sign in sign up
<<
Home , Ahr (wine region), Ahr valley, Alsenz (river), Altenahr, Assmannshausen, Auslese

T H E M AGAZINE OF THE GER M AN INSTIT U TE ochsle

Travel & Enjoyment EXPERIENCE WINE Wine knowledge

Overview of all All you need to TIPS FOR know from growing regions THE ACTIVE to

Wine is the nightingale of . Voltaire David Schildknecht, , USA this to us. generations of vintners which has revealed greatness of and the work several I do indeed feel deep humility in view of the durable in the world. Gian Luca Mazella, wine journalist, Rome German wine is very popular in my as it today, is all over the world. Riesling especially so, which even in is seen as the finest and most

Wine is bottled . Robert Louis Stevenson

Paul Grieco, Paul Grieco, Hearth, German wine! produced in America… Thank god for German are the antithesis of those

German wines, whether it is the inimitable Riesling or the deli- cate , are enjoyable and wonderful with all types of food with their refreshing acidity and focused, linear style. , MW, Hongkong

A miracle has happened in . A generation ago there were good German wines but you had to search hard to find some. Today they are available in abundance in every price range. Stuart Pigott, English author and

Consumers’ and opinion makers’ fanaticism for dry wine and against the threat of global gustatory uni- formity, gives German vintners an opportunity to flourish with that dazzling stylistic diversity of which they are uniquely capable. , The Oxford Companion to Wine It’s a pity that one one that a pity It’s wine. cannot Kurt Tucholsky IMPRINT

Publisher Deutsches Weininstitut GmbH Gutenbergplatz 3-5 55116 www.deutscheweine.de

TEXT www.genuesslich.com

LAYOUT www.conceptfrankfurt.de

PRINT www.kunze-und-partner.de

First edition August 2011

Definition of Oechsle: The riper the , the more the contains. Measuring the weight enables the vintner to make an inference about the ripeness of the . The measurement is expressed in degrees Oechsle in Germany (see page 58). CONT E NT S 365 Contents

Welcome to Germany 6 German wine history in fast 12 motion

An overview of all grape varieties17

German wine 22 growing regions

The biography of wine 50 Wine means 52 work

The label56

Germany 60 sparkles

Enjoy with pleasure Actively 66 experience wine62

German wines and 70 international cuisine 356 W e l com e to W in e C o u ntry G E RMANY

Welcome to

Zeitgeist then and now: Lubentiushof in Niederfell, W e l com e to W in e C o u ntry G E RMANY 367

wine country Germany 358 W e l com e to W in e C o u ntry G E RMANY

1_ 2_

3_ 4_

5_

1_ Weingut Schloss Wackerbarth, Radebeul, Sachsen 2_ Winzerkeller , Sommerach, Franken Veitshöchheim WG, 3_ Vinothek Divino, Nordheim, Franken hristiane Jeromin hristiane 4_ Weingut am Stein, Würzburg, Franken © L eistner, 5_ Weingut Horcher, , Pfalz

6_ Weingut Carl Koch Erben, , Rheinhessen eistner 6_ 7_ Weingut Julius, , Rheinhessen 8_ Weingut Meintzinger, Frickenhausen, Franken Photo 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9: Dieter L 9: Dieter 8 and 2, 3, 4, Photo 9_ Weingut Rebhof, Nonnenhorn, Württemberg L 6: Dieter Photo C + Architektur © Raum 7: Photo

8_ 9_

7_ W e l com e to W in e C o u ntry G E RMANY 369

offer a set menu with it. There were no clas- sical food combinations associated with the 200 years ago the vintners in Germany did not have an easy German grape varieties. time. During a trip on the , the world traveller Georg Forster A lot has changed since then. When travelling – who had sailed around the world with Captain James Cook – to foreign the Germans learned wrote about the German wine-growers: how closely related wine is to the Mediter- ranean lifestyle and food culture. Just as in “For six years he gets by miserably or anticipates the purchase or Italy they wanted to enjoy wine with dinner at home. The in- price of the good grape which usually happens every creasingly made their wines dry, and many seven or eight years; when the wine is drinkable and available pioneers were initially ridiculed for this by in good quantity, he will indulge himself in the profit for a while their colleagues! With a young generation [...] and the following year will be a beggar again as before.” of chefs a refined regional cuisine develo- ped. Since the 1990s, cookery shows have Views of the Lower Rhine, 1790, Chapter I had a boom on television. Cocooning – the life in a comfortably designed home, which Thankfully much has changed since then, and today, the includes a high-quality kitchen designed for “” job of vintner is more in demand than ever. together with friends – has been a trend for years. Dry German wine is part of this new lifestyle.

Kissed awake from slumber

wines in television cooking shows. And, at a Modern dynamism time when the Germans like to spend their The wines and their appearance have changed holidays in their own country anyway, a ho- over several generations. The young, highly liday at a wine estate is in . The wine trained winemakers from Germany have tra- For about 30 years, the German wine scene has growing regions have recognised the velled the world and gathered experience in been characterised by increasing dynamism. potential of their landscapes and products. France, , and elsewhere. Until the 1980s, football and cars “made in Many came home and started clearing out Germany” were two fundamental things the New restaurant culture, new wines the cellar. Modern tanks and quality of which even the most critical Ger- barrique were purchased, and the mans themselves were convinced of. Since was reduced by green harvest – the thinning-out then, German wine has gained an equally What has happened? In the 1980s, a grow- of unripe to concentrate the strength of worthy image on home soil. You need to ing interest in fine cuisine – especially in the on the few remaining grapes. Fathers understand that for a long time only wines French and Italian style – started up in and grandfathers would look on in horror as from other countries such as France and Italy Germany. Gourmet magazines proclaimed the junior generation simply cut off healthy were deemed to be great by wine enthusiasts the doctrine of dry wine with meals. Italian grapes in the ! But the wines were in Germany. The fact that Riesling and French gourmet in Germany of a new and better quality. Many young wines had sold at higher prices than many a offered a large selection of wines from these vintners introduced a completely changed wine in the past, had been forgotten. countries. German wines at that time were range of wine, planted new varieties of grapes, mainly made in a sweet style: “Too sweet”, designed modern labels and presented their Today, wines from German wine regions as most gourmets said. It was not surprising wines in chic new wine shops. are typically represented again on the wine that local wines had not managed to find a lists of top restaurants. Success in national place on gourmet tables. Furthermore, of- and international wine competitions create fering meals was only a secondary objective maximum attention, every bookshop offers of the traditional wine . In good German books and guides on German wines. Know- tradition you would have a of wine in ledgeable recommend German the company of friends but not necessarily 3510 W e l com e to W in e C o u ntry G E RMANY

Strength in unity

The German winegrowers’ cooperatives have developed very dynami- cally in recent years. They all invested heavily in quality management, investments which have paid off and can be detected in the of How do you become a vintner? the wines. You can see this for yourself, particularly in the regions where the co-operatives have the greatest economic importance What is the best job in the world? Vintner, of course! This is de- and market about 80 percent of the wines: the regions and monstrated by numerous celebrities, who one day fulfil their dream Württemberg. Nationwide around one third of Germany’s vineyard and buy a vineyard. But that is not enough to be able to produce areas are farmed by cooperative members. good wines, as the incredibly versatile craft of must first be learned. Also the number of female winegrowers has been New winegrowers in the country increasing for years. The profession is no longer a male domain! German universities enjoy a high reputation worldwide. A “Geisen- heimer” (graduate from the Viticultural Institute ) is This new approach can be seen today in many wines. For example, a term known throughout the winemaking world. Another well- in addition to the classic Weißherbst () there is now the Blanc de known educational institution is the University of . The Noir, a white wine made from red grapes, which was immediately colleges of Bingen, and together with successful in the market. Barrique wines, which had once been re- the Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum (Service Centre for jected by the wine commissions during the testing of quality wines Rural Areas) in Neustadt an der Weinstraße offer a course in Viti- because of their lack of , have long since been on the lists culture and Enology. of almost all wine producers. The dynamics can also be seen in the growing segment of wines from . Only 20 or 30 years ago, the pioneers of ecological wine cultivation were smiled Good wines start in the mind upon by many wine connoisseurs while today a large number of wines from leading enterprises have an eco certificate. A vintner in Germany today is a multi-talent: farmer and grape cultivator, geologist, biologist, mechanic, meteorologist, oenolo- gist, cellarmaster, marketing expert, quality manager, legal expert, OW? entertainer and, more recently, a specialist in sustainable manage- KN ment - all in one person! A winegrower like that knows exactly what OU In monar- Y chies, the royal sort of wine he wants to make; a lot is left to nature, but nothing ID D title is hereditary. Not to chance. More likely than not he has expanded his knowledge by so with the German practical training in other countries. German wine-growing colleges, Wine Queen, who is elected every year by a large panel research and teaching institutions, have an excellent international of experts. Only the local wine reputation. “Geisenheimer” (graduates from the Viticultural Insti- queens from the 13 wine-growing areas can stand as candida- tute Geisenheim), for instance, are working in many all tes. The one who can best represent and explain the German wine – not only in the – with competence, skill and over the world. During training, the young future vintners already humour will be elected. During her term of office, theW ine Queen share their experiences, compare the wines of their home area with represents the German wine at numerous events and appointments at home and abroad, even as far away as or Japan. The others, taste and work together with others. This peering over the German Wine Institute has been organising the election of the rim of the proverbial broadens their horizons and prepares Wine Queen since 1949. The still wears them to face competition from wines of other areas. a crown at official occasions, but the former traditional dirndl-look is a thing of the past. German Wine Queens are modern, highly trained young professional women with the talent to enthuse others Good connections with their passion for German wine. Even after finishing their studies the young vintners stay in touch. This is shown by numerous groups in which the mostly young wine- makers develop and market their wines together. One of the first groups to be established was the “Leiwener Jungwinzer” (young vintners from Leiwen), some of whom have long since passed the W e l com e to W in e C o u ntry G E RMANY 3611

“age limit” of 30. The “Fünf Freunde in der wine; or they are committed to a particular Facebook, Twitter ETC. Südpfalz” (Five Friends in the Southern grape like the group “Frank & Frei,” ) have also attracted a lot of atten- which has helped the Müller-Thurgau to gain Today, the German wine growers can be tion in the media, and their wines were and a new image in Franken. Under the motto found in social networks such as Facebook, still are appreciated by connoisseurs. Other “Generation Riesling” young vintners from Twitter and others. There are also a number groups are called “Message in a Bottle”, “Junges all wine-growing areas are causing a sensa- of wine forums, where like-minded people Schwaben” (Young Swabia), “Next Genera- tion. They present the new together, exchange information about German wines. tion” or “Südpfalz Connexion”. Many groups appear at trade shows and give all the wines These media are increasing in importance create a wine or wine type together, such from the German wine-growing regions – not worldwide as regards the as the “Rheingauer Leichtsinn” (Rheingau just the Riesling – a modern, young look. about recommendations of German wines. Improvidence), a summer-fresh sparkling www.generation-riesling.de

Highlight of the wine year: Measuring the of the the harvest grapes with a

The mash is stirred regularly Tasting the during new vintage 3512 G E R M A N W I N E H I S T O R Y I N F A S T M O T I O N German wine history in fast motion

Before the Romans

The ancient Teutons drank ; wine made from

C grapes was not known then. But at least alcoholic fermentation was! The intoxicating effect was in any event known to our ancestors, even

before B 50 if not its exact cause.

T h e R o m a n s C “Hail, Mosella”

With the conquest of Germania the The Roman consul and poet Decimius Magnus vine arrived at the Mosel and later at describes the river and its steep vineyards the Rhine. The Mosel is Germany’s old- in 483 hexameters: “Mosella” est wine-growing region, – by the from B 50 The Romans carry wine on board ships. The “Neu- magen wine ship”, tomb of a wine merchant from name of Augusta Treverorum – was AD about 371 the 3rd century, is exhibited at the Rheinisches the capital of the Western Roman Em- Landesmuseum (museum of the district) pire. Numerous excavations of wine- in Trier - and tourists can travel on an 18 metre presses (e.g. at , long replica in Neumagen-Dhron. and Erden) bear witness to the active culture of wine in the Mosel valley.

