Germany Flashcards
(161 cards)
1
Q
What is the main climate of Germany?
A
Cool continental
2
Q
Why is site selection important?
A
Due to the high latitude
3
Q
What plays a moderating effect on the cool climate?
A
-Rivers (Rhine)
-Radiate heat, moderating temperatures and extending the growing season
4
Q
What is the best exposure for vineyards?
A
-South-facing slopes to maximise sun exposure
- can be very steep up to 70% gradients in Mosel)
5
Q
What are the winters like in Germany?
A
-Cold, allows eiswein production
6
Q
What is a risk in spring?
A
-Frost, rivers and plantings on slopes to mitigate the effects
7
Q
What about rainfall?
A
-500-800 mm of which lots falls in summer
-risk of: fungal disease, dilution of grapes and when heavy storms: hail
8
Q
What are the autumns like in Germany?
A
-long&dry extending the growing season
-grapes can accumulate high levels of sugar suitable for Pradikatswein
-morning mist from river can help botrytis develop
9
Q
What are the 2 mountains in Germany, what do they do?
A
-Taunus&Haardt
-shelter vineyards from cold winds & worst rain
10
Q
Which soil type is predominant in the Mosel&Ahr? describe its features
A
-dark-coloured slate
-retains heat during the day&radiates the heat during the night
11
Q
Which grape varieties grow best on calcareous soils?
A
-Spatburgunder, weissburgunder & chardonnay in baden, pfalz & rheinhessen
-in Franken, Silvaner grows best on calcareous soils
12
Q
Which soil does grauburgunder prefer?
A
-heavier clay soils
13
Q
What is a major problem in the Mosel and Rheingau regarding soils?
A
-Erosion on steep slopes
- soils&rocks need to be placed back on the slopes = high costs for vineyard maintenance
14
Q
How many ha under vine does Germany have?
A
100.000
around 9 million hl
15
Q
Why is good canopy management important?
A
-to maximise sun exposure
-air circulation to reduce risk of disease caused by wet summers
16
Q
What shift has there been regarding grape varieties?
A
-From 90% white to 39% red in 2017
- ince 1990s more interest in Grau & weissburgunder and to lesser extent in chardonnay
17
Q
Why is Riesling so popular in Germany?
A
-can survive the cold german winters
-late budding with thick wood -> fairly frost resistant
18
Q
When does Riesling ripen? What does this mean?
A
-Late-ripening
-needs good sun exposure & dry autumns
-cooler years and sites: may not fully ripen
19
Q
How is greater consistency in terms of ripening Riesling achieved?
A
-Improved vineyard management techniques
-rising temperatures
20
Q
What about the acidity levels in Riesling?
A
-High
-Maintains high acidity levels, even when fully ripe
-provides good balance in sweet wines
-ageing potential
21
Q
What about sugar levels in Riesling?
A
-Can develop high natural sugars
-also susceptible for botrytis
- suitable for sweet wine production
22
Q
Why was Muller Thurgau developed?
A
- To have a grape variety that ripens earlier than riesling in a cool climate
23
Q
What are the characteristics of Muller Thurgau?
A
-High yielding -> inexpensive blends such as liebfraumilch
-lower acidity and structure than riesling
-simple floral&fruity aroma
24
Q
Which style of spatburgunder can be produced in Germany?
A
-High quality, complex, often oak aged (less new oak)
25
What is a winemaking technique which can be used for spatburgunder?
-Whole bunch fermentation
-to add tannins from stems without the use of oak
26
What is the style of Dornfelder? describe the 2 styles
-deep in colour
-high acidity
-fruity&floral notes
-style 1: fruity, early drinking, can have little residual sugar, sour cherry and blackberry
-style 2: complex style, ageing potential,lower yielding, focus on tannin&structure and fermented/aged in oak
27
In which areas is Dornfelder successful?
-Rheinhessen and Pfalz
28
What is the style of Silvaner?
