Germany

Question 1

germany has some of the … most and … est vineyards in the northern hemisphere

Answer 1

norhternmost and coolest vineyards in the northern hemisphere

Question 2

what is the principal white grape of germany

Answer 2

riesling

Question 3

what are the 2 main rivers in germany and in what regions are they?

Answer 3

• mosel river = runs through the mosel region

- Rhine river = runs though the Rheingau region

Question 4

German wine regions are called …

Answer 4

anbaugebiete

Question 5

germany has 13 Anbaugebiete (wine regions).

Which are main important

Answer 5

1. mosel
2. rheingau
3. rheinhessen
4. pfalz

Question 6

in which quadrant of germany are the bulk of Germany’s wine regions located ?

Answer 6

southwestern quadrant, near France and switzerland

Question 7

what is the general climate of germany?

Answer 7

cool continental

Question 8

what are some features that help moderate the climate of germany

Answer 8

• rivers (e.g. the mosel and Rhine)

- moutpains (e.g. tanks, haardt)

Question 9

besides moderating climate, what other benefit do rivers provide?

Answer 9

reflects sunlight, which is vital to ripening grapes in cool growing regions like germany.

Question 10

generally, where are grapes planted in germany?

a. valley floors facing any direction
b. hillsides facing south

Answer 10

b. 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

Question 11

what are the soils of germany

Answer 11

they vary depending on the region, but the top vineyards are planted on:

• blue slate (mosel)
• red slate (Rheingau)
• basalt (baden)

Question 12

what are the advantages of German vineyards being planted on slate and basalt?

Answer 12

• absorb heat during the day

- release that heat overnight in this very cool climate

Question 13

what are the white grapes of germany

Answer 13

riesling
muller-thurgau
silvaner

Question 14

what is germanys red grape

Answer 14

pinot noir, aka spätburgunder

Question 15

what percent of production in germany is white wine?

Answer 15

70%

Question 16

what fermentation vessels are typically used in germany?

Answer 16

• stianless steel

- large, old, neutral barrels

Question 17

what is chaptalisation?

Answer 17

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).

Question 18

is chaptalization allowed in germany

Answer 18

yes, but it’s really only used for low-quality level wines (not prädikat wines)

Question 19

in germany, wines can be fermented to:

a. fully dry
b. off dry
c. sweet
d. all levels from dry to sweet

Answer 19

d. all levels from dry to sweet

Question 20

what does the term ‘Trocken’ mean in English?

Answer 20

dry

Question 21

In germany, wines WITHOUT geographic indication are called …

Answer 21

wein

Question 22

in germany, wines WITH geographic indication have three levels:

Answer 22

1. landwein (PGI)
2. Qualitätswein (PDO)
3. Prädikatswein (PDO)

Question 23

landwein (PGI) wines are:

a. regional, acceptable, quality, rarely exported
b. single site, high quality, rarely exported

Answer 23

a. regional, acceptable quality, rarely exported

Question 24

what is a Qualitätswein

Answer 24

a wine from one of the 13 anbaugebiete

wines of this level can be dry to sweet

Question 25

Prädikatswein is a subset of ... wines | How many prädikat levels are there?

Answer 25

subset of Qualitätswein | 6 prädikat levels

Question 26

what are the 6 prädikat levels from lowest price/ ripeness to highest price / ripeness?

Answer 26

1. kabinett 2. spälese 3. auslese 4. beerenauslese 5. eiswein 6. trockenbeerenauslese

Question 27

which 3 of the prädikat levels are most used as table wines?

Answer 27

1. kabinett 2. spätlese 3. auslese

Question 28

what does spätlese translate to in English? | what does auslese translate to in English?