NOW? U K YO ID D

The oldest in Germany belonged to the Vereinigte Hospizien Trier and was built in 330. G E R M A N W I N E H I S T O R Y I N F A S T M O T I O N 3613

? NOW U K YO ID D The oldest wine in the world still liquid can be seen at the Historisches Museum der Pfalz (Historical Museum of the Palatinate) in . The glass bottle with its yellowish contents was found in 1867 in a grave from the early 4th century.

Monks, nuns, church dignitaries

Charlemagne The foundation of monasteries such as Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau region by the The ruler of the Frankish Empire injected mo- Cistercians (1136), the Benedictine Abbey mentum into which was particularly of St. Hildegard near Rüdesheim by practised by monasteries. The imperial and royal Saint Hildegard of Bingen or the Augustinian monastery Lorsch on the Hessische Bergstraße Convent in Marienthal on the Ahr river (1137) are alone is said to have possessed about 900 vine- of great importance for viticulture. The planted yards around the year 850. From his winter numerous vineyards. Today, many names of vineyard quarters, the palace in Ingelheim, the Emperor locations still remind you that the church used to own recognised the suitability of the opposite side of these vineyards: Prälat (Prelate), Kirchenstück (Church the Rhine for viticulture, because on the southern Piece), Domdechaney (Cathedral Deanery), Abtsberg from 1100 around 800 800 around slopes of the Rheingau region the snow melted (Abbot’s Hill), Domprobst (Cathedral Provost) ...

earlier than elsewhere. He is often considered to be the founder of the so-called Strauss- wirtschaften – the seasonal wine bars: wine-

growers were given the right still in force today to entury offer their own wines and food and to indicate this seasonal offering by hanging a wreath of on the gate. 17th – 18th C – 18th 17th

Large dimensions

The vineyard area in Germany was never greater than before the Thirty Years’ War (1618- 1648). However, during that war, many vine- yards were destroyed and then lay wasted. Nevertheless, the rulers must have had a tendency towards gigantism. How else do you explain the Heidelberger Riesenfass (giant wine )? The cask of 1751 holds up to 220,000 litres of wine - however, it was only filled three times. Tourists still gaze at it in wonder today. 14 G E R M A N W I N E H I S T O R Y I N F A S T M O T I O N

The mounted Spätlese messenger

The discovery of the late harvest (Spätlese) was a coincidence: as the mounted messenger carrying the permission to harvest from the prince bishop of Fulda to the monks on the Johannisberg in the Rheingau was delayed for 14 days, harvesting could only begin after the berries were already affected by . “Such wine have I not tasted before,” mar- Birth of the velled the cellarer. Why the messenger was late, is still unclear. But it is clear The birthplace of the German ice wine (Eiswein) is that the Spätlese to this day is one of Dromersheim, a district of Bingen on the Rhine. It the most important types of German is thought that the first ice wine in Germany was wine. Incidentally, the term “Kabi- picked there on 11th February 1830 from grapes nett” can also be traced back to the of the year 1829. The wine-growers did not harvest monks. They stored their best wines the grapes because of their poor quality, but then in part of the cellar, which they called decided to pick them in the winter in order to use Cabinet. them as cattle feed. They then noticed that the fro- zen grapes turned into a very sweet and tasty juice with a high must weight. They pressed the grapes,

1775 1830 and ice wine was born.

Elector Clemens Wenceslaus of 1787 1868 The Elector and Archbishop of Trier played a Unity is strength crucial role as a wine connoisseur in shaping the wine region of the Mosel. He decreed that As the “Winzer Verein zu in order to improve quality all “bad” had Mayschoß” (wine-growers’ to be replaced by Riesling vines within seven association of Mayschoß) years. The result was one of the largest Riesling- 18 vintners from the Ahr growing areas in the world. region formed the first German wine-growers’ cooperative. Today there are cooperatives in all wine regions. About one-third of German vineyards are farmed by them. They are of great importance in Würt- temberg and Baden, where there are many part-time vintners. G E R M A N W I N E H I S T O R Y I N F A S T M O T I O N 15

Phylloxera strikes

The vine pest came to from and caused a viticultural crisis throughout the continent. In France, large parts of the winegrowing areas had been destroyed since 1865, when phyl- loxera appeared in , Saxony, Baden and on the Mosel. The desperate vintners tried in vain to combat the vine pest with petroleum and other means. Even- A n i n s t i t u t e f o r W i n e tually in 1872 it was discovered that American vines were resistant. Since then, 1949 also sees the establishment vines have been grafted onto American in Europe. Only a few vineyards of the German Wine Institute, then in Germany still have self-rooted vines. under the name “Deutsche Wein- However, the louse has never werbung GmbH” (German Wine been completely eradicated. Queen for Germany Promotion). The Wine Institute, based in Mainz, which also runs Elisabeth Gies, née Kuhn, from the web site www.germanwines. Diedesfeld in the Pfalz was crowned de has a lot of useful information the first German Wine Queen. That on topics such as grape varieties, means this title is as old as the Federal wine regions, current events and Republic of Germany. Today, the Ger- publications. One area of operation man Wine Queen is a competent and popular ambassador of German wine of the German Wine Institute at home and abroad. She certainly which has many information travels a lot: there are several hundred offices around the world is the dates in her diary every year. international marketing of www.deutscheweinkoenigin.de German wines. from 1872 1949

Control is better

1903 Since the , some rather draconian measures have been taken to punish wine adulterators: in 1471, a vintner was entombed in a wall for adding water to his wine. The first royal decree against counterfeiting of wine was issued in 1498. In 1903, the then govern- mental district Pfalz (Palatinate) created the first post of a wine expert as a controller. Today, wine inspectors can be found in all areas of wine production. They monitor the conditions of produc- tion, compliance with regulations and the sensory quality of bottled and loose wines by random sampling in the vineyards as well as the correct labelling of the . 16 DG Ea Rs Me AT NI K We tt I N E H I S T O R Y I N F A S T M O T I O N

Wine beats

For the first time, the R e d w i n e b o o m Germans spend more money on wine than on The proportion of beer. Although only just: varieties has been growing the share of the household steadily since 1981, until it A law takes effect alcoholic beverage budget reached 36.9 percent in 2006. is 32.3 percent for wine, The reason: When replanting The Wine Act of 1971 provides the basis for just ahead of the share for many vintners choose Pinot German viticulture as it is today: the wine- beer (32.2 percent). But Noir, and other red growing regions, of vineyard loca- in a country where beer grape varieties because Ger- tions and large vineyard sites are still largely consumption is much valid. Since then, there have also been clearly higher than the wine mans increasingly prefer defined grades such as quality wine and predi- consumption, this is an to red wine. However, cate wine. The basis of the law was the creation historic moment. Since the area planted with red of the Common Organisation of the Market in then the wine share has varieties has since then Wine in the EU. grown significantly. decreased slightly. 2001 2006 1971 2010 1995 1990

N o w t h e r e a r e t h i rt e e n Riesling Landmarks of wine Renaissance culture With the reunification of Germany the number of wine-growing regions increases to thirteen. It is not that long ago Since 2010, the German The two additional areas are Sachsen and that Riesling started to be Wine Institute has awarded seen again as the king of -Unstrut. prizes to “Landmarks of German wines – with a Wine Culture”: places which market share of over are documenting the his- 60 percent Germany has tory and tradition of wine the largest Riesling grow- growing in an impressive ing area in the world. The way. These include - world’s growing demand yards and wine museums as for German Riesling is well as historical associated with a change or traditional wine-growing in the quality-oriented communities. thinking and patterns of consumption. More and more winemakers rely on Riesling. janssen-illustration.de T yp e s O F G R A P E 17 Gewürztraminer Schwarzriesling RIESLING Gutedel Müller-Thurgau Lemberger Dornfelder SPÄTburgunder Grauburgunder Weißburgunder

RED GRAPES WHITE GRAPES 18 T yp e s O F G R A P E

RIESLING

Simply sniffing a Riesling is a great pleas- vineyard in the world. Riesling quickly spread sweet treasures: and - ure. Hints of apple, citrus, peach and into the German wine regions – particularly beerenauslese. Incomparable and extremely apricot can be detected. The purity of into the river valleys, whose heat-storing ca- durable pleasures which have one thing in aroma combined with a unique fruit pacity was especially well suited to this varie- common: the noble rot () gives acidity make the Riesling into one of the ty. Thanks to German immigrants Riesling also the Riesling aromas further perfection. The greatest grape varieties in the world, advanced to other countries in the world, such Riesling is particularly suitable for these which has been experiencing a true as Australia, the USA and . sumptuous varieties as it matures slowly and renaissance internationally in recent late, and the noble can spread around years. At the beginning of the 19th cen- Unlike most other grape varieties the charac- the grapes with all possible care. If the wea- tury German Riesling wines were among ter of a Riesling depends on the type of soil ther in the autumn plays along and it is neither the most expensive in the world! it grows in. Heavy clay soils promote a citrus too cold nor too dry, then there is nothing to fruit aroma, new red sandstone ensures a taste stop the sweet pleasures. One can confidently speak of Germany of apricot in the wine, and soils create a as the home of the Riesling. After all, concise mineral which is at times remi- The elixir from these individually hand-picked over 22,000 hectares in German vine- niscent of flint. Riesling wines can age beau- berries delivers concentrated flavours with yards are planted with Riesling which tifully. When matured, they often have a noble bright Riesling acidity. The smell of dried fruit, is about 60 percent of all the Riesling in dark greenish-blue tinge that promises maxi- , ripe pineapple and peaches ca- the undisputed king the undisputed the world. The Pfalz and the Mosel are mum enjoyment to the connoisseur. resses the nose. These are delicious aperitifs the two largest Riesling-growing regions in – or wonderful partners to fruity or the world. One of the first authenticated docu- A great grape like the Riesling plays out its strong . Riesling also makes an ice ments which mentions growing Riesling in this strengths in a number of variations: As a wine of great pleasure. Ice wines are concen- country is the invoice from a winery in Rüs- “Winzersekt” (winegrower’s ), trated, extremely refined wines with brilliant selsheim to the Count of Katzenelnbogen for as a light wine, as a noble Spätlese acidity, bright fruit flavours and of “six vines of Riesling planted in the vineyard”, (late harvest) or precious ice wine – regard- a grape, which can reach must weights of up to dated 13th March 1435. Due to monastic less whether created dry, semi-dry or noble 250° Oechsle. No wonder then that Riesling ice viticulture this grape variety has introduced sweet. Riesling is wonderfully refreshing in wines rate among the treasures of wine. important new emphasis to the wine culture this diversity and as a food companion goes since the Middle Ages. The term “Johannisberg particularly well with fish and poultry dishes Riesling”, commonly used in the , with light sauces, or vegetable ragout. As the is derived from the Johannisberg vineyard in semi-dry variety, it is the ideal accompani- the Rheingau, the oldest surviving Riesling ment to Asian cuisine. And then there are the T yp e s O F G R A P E 19

Spätburgunder

Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) is certainly during the following centuries. and is also a delicious aperitif. Pinot Noir can the finest red wine variety in Germa- also be turned into a noble red sparkling wine ny. It only thrives in the best locations Pinot Noir makes high demands on climate or a sparkling Blanc de Noir. where it develops the complex charac- and soil. The best locations are only just good teristic fruit aroma, subtle hints enough for one of the finest representatives With about 5,800 hectares, most of the Ger- of smoke and almond and other fine of red wine. As a so-called “Cool Climate” grape man Pinot Noir is grown in Baden. However, fruit nuances, reminiscent of red ber- variety Pinot Noir – like Riesling – is virtually this noble variety plays a role in almost every ries. predestined for cultivation in Germany. The wine-growing region. The role certainly in growing season in our latitudes is much longer the whose Pinot Noir causes inter- Growing Pinot Noir on nearly 12,000 in comparison with the southern wine-growing national furore. hectares of vineyard, Germany is now nations thus ensuring that these varieties ex- the world’s third largest cultivating na- press their individual – the soil and cli- tion for Pinot Noir after France and the mate in which they were grown – very clearly. the trendy red thetrendy USA. While Germany’s most important This makes it so exciting for wine lovers: Pinot white grape variety, Riesling, enjoys huge suc- Noirs from different German wine-growing cess worldwide the most significant red grape areas are not interchangeable, and friends variety is still mainly a secret abroad. since of wine will be able to taste where the wine the demand for German Pinot Noir within Ger- comes from. many remains high, it is still hardly exported at all. Even connoisseurs abroad are therefore There are two main variants of the full-bodied, surprised that there is more Pinot Noir in Ger- mostly dry, fine red: the type made from well- many than for example in Australia, New Zea- ripened grapes, velvety, low in , ruby ​​ land and combined. red and delicate, and the more modern type, with a high tannin content, less fruit and Pinot Noir is one of the varieties which has of brighter colour. Both types do very well from already been cultivated for a long time. It well-measured storage in barrels. When sepa- is said that it was King Charles III (with the rated quickly from the skins Pinot Noir must lovely epithet “the ”) of the Carolingian turns into “Blanc de Noir” which, depending on dynasty who in 884 brought the Pinot Noir the method of preparation, can be a pale pink from to . From to white and because of its spicy, yet wonder- here, the grape variety spread further north fully light taste, goes well with all kinds of food 20 T yp e s O F G R A P E The most important grape varieties

WEISSburgunder () Derives from the Pinot Noir and thrives excellently everywhere where it is too hot for Riesling. Light- footed, fresh and with its well-integrated acidity very popular with food. Smells and of citrus fruit, pears, melons, green nuts. Well suited for making sparkling wine or maturing in barrique barrels and reaches impressive qualities in top locations.

