Germany
FACTS:
*Germany along with France are the 2 oldest quality producers of fine wine
*Germany is the farthest Northern Quality Wine Region in the world
*The number one grape is Riesling
*Riesling quality is categorized in terms of Qba (everyday wine) and Qmp (higher level wine) The Qmp categories are listed below
*The Mosel and Rhine Rivers play a big part to the success of wine in Germany
*Terroir is important here
*Great Vintages 2005, 2001
*Good Vintages 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002
THE GRAPE VARITIES
Reds: Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)
Whites: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Rulander, Silvaner, Muller-Thurgau
QbA Wines- Quality Wine
This category is quality everyday wines. Most all Rieslings with the QbA rating on the bottle are good values.
Qmp Wines (Categories)
These categories are a measure of the ripeness of the grapes at harvest. The higher the sugar the higher the category. The acidity balances out the sugar levels in all these wines.
Kabinett- lightest wine
Spatlese
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese- most concentrated
Eiswein- most concentrated
THE WINE REGIONS
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
*The best wine region in Germany
*Steep slopes produced the best wines. The soil is slate based which reflects the sun off of the river to warm and ripen the grapes. Best vineyards face South.
*Bottles are green based on traditions
*Great recent vintages: 2006, 2005, 2001
*Price varies with Kabinett wines costing $15 to $20 and Eiswein wines costing as much as $800 for a 375 ml bottle
Famous Villages:
Bernkastel, Brauneberg, Erden, Graach, Piesport, Urzig, Wehlen, Zeltingen
Famous Vineyards:
Bockstein, Doctor, Goldtropfchen, Himmelreich, Juffer, Pralat, Sonnenuhr, Wurzgarten
Best Producers:
C. von Schubert, Dr. Loosen, Egon Muller, Fritz Haag, Joh. Jos. Prum, Selbach Oster, Willi Haag, Willi Schafer, Zilliken
The Mosel River
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The Rheingau
*Highest percentage of Riesling planted in German Regions
*Further South then the Mosel
*More reliable conditions then the Mosel
*Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) is successful here
Famous Villages:
Erbach, Hallgarten, Hochheim, Johannisberg, Rudesheim, Winkel
Famous Vineyards:
Jungfer, Rheinberg, Schlossberg, Schonhell, Sonnenberg,
Best Prodcuers:
August Eser, Franz Kunstler, Josef Leitz, Langwerth von Simmern, Robert Weil, Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Schonborn
The Pfalz
*Most innovative region in Germany
*No important vines border the rivers
*More southern location allows grapes to ripen easily
*Acidity in the wines is not as sharp
*Wines profile feature vanilla, tangerine, and citrus flavors
*Soil is limestone and sand which drains well
Famous Villages:
Deidesheim, Forst, Kallstadt, Mussbach, Ruppertsberg, Ungstein, Wachenheim
Famous Vineyards:
Grainhubel, Hohenmorgen, Kieselberg, Saumagen, Eselshaut, Hoheburg, Hussbien, Reiterpfad, Herrenberg, Bohlig, Goldbachel, Rechbachel
Best Producers:
Muller-Catoir
Dr. Burklin-Wolf, Eugen Muller, Josef Biffar, Kurt Darting, Pfeffingen, Theo Minges
Other Great Producers from Germany
Herman Donnhoff, Schlossgut Diel, Gunderloch, Heinrich Braun
Great Interviews to Learn about German Wines
"Three Days in the Rhine River Valley."
KEY WINE TERMS
Botrytis cinerea- A mold that is referred to as Noble Rot. This mold attacks the grapes and the shrivels them up to allow the water to evaporate. This leaves concentrated sugar and creates the best sweet wines from Germany.
Gold Caps- Gold cap separate the wines from the estate. A winery might have 3 Auslesen wines and the gold cap will separate the sweetness and quality of the wine. An upgrade from Auslese
Gutsabfullung- Estate Bottle
Halbtrocken- Half dry. Less sugar has been fermented then a trocken wine
Liebfraumilch- Inexpensive white blend that is popular in America
Mittelmosel- middle Mosel location and produces some of the best wines in Germany
Nahe Wine Region- Good everyday wine with the exception of Herman Donnhoff wines which are really popular
Sekt- Sparkling wine in Germany
Slate- The best Rieslings have a slate soil base on steep slopes
Trocken- Very dry wine
Vintage- Year the grapes were harvested. Almost all recent vintages from Germany are outstanding
Weinberg- Vineyard
Weingut- A wine estate in Germany
Best Web sites to buy Germany Riesling
Locally
California
Donnhoff is one of the most popular producers in Germany
