Germany-History, Wine Law Flashcards
(40 cards)
Which monastic order was crucial to German viticulture? When? What did they do?
Cistercians of 8th cent
brought PN from Burgundy and planted Riesling
What effects did the era of the French Revolution have on German wine?
i. Liquidation of church holdings in vineyards
ii. Privatization of vineyards
iii. Dramatic increase in quality and export
In the early 19th cent. what were the British trade names for the following:
- wine from Middle Rhine
- fruity, crisp wine from Mosel
- Hock
- Moselle
When did phylloxera arrive in GR?
1872
What is #1 grape crossing of GR? Who developed it?
Müller-Thurgau
Swiss Dr. Hermann Müller from Thurgau at Geisenheim 1882
What were major effects of WWII era on GR wine trade?
- Removal of Jewish wine merchants (60-70% of German market)
- Ended wine auctions
- Nazi’s confiscated best and sweetest wines
- International boycott of German products after the war
- Total plantings left at 50,000 ha total
What was most internationally recognizable category of GR wine in the 1950s? Major producer?
Liebraumilch
Blue Nun (fd. 1921)
What is the name for systematic restructuring of vineyards in Germany? When did it begin?
Flubereinigung
1960s
What is the major piece of GR wine legislation from the mid 20th cent?
1971 Deutches Weingesetz
What are the major 3 areas of wine demarcation addressed in 1971 GR law?
- Aggregation of einzellagen (Flubereinigung)
- Intro of Grosslagen category
- Delimited 11 Anbaugebiete
What are the general req’s for flubereinigung? biggest flaw?
min 5ha for vineyard (einzellage)
shrank number from 30,000-2,700 delimited vineyards
enlarged some poor sites and eliminated some top ones
What are Grosselagen?
Major criticism of category?
No labeling distinction between Einzellagen and Grosslagen caused consumer confusion
Ex Piesporter Goldtröpfchen (prestigious einzellage) vs. Piesporter Michelsberg (grosslage across the town)
What are 3 categories originally outlined in 1971 GR laws? Which were added in 1982 update?
- Tafelwein (table wine)
- Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiet (QbA)
- Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP)
Landwein and Eiswein added in 1982
What is the Amtliche Prüfnummer? Which categories of wine does this apply to?
“official exam number,” A.P. number
5 digit code qualifying QbA and QmP wines
96% of country’s production qualify
When was the first update to the 1971 GR wine law enacted? What did it change?
1982
- introduced Landwein category and Eiswein designation
- Exempted some vineyards from min 5 ha
- raised min Öschle levels over time
What major vineyards of GR were exempted from the min 5 ha rule in 1982?
- Forster Kirchenstück (Pfalz)
- Forster Freundstück (Pfalz)
- Deidesheimer Hohenmorgen (Pfalz)
- Bernkasteler Doctor (Mosel)
- Kiedricher Turmberg (Rheingau)
- Schloss Vollrads (Winkel/Rheingau)
List the Öschle Scale range for each:
-Kabinett
-Spätlese
Auslese
-Beerenauslese
-TBA
-Eiswein
K=70-85 degrees S=80-95 degrees A=88-105 degrees B=110-128 degrees TBA=150-154 degrees E=110-128 degrees
Is there a Max Oschle scale rating for each Prädikat?
no, higher sugar levels can be declassified down
What is the Öschle Scale?
scale measuring degrees for ripeness of QmP wines
What new terms were introduced into GR wine law in 2000?
- Classic replaces halbtrocken
Feinherb (slightly off dry) informal term technically prohibited but used commonly in place of halbtrocken - Selection replaces trocken
- Erstes Gewächs formalized for dry wines from specific sites in Rheingau
What were the effects of EU wide reform of wine law in GR in late 2000s?
- 13 anbaugebiete became PDOs
2. shortened QbA and QmP categories, now 4 tier system exists
What is the current 4 tier system of German wine categories? Req’s for each?
1. Wein (Formerly Tafelwein)
no geo des, can be
Deutscher Wein if
German grapes, vint and
var allowed on label
2. Landwein
IGP category, includes
trocken, halbtrocken,
from any 26 regions
called landweingebiete
3. Qualitätswein
PDO category, most of
top dry wines, includes
Prädikastwein, 96% of
production, almost all
exports, min of 7% alc
(exempt from EU
standard of 8.5%
4. Prädikatswein
PDO, all of best sweet
wines, min 7% alc,
BA/TBA/Eiswein min
5.5% alcWhat is min alc for GR Prädikatswein? Why is this unique?
7% alc (rest of EU is 8.5%)
BA/TBA/Eiswein min of 5.5%
What is the VDP?
(VDP) Verband Deutscher Präkidatsweingüter
