cold climates, ripens early

Front 50

What are some other black grape varieties (3)

Back 50

- Portugeiser

- Trollinger

- Scwharzreisling

Front 51

What are two styles of vineyards in Germany?

Back 51

- Premium hillside slope vineyards

- Flat valley bulk producing vineyards

Front 52

What viticultural techniques are typical of the sloped vineyards? (4)

Back 52

- Can be sloped or terraced
- All work has to be done by hand
- On steeper slopes, vines have to be staked. Trellised on lesser slopes.
- Canes are tied to maximize exposure and aeration

Front 53

Describe the protracted nature of a German Harvest (3)

Back 53

- It is possible to create a range of QbA and Pradikatswein from one single vineyard

- Different grapes with different must weights are sorted to make different wines

- Often vineyard workers will do up to seven selective pickings for different quality levels.

Front 54

Describe the role of Chaptalization in German wine (4)

Back 54

- Used because of the marginal climate

- Not permitted for Pradikatswein

- Not permitted for VDP wines

- Permitted for Qualitatswein

Front 55

In what style are the great white wines of Germany made? (6)

Back 55

- Made to characterize the purity of the fruit
- Can be accented by careful selection of yeasts
- Adjustments and treatments are minimized
- Juice is handled with care
- Old oak vats may be used, but no overt oak flavour will exist in the wine
- Some producers use skin and lee contact

Front 56

Which varieties will the great producers still add oak to? (3)

Back 56

- Grauburgunder

- Spatburgunder

- Chardonnay

Front 57

Sweet wine making in Germany (4)

Back 57

- Perfect sugar/acid balance is the hallmark of excellence

- Sweet wines from Auslese down have the fermentations arrested to maintain sugar

- For BA+ the musts are so sweet that there yeast can't ferment to dryness

- Adding sussreserve to sweeten Pradikat wines in considered less harmonious

Front 58

Mosel (1-3)

Back 58

1. Riesling and other white grapes. 2. Cold climate. Mosel river and tributaries help moderate conditions. 3. Shale is important. Helps reflect sunlight and warm the soil at night. Best villages enjoy good shale soils. Slopes are south facing and steep. They enjoy more sunlight and less frost than the valleys.

Front 59

Mosel (4-6)

Back 59

4. Sloped vineyards are hand worked, staked and harvested later. Valley vineyards are machine worked and trellised in rows. 5. Good Mosel will have medium sweetness with a taut balance in acidity. Low alcohol. 6. Sloped vineyards are sold as Einsellage wines as where the valley wines are sold as grosslage or beirich wines

Front 60

In detail: Piesport labelling controversy

Back 60

German labels do not indicate whether the stated name is an Einsellage or Beriech. There is a massive difference in quality between the two. Piesport Goldtropfchen is a prestigious einzellage, Piesport Michelsberg is noted for inexpensive bulk wines

Front 61

Describe the flavour profile of a Mosel Riesling (5)

Back 61

- Low alcohol
- Medium sweetness
- Light body
- High acidity
- Aromas of green apples and floral notes

Front 62

Saar (3)

Back 62

- Accounts for a tiny percentage of plantings in Mosel
- Best wines are similar in style and quality, often showing an even higher level of acidity
- In cooler vintages grapes do not ripen fully and must be used for sparkling wine

Front 63

Ruwer

Back 63

- Accounts for a tiny percentage of plantings in Mosel

- Best wines are similar in style and quality, often showing an even higher level of acidity

- In cooler vintages grapes do not ripen fully and must be used for sparkling wine

Front 64

Nahe (1-3)

Back 64

1. Mostly Riesling. Dornfelder 25%. 2. Weather is warmer than Mosel 3. Soils are varied. Includes slate, porphyz, sandstone and quartz. The best sites are situated on the banks of the Nahe river. They are as steep as the slopes of Mosel.

Front 65

Nahe (4-6)

Back 65

4. Better sites are grown on the southern facing slopes. 5. Wines have riper fruit. More often wines are being fermented dry. 6. Schlossbockelheim is a prestigious village in the area

Front 66

Describe a Nahe Riesling (3)

Back 66

- Has pronounced acidity of Mosel wines
- Style is in between the Mosel light body and the and the full bodied Rhine wines.
- Increasingly wines are being made dry

Front 67

Name the Mosel villages (4)

Back 67

- Bernkastel

- Piersport

- Ruwer

- Saar

Front 68

How are the Mosel wines priced?

Back 68

QbA and Prad. wines from Einzellagen: med to premium + priced.

Grosslage wine: Low priced

Front 69

How are the Nahe wines priced?

Back 69

QbA and Prad. wines from Einzellagen: med to premium + priced.

Front 70

Name the prominent Bereich of Nahe

Back 70

Schlossbockelheim

Front 71

Rheinghau (base info) (4)

Back 71

- Small prestigious region
- The river Main swells and runs east to west allowing for km of southerly slope
- Humidity and mountain shelter creates a warm climate
- Home to a world famous viticultural research station

Front 72

Rheingau (1-3)

Back 72

1. Mainly Riesling. 2. Warmer climate than Mosel due to the shelter provided by the northerly Taunus hills and the Rhine river. Humid conditions generated by the Rhine aid in the production of BA and TBA. 3. Soils are stony and varied. Slopes are usually modest compared to Mosel, with the exception of Rudesheim.