R 1% GRAUburgunder () Derives from the Pinot Noir. The iesling 22. sweeter version is labelled Ruländer, but Pinot Gris is today mostly produced as a dry wine which is very compatible with food and whose flavours are, among others, reminiscent of pears, almonds, nuts and pineapple. It has an impressive stylistic diversity: Besides the dry, fresh Müller- Th .3% Pinot Gris, which can be enjoyed on the terrace or at a picnic, and the urgau 13 already mentioned Ruländer variant, there is also the rich type matured in barriques, as well as noble sweet Pinot Gris. Like Pinot Blanc very well

suited for sparkling wine. Spät- Bur .1% gunder 11 Müller-Thurgau (Also called: RIVANER) Created at the begin- ning of the 20th century in Geisenheim by Professor Hermann Müller from Thurgau in , it was long assumed to be a cross between Do % rnfelder 7.8 Riesling and Silvaner (hence “Rivaner”). However, this was disproved by genetic analysis some time ago: The real “parents” are Riesling and S ilvaner 5.1% Madeleine Royale. The type: uncomplicated, easily accessible, mild acidity, subtle fruit with a typical hint of . Müller-Thurgau is the Gr 6% auBURGUNDER 4. second most widely planted grape in Germany, which ripens early and delivers a fresh, summery draught which can be enjoyed at any occasion WEI .0% SSBURGUNDER 4 and delight as fragrant sparkling wines, too. % Port 4.0 ugieser Silvaner Comes from a natural cross between Traminer and Öster- 4% Kerner 3. reichisch Weiss (literally Austrian white) and is one of the oldest grape % Trollinger 2.4 varieties. In 1659, the cultivation of Silvaner was first documented in Sch warzriesling 2.2% this country, namely in Castell (Franken). Franken today has the high- REGENT 2.0% est percentage of Silvaner, but the biggest growing area of Silvaner in BACCHUS 1.9% the world is located in Rheinhessen. This variety can express its terroir 1.7% LEMberger almost as well as the Riesling. The aromas often resemble flowers and .6% Scheurebe 1 plants, or melons, yellow and apples. With its delicate, earthy and 1.1% .8% GUTEDEL er 0 Gewürztramin fruity tones and easily digestible acid Silvaner makes an excellent food 0.5% match, classically with asparagus, but you should also try it with fish.

Percentage of cultivated DornFELDER Created in the 1950s by August Herold in vineyards from a total area this variety is now one of the most popular red wines in Germany. Cha- of 102.197 hectares in 2010 racterised by easily accessible aromas of cherry and fruit such as currants as well as warmth, gentle and a deep dark red co- lour Dornfelder is straightforward in cultivation and ready to drink at a young age. Dornfelder has its strengths as a cuvée partner and as a barrique wine. Source: Statistisches Bundesamt, at 31 July 2010 • © Deutsches Weininstitut GmbH T yp e s O F G R A P E 21

LEMberger This variety probably comes from Austria where it is known as Blaufränkisch and, in Germany, was especially popular in Württemberg during the 19th century. lemberger was the favourite wine of Federal President Theodor Heuss, a native of Württemberg. The smooth, dark, berry-fruity Lemberger is becoming increasingly popular as an uncomplicated drinking wine for every day and also as a noble barrique wine for special occasions. The aromas are reminiscent of ripe black berries, plums and , Lemberger can have a strong tannin structure, depending on the type.

TROLLINGER Württemberg’s “ and red wine” is light- Schwarzriesling () Despite its name this old cul- coloured, light, palatable and fruity. The origin of this variety is located tured vine is not at all related to the Riesling, but stems from the Pinot south of the , where it is called Vernatsch. It probably came to Ger- family. The name Pinot Meunier (Meunier = miller) points to the fine many with the Romans. The fragrant aromas are reminiscent of flowers white hairs on the leaves which makes them look like they were dusted and cherries. Tasty with a hearty snack between meals with bacon, with flour. Pleasant as a fruity , its aromas and complexity ham and as well as with typical Württemberg specialties. Serve are reminiscent of Pinot Noir when matured as a strong wine. In France, lightly chilled. Pinot Meunier is used for the production of . In Germa- ny, Schwarzriesling is used to produce a fine red wine, especially in PORTUGIESER This simple, fresh wine is often produced as a Weiß- Württemberg where the largest acreage is located. herbst (Rosé.). Portugieser has mild tannins and is the third most wide- ly grown red grape in Germany. Incidentally, Portugieser is completely Scheurebe Bred in in Rheinhessen by Georg Scheu in 1916 it is unknown in ! It probably originates in Austria or . Typi- a cross between Riesling and Silvaner. One of the most popular bouquet cal aromas are red currant, raspberry and strawberry. With reduced varieties. Characteristically and intensively fragrant of black currant yields Portugieser red wines are amazingly dense and can easily ma- (cassis), also of exotic fruit. Often fermented as a noble sweet, but in- ture in barrels. creasingly also as a dry wine. Perfect with Asian food and cheese, also unbeatable as a stimulating, refreshing aperitif and summer terrace wine. Gutedel This grape variety has been cultivated for about 5,000 years and is thus regarded as the oldest cultured vine. In Germany, it is found Gewürztraminer Traditional bouquet wine with the characteristic almost exclusively in Baden’s southernmost district, Markgräfler- scent of blossoms; other aromas are those of acacia blossoms, land. Across the border in Switzerland, it is also called . With bitter oranges, exotic fruit and honey. The Pfalz town of Rhodt has a its mild fruit acid Gutedel goes excellently with light dishes and is a won- 400-year-old Gewürztraminer vineyard which still returns a yield eve- derful summer wine. It can also be made into nice sparkling wine. ry year. The planting of Gewürztraminer is currently increasing and the wine vinified in all its variants. The noble sweet varieties which are Elbling Has been found in Europe for about 2000 years and was pro- among the finest wines are especially creamy and luxuriant bably called „ Alba“ – white grape – by the Romans. In Germany, and good companions for cheese . it is now almost exclusively grown at the Mosel. Light and lively with fresh acidity – a wine for simple pleasure which is also made into a great Kerner This white variety, a cross between Trollinger and Ries- sparkling wine. There is no better thirst quencher for hot summer days ling established in 1929 by August Herold, was named after the poet than a dry Elbling! Justinus Kerner from Weinsberg. Kerner is fresh and fruity, a juicy drop, which is a perfect food companion when vinified as a full-bodied wine. BACCHUS This variety was bred in the 1930s by crossing Silvaner and As a sweet late vintage it is an ideal summer terrace wine. It is also suit- Riesling with Müller-Thurgau. In 2010, just under 2,000 hectares of able as a base wine for sparkling wine and as a cuvée partner. The aro- vineyard area was planted with Bacchus vines; these are mainly locat- mas are often reminiscent of green apples, pears and white currants. ed in Rheinhessen and Franken. Bacchus wines are often found in the Prädikatswein category with the appropriate residual sugar content. Regent The breeding of grape varieties has a long history in Germany, These wines are rich in extract and fruity with an independent bouquet on the one hand in order to improve varieties or to create new ones, on which sometimes is similar to that of Scheurebe. Bacchus wines with a the other hand to reduce the risk of infection with disease. Naturally, very high must weight and sufficient acidity can be similar to Riesling; the wines derived from new breeds should taste good, too! Regent, they have a flowery aroma with a hint of Muscat. With its finely spicy a new red grape variety bred from Silvaner and Riesling crossed with aroma, Bacchus goes well with Asian dishes and fruity desserts such , has achieved this in an impressive manner. It was only as fruit salad. approved for cultivation in 1996 and provides dark, fruity and velvety red wine with aromas of black cherry and currant with a good tannin structure. Since the Regent is very resistant to fungal diseases, it can be found frequently in organic farming. The area under cultivation of Regent has grown from 70 to over 2,000 hectares in only one decade. 22 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

Cottbus

/ p. 44 Saale-Unstrut El be Göttingen

Kassel Freyburg

/ p. 46 Saale Sachsen Erfurt Köln

Bonn

Ahr / p. 24 Mittelrhein / p. 32

Bad Neuenahr-

Ahr Hof

Rhein / p. 40 Mosel Rheingau Bacharach Main Rüdesheim Mosel / p. 34 Mainz Aschaffenburg / p. 36 Hessische Würzburg Trier / p. 30 ahe Bergstrasse N Alzey Franken / p. 28 Rheinhessen / p. 42 Heppenheim Ludwigshafen Mannheim

Saarbrücken Pfalz / p. 38 Neustadt a.d. Weinstraße Heidelberg

Landau Heilbronn

Karlsruhe

Stuttgart

Rhein

u Dona Ne ckar Ulm

Baden / p. 26

Württemberg / p. 48 München Freiburg

Meersburg Kempten G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 23

Cottbus

/ p. 44 Saale-Unstrut El be Göttingen Halle

Kassel Freyburg Leipzig

/ p. 46 Saale Sachsen Dresden Erfurt Köln

Bonn

Ahr / p. 24 Mittelrhein / p. 32

Bad Neuenahr- Koblenz Ahrweiler

Ahr Hof

Rhein / p. 40 Mosel Rheingau Frankfurt Bacharach Wiesbaden Main Rüdesheim Mosel / p. 34 Mainz Aschaffenburg Nahe / p. 36 Hessische Würzburg Trier / p. 30 ahe Bergstrasse N Bad Kreuznach Alzey Franken / p. 28 Rheinhessen / p. 42 Heppenheim Ludwigshafen Mannheim German wine Saarbrücken Pfalz / p. 38 Neustadt a.d. Weinstraße Heidelberg Heilbronn growing regions

Karlsruhe

Stuttgart

Rhein u Dona Ne ckar Ulm

Baden / p. 26

Württemberg / p. 48 München Freiburg

Meersburg Kempten 3524 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S AhrR e d wine paradise G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 25

Bonn • Rhein

Bad Bodendorf • Marienthal• • Bad Neuenahr- Ahrweiler

Altenahr • • Mayschoß

Ahr

The Ahr is one of the smaller wine-growing Vineyard area: regions with only about 560 hectares of vine- ca. 560 ha, 85% red wine yards. Its special feature: 85 percent of grapes grown in this region are red varieties which is Most important grape varieties: a higher proportion than in any other Ger- Spätburgunder, Portugieser, Riesling man wine-growing area. Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Portugieser and Frühburgunder pre- Further information: dominate, while Riesling is the most important www.ahrwein.de white variety.