Answer 28

``` spätlese = late harvest auslese = selected harvest ```

Question 29

what kind of grapes are eisweins made from?

Answer 29

frozen grapes

Question 30

of the 3 highest price/ripeness prädikats levels, which 2 will always be affected by botrytis?

Answer 30

1. Beerenauslese (BA) | 2. Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)

Question 31

when someone says, "all German wines are always sweet,", what do you know to be true?

Answer 31

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 vilified == to complete the dryness or medium-sweetness -- is up to the winemaker

Question 32

which 3 prädikat levels can be fermented dry and have Trocken on the label

Answer 32

1. kabinett 2. spätlese 3. auslese

Question 33

what does VDP stand for (what is it spelled out)?

Answer 33

Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter

Question 34

who is in the VDP and what do they set out to do?

Answer 34

The VDP is an organizaiton 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.

Question 35

what region outside of germany does the VDP emulate and model their classification after?

Answer 35

Burgundy

Question 36

what are the typical wines made under the VDP classifications?

Answer 36

dry rieslings

Question 37

in what year was the VDP founded?

Answer 37

1910

Question 38

grosses gewächs: - what does it translate to in English? - these wines are always .... - grapes come from ...

Answer 38

- translated to great growth - wines are always dry - grapes from top vineyards

Question 39

is grosses Gewächs a legal term?

Answer 39

no; it's a term used by the VDP classifying a dry wine from a top site

Question 40

what does the German term Gemeinde mean in English?

Answer 40

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.

Question 41

on a German wine label, the first word (of the two words together) that ends in -er is the ...

Answer 41

village, or gemeinde

Question 42

what is an einzellage

Answer 42

single vineyard

Question 43

which of Germany's wine regions is the oldest?

Answer 43

Mosel

Question 44

on what parallel is the mosel wine region?

Answer 44

49th parallel

Question 45

what is the climate of the mosel

Answer 45

cool contintental

Question 46

which river helps moderate the mosel wine region

Answer 46

mosel river

Question 47

what is the landscape of the mosel wine region

Answer 47

very steep, south-facing vineyards

Question 48

what is the soil of them Mosel wine region

Answer 48

slate - porous, well draining - excellent heat retention

Question 49

what grapes are grown in the mosel

Answer 49

riesling

Question 50

riesling grown in the mosel is typically: a. ultra-ripe, low acid, high alcohol, dry b. ripe, medium acid and alcohol, dry c. just-rip, high acid, low alcohol, off-dry

Answer 50

c. just-ripe, high acid, low alcohol, off-dry

Question 51

most mosel rieslings are vilified in what type of vessel

Answer 51

stainless steel

Question 52

why do most mosel rieslings have residual sugar

Answer 52

to blanke out the ripping-high acidity think lemonade: if there's too much lemon juice (acidity), you need sugar to balance out that sharpness

Question 53

why are most mosel rieslings so low in alcohol?

Answer 53

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

Question 54

name two gemeinden (villages) in the mosel famous for their rieslings

Answer 54

1. Ürzig | 2. Piesport

Question 55

the Rheingau is north or south of the mosel

Answer 55

south of the mosel

Question 56

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

Answer 56

Taunus mountains | these mountains protect the Rheingau from cold northerly winds

Question 57

what is the climate of the rheingau

Answer 57

continental | Rheingau is a bit warmer than the mosel due to its being further south

Question 58

which river runs through the rheingau

Answer 58

rhine river

Question 59

what is the soil of the rheingau

Answer 59

slate for top vineyards with some clay and sand on lower slopes

Question 60

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

Answer 60

south-facing vineyards on the long slope on the north side of the Rhine river

Question 61

what are the grapes grown in the rheingau

Answer 61

- riesling (white) | - spätburgunder (red)

Question 62

name 1 famous vineyard in the rheingau

Answer 62

schloss johannisberg

Question 63

what is cluster eberbach

Answer 63

orginally, 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

Question 64

where is the rheinhessen in relation to the rheingau

Answer 64

south of rheingau

Question 65

what is the climate of rheinhessen

Answer 65

contintental

Question 66

what is the landscape of the rheinhessen

Answer 66

flat with fertile soil

Question 67

what are the soils of the rheinhessen

Answer 67

- red sandstone | - slate

Question 68

what are the white grapes of rheinhessen

Answer 68

- riesling - muller-thurgau - silvaner

Question 69

rheinhessen is the ... est wine region in germany

Answer 69

largest

Question 70

what is liebfraumilch

Answer 70

an inexpensive, sweet white wine made mostly from Muller thurgau. it was heavily exported in the 1980s and very popular at the time, but ended up being a blemish on the perception of German wines for decades

Question 71

where are the top vineyards in the rheinhessen located

Answer 71

a thin ribbon of steep hills on the WEST bank of the Rhine river, between Nackenheim and Nierstein. This area is best known for today's high quality, dry rieslings

Question 72

the Pfalz region in germany is pretty much a continuation of the ... region in france

Answer 72

alsace

Question 73

what river separates the Pfalz from alsace

Answer 73

rhine river

Question 74

what is the mountain range on west side of pfalz

Answer 74

haardt mountains

Question 75

the haardt mountains are an extension of what other mountain range

Answer 75

vosges mountain range

Question 76

the haardt mountains provide the Pfalz with a ... ...

Answer 76

rain shadow

Question 77

between the Pfalz's southerly latitude and it being in a rain shadow, it has one of the ... growing areas in germany

Answer 77

warmest

Question 78

what is the soil in pfalz

Answer 78

limestone

Question 79

what are the white grapes of pfalz

Answer 79

- riesling - weissburgunder (pinot blanc) - grauburgunder (pinot gris)

Question 80

what is the red grape of the pfalz

Answer 80

spätburgunder, aka pinot noir

Question 81

what style of wine does the Pfalz mainly produce

Answer 81

dry wines pfalz rieslings tend to be fuller, riper, and higher in alcohol vs Mosel rieslings