Wine

Regions

Old World

Germany

ABOUT GERMAN WINES

REGIONS


With German wines, the region often provides an indication of style. Those from the Mosel tend to be the most delicate, often exuding characteristic lime, apple and mineral aromas and flavors. Rheinhessen wines are rounder and fruity, with the best hailing from the steep vineyards overlooking the Rhine river, while Nahe wines fall somewhere between the two. Rheingau produces firmly structured, spicy wines that often need a few years to shed their youthful austerity. The richest, fullest versions of white German wines come from the Rheinplalz(Pfalz).

QUALITY AND CATEGORIES

German wines are categorized according to ripeness at picking. The minimum levels of ripeness for each category vary slightly by region. The Three categories are: Tafelwein (table wine) - not allowed to use a particular place or grape name, Qualitätswein (quality wine or QbA) - must come from a particular region, and Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (quality wine with added distinction or QmP) - no added sugar allowed and must come from a particular region. Within the latter category there are 6 distinctions; in ascending order of ripeness: kabinett(least ripeness or driest), spätlese, auslese, beerenauslese, trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) and eiswein. Under certain climatic conditions, the grapes may be affected by Botrytis cinerea, a desirable fungus that enhances flavor (by reducing water content), and is known in Germany as Edelfäule. Although they may contain residual sugar, German wines tend to be richer as one tastes through the categories of distinction and not until beerenauslese is sweetness enough of a dominant factor for a wine to be considered a dessert wine. At all levels German wines are balanced by high acidity, so they do not necessarily taste sweet. Balance among a wines components of acid and sweetness is the key to quality and food-wine pairings.

VARIETALS

Undoubtedly the best German wines are made from Riesling. This white grape is capable of developing intense flavors at lower ripeness levels, making it an ideal cultivator for Germany's northern climate. Under the right weather conditions, Riesling will ripen late into autumn, rendering late-harvest styles. When combined with an attack of Edelfäule, these late-harvest grapes produce some of the most stunning and longest-lived wines around. The best values in Rieslings ($12 to $20) are those at lower ripeness levels, such as QbA, kabinett and spätlese--and originating from a single vineyard site, such as Piesporter Goldtröpfchen. However, many quality producers are bottling estate Riesling from a number of their sites, simply calling it "Riesling Pfalz" to simplify labeling. Yet others are blends of different sites bottled under collective names, or Grosslagen. A couple of examples are Zeller Schwarze Katz or Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay.

The bulk of the least expensive German wines are usually either table wine or QbA, and may be blends of two or more grape varieties. Black Tower and Liebfraumilch are two examples. German wine law requires a varietally labeled wine to contain at least 85 percent of the specified grape variety (the U.S. requirement is just 75%). Varieties commonly blended with Riesling are Sylvaner, Müller-Thurgau and Elbling. These wines generally cost $6 to $10.

Müller-Thurgau is the most widely planted white variety in Germany, comprising approximately 25 percent of all grapes under cultivation, and is capable of producing good value wines if the yields are low enough to coax some character out of the grapes. Riesling has the next largest area under cultivation, roughly 22 percent. Other white grape varieties include Kerner (7 percent), Scheurebe (3.5 percent), Bacchus (3 percent) and Pinot Gris or Ruländer (2.5 percent). Minuscule quantities of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Sylvaner and experimental crossings with exotic names like Huxelrebe and Ortega are also grown. There is some red wine production, mainly from Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), but the values are more likely to be from varieties such as Blauer Portugieser, Trollinger and Lemberger or blends of the latter two varieties. German red wine is grown for local consumption and is often blended with imported red (i.e. French, Spanish).

In 1976 the Dornfelder varietal was created from two other hybrids (genetically descended from Fruhburgunder, Trollinger, Portugeiser and Lemberger). There is now over 1000 acres planted to Dornfelder. A deep colored red wine with a jammy fruit quality (blackberry), with hints of leather, game, clove and cinnamon. Good length, definitely improves with some cellaring and/or some breathing. Estate bottlings such as Herr Anselmann are rare and bring out all the great qualities of the varietal. Great wine with cheese, such as sharp cheddar or colby. Matches well with game particularly a reduction with current or blackberry infusion. Beef, pork and even some dishes with spice like southwestern cuisine.