The region takes its name from the river Ahr which flows into the Rhine about 40 kilometres south of the former federal capital Bonn. The slopes of the picturesque Ahr valley mostly fa- Mayschoß: Cradle of winegrowers’ cooperatives vourably face south. There is little rain, through- out the year the average temperature is quite Marienthal Monastery: low. The fact that the demanding Pinot Noir in the vaulted cellar grows so well at the Ahr is mainly due to the soil. The Ahr valley is part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. And the slate soil is an excellent ba- sis for vines: During the day they store heat and release it again at night – like natural underfloor heating! The river also has a balancing effect on the climate. For two million years the river Ahr has carved itself into the slate mountains. The valley is nar- row and the slopes are steep, especially at the Mittelahr. This wild and romantic valley is the most diverse botanical region of the Rhenish Slate Mountains and the habitat of rare animal ? W species. This is where the wild cat and the eagle NO K owl bid each other good night. U O Y One of the first wine- ID Pinot Noir is undoubtedly the most popular D growers’ cooperatives in the world and the grape variety in the Ahr. first one in Germany was founded in Mayschoß in 1868. And this is why it happened: bad It only came to the region after the Thirty Years’ and oppressive duties meant that many winemak- War. Other vines had already been cultivated ing families could no longer subsist on their work there by the Romans since the first century AD. in the winery. Some emigrated, others joined to- The Ahr red wines are elegant and complex and gether to collectively operate a wine cellar. An have good aging potential. idea that works to this day – not only in the Ahr region!

page left: vineyards at the Ahr

small photos above: Marienthal Castle (left), winegrowers’ cooperative in Mayschoß 3526 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

page right above: view of Meersburg and Lake Constance

page right below: Vineyard area: vineyards in Baden If you think the in Germany is near Durbach ca. 16,000 ha, 56% white wine mainly cold and uncomfortable, you should visit small photos below: Baden! located in the southwest of Germany, harbour at Reichenau Most important grape varieties: the growing region stretches from Tauberfran- Spätburgunder, Müller-Thurgau, Grauburgunder, Weißburgunder, ken in the north via Heidelberg along the Rhine Riesling down to Lake Constance. With almost 16,000 hectares under vine, it is the third largest wine Further information: region of the country. www.badischerwein.de ? NOW U K Baden is characterised by a particularly mild YO Among the climate. This is mainly due to the Belfort Gap, ID D excellent white a plateau between the rock formations of the wines from Baden southern mountains and the northern is the “Klingelber- The Holy Spirit wine press mountains. Here, the mild Mediterra- ger”. This is simply a of Meersburg nean air currents stream into the Upper Rhine Riesling known by that name in the Ortenau. Plain. For this reason, Baden is the only Ger- The name stems from the Klingelberg vineyard, part Reichenau – where wine in cultivated in water man wine region which is part of the EU wine- of the Schlossberg at Durbach where Margrave Carl growing zone B. This includes the warmer areas Friedrich of Baden, master of the Staufenberg Castle The Great Vat in Heidelberg Castle of Europe. It is said that because of the Bel- winery, had Riesling planted in 1782. The fact that this vineyard was first planted with only fort Gap Baden is Pinot country. Pinot Noir, Volcanic rock garden at the Winklerberg a single variety, was an at in Ihringen Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris thrive in this area. that time.

• Heidelberg

• Karlsruhe

• Stuttgart

Rhein• Ihringen • Freiburg

Meersburg Reichenau • •

A local speciality is the rose-coloured wine called unusual for Germany: 36 orchid species are na- Badisch Rotgold, not a grape variety but a spe- tive to the Kaiserstuhl as well as 729 species of cial cuvée made from Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. butterflies, the colourful bee-eater, the up to 40 centimetre long green lizard and the praying The diverse region of Baden offers a variety of mantis. The name Kaiserstuhl (emperor’s seat) soil profiles: from shell and keuper in originates from Emperor Otto III (980-1002) the Kraichgau and on the banks of the Tauber whose court was located in the local Leiselheim via lime, clay and marl deposits to the rich loess area “Gestühl” which remains a vineyard name and clay soils, which contain volcanic scatterings to this day. at Kaiserstuhl, Tuniberg and in the Markgräf- lerland. baden is divided into nine districts: Baden has made a name for itself far beyond its Bodensee, Markgräflerland, Tuniberg, Kaiser- borders for its high concentration of gourmet stuhl, Freiburg, Ortenau, Kraichgau, Badische restaurants. hardly any other region in Ger- Bergstraße and Tauberfranken. many has so many restaurants with star chefs, a fact that is even known in the French . In Germany, the Kaiserstuhl gets the most Culinary tourism across the border but also from sunshine. other parts of Germany and Switzerland is con- stantly increasing. This volcanic cone between theB lack Forest and Vosges mountains, with an average temperature of over 11 degrees Celsius, is undoubtedly one of the warmest places in the country. This leads to an endemic and fauna which is quite G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 27

S poilt by the sun 28 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

Franken is the only German wine-growing page left above: countryside near Castell region which is completely contained in the most southeastern German federal state of page right above: Escherndorf vineyards They say “Mainfranken is wine Franken”, . Here, vines are cultivated on about 6,000 and rightly so as Franconian wine is produced hectares mostly situated around the baroque town small photos below: the famous (left), along the Main river and its tributaries. Its dis- of Würzburg. the Hofkeller (State Court Cellars) tinguishing feature was and still is the Bocks- in Würzburg beutel, a flat, bulbous bottle. Why precisely Picturesque towns such as or this bottle shape was used in Franken remains Castell can also be found in this holiday and restrained, but of rock solid power. Silvaner unexplained. however, during excavations in paradise. ripens two weeks earlier than Riesling and pro- the Franconian Wenigumstadt one of the old- duces good yields but cannot withstand harsh est flat, bulbous bottles ever was found. It dates 81 percent of the vines cultivated in Franken are winters in all locations. For this reason, it is from about 1400 BC and is of Celtic origin. Did white grape varieties. Silvaner is considered the not the most commonly grown grape variety in this bottle lead to the creation of the Bocksbeu- classic Franconian variety. No other region has a Franken. In order to achieve a certain stability of tel? In any , the Bocksbeutel is quite prac- higher proportion of Silvaner. It was planted for yield, many vineyards were planted with the more tical: It doesn’t roll down slopes! Good for a the first time at theS chlossberg in Castell in April climate-resistant Müller-Thurgau. The white picnic in the gently rolling hills of the Franken 1659. Its character is often compared to that of Bacchus, which can be matured into anything river valleys. the inhabitants of Franken themselves: quiet from the palatable quaffing wine to an

B ocksbeutel country Franken G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 29

? NOW U K YO ID One of the most D famous Franken vineyards and the oldest documented Vineyard area: vineyard site by name in ca. 6,100 ha, Germany is the “Würzburg Stein”. Steinwein has long 81% white wine is also very dear to the Franconian wine-makers been a synonym for Franken wine. A 1540s Steinwein is Most important grape varieties: heart. A red grape speciality from Franken is the today still stored in the cellar of the Bürgerspital winery Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner . in Würzburg. Johann Wolfgang von , the German national poet, was a pronounced connoisseur of Further information: www. frankenwein-aktuell.de The climate in the Franken wine country is Steinwein. On 17 June 1806 he wrote to his wife Christiane: “Please send me some Würzburg mostly continental, but the Main has a balancing wine, no other wine tastes as nice, and I effect: summers are hot and winters cold. Main- am in a surly mood if I lack my usual franken is protected from excessive cold and rain favourite drink.” by the Rhön in the north and the Spessart in the west. And although there is little rain around Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Würzburg in the summer humidity is relatively high. Due to the low level of rainfall there is a Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist winery high concentration of mineral content in the Juliusspital in Würzburg soil. No wonder than that minerally, earthy un- dertones are considered the main characteristic Castell and Silvaner of the typical Franken wine.

• Aschaffenburg Main

• Würzburg Castell • • 30 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

Hessische

BergstraßeS pring awakening G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 31

The 436 hectares under vine of the smallest German wine-growing region stretch mainly on the gentle slopes of the hills along the Rhine. “This is where Germany starts to be Italy”, Joseph II rejoiced when he travelled from Frankfurt across the Bergstraße (Strata Montana) as the newly crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations in

Main

•

• Kloster Lorsch •• Heppenheim

Rhein • Mannheim

• Heidelberg

April 1766. Spring does indeed arrive here ear- Vineyard area: ca. 440 ha, lier than anywhere else in Germany. Figs and al- 79% white wine monds, forsythia and magnolias all thrive at the Bergstraße just as well as vines. On a clear day Most important grape varieties: Riesling, Spätburgunder, you can see as far as the Pfälzer Wald (Palatinate Grauburgunder Forest). This was certainly one reason for the straße because of the long growing seasons. construction of many of the numerous castles The remaining 53 percent of vineyards in this Further information: www. bergstraesser-wein.de that line the Bergstraße. region share different varieties, such as Müller- Thurgau, Gewürztraminer and the rare yellow Most towns and villages in this area have Orleans. For some time, red grape varieties have historical centres with picturesque flair. also increasingly been grown. These include Pinot Noir, Pinot Madeleine and Saint Laurent. Add to this the partly terraced vineyards – this Adventure trail region is beautiful throughout the year not only The Romans were probably the first wine- “Wine and Stone” at when the fruit-trees are in bloom! Characteris- growers of the region who made use of the mild Heppenheim tic soils of the Hessische Bergstraße are dry, but climate. The Bergstraße was an important trade Lorsch Monastery easily warming shifting sands which are low in route, and they called it “Via Strata Montana”. and the history of nutrients and fine-grained, deep, water-storing The Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald is viticulture loess. one of the 77 regions worldwide which have been admitted to the UNESCO Global Net- Riesling is the “King of the Bergstraße”. It work of Geoparks. 500 million years of the his- makes up just under half of the grape varieties tory of the earth are visible on 2,230 square kilo- OW? grown and thrives especially well at the Berg- metres between Rhine, Main and . The KN OU The Oden- Hessische Bergstraße with its location between Y wald forest ID the Upper Rhine Rift and the crystalline Oden- D has an “island”, wald is an important part of the Geopark. namely the Odenwald wine island. This is of course not a real island, but a small wine-growing region slightly separated from the rest of the Hessische Bergstraße around the town of Groß-Umstadt to the west of Darmstadt. Wine is cultivated here on a mere 62 hectares not far from the Hessian metropolis Frankfurt am Main which also has a vineyard, the Lohberg. However, this is firstly part of the Rheingau region, and secondly the Frank- page left: furt people explicitly prefer a different kind of Heppenheim vineyards wine – that made from apples – called small photos above: “Ebbelwoi”. market place in Lorsch (left), adventure trail “Wine and Stone” 32 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

All tourists know the romantic Rhine. Victor page right above: view of the Rhine and Hugo and Mark Twain already raved about the Bacharach spectacular scenery in the 19th century which page right below: inspired many paintings by William Turner. In vineyards at Boppard contrast to most Germans, many a tourist from small photos below: Japan or Korea can sing all verses of Heinrich vineyards at the Mittelrhein, Heine’s Loreley song without any mistakes: „Ich St. Goarshausen weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten ...“ („I don’t know what it could mean...“). For the wine- connoisseur Mittelrhein means Riesling for a start. The cultivated area of​​the Mittelrhein mea- sures 456 hectares and extends for about 110 ki- lometres along the Rhine from Bingen and the Siebengebirge to the gates of the former Federal Vineyard area: ca. 460 ha, capital Bonn. 85% white wine Anyone who has ever travelled along this route by train, ship or car, will have seen many medi- Most important grape varieties: Riesling, Spätburgunder, eval castles and picturesque towns and also a lot The air-stream provides a mild breeze, the Müller-Thurgau of vineyards. Hunsrück keeps the coldest streams away, but south-facing slopes are still essential for the Further information: www.mittelrhein-wein.com This romantic route between Bingen and top wines. They can be found from the bend Koblenz was declared a UNESCO World Heri- in the Rhine near Boppard to the Loreley pri- tage Site in 2002! marily on the right bank of the Rhine, north of it to Rhens on both banks and south to “Romantic wine” does not quite describe it especially on the left bank properly, though. Most vineyards are located on and in its side valleys. More than 300 hec- steep slopes that demand hard work from the tares of the total area of ​​the region are planted Boppard Hamm: wine-growers. But the wines from the Mittel- with Riesling. Pinot Noir, Müller-Thurgau, the wine loop on the Rhine rhein region are worth the effort: the predomi- and Kerner from the Mit- Bacharach: nant slate soils yield mineral-rich and hearty telrhein are mostly enjoyed locally and there- Centre of the Romantic Rhine wines with lively acidity. fore rarely find their way onto the market.