Front 73

Rheingau (4-6)

Back 73

4. Staked and trellised vines. Hand worked and harvested. Harvested in selective pickings. 5. Rheingau was the pioneer of the dry Riesling movement. Some of the best BA and TBA wines are made here as well. 6. Because of the full exposure to sunlight, ripe full bodied styles can age for long periods.

Front 74

Describe the flavour profile of a Rheingau Riesling (3)

Back 74

- Med to Full bodied

- Can be dry to TBA

- Ripe peachy character

Front 75

Describe the wines of Johannisberg (5)

Back 75

- Situated in Rheingau

-Warm-ish climate

- Together with Geisenheim accounts for the bulk of Rheingau production

- Makes ripe rieslings from dry to TBA

- Premium quality

Front 76

Describe the wines of Geisenheim (3)

Back 76

- Humidity can help creat botrytis
- Makes ripe rieslings from dry to TBA
- Premium quality

Front 77

Describe the wines of Rudesheim (5)

Back 77

- Situated in Rheingau

- Warm-ish climate

- Steepest slopes

- Makes ripe rieslings from dry to TBA

- Premium quality; best in Rheingau.

Front 78

What are the two geological factors that influence the climate of the Rheingau

Back 78

- Shelter from the Taunus hills

- Moderation from the Rhine river

Front 79

How are the Rheingau wines priced?

Back 79

QbA and Prad. wines from Einzellagen: med to premium + priced.

Front 80

What are the main varieties used in Rheinhessen? (white 4) (black 3)

Back 80

White: Muller Thurgau, Rielsing, Grauburgunder and Sylvaner

Black: Dornfelder, Portugeiser, Spatburgunder

Front 81

Rheinhessen (1-3)

Back 81

1. Mostly Muller-Thurgau overall. Bulk Muller in West, pemium Riesling in the East 2. Climate is much warmer in the Eastern vineyards, due to the proximity to the Rhine river. 3. Steep southern facing banks near the Rhine.

Front 82

Rheinhessen (4-5)

Back 82

4. Riesling is grown on the Rhine banks whereas Muller is grown in the West. 5. Rheinhessen gained notoriety due to quality wines produced by the rhine, however recently bulk wines made in the West dampenned that reputation. Rhine wines are full bodied. Inland wines are simple light wines.

Front 83

Describe the story for Rheinhessen (3)

Back 83

- Gained notoriety for great wines produced on the banks of the river Rhine, especially Nierstein, Oppenheim.

- Large co-ops started growing massive productions of sweet Muller in the 50's, Rheinhessen lost reputation

- Now the west is learning to make quality wines with innovative techniques.

Front 84

Nierstein (3)

Back 84

- Village in Rheinhessen

- Quality wines from this village built the notoriety of premium Rheinhessen wines

- Steeply sloped.

Front 85

What are the top three producing wine anbaugebiet?

Back 85

- Rheinhessen

- Pfalz

- Baden

Front 86

Pfalz (1-3)

Back 86

1. Riesling but many others are made here. Including Dornfelder, Portugeiser and Spatburgunder. 2. Shares the dry climate of Alsace. Is by far the driest area of Germany, can even see drought. 3. Since the Haardt are a continuation of the Vosges, soils will be a stark variance.

Front 87

Pfalz (4-5)

Back 87

4. Like Rheinhessen, there are the classic Riesling producing vineyards set up on slopes and then there are the bulk producers. 5. A stunning diversity of styles can be seen here. Full bodied Riesling is made from the terraced vineyards. Amibtous red wine makers make great dry Spatburgunder and Dornfelder.

Front 88

Describe a Weissburgunder and Grauburgunder from Pflaz (3)

Back 88

Rising popularity
- Highly concentrated
- Oak influence
- Full bodied

Front 89

Describe a Liebfraumilch Pfalz Riesling (3)

Back 89

- Full bodied
- Ripe succulent style
- stone fruit and citrus

Front 90

Baden (1-3)

Back 90

1. Spatburgunder is the most widely planted variety followed by Muller and Grauburgunder. 2. Medium continental. Warmest areas in Germany. Region is spread out over many sites bordering France and Switzerland. Soils are varied but Kaiserstuhl is situated on a volcano, so that's pretty neat.

Front 91

Baden (4-6)

Back 91

4. Varied. 5. Makes many styles, but most noted for quality Pinot Noir fermented dry. This wine is deeply coloured and sometimes oaked. 6. Baden wines are highly regarded on the domestic market, so they are difficult to find elsewhere.

Front 92

Kaiserstuhl (3)

Back 92

- Situated on an extinct volcano
- Makes full bodied concentrated Spatburgunder
- Best of Baden Spatburgunder

Front 93

Franken (4)

Back 93

- Here Silvaner gets the best sites, makes premium wines

- Great Muller-thurgau

- Unique flask shaped bottles

- Due to fall frosts, Riesling is in lower standings

Front 94

Ahr (2)

Back 94

- Known for elegant Spatburgunder

- Northern proximity yet it has a warm microclimate