-lower in acidity and less aromatic than Riesling
-high volume, inexpensive wines
-green to tropical fruit
-when yields controlled: high quality, dry, earthy character
29
Where is Weissburgunder grown? Describe the style
-Pfalz, Baden, Rheinhessen
-very good quality with aromas of citrus and stonefruit
-medium (+) acidity
30
Where is grauburgunder grown? Describe its style
-Pfalz, Baden, Rheinhessen
-sometimes oak aged
-very good quality, medium acidity, stonefruit and tropical, sometimes dried fruit
-dry & med body to sweet & full body
31
Since when is Chardonnay allowed? producing which style?
-1990
-high quality often oak aged from warmer areas: Kaiserstuhl in Baden and Southern Pfalz
32
What about the crossing Scheurebe, why is this variety successful?
-others too high levels of sugar and lower acidity = no balance
-scheurebe= full bodied, ripe grapefruit and peach with lower acidity than Riesling but still age worthy
33
What are 2 common practices regarding winemaking with inexpensive high volume wines?
-enrichment (up to 3% abv and 2% in baden, not allowed in pradikatswein)
-de-acidification
34
What winemaking technique can be used for premium Riesling?
-fermentation and maturation in old oak vessels
35
Which type of oak is used in Germany?
-German oak for large oak vessels (1000 litres fuder of Mosel or Oval shaped 1200 ltr)
-French oak for small barriques
36
Why is stainless steel the main fermentation vessel in Germany?
-for inexpensive wines: easy temp. control, cleaning and use of large vessels + no oxygen and addition of flavours
-premium Riesling: to maintain primary aromas
37
Why is new oak not used for Riesling?
-Could mask primary aromas
38
How was sweet wine traditionally made?
-residual sugar was fermented to dryness
-post-fermentation: sussreserve added (unfermented or partially fermented grape must)
39
Can sussreserve come from the same must as the wine? If so, explain
-Yes
-Pre-fermentation, part taken from must -> clarified, chilled and s02 added to remain fresh
-then: added back to fermented wine to create desired sweetness level
-min/no alc may reduce the alcohol level of the final wine (depending on the amount added)
-said to give less balanced wines
40
What is the other method of making sweet wines?
-stopping fermentation by adding so2 when desired residual sugar levels are reached
-racked or filtered
-for quality concious producers
41
What about the fermentation of (T)BA & Eiswein?
-high must weight and slow fermentation (up to several months for TBA)
Results in: fermentation can stop naturally leaving high levels of residual sugar behind and low levels of alcohol
42
How are inexpensive red wines often made?
-thermovinification for quick extraction of colour and flavour
-may even be fermented off skins for fruity red wine with low tannins
-no oak
43
Which winemaking techniques are common for high quality red?
-cold maceration
-whole bunch fermentation
-oak maturation
44
Which 4 quality levels of wine are based on the must weight?
-Deutscherwein
-Landwein
-Qualitatswein
-Pradikatswein
45
If the wine is classified as Deutscherwein, where are the grapes sourced from? nad as Landwein?
-Deutscher wein: in or outside germany, no geographical indication
-Landwein: if region is stated on the label, at least 85%
46
Which sweetness levels can kabinett have?
-dry to medium sweet
47
describe the style of kabinett
-lightest body and highest acidity
-green & citrus aromas
48
What range are the alc percentages of kabinett?
-7-12% abv
49
What is the style of spatlese compared to kabinett?
-fully ripe grapes, picked 2 weeks later than kabinett
-also min. 7% abv
-greater concentration of riper fruit (stonefruits for riesling), higher alc levels
-
50
What style can auslese produce?
-dry to sweet
-from specially selected extra ripe grapes
- mostly hand harvested but not obligated
-riper and more concentrated than spatlese
-min 7% abv
-honey characteristic when affected by botrytis, adding to complexity
51
Why is hand harvest obligatory with Beerenauslese?
-because berries are carefully selected
52
What is the style of Beerenauslese?