Rhein

• Königswinter

• Neuwied Koblenz •

Boppard •

Bacharach •

Bingen•

? NOW The impressive castles were once built asde- U K YO fensive structures or customs stations but lost ID D this significance from the 15th century when firearms were invented. Many castles were aban- The town of Bacharach doned. The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) and has several distinctive the War of the Palatinate Succession (1688- steep slopes. According to an old saying the best wines are grown in Bacharach, and 1692) caused a lot of destruction – the glory Pope Pius II had a barrel of Bacharach wine delivered to Rome of the magnificent fortresses of the Mittelrhein every year. But there is also a very flat vineyard. It is situa- seemed to be over. But many of the thick walls ted on a 680 by 150 metre island in the Rhine and is called survived the centuries, were restored from public “Heyles’en Werth” after its former owner Hans Heyles. Today and/or private funds and are today a symbol of the island is cultivated by a winemaking family from the Romantic Rhine – together with the vine- Bacharach. They do not only need strong legs like the yards, of course! steep slope vintners but also muscular arms as the island can only by reached by rowing boat. G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 33

MittelrheinRiesling and romance 34 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S E legance and class from the terrace

the steep rocky slopes along the Mosel the sun Treverorum, today’s Trier, which even became rays hit the ground almost vertically, especially the seat of government of the Western Roman Moselat the Bremmer , the steepest vineyard Empire in the 4th century and grew into the Next to the Rhine, the Mosel is certainly one of in Europe. Animals and plants which need a very largest town north of the Alps. the most famous German wine rivers. The mag- mild climate and which would not be able to live nificently meandering river is called La or grow a few kilometres away in the mountains At the Obermosel between the border triangle of in France and Musel in until it of the or the Hunsrück can be found at the France, Germany and Luxembourg and the con- turns into the Mosel at Perl, which flows into the Mosel: Apollo butterfly, and green liz- fluence of the at Konz, shell limestone and Rhine at Koblenz after 250 river kilometres on ard, stonecrop and rustyback fern have all made keuper are the prevailing types of soil which pro- German soil. The oldest German wine-growing a home for themselves there. vide a good basis for the Pinot varieties and the region – which was already sung about by the domestic Elbling. From to Koblenz Roman poet Ausonius – covers a total of almost It is known that Celts settled at the Mosel. slate is the main kind of soil: here the Mosel has 9,000 hectares of vineyards and extends to the slowly and persistently carved a gorge into the tributaries Saar and . The Romans were particularly significant for the Rhenish slate mountains. Many vineyard names region, especially for its viticulture. Around 50 at the Mosel end in -lay, indicating the fact that The wind at the Mosel comes mainly from the BC, Julius went to war against Gaul and the vines are planted on slate: the ancient Celtic southwest. River and soil both store the warmth travelled through the Mosel Valley on his way term “ley” for slate has survived the ages in this during the day and release it at night. Because of there. In 15 BC, the Romans founded Augusta way. G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 35

Mosel

Cochem •

Bremm • • • Traben-Trarbach • Bernkastel-Kues Piesport •

• Trier

Vineyard area: ca. 8,900 ha, In addition to the spectacular, often terraced 91% white wine slopes to the right and left of the river, its many Most important grape varieties: curves and turns are very characteristic. Riesling Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, thrives especially well on the slate soil at the Elbling Mittel- and Untermosel; it has to root deeply Further information: here in order to gain plenty of minerals and fi- www.weinland-mosel.de nesse from the barren ground. Mineral elegance, an almost playful finesse and an often delicate The most ex- residual sweetness characterise the Mosel Ries- pensive sale of a ling. vineyard to date took place in 1900 when the mayor of Bernkastel sold The Roman wine presses of Piesport 4,300 square metres of the vineyard named “Doc- page left below: on the Mosel in morning mist tor” to a certain Carl Wegeler – for 100 marks per Winery of the Vereinigte Hospitien in Trier vine. In today’s money that would be about 600 to 700 page right below: Euro per vine. The investment was worthwhile, however, Vineyard sundials at the Mosel steep slopes in Kröv as the vineyard is now one of the most famous in the Traben-Trarbach small photos above: world and best in the region. Its peculiar name derives via ferrata at the Bremmer Calmont from the fact that in 1630 the Archbishop Bohe- The Bremmer Calmont mund of Trier was ill but surprisingly recovered after a few sips of wine and thus awarded the title of to the vineyard. 36 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

NaheNahMulti-faceted diamond G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 37 page left: view of the Nahe and the Rotenfels small photos below: openair museum (left), monastery ruins of Disibodenberg

Rhein

Bingen •

Schloß Böckelheim Bad Sobernheim • • • Bad Kreuznach • Kloster Disibodenberg Nahe

Glan

Precious stones are small, but brilliant. This Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) lived and Vineyard area: description also fits the nearly 4,200 hectares of worked on the Disibodenberg at the Nahe. In ca. 4,200 ha, 75% white wine the Nahe region which is sometimes even called her holistic approach to medicine which is still a “treasure chest”. Many excellent wines from relevant today she had assigned a very impor- Most important grape varieties: varieties such as Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot tant role to wine. In 2010, the Disibodenberg Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Dornfelder Gris, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau and others can was honoured by the German Wine Institute as be found here. Quite a few Nahe vintners rate a “Landmark of Wine Culture”. As viticulture Further information: among the German top producers. on the Disibodenberg dates back to at least the www.weinland-nahe.de the oldest vines in Germany are The Nahe river rises near -Selbach located here. in the and flows into the Rhine near Bingen. The sixty kilometres of river from the The wines from the Nahe were referred toas river mouth are part of the growing region. This “Rhine wine” in the past. The character of Nahe includes the valleys of the tributaries and Riesling is indeed reminiscent of wines from the Monastery ruins of Disibodenberg . Rhine and the Mosel, nevertheless they have a The Schloßböckelheim Kupfergrube distinctive “Nahe touch”. The Nahe was defined The Hunsrück offers the quiet, idyllic area pro- as an independent wine-growing region by the Bad Sobernheim open-air museum tection from rain. The sun shines for approxi- 1971 . mately 1,750 hours per year. The temperature of the steep cliffs can reach up to 60 degrees Celsius in the summer – good for the vines which like to have warm feet during the growth period!

No other region offers so many different types of soil in such a small space.

The Nahe area is located at the interface of the Rhenish Slate Mountains, the Mainz basin and the hilly landscape of the Saar. Volcanic rock, slate, red slate, quartzite, clay, loess, red sand- The Nahe also has a stone and basalt can be found here, to name but wine route – like almost a few. A versatile testing ground for the vintners every region. But the Nahe vintners are working to- which offers a wide range of wine for the con- gether with the German Gemstone Route, after all, the noisseur to enjoy. Riesling is grown on about 27 German gemstone stronghold Idar-Oberstein is not far percent of the growing area. Among the red vari- away. Every year a special wine edition in a special eties Dornfelder and Portugieser dominate the decorative bottle is put on the market. It is called field, but Pinot Noir is also grown here. This is “Edelschliff” (noble cut). Every bottle is furnished truly a tasting room representing German wine. with a precious stone – in 2010, it was an epi- dote, and inside the bottle is a liquid gem: a selected wine from the Nahe! 38 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

Vineyard area: page right above: ca. 23,500 ha, vineyards in front of 62% white wine Hambach Castle The beautiful Pfalz with its gentle climate page right below: Most important grape varieties: almond trees in bloom Riesling, Dornfelder, Müller-Thurgau, is situated between the Pfälzerwald (Palatinate Portugieser, Spätburgunder Forest) in the west – the largest contiguous small photos below: Rhodt unter Further information: forest area in ​​Germany –, Rheinhessen in the www.pfalz.de/wein-und-genuss north, Baden across the river Rhine in the east and the Alsace in the south. Vines are grown in the southeast of this region in the foothills of the Pfälzerwald. Many vines: The Pfalz with an area of ​​some 23,500 hectares is the second larg- est wine growing region in Germany. The 144 The Roman vineyard in Ungstein Palatinate winegrowing communities are largely bordering the Deutsche Weinstraße (German Wine Road).This is the oldest German wine : tourism route (opened in 1935) and it stretch- small wine village – great politics es for about 85 kilometres from Bockenheim in Wine Museum in Speyer the north to Schweigen on the French border, where it ends at the German Wine Gate.

Ludwigshafen •

Deidesheim • Neustadt an der Weinstrasse • Speyer • • Rhodt unter Rietburg

Rhein

From higher locations in the frequently nice ties such as Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder weather you can enjoy the beautiful views and Spätburgunder and, of course, Riesling, across the Rhine plains to the imperial cathe- are marketed under the name DC Pfalz which dral in Speyer and to Heidelberg on the other means Districtus Controllatus. Thus, a bottle side of the Rhine. The almost Mediterranean like that contains a typical Pfalz wine. climate at the Weinstraße enables almonds, figs, lemons and to bloom. The almond blos- The wine-growing region Pfalz can be roughly som which immerses the Weinstraße in bright divided into two subdivisions: The northern rose pink in the spring inspires the first part approximately extends from Neustadt an of the year in a region rich in wine festivals. der Weinstraße to the Zellertal near Worms and is called Mittelhaardt. here the soils are light The favourite child of the Pfalz wine- and very water-permeable, the vines have to grower is the Riesling which is mostly full- be deep-rooted. Riesling is an important spe- bodied and juicy in this area. cies in this area. At the Südliche Weinstraße (Southern Wine Route) from Neustadt to With about 5,500 hectares the Pfalz has the Schweigen in the south, the vines grow on largest area under Riesling vines in the world. heavier clay soils. There, in addition to Riesling The second most common wine is the Dorn- and red wines, very good wines are made from felder which is known and loved as a palatable Pinot varieties. Statistically speaking, there are The Deutsche Weinstraße red. In addition, many other grape varieties 600 vines for every inhabitant of the Südpfalz! goes through many typical wine villages with timber- thrive here. If their wines correspond to a pre- framed houses where vines are growing across the determined profile particularly typical varie- Incidentally, the largest wine in the road. Once a year, on the last Sunday in August, on an world is celebrated in the Pfalz: the Dürk- event-filled day the entire German Wine Road is re- heimer Wurstmarkt (sausage market). This fes- served for pedestrians and cyclists: an 80 kilometre tival has been a market for pilgrims since the long with more than 300,000 cyclists, 15th century. According to the Palatine practice walkers and skaters! plenty of sausage is available here, together with bread and wine, of course. In 1832, the festival was officially called “Wurstmarkt” for the first time. G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 39

Where almond trees bloom Pfalz 40 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

RheingauRoyal Riesling

The Rheingau extends from the west of Frank- against cold winds from the north and against furt along the Rhine which in this region fol- heavy rainfalls. lows a whim of nature. The Rhine which other- wise mainly flows from the south to the north Riesling is the undisputed king among the takes a sharp bend near Mainz, almost exactly grape varieties. at a latitude of 50 degrees north, and flows from the east to the west past popular locations such This demanding, late-ripening variety feels par- as , Oestrich-Winkel and Rüdesheim to ticularly at home here, develops characteristic . The slopes of the Rheingau touches of mineral and is marked by a fresh fruit are facing exactly south and thus make optimal acidity. The Spätburgunder, just like the Ries- use of the 1,600 hours of sunshine a year. The ling, is a member of the noble grapes and thrives mountains provide natural protection especially well around Assmannshausen.

The Rheingau is a very popular tourist travel des- The town of Hoch- tination where old monasteries and castles are heim am Main is also idyllically nestled in the wine landscape. For 120 located in the Rheingau kilometres, the Rheingau Riesling Route leads region. This wine town with its famous wines is the origin through the picturesque wine villages. Wine tav- of the term “Hock” for Rhine wine which is still used in Eng- land today. The term probably became popular after Queen Victoria visited Hochheim in 1845. Due to the good taste of the Hochheim wines and the benefits to health attributed to them the phrase “a good Hock keeps off the doc!” had established itself rather quickly. Even a century ago wines from the Rheingau were among the most ex- pensive on wine lists throughout the world, and especially in England. G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 41

Rhein Kloster Eberbach • • Wiesbaden Eltville Rüdesheim • • • • Main Oestrich-Winkel Mainz Rhein

erns and seasonal vintners wine bars invite you Rheingau and restaurateurs offer wine Vineyard area: to stop for a glass of Rheingau wine, and cultural culinary experiences at a high level through- ca. 3,100 ha, 85% white wine and historical attractions can be found by the out the year: the Gourmet and Wine Festival wayside. For example, the Oestrich wine loading in March, the Gourmet Weeks in late April, Most important grape varieties: crane of 1744. It is the last remaining one of its the Rheingau Music Festival during the sum- Riesling, Spätburgunder kind on the Rhine. With its help Rheingau wines mer months and the Glorious Rheingau Days Further information: got on the river and from there into the whole in November. The traditional wine auctions at www.kulturland-rheingau.de world. Visitors to the distinctive vantage points Kloster Eberbach are also worth a visit. of the Rheingau such as the Niederwald monu- ment and Johannisberg Castle are presented with the historical centres of viticulture. Among them is the former Cistercian abbey of Kloster page left below: Eberbach, one of the best preserved medieval the Eltville Steinberg Kloster Eberbach monastery complexes in Germany. The Johan- page right below: Johannisberg Castle nisberg is not only famous for the castle of the vineyards beneath and the invention of Spätlese same name which was created from the ruins Johannisberg Castle Oestrich-Winkel of a monastery but also historically as the place small photos above: where the Spätlese (late harvest) has its origin. Eberbach Monastery 42 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

Mainz, the state capital of Rheinland- Pfalz, is also the Nowhere has the revival of German wine capital of Rheinhes- in the last two decades been felt as strongly as sen. Since 2008, it has been a proud member of an illustrious circle – the in the largest German wine region Rheinhes- Great Wine Capitals Global Network. It is composed of sen – both in terms of quality and as regards nine towns from the major wine regions of the world. the image of the wines. The 26,500-hectare Besides Mainz these are Bordeaux, , San wine region is today considered one of the Rheinhessen is the least wooded area in Ger- Francisco, Christchurch, , Mendoza, and most “dynamic” because the vintners, many of many. Cape Town. The organisation’s aim is to promote whom belong to a young, well-educated gene- tourism and wine culture. The earth is a wine ration, have recognised the potential of their Rheinhessen is protected from cold winds and planet – and Germany and Rheinhessen vineyard locations and have invested in their strong rainfall by the hills of the Hunsrück, are part of it. cellars and vineyards with much expertise. Taunus, Odenwald and Nordpfalz Berg- land. Accordingly, the area is one of the driest The gentle countryside of Rheinhessen is and warmest in all of Germany – which is good known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills”. for wine and for fruit growing. page left above: the red slope at

The green, undulating sea of ​​vines with pic- In Rheinhessen there are quartzite, porphyry, page right above: trullo (small round vineyard hut) turesque villages nestled amongst them are slate and volcanic rock as well as characteristic at Flonheim located between Mainz, Worms, Alzey and deposits from the Tertiary. This soil diversity is small photos below: Bingen. Because of the strong agricultural use complemented by red slate, an interesting rock idyllic winery in the formation which is much older than the depos- Rheinhessische Schweiz

RheinhessenChange through dynamism G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 43

its from the Tertiary. It can be found in the east Sometimes little huts can be found in the Vineyard area: at the “Roter Hang” (red slope) near Nierstein Rheinhessen vineyards which make you believe ca. 26,500 ha, and in the west in the Rheinhessische Schweiz that you are at the Mediterranean rather than 69% white wine (Rhine-Hessian Switzerland). Thanks to the in Germany: the Trulli (singular: Trullo). These Most important grape varieties: diverse soils and many different small round vineyard huts with their domed Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, grape varieties are grown in Rheinhessen which roofs of which there are 30 to 40 in Rheinhes- Dornfelder, Silvaner, can lead to a single vintner harvesting and pro- sen are often painted brilliant white. Presum- Portugieser, Spätburgunder ducing 30 or more different wines per year. ably, these small houses have always been used Further information: as shelters by the vintners and vineyard work- www.rheinhessen.de The ratio of white to red wine varieties is 69 ers. They survived the passage of time because, to 31 percent. Silvaner is the traditional grape due to the shortage of wood in Rheinhessen, variety of the region, and Rheinhessen has the they were built of stone. largest acreage of Silvaner worldwide. Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Pinot varieties are also grown. Significant red varieties are Dornfelder, The Liebfrauenstift-Kirchenstück Pinot Noir and Portugieser. “Winzersekt”, in Worms sparkling wine produced in a traditional man- The Niersteiner Glöck ner according to strict criteria, was launched some 30 years ago. The Kupferberg Visitors’ Centre in Mainz

• Mainz Main • Bingen

Nierstein•

Rhein Nahe Alzey•

Worms• 44 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S Saale-A piece of heaven NaheUnstrut G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 45

• Halle

Saale

Freyburg •

Unstrut •

• Weimar Saale page left: Wine-growing at the Saale and the Unstrut has Vineyard area: vineyards at the Unstrut been documented since 998: There is a deed of ca. 740 ha, 73% white wine small photos above: donation of Emperor Otto III in which viticul- in Freyburg (left), Rotkäppchen sparkling wine cellars ture is mentioned. The average temperature in Most important grape varieties: this region is comparatively low so the local viti- Müller-Thurgau, Weißburgunder culture needs protected vineyards. Especially in Further information: the river valleys heat islands are generated whose www.weinbauverband-saale-unstrut.de allows the grapes to flourish beau- tifully. The climatic conditions lead to a kind of natural reduction in yield, the harvest amount at the Saale and the Unstrut is an average of only 50 hectolitres per hectare.

Müller-Thurgau is the main representative of the The sparkling wine cellars Rotkäppchen grape varieties at the Saale and the Unstrut. The The vineyard huts relatively low yields give the wines a special finesse which also benefit Weißburgunder The “Stone Picture Book” at Naumburg (Pinot Blanc) and Silvaner, the second and third most widely grown grape variety. Delicate and lively with fresh acidity – this describes best the character of the fine wines from the Saale, the Unstrut and the Wachtelberg. You should try the wines locally as especially the rare red wines rarely leave the region.

The vineyards of the wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut are located in southern Sachsen- Anhalt near Freyburg and Naumburg, in north- ern Thüringen around Bad Kösen and in a part of to the southwest of on about 740 hectares of land. The eight kilometres west of Potsdam measuring six hectares is the northernmost vine- yard in Europe which is approved by the EU for The “Romantic the production of quality wine. Here we are at a Road” and the latitude of about 51 degrees North! “Skywalk” run along the Saale-Unstrut Wine The rivers Saale and Unstrut run through an Route. Castles and palaces old cultural landscape which is characterised by such as the Neuenburg and steep terraces, stone walls, orchards and river the Rudelsburg, important buildings like Naumburg Cathedral and mystical sites such meadows. For over 1,000 years, vines have been as the place where the Sky Disk of Nebra was found tell of the cultivated here. cultural history of the country. Freyburg on the Unstrut is con- sidered the secret wine capital of the area. Every year on the The beauty of the landscape has attracted second weekend in September, the largest wine festival of the people at all times. region is held here. Exploring this wine-growing region and its wines, vineyards, wine and seasonal vintners wine bars is a lot of fun as there is a well-developed network The Bronze Age Sky Disk of Nebra for example of cycle paths, walking tracks and waterways. The which was found in 1999 is evidence for the age largest part of the region is located in the of this cultural landscape. It is considered the Saale-Unstrut-Triasland conservation oldest celestial representation of the world. area. 46 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

The , which means warm summers and cold winters, is defining for Sach- sen. The alternation of mild day and cool night temperatures is very good for the vines. The Sachsen wines – mainly Müller-Thurgau, Ries- The blue ribbon of the runs through ling and Pinot Blanc – prove this impressively a lovely landscape which is dominated by with their delicacy. vineyard terraces and historic villages.

It was probably a bishop called Benno who plant- Dresden is the centre of this wine-growing area The Sachsen region is located to the north and ed the first vines near Meißen in the eleventh and the icing on the cake with its urban beau- south of Dresden, roughly between Meißen and century. saxon viticulture was documented in ty. Dry stone walls that provide picturesque . With about 500 hectares it is one of the 1161 which is why Sachsen celebrated its 850th surrounds for the steep slopes and terraces are three smallest wine-growing regions in Germany anniversary of wine-growing in 2011. Although typical for the region. They are not only beau- and the most easterly. Poland is only a stone’s the date is not entirely proven the Sachsen wine tiful but also offer a habitat to rare plants and throw away. is definitely worth celebrating! animals. SachsenE astern highlight G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 47

page left above: In Sachsen, predominantly white grape varieties panoramic view of the old town of Dresden are grown. The ratio of white to red varieties is page right above: Vineyard area: 81 to 19 percent. Less than one percent of all vineyard terraces in Radebeul ca. 480 ha, German wines come from Sachsen. No won- small photos below: 81% white wine der then that Sachsen wines are rarely found on Wackerbarth Castle Most important grape varieties: the market. So once more it is best to go to the Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, region and enjoy the wine locally! Weißburgunder Further information: One native speciality can be particularly recom- www.weinbauverband-sachsen.de mended: the Goldriesling which is cultivated on 12 hectares of vineyard. Goldriesling is drunk What the bocksbeutel is to the Franconians, the young, is light and fresh with a delicate spicy club-shaped bottle is to the Saxons. This peculiar note. The health missionary Pfarrer Sebastian bottle which resembles a bowling pin was inven- Kneipp already recommended this wine with his ted in 1931 in the former Weinbau-Versuchs- und health treatments in the 19th century. Another Lehranstalt Hoflößnitz (viticulture research and Schloss Wackerbarth: good reason to try it! teaching institute) near Dresden. With its museum, wine bar and vineyard Hoflößnitz Hoflößnitz and the is still a centre of Saxon wine culture club-shaped bottle worth visiting.

Elbe • Meißen

• Radebeul

Dresden • • Pirna 48 G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S

• Neckarzimmern Heilbronn • • Rhein • Stuttgart • Esslingen Neckar

Meersburg • • Lindau

Vineyard area: ca. 11,500 ha, 71% red wine Most important grape varieties: Trollinger, Riesling, ure of wine available in a was a “Schoppen” Schwarzriesling, Lemberger which is half a litre. Most of the wine produced Further information: in Württemberg is consumed locally, particu- www.wwg.de larly in cosy countryside wine taverns which are run by the vintners and only open during the summer season.

The system of wine cooperatives is firmly rooted It comes as no surprise that the state of Baden- in Württemberg. Many vintners or vine dressers Sparkling wine manufacturer as they are called here in Württemberg are part- Kessler in Esslingen Württemberg is home to the two wine-growing regions Baden and Württemberg both of which time wine-growers who deliver their grapes to Hornberg castle with their own character. cooperatives. Of course there are also many win- in Neckarzimmern eries in the region that market their wines them- selves. Pfedelbach and the barrel With around 11,500 hectares under vine Würt- of the prince temberg is the fourth largest German wine- growing region. Red grapes predominate here, A speciality is the schillerwein. unlike oth- with a share of 71 percent. And this is not only er rosé wines Schillerwein is made from a mixture the palatable Trollinger: other favourites of of red and white grapes which are already mixed the Württemberg vintners are Pinot Meunier together prior to fermentation. The term (Schwarzriesling), Lemberger and Pinot Noir “Schillerwein” has nothing to do with the great (Spätburgunder). Not to forget Riesling which Württemberg poet Friedrich Schiller but prob- is grown on about 2,000 hectares and is the most ably has its origins in the Middle Ages. important white wine variety in Württemberg.

