Germany Flashcards
Climate
Mostly around 49 - 50 deg N (ex Baden) one of most northerly in the world. Overall cool continental
Site selection is essential. Most are along the Rhine and tributaries. Rivers radiate heat, moderate temps, and extend growing season. Best on steep south facing slopes to max sun. Can reach 70deg steepness.
Winters can be very cold, even for Eiswein. Spring frosts are major risk, mitigated by rivers and slopes. Summers are warm and wet with 500 - 800mm rain, much in summer. Fungal diseases, dillution of grapes, hail.
Autumns are long and dry for long ripening periods to develop sugars necessary for pradikatsweing. mists along rivers ideal for botrytis.
Mountain ranges like the Taunus and Haardt shelter some vineyards from cold winds and worst of the rains. Most vineyards though are planted at low altitudes (below 200m) as latitude already gives coolness.
Soils
Wide variety of soils many playing important role in ripening in a cool climate. Mosel and Ahr’s dark slate retains heat to radiate at night.
Pockets of calcareous soils in Baden, Pfalz, Rheinhessen planted with Spatburgunder, Weissburgunder, and Chardonnay. Franken: Silvaner.
Grauburgunder prefers Clay
On steep slopes, particularly the Mosel, erosion is a big problem. Owners must winch soil and rocks back up.
Vineyard Management
2017 6th largest area under vine in Europe at 100,000ha. Rising slightly in recent years
Avg production of 9 M hl. Yields in Rheinhessen and Pfalz can be 100 hl/ha and higher in the past.
150hl/ha for Deutcher Wein and Landwein, 105hl/ha for Qualitatswein.
Considerable vintage variation. but reducing recently with climate change and advances in vineyard management. Better clonal selection, summer pruning, green harvesting, selective hand harvesting.
Canopy management essential to maximize sun exposure and improve air circulation to minimize fungal. On slopes, vines traditionally staked individually with canes tied at the top. Labor and skill intensive so now reserved for steepest only. Now using single or double can replacement with VSP and pendlebogen (arched to improve sap flow and increase viable buds)
Not widely suitable to organic or biodynamic. But still 8%
Topography is challenging. Steep slopes may be terraced or planted up the slopes. Mechanization may be impossible and with some requiring winching
Labor costs are often higher than other regions. And hand harvesting is required for beerenauslese and above.
Grape Varieties
In 1980 it was 90% white but now 40% red
German Crosses: Muller Thurgau developed in the 1880’s. More developed in the mid 20th century for better ripening in cool climate and higher yields. Most did not have enough acidity or aromatics. Widely used in inexpensive blends like Liebfraumilch. Scheurebe and Kerner are better quality crosses.
Riesling; 24% Muller Thurgau: 12% Spatburgunder: 12% Dornfelder: 8% Grauburgunder: 6% Weissburgunder: 5% Silvaner 5%
Riesling
Late budding with thick wood making it frost resistant. Late ripening and needs good sun and dry autumns to ripen fully.
High quality wines in a range of styles from dry to sweet. Retains high acidity even when fully ripe providing balance in sweet wines and giving aging potential.
Can produce high levels of sugar and susceptible to botrytis so suitable for sweet.
Capable of pronounced intensity and complexity. Green fruit to tropical, floral (honeysuckle, white flowers); toast, honey, petrol with age.
Muller Thurgau
AKA Rivaner
One of the earliest German crosses
Earlier ripening than Riesling
High yields in almost any condition
Most planted variety in the 70s and 80s
Widely used in inexpensive brands like Liebfraumilch. But now more than halved.
Lower acidity, less structure and character
Attractive simple floral fruity early drinking
Dornfelder
Most significant black German crossings
Deep in color, high acid, fruity and herbal notes
Two distinct styles: Fruity, easy drinking with RS, and more complex with aging potential from lower yields and better tannin structure, fermented or aged in oak.
Successful in Rheinhessen and Pfalz where it is most planted black
Winemaking
Enrichment fairly common. In EU Zone A so up to 3%ABV (2% in Baden). Becoming less common due to riper fruit.