-Sweet, min. 5.5 abv%
-no botrytis obligatory but common
-very ripe and dried stonefruits
53
in what years is Beerenauslese produced?
-when grapes are affected by noble rot
due to brief periods of humidity followed by sunny and dry afternoons
-very low yields + labour intensive = rare wines and expensive
54
How is eiswein made?
-berries need to be picked when frozen (below -7 degrees)
-fruit should be healthy: the unpleasant flavour of rot will be amplified along with other flavours
-need to be pressed when frozen: very small amounts of concentrated juice with high levels of acidity and sugar
55
What is the style of eiswein?
-high acidity, concentrated flavours of pure peach and grapefruit
-rare and sold at premium prices
56
Describe the style of TBA
-very high must weight -> affected by botrytis producing very concentrated, tiny shrivelled raisin-like grapes
-sweetness still balances acidity = ageing potential
-do rarely exceed 8% abv
-yields are extremely low (not more than 100 bottles per time), cannot be produced every year since botrytis is neccessary
=most expensive wine of germany
57
why do some producers use EU labelling terms?
-because consumers cannot tell what the residual sugar is of auslese, spatlese, kabinett or qualitatswein
- to create sweetness levels
58
up to how many grams of residual sugar is Trocken?
up to 4 grams
59
up to how many grams of residual sugar is halbtrocken (off-dry)
-4 to 12 grams
60
up to how many grams of redisudal sugar is lieblich (medium/medium sweet)?
-12 to 45 grams
61
Why do producers use Fernheib as labelling term?
-not defined by law
-who do not want to label as halbtrocken due to negative association
-can have slightly higher levels of residual sugar
62
What is goldkapsel?
-a gold capsule created in the Mosel
-No official labelling term
-indicated botrytis affected wines
- shorter capsules = higher levels of concentration than auslese
-longer capsules = even further levels
63
What are einzellagen?
- individual sites within wine producing districts
-from less than 1 ha up to over 200 ha
64
What are Grosslagen?
-collective vineyard sites
-can have einzellagen in them
-600-1800 ha
note: NOT CONFUSE WITH GROSSE LAGE VDP (one of top vineyards)
65
Is liebfraumilch legally defined? If yes, what are the requirements?
-Yes
-medium-dry white qualitatswein
-min. 18 g/l residual sugar
- at least 70& riesling, silvaner, muller thurgau or kerner
-most blends are muller thurgau dominated
-mainly from rheinhessen and pfalz
66
What is the VDP?
-Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter
-a hierarchy of vineyard sites with now 200 members
-vdp set up higher standards when pradikatswein was set up in 1971
-vdp logo must appear on the capsules
67
What makes VDP different from Pradikatswein?
-stricter regulations regarding grape growing and winemaking
- lower max. yields
-higher min. must weight
68
How must dry wines be labelled in VDP?
-as qualitatswein trocken
-pradikat levels only apply to wines with residual sweetness
69
What classification system did the VDP created?
-4-tier classification system
-applies ONLY to VDP members and is NOT A PART OF GERMAN WINE LAW
70
What is the 'lowest' tier of the VDP classification system? what are the maximum yields?
-vdp Gutswein
-75 hl/ha
71
Where is VDP Ortswein equivalent to?
-Burgundy Villages
- also max 75 hl/ha
72
What are the rules applicable to VDP Erste Lage?
-similar to premier cru from Burgundy
-max. 60 hl/ha
-must be hand harvested & ripe enough to qualify for spatlase
-vineyard name&village must appear on label
73
Where can Grosse Lage be compared with?
-Grand Cru Burgundy
-best parcels of best vineyards
-outstanding quality
74
What is the max. yield for Grosse Lage?
50 hl/ha
75
Where is Spatburgunder applying for Grosse Lage not allowed?
-In the Nahe&Mosel
76
When are dry white wines from Grosse Lage released?
Released no sooner than 1st september the year following the harvest
77
When are red wines from Grosse Lage released?
-12 months of minimum oak ageing
-not released 1st of september in the year after this oak ageing
78
What about sweet pradikat wines in Grosse Lage?
-can be sold 1st May year following harvest
79
What cannot be stated on the label regarding Grosse Lage?
-Grosses Gewachs for dry wines
-instead voor VDP wines: GG
80
What is the climate of Rheinhessen?
-Warm&dry
-sheltered by mountains (hunsruck&Taunus)
81
What are the soils in Rheinhessen?
-Warm and fertile
-valley floors
-inexpensive, high volume wines
82
Where is Rheinhessen famous for?
-Liebfraumilch
83
Which grape variety dominates in Rheinhessen?
- 71% white wine production
-Riesling, MT 2nd
84
Which black grape variety is leading in Rheinhessen?
Dornfelder
85
Regarding business, who produce which style of wine in Rheinhessen?
-Bulk production = merchant houses
-quality wine = small estates or co-operatives
86
Which area of Rheinhessen produces good quality wines? describe the features
-Rheinterrasse
-West bank of Nierstein and Oppenheim
-steep sloped vineyards
-east-facing aspect = morning sun = enhanced ripening
-proximity Rhine = moderating influence = warmer evening & autumn temp = longer ripening
87
Describe the style of a Rheinterrasse Riesling
Ripe lemon and peach
88
Which vineyards within Rheinterrasse are well reputated?
-Roter Hang
-due to soil: Rotliegenden soil
89
What are the features of Rotliegenden soil?
-Iron rich red soil of slate, clay & sandstone
-said to give smoky character to wine
90
Name another region within Rheinhessen gaining a better reputation for high quality Riesling and Spatburgunder
-Wonnegau
-South Rheinhessen
-Moderating influence from Rhine
91
What are qualitats&pradikatswein due to the revised german wine classification?
-protected designation of origin (PDO)
92
What is landwein due to the revised german wine classification? What is not allowed on the label?
-protected geographical indication
-may state 1 of defined landwein areas but not the village/vineyard
93
Is it allowed to enrich qualitatswein?
Yes
94
What is the range of Oechsle with qualitatswein?
between 50 and 72 degrees depending on the style
95
What is the range of Oechsle with pradikatswein?
between 70 and 154 degrees depending on style
96
What is the minimum must weight of eiswein?
same as Beerenauslese
97
What has been established in 2021? what are the tiers?
A geographic hierarchy for qualitats wein
-winegrowing area, region, village, vineyard
98
What is the German name for the winegrowing area?
-Anbaugebiet
-lowest tier
99
What is the German name for village?
-Ortwein = village wine with the village on the label
100
What is the German name for vineyard (highest tier of qualitatswein)?
-Einzellage = single vineyard
-dry and sweet
- further categories within vineyads= erstes gewachs and grosses gewachs
101
What is the location of Pfalz?
-Narrow strip of vineyards between haardt mountains to the west and rhine plain to the east
-remarkably not centred along river valley
102
What about the climate of the Pfalz?
-Runs North from Alsace -> haardt continuation of Vosges mountains providing rain shadow effect
-driest wine-producing area = drought can be an issue
103
Which grape varieties dominate in Pfalz?
-65% white
-25% of that Riesling
-also MT,grau and weiss
104
What is the style of Pfalz wine?
-fuller bodied and ripe fruit than Rheinhessen
-due to warmer temperatures
105
Where is the best quality wine produced in Pfalz? Why?
-Mittelhaardt around Bad durkheim,Wachenheim, Forst, Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg in Northern part of Pfalz
-South or east facing steep slopes in foothills of the haardt for maximised sunlight exposure, protected from winds = ripe, full-bodied riesling
106
What are the soil types in Pfalz?
-Diverse, creating different styles
-sandstone, limestone, basalt and clay
107
Where are inexpensive wines made in Pfalz?
-Sudliche weinstrasse
- inexpensive wines on more fertile sandstone soils
108
What is the most planted black variety in Pfalz?
Dornfelder
109
Why are pinot grapes common in Pfalz?
-Area has been under German and French rule
-similar climate to Alsace
110
Baden is split into 3 different areas. Where are they located?
-North of Heidelberg to Swiss border to the south
-between Franken and Wurttemberg
-East of Bodensee
111
Where are most vineyards located in Baden? What is its climate?
-Eastern side of Rhine opposite Alsace
-benefit from rain shadow Vosges Mountains + Southerly latitude = warmest, sunniest, driest wineproducing area of Germany
112
Which part of Baden makes fuller bodied spatburgunders?
-Kaiserstuhl = extinct volcano
-Steep, south-facing slopes
-high alc, complex, smoky ripe fruit
113
Which part creates more delicate spatburgunder?
-Cooler areas such as Ortenau
-Calcareous soil (around Tuniberg and Breisgau) = more acidity&delicate fruit
114
How many % of Baden plantings are white?
59%, mainly Muller Thurgau
115
What are the grapegrowing conditions of Baden?
-Warm&dry, ideal for high volume inexpensive wines
116
Which grape varieties are developing in terms of higher quality production in Baden?
-weissburgunder, grauburgunder and chardonnay
-often matured in oak
117
Who are the biggest producers in baden?
-Co-operatives, 75% of production
-Badischer Winzerkeller
118
What is the location of Wurttemberg?
-Around Stuttgart
-East of Baden
-South of Franken
119
What is the main style produced in Wurttemberg?
-light, fruity reds
-domestic market
120
What are the main producers in Wurttemberg?
-Co-operatives
-Moglingen
121
Where are higher quality wines produced in Wurttemberg?
-by smaller producers
-around river Neckar, steep, terraced vineyards
122
What is the climate of wurttemberg?
-warm summers temperatures
-spring frost can still be issue due to overall continental climate
-black grape varieties mostly planted (68%)
123
What are the most planted black grape varieties of Wurttemberg?
-Lemberger, Trollinger, Schwarzriesling (can differentiate on export markets with these grape varieties)
-also increasingly spatburgunder
124
apart from light bodied reds, which style can also be produced from Lemberger in particular?
-fuller bodied, higher alcohol, riper fruit
-often oak aged
125
What is the location of the Mosel?
-Most Northerly
-Site selection important to ensure grapes can ripen
126
What is the best aspect of vineyards in the Mosel?
-Steep, south-facing slopes overlooking river Mosel
-for better sun exposure and some sun reflected from the river
127
What is the famous soil type of Mosel?
-Dark coloured slate = radiates heat
-different soil structures&colours = influence on characteristics and aromas of wine
128
Where do best wines from Mosel come from?
-Middle Mosel
-such as: Wehlen (Sonnenuhr), Bernkastel (Doctor), Piesport (Goldtropfchen)
129
Describe Mosel style
-compared to other Riesling regions: paler in colour, lighter in body, lower alc, higher acidity
-floral and green fruit
-balance of flavour intensity and acidity = long bottle ageing
130
Apart from Middle Mosel, where can other high quality Riesling be produced?
-Valleys of the river Saar and Ruwer (tributaries of Mosel)
-Sheltered side valleys
-south-east and south-west aspects
-higher altitude than middle mosel can result in higher acidity
-high reputed vineyards: Scharzhofberg, Saar
131
Where is more inexpensive wine made in Mosel?
-Flatter land around for example piesport
-Muller thurgau planted here
-less complex, produced by merchants
132
Where are the vineyards of Franken located?
-w-shaped area along south-facing slopes of river Main
133
What is the climate of Franken?
-Due to further east location: most continental climate of wine regions of Germany
-Warm summers, but shorter growing season due to cooler autumns and harsh winters
-spring frost can be a problem
134
Which grape variety produces a distinctive style in Franken?
Silvaner
135
Describe the features and style of Silvaner
- early budding and ripening -> can reach fruit ripeness before cool autumns reach
-susceptible to spring frost, gets best sites to mitigate frost problems
-best silvaners: south-eat facing slopes, chalky soils around Wurzberg, full-bodied dry wines, floral& wet stone
135
Describe the features and style of Silvaner
- early budding and ripening -> can reach fruit ripeness before cool autumns reach
-susceptible to spring frost, gets best sites to mitigate frost problems
-best silvaners: south-eat facing slopes, chalky soils around Wurzberg, full-bodied dry wines, floral& wet stone
136
Which grape variety also produce very good wines in Franken? Explain
-Spatburgunder
-west of region -> steep terraces on sandstone soils
137
Where is the Nahe located?
Between Mosel and Rheinhessen
138
what is the climate of Nahe?
Protected by Hunsruck mountains = mild temperatures and low rainfall
139
What is the main grape variety grown in Nahe? explain its style
-Riesling
-due to slightly warmer climate: lower levels of acidity, riper fruit and more body than Mosel
-Not as much as Rheingau and Rheinhessen
140
Where are the warmer conditions of the Nahe?
-east of region
-south facing slopes of nahe
-moderating influences from rivers: nahe&rhine -> max sunlight and steep slopes
-soils: slate&sandstone
141
Where are the cooler conditions of the Nahe?
To the west where harvest is later
142
Which wines are produced on gentle slopes in Nahe?
-Inexpensive Muller Thurgau
-due to deeper and more fertile slopes
143
What is the main planted black grape variety of Nahe?
-Dornfelder
-total black varieties just 25% of plantings
144
Where is the Rheingau famous for?
-most prestigeous and high quality Riesling which can be age worthy
145
What influences the climate of Rheingau?
-Taunus mountains= protect region from cold Northerly winds to the west
-south-facing aspect
results in: fuller-bodied, riper fruit than mosel
-wider rhine = moderating effect on temperature = less risk on frost
-increased humidity = perfect for botrytis
146
Which slopes are said to be the best for dry wine production in Rheingau?
-mid-slopes
-moderating influences from river
-far away enough from humidity that can lead to fungal disease
147
What are the soil types of Rheingau?
-sand,loam and loess around Hochheim to the east
-west: sandstone&slate
148
Which red grape variety grows in Rheingau? Describe its style
-spatburgunder
-west end around Assmannshausen
-steep south to south-west facing slopes around Hollenberg = fuller bodied Pinot Noir
-very good to outstanding in quality
149
What about the producers in the Rheingau?
-Co-operatives less influential than other wine regions in Germany
150
What is the location of the Ahr?
-One of most Northerly area
151
What are the special conditions that spatburgunder can grow in the Ahr?
-Northerly location = mainly cooler but..
-river Ahr cutting narrow, sheltered valley with steep south-facing slopes
152
What is the soil type of the Ahr?
-Dark slate (heat retaining)
-greywacke = dark sandstone
153
What was the traditional winemaking approach compared to the winemaking approach now in the Ahr?
-traditionally: late harvest black grapes with residual sweetness
-now: very good quality spatburgunder fermented to dryness
-relatively high tannins with spicy characteristics due to oak ageing
154
What type of producers dominate the Ahr?
-co-operatives, Mayschoss one of oldest co-operatives of the world
-also smaller estates making their way on the export market
155
How many growers does Germany have?
-16000 growers, of which half owns less than 3 ha
156
Generally speaking, what leads to higher production costs?
-labour intensive work at steep vineyards
-low yields (particularly sweeter wines)
-vintage variation
157
How much vineyard area does co-operatives own?
-around 30%
-one of the first wine-producing countries to establish co-operatives
158
How much wine is exported in percentages?
-10% of total production
159
The price per hl also has risen, why?
-from below €200 per hectolitre to €300
-due to less bulk shipping and increased bottled exports
160
What are the top 5 export markets?
USA, NL, UK, Norway and Swesen
-NL&UK average lower price due to inexpensive wines (although shrinking)