The wine-growing area of Württemberg is loca- ted on the river Neckar and on its tributaries Rems, , Tauber, and Jagst. A Würt- temberg wine enclave also includes the vineyards Sommeliers, of the Bavarian banks of Lake Constance near wine connois- Lindau. seurs, and people liv- ing in the growing areas The hilly landscape along its rivers is know that there is an appropriate glass for every evidence of the geological history of Würt- type of wine. In Württemberg, this is a very strange temberg. receptacle: a glass mug. The only without a stem has a convenient handle on its side and is mostly used in the traditional wine taverns. In gen- The volcanic origin of many a hill can be seen in eral, the inhabitants of Württemberg drink more its cone shape. Five kilometres east of Heilbronn wine than the people in all the other regions is Weinsberg which is the seat of the prestigious in Germany. National Training and Research Institute for page right: wine and fruit growing. Important grape varie- view of the Neckar from Hornberg ties like Kerner and Dornfelder have been bred Castle here. small photos above: bottle store at the sparkling wine In Württemberg wine was considered a “staple manufacturer Kessler (left), food” for a long time – just like beer in Bavar- romantic timber-framed buildings ia. Until the First World War the smallest meas- in Niedernhall G E R M A N W I N E G R O W I N G R E GION S 49 WürttembergWürttembergRedWürttemberg wine country 50 T h e B IOGRAP H Y O F W I N E

The biography of wine

Wine and people have something in common: their biography makes them into individuals. Not just the grape variety and its geographic origin – soil and climate at the vineyard location – but also the processing in the cellar are critical factors which shape every wine. To continue the metaphor of the biography (by the way, connoisseurs swear that wine is “alive”!): The childhood in the vineyard is followed by the youth in the cellar. Grown up, the wine ends up in the bottle with the consumer and may perhaps mature some more in his cellar to become a senior. So what does the course of life of a wine look like?

In the beginning was the vineyard them in the middle before they reach ma- turity. Every gardener knows that some plants need sun while others prefer shade. Types A vineyard needs to be cultivated of vine also have different requirements for their location. In Germany, one of the A lot of work is required for the grapes to northernmost wine-growing countries in grow healthily. Some vintners plant grass or the world, the river valleys are ideal loca- other plants in between the rows of vines tions. Why? On the mostly steep slopes on to prevent erosion and to supply natural the river banks, facing south or southeast, fertilisers. Every vineyard is a monoculture the sun hits the ground at an optimal an- and therefore more susceptible to pests and gle. The water reflects the sun’s rays and diseases and therefore, maintenance meas- provides balanced temperatures. The slate ures are necessary. Pests are often prevented rock which is sometimes exposed (for ex- from reproducing by nature-identical phe- ample at the Mosel) stores the heat of the romones. The leaves are cut back to allow day. The nights may then not only be cold better air circulation between the vines but cool nights in autumn are even respon- which helps the grapes to dry faster after sible for ensuring that the fruity aromas a rain shower and it also increases sun develop in the grapes and the wines made penetration. There is a lot to do in a vine- from them. yard throughout the year, even in winter after the harvest when the canes are pruned Growth has to be trained so that the vine can form new shoots in spring. The original form of the vine was afor- est plant that climbed up trees. Therefore, Harvest time at last! vines need help with growing by providing either wire trellises or sometimes just indi- From bloom in May or June until harvest in vidual posts. The grapevine sprouts anew September or October the grapes ripen for every year. The vintner only leaves one or about 100 days. At best, the weather dur- two shoots in order not to get too many ing this time is not too hot, not too cold, grapes. It is crucial for the quality of the not too wet and not too dry. sugar, acid wine how many grapes a vine has to pro- and many other ingredients develop in the duce (and nourish). Rule of thumb: The ripening grapes. Now the moment in which fewer the better – because the strength of sugar and acid are in an optimal ratio is very the plant is concentrated more strongly in important. Experienced vintners taste a few the few grapes. Depending on the type of grapes every day or measure the amount of training a vine supplies one to two kilo- sugar in the must with a refractometer in grams of grapes. The vintner speaks of the order to determine this moment. Depend- yield which is usually quoted in hectolitres ing on the weather, it can become very ex- per hectare. This is an important variable citing: Will the wine-grower risk waiting in the biography of wine as the yield sub- another day or two? The sugar content in stantially influences the quality! In order the grape also determines the final quality to reduce the yield quality-conscious wine- of the wine. growers even cut out surplus grapes or split The harvest itself is one of the romantic im- T h e B IOGRAP H Y O F W I N E 51

What is a barrique barrel? The traditional barrique with a capac- ages that every wine lover has in mind. On . This results in the bubbling ity of 225 litres comes from France. It the steep slopes the harvest workers pick of the fermenting must! If fermentation is a small barrel usually made of oak, in the grapes by hand and pour them into takes place slowly and gently at low tem- which especially red wines develop richer a pannier which is then carried from the peratures, the fruity aromas will be better flavours and structures. Due to the aging vineyard on the back of a strong man. Har- preserved. Therefore, most of the fermenta- in a barrique wines often get a roasty or vesting are often used on flatter tion tanks today have a cooling device for spicy note. For several decades many Ger- sites which shake the ripe grapes from the temperature control. Among the naturally man wineries have matured their red and vines as gently as possible. The grapes are occurring there are many which may also white wines in barriques and have now quickly taken to the cellar! There, the produce undesirable flavour substances. In achieved excellent results. other wines berries are separated from the stems and order to better control the fermentation are aged in stainless steel tanks or in the traditional large oak barrels. These then pressed. by destemming, the bitter process, the wine-maker usually adds se- wines have no or almost no wood substances from the stems do not get into lected strains of . However, as in the character. the wine. past, some producers still rely on the natu- rally occurring yeasts in the vineyard for The skin determines the colour fermentation. This spontaneous fermenta- tion is risky as it is difficult to control but it Why do “white” grapes result in white wine can produce wines of great character. and “red” grapes (mostly) in red wine? Ac- tually, the white look green and The youth in the cellar the red wine grapes look blue. While the taste. Above all this development is caused by pure juice from any grape is colourless, the With fermentation the youth of the wine oxygen (oxidation). Therefore, the bottle should skins of the berries contain dyestuffs, espe- has started. some white wines are left on be sealed as airtight as possible. On the other cially the blue grapes. In order to get the red the for a longer time by the vintner hand, a little oxygen is entirely desirable for colour into the wine, the vintner has to leave so that they can develop a finer taste. The complex red wines! Natural has long been the juice to stand for a while with the solid dead yeast cells are then separated from considered the ideal because it guaran- components of the grapes, the so-called the wine. Now the wine needs more time teed both tightness and a certain permeability mash. Fermentation will eventually set in to develop. some wines, particularly red for oxygen. Today, there are a number of closure and the dyes are extracted from the grape ones, are filled into small new oak barrels types such as screw caps or glass closures which skins by the that is produced. This (barriques) which give them additional keep the bottle absolutely tightly closed. The can take up to several weeks, then the mash structure and certain flavour substances in maturing of a wine is an exciting thing, a dec- is pressed and the red wine stored in barrels the course of several months. While some ade-old drop with hints of noble maturity can be for further aging. If you separate the must wines are offered for sale just a few weeks a great experience. But young wines with their from the mash after only a few hours you after the harvest, others may spend many fresh fruit aromas have their followers, too. get a rosé wine. In contrast, white grapes months in the cellar of the . are pressed immediately and separated from Some are young, fresh and fruity, others the mash. If you proceed the same with red complex, fully matured and multi-faceted! grapes this results in a light coloured wine, a Blanc de Noir. Bottling and sealing

Fermentation Bottling is the moment in which the vintner releases his wine into the world as a young Now the fermentation process starts. Yeasts adult. Now he cannot do anything else for convert the natural sugar in the grape must it! But wine is lively, and even in the bottle into alcohol and thereby produce heat and processes occur that ensure a change in the

Did you know? While completely fermented in German in the various wine sugar. The bottles must not or enjoy it at a stand at a wine young wines are sometimes regions: Federweißer, Roter be sealed so that the carbon festival. In the Federal State of marketed in other countries in Rauscher, Sauser, Brauser or dioxide gas can escape. A glass Rheinland-Pfalz which is richest the year of crop, people in many Bitzler. This cloudy, still fer- of this delicious tingly sweet in wine in all of Germany more German growing areas appreci- menting must is lively and Federweißer goes very well than two million litres of fer- ate the wine even before the sparkling and contains about with warm onion tart! You can menting wine are drunk every end of fermentation. There are five percent by volume of buy the new wine at a winery year! many different terms for this alcohol and a lot of natural but also in many supermarkets 52 WineWIN E m e an s work means work

There can only be one – one vintage, that is. Nature does not grant the wine-grower a second chance. In order for the wine to turn out well a lot of work has to be done throughout the year. “The quality is growing in the vineyard” – this vintners’ saying sounds simple but really says a lot! You can indeed ruin a good wine in the cellar but you can never “improve” a bad wine. WIN E m e an s work 53

While the freshly-picked grapes are fermenting and maturing in the the . In January, depending on the weather, the vintner starts 11-2cellar calm prevails in the vineyard. A few berries might still be on to prune the vines: the old shoots are cut off. Proper will de- the vines waiting for the first to be harvested for ice wine. The termine how the vines will sprout and how much they will yield. This vines have finished their growth cycle, and they mostly do not mind work in the vineyard can take several weeks.

3-6The canes from which the new shoots will grow are bent and at- protection may now be necessary. Redundant shoots are removed. tached to the wire frame. For this it has to be warm enough. In April, Most of the vines bloom in mid-June, in these times of global warm- budding starts and the vines grow their first leaves. the vintner ing sometimes even earlier. Unfavourable, wet weather during flowe- works the soil and sows the green covering plants between the rows ring leads to inadequate fertilisation () which means not all of vines. In May, the shoots grow. Now night frosts are dangerous the grapes of the bunch will mature. The itself is not very no- as they pose a risk of freezing to death! The formation of flowers ticeable. Depending on the vintage the time elapsed from bloom to starts, the so-called vine blossom. Botanically the inflorescence has harvest is 100 to 120 days. the shape of panicle with many small blossoms. First steps for plant 54 WIN E m e an s work

Now it has to be ensured by leaf pruning that the foliage optimally ful- ten used for the preparation of the first Federweißer (new wine) of fils the supply of nutrients. Too much foliage is not good for the air cir- the year. Federweißer is fermenting with about 5% alcohol culation in the vine rows, and the ripening grapes also need sun. Lat- by volume which is very popular in Germany during harvest time in eral shoots which are not required are removed. In warm and humid autumn. weather, the risk of fungal diseases is high. Vines are fast growing In September, the grapes ripen fully. The optimal ratio of sweetness plants with a growth performance of up to three metres a year! and acidity (physiological maturity) is important. The wine-grower Maturation of the red grapes is heralded by a change in colour. Sur- checks the ripening process daily. The main harvest usually starts plus grapes are thinned out (“green harvest”) to improve the quality: with Müller-Thurgau in mid to late September. But the also have the remaining grapes benefit from the full strength of the vine. Early an appetite for fresh grapes. They have to be scared away. maturing varieties are already harvested in late August and are of- 7-9

October is harvest month in particular for Riesling and Spätburgunder weather. It is important10-11 that the grapes are perfectly ripe, healthy and (Pinot Noir)! The leaves have changed colour and are yellow or red. Now dry. Diseased or rotten berries are often cut or picked from the grape there is intense activity in the cellar and in the vineyards. The proverbi- by hand. Several phases of harvesting may be necessary. Flat vine- al “golden” (sunny and dry) October provides for the best qualities. In yards can be harvested by harvesting machines. Grapes on hilly and some years harvesting has to take place very quickly because of the steep slopes can mostly only be picked by hand. Organic WIN E m e an s work 55 wine