Traditionally fermented in large old oak casks. 1,000L Fuder in Mosel and 1,200L Stuck along the Rhine. German and Central Europe oak popular.
Stainless has become more popular due to ease of temp control and no flavor. No new oak for Riesling, but for Spat, Grau, Chard.
Sweet Wine production methods
Sussreserve: must be from grapes of the same region and quality level as the wine to which it will be added. Usually take from must pre-fermentation; clarify, chill, SO2, then add back to the wine. Added just before bottling and depending on vol might slightly reduce total alcohol %. Used by large commercial wineries. Quality producers halt fermentation.
Sweetening through Rectified Concentrated Grape Must (RCGM) is only for Deutcher Wine.
Grapes for Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Trockenbeerenauslese have high must weights and fermentation is very slow. TBA can take months. Fermentation will stop due to high sugar leaving high RS and low alcohol. (5.5% - 8%)
Four Quality Levels
Deutcher Wein
Landwein
Qualitatswein
Pradikatswein
Deutcher Wein
Formerly known as Tafelwein Without geographical indication All grapes from Germany Alcohol between 8.5% and 15% In any style Inexpensive, to be drunk young Together with Landwein was less than 2% of production in 2017
Landwein
Introduced in 1982
German equivalent of PGI
85% of grapes must come from the Landwein region on the label
Alcohol between 8.5% and 15%
Usually only trocken or halb trocken
Together with Deutcher Wein was less than 2% of 2017 production
Qualitatswein
PDO category but less stringent rules than Pradikatswein
Grapes exclusively from one of 13 Anbaugebiete the name of which must be on the label.
Wines made in all styles.
Min alcohol of 7% to allow for sweeter styles with no max
Majority of everyday drinking and high volume wines with some high quality wines. The VDP labels all dry wines as Qualitatswein regardless of quality
Must undergo laboratory test and blind tasting prior to release.
Those that pass get an AP Number: Amtliche Prufungsnummer which must be on the label. 10 - 12 digit indicating where and when wine was tested, location of vineyard, and lot number.
Pradikatswein
PDO but with more stringent criteria
Grapes exclusively from one of 40 Bereich the name of which need not and often does not appear on the label. The Anbaugebiete must be on the label.
Highest must weights and enrichment not permitted
Any grape variety but associated with Riesling. On avg about half the production of Qualitatswein but in a good year can be equal.
Pradikatswein Levels
Six levels defined by must weight
Kabinett: Lowest must weight, lightest body, highest in acid. Dry to med sweet. Those with RS can have alcohol as low as 7% but dry will reach 12%
Spatlese: fully ripened grapes, picked two weeks later than Kabinett. Greater concentration of riper fruit, slightly higher alcohol, and fuller body. Dry to med sweet with min 7% alcohol
Auslese: specially selected extra ripe grapes. Hand harvesting is not required with some sorting in the winery. Even riper and more concentrated. Honeyed character, some grapes may have botrytis. Last category where wines can be dry, but best are often sweet. Balance of sweetness and acid for long aging. Alcohol as low as 7%.
Beerenauslese: Individual berries that must be hand harvested. At must weights this high the wine will always be sweet and fermentation can be long and slow. Min alcohol is 5.5%. Berries don’t need to be botrytized but often are. Only made in years with good conditions for noble rot and in very small quantities. Yields are low and it is labor intensive and expensive.
Eiswein: Estd in 1982. Same must weight as BA but grapes must be picked at temps below -7C. Harvest usually Dec to Feb with vintage date being when harvest starts. Grapes pressed while frozen (arificial not permitted). Pressing releases small quantities of naturally concentrated juice with high acid and sugar. Must be healthy as rot would also be concentrated. Risky as grapes can be lost to disease or predators. Some cover in plastic.
Trockenbeerenauslese: Extremely high must weights mean grapes must have botrytis. Shriveled raisin like grapes produce tiny amounts of highly concentrated, very sweet wines balanced by high acidity. Can age for a long time. Fermentation is long and slow and rarely goes above 8%. Very small yields made in small quantities (rarely more than 100 bottles at a time) only in suitable years. Most expensive wines in DE.