Strictly speaking, eco or is wine made from organically known that a healthy soil life makes the vines more resistant and the grown grapes. The eco vintner has to follow strict regulations when wines more complex. Instead of using pesticides against the dreaded working in the vineyard. Mineral fertilisers and certain pesticides Grapevine Moth (Lobesia botrana) the majority of wine-growers nowa- against diseases and pests may not be used. Only agents specifically days counts on the environmentally friendly “confusion” technique licensed for organic viticulture are permitted. Planting green vegeta- with the help of pheromones. If the concentration of pheromones of tion between the rows of vines, once the distinguishing feature of an the female grapevine moth in the vineyard is too large, the males no organic vineyard, is today also practised by many conventional or in- longer find their females. Thus, the main animal pest in this country tegrated wine-growers. The conversion from conventional to organic can no longer reproduce. farming takes three years. Currently around 5,000 hectares, or about five percent of German vineyards, are farmed organically, and the Vineyards are exploring entirely new paths with fungus-resistant trend is rising! grape varieties. These are breeds which are less susceptible to certain diseases and therefore make pesticide treatment unnecessary. The The largest association of organic wine-growers, Ecovin, was founded resistant varieties are especially interesting for organic wine-grow- in 1985 and now has over 200 members who farm about 1,200 hec- ers. The most successful of these new breedings is the red variety Re- tares. Furthermore, there are the associations Demeter, Naturland and gent which today is grown on more than 2,000 hectares. An important Bioland. Biodynamic cultivation is a special form of ecological viticul- question asked by wine connoisseurs is: Do organic wines taste better ture which is based on the theories of the founder of Waldorf educa- than others? To which the Ecovin association responds: “In general, tion and anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner. Here, certain preparations for Ecovin wines do not taste any different from wines of the same quality strengthening are added to the soil, and the vintner tries to take into from conventional cultivation”. However, they meet the demand for a account and make use of the influences of the moon and the planets. product that has been made in harmony with nature as much as pos- sible. Even conventionally operated vineyards try to limit the use of synthet- ic agents completely, or at least as much as possible. It is now widely

Did you know? Global warming is not without influence on the temperatures. The risk that the white wines get wine. The average temperature during the grow- too rich in alcohol and lose their characteristic ing season has increased, in the Rheingau, for hot-blooded fruitiness can be met by a modified example, by about one degree Celsius during the system. But there are also nega- last 20 years. To date German wine-growers are tive consequences of global warming, such as still on the winning side of climate change. The the increased migration of previously unknown years in which they had to fear for the full ma- pests from warmer regions (e.g. cicadas) and the turity of the grapes – as was still the case up to increase in extreme weather events like torren- the nineteen eighties – are over. They can now tial rain, heavy hail and pronounced dry or wet wait for the optimal harvest date. Red wines periods. in particular have benefited from the warmer 56 T h e L A b e l T h e L A b e l 57

TheCalling card label of the wine

The label tells you what is in the bottle. Sometimes details can also be its longevity. Harvesting of Beerenauslese is found on the back label. In any case, the particulars on the label are for not possible every year. your information and may therefore not be misleading. What may and : Very elegant, what has to be on the label and in what form is therefore clearly de- sweet wine of extreme longevity made from fined by the wine description legislation. shrivelled raisin-like berries, very high natural sugar content, the aromas are reminiscent of honey and exotic fruit, the consistency is often nectar-like

This must be on every concern the minimum must weight (see page Eiswein: Harvested and pressed while Mandatory label in all European wine- 58) and the natural sugar content of the grapes. frozen, ideally made from healthy grapes information growing countries! The (temperature below minus 7 degrees Celsius), data has to include the very high natural sugar content. Only in ex- quality category (Deutscher (Quality wine with special ceptional years is the harvest of an Eiswein Wein, Landwein, Qualitätswein or Prädikatswein) attributes) If a wine meets possible. Eiswein has an exceptional longevity Prädikatswein and, where applicable, the predicate level more stringent requirements and can be stored for decades. (Kabinett, Spätlese, etc.), the alcohol content than those applicable to (in % vol.), and the nominal volume. the QbA category it can The labels of Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein be offered as a Prädikatswein. The special have to state their official quality control test attributes are defined by one of six categories number. The aforementioned wines and spar- which must be identified on the label indicat- kling wine of certain regions also have to state ing the type of wine. It is often mentioned the specified region of origin,L andwein labels in connection with a grape variety, e.g. “Riesling must name the relevant Landwein region. Spätlese” or “Müller-Thurgau Kabinett”. In Quality Furthermore, the bottler has to be listed. Since ascending order of ripeness at the time of wine testing is 2006, contained in the wine have to harvest the attributes are: conducted in every be referenced on the label. region by an officially Kabinett: Light and elegant wine with appointed indepen- a low alcohol content dent testing commission. The wines are judged (Quality wine from one by experts in a blind sensory examination. They Qualitätswein of the 13 specified wine- Spätlese: Elegant and powerful type of have to be flawless and typical for the variety and bestimmter growing regions) The most wine with pronounced fruit aromas area. Only if they reach a certain score and pass a Anbaugebiete chemical-analytical examination will the official frequent category is ab- quality control test number be issued. Therefore breviated ”QbA”. every Auslese: Mostly sweet, delicately fruity it is said that the “quality in the glass” is Qualitätswein has to undergo an analytical wines made from fully ripe grapes the decisive factor and not a particular and sensory evaluation, and the label then vineyard location or even the bears the official quality control test number. Beerenauslese: Made from overripe name of the producer. The grapes of a Qualitätswein must be 100 grapes which, due to the noble rot (Botrytis percent from the specified region. Other cinerea), have a higher concentration of sugar requirements for the certification as QbA in the must; sweet type of wine, known for 58 T h e L A b e l

What exactly is the must weight?

The riper the grape, the more a litre of must is 1 gram heavier in the wine after fermentation sugar the juice contains. Meas- than a litre of water. In some is called residual sugar. The uring the must weight (of the years Trockenbeerenauslesen name Oechsle derives from the sugar content) enables the vint- can have more than 200 degrees goldsmith and inven- ner to make an inference about Oechsle! Most of the natural tor Christian Ferdinand Oechsle the ripeness of the grapes. The sugar is converted into alcohol (1774-1852) who developed the measurement is expressed in during fermentation. The riper refractometer to determine the degrees Oechsle in Germany. the grapes, the more alcohol can must weight. One degree Oechsle means that be formed. Sugar which remains only be produced from Riesling and Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder). With a maximum of 13 g/l residual sugar they are more likely to be classified as dry. They also have to pass an additional sensory evaluation. Outside of the Rheingau, these top class dry wines (made from different grapes, typical for their growing region), defined by the classification model of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) – Association of German certified winer- ies – are called Großes Gewächs. On the label they can be identified by the initials “GG”.

(Superior table wine) Ger- Landwein man Landwein is one of the wines whose geo- graphical origin is declared on the label. It is an un- complicated wine which is typical for its region. Landwein is always dry or semi dry. In Germany a total of 26 Landwein regions are defined by law – this includes more recently Schleswig-Holstein Landwein as in the far north of Germany, like on the island of Sylt, ten hectares of vines are now cultivated.

This term was introduced (First and Great Growth) “Deutscher Wein” without Erstes und Deutscher with the 2000 vintage. Clas- GroSSes In the Rheingau region further indication of origin Classic Wein sic wines are quality wines Gewächs in the top segment the must be made exclusively made from traditional grape term Erstes Gewächs (First from German grapes and varieties typical for the Growth) can be found on come from approved vine- region that always taste harmoniously dry. There the label. These wines are subject to strin- yards and grape varieties. In Germany, com- is therefore no further information indicating gent quality guidelines such as low yields, pared with other countries of cultivation, only the taste on the label. hand picking and pruning, and the vineyards small amounts of this quality are produced. To- from which these wines may come are clearly gether with Landwein they make up about defined parcels of land. First Growths may five percent of German wine production.

Vineyards There are about 2,600 vineyard the Ahr which comprises less the wine from the sites in the German winegrowing than one hectare. With 85 hec- alone as it often reveals informa- areas. Each of them is recor- tares the prestigious location tion about the soil type (e.g. ded in an official register, the Würzburger Stein is the largest Vulkanfelsen – volcanic rock, vineyard roll. Their sizes vary individual German site. Wine Sandgrube – sand pit, Kalkofen – considerably. The smallest connoisseurs can sometimes lime kiln). Incidentally, the term individual site of Germany is the already draw conclusions about “lay” which is quite often found Walporzheimer Gärkammer at the typicality to be expected of in the vineyard appellations at T h e L A b e l 59

Every bottle has to declare It is also allowed but not Bottler and the bottler. This is not Vineyard required to name the winemaker always identical to the SITES vineyard sites where the producer of the grapes. Win- grapes were grown. Today eries buy grapes or wines the winegrowers usually which they process further and market, for only list the site on the label if the wine owes example, under a brand name. The winery its particular characteristics to the vineyard. The is the bottler. Cooperatives and wineries are name of a site consists of the name of the usually producers as they process grapes from village or town and the name of the vineyard, their own cultivation. Sometimes, however, for example Forster Ungeheuer or Bern- One cube of sugar vintners buy additional grapes. kasteler Doctor. weighs about 3 grams. Our tongue can detect a concentration of about 5 grams of What does the buyer look Dry and semi-dry wines Further infor- sugar in one litre of water (try it!). Cola contains Differences in mation on the for first on the label? Prob- are nearly always indi- about 106 grams of sugar per litre. Noble sweet taste label ably for the vintage and cated on the label. If no specialties like Eiswein and Trockenbeeren- the grape variety. Both are indication is given the wine auslese may have a natural residual sugar almost always stated on is usually sweet to noble content of more than 200 grams per litre. the label, however, the indication of the sweet. By controlling the fermentation the vintage and grape variety is not obligatory. It producers can offer wines with different taste is clear that the grapes (at least 85 per cent) levels. If the fermentation is for example have to be harvested in the declared year and interrupted by cooling before all the sugar have to be obtained from the named variety. By has been converted into alcohol the wine the way: It is possible with Eiswein that it retains a natural sweetness. was only picked in January. However, the The levels of are defined by law: vintage to be stated will be the year in which the grapes ripened.

Trocken – dry for wines with a re- sidual sugar content of up to a maximum of 9 grams per litre

Halbtrocken – semi-dry for wines with a residual sugar content of up to a maxi- mum of 18 grams per litre

Lieblich – semi-sweet for wines with a residual sugar content of up to a maximum of 45 grams per litre

SüSS – sweet for wines with a residual sugar content of more than 45 grams per litre

What a wine tastes like also depends very much on its fruit acid content because the acid at- tenuates the taste of the sweetness. Therefore, wines which according to their residual sugar content are deemed semi-sweet might still taste semi-dry. It has become customary to call such wines “feinherb” – elegantly dry. The the Mosel (Rosenlay, Sonnenlay, Kirchenstück – church owned term “feinherb” which has no legal limits is Laurentiuslay) comes from the land). A complete graphical often used as a synonym for semi-dry. Celtic and means slate or slate overview of aerial photographs rock. Sometimes the appella- of all vineyards is published in Since sparkling wines contain carbon dioxide tion provides information on the the Deutscher Weinatlas (Atlas which absorbs the sense of sweetness as well previous ownership (Kloster- of German Wines) available via as the fruit acid in the wine, the limits for garten – monastery garden, www.germanwines.de their levels of dryness are slightly different. See Grafenberg – count’s mountain, “Germany sparkles”. 60 G E R M A N Y S PARK l e s

Sekt (sparkling wine) and Secco: German wine-growers are specialists in producing sparkling wines. You can enjoy the moment with a glass of sparkling wine. Not only when there is something to celebrate! Nowhere in the world is more Sekt consumed than in Germany: in 2009 it was about 3.9 litres or 5.2 bottles per person. No wonder then that there is a great variety of sparkling wines in Germany.

How do the bubbles get into the Sekt?

Sekt is produced by means of a second fermentation. This produces carbon dioxide which remains in the product and is the characteristic of sparkling wine. Most branded sekts are fermented as cuvées from different base wines in large pressure tanks which guarantees more uniform lots. The bottling takes place only after completion of the fer- mentation process.

GermanyThe quality characteristic for sekt is primarily the base wine and sec- ondarily the production process. The wineries usually make smaller, more individual lots and therefore frequently use the classical method where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. The individual bottles are then “wobbled”, i.e. turned and slowly raised until the yeast has settled in the bottle neck after which the yeast is removed while the Sekt remains in the bottle.

“Winzersekt” is a term for a sparkling wine produced by this from the winery’s own grapes vinified on the estate of a pro- ducer. It bears the abbreviation b.A. if the grapes come from a specified region. The term was created 30 years ago in Rheinhessen. Under cer- tain conditions the term Crémant is also approved for use in Germany: of whole clusters of grapes, using traditional method of fer- mentation in the bottle, indication of the growing region, using only grapes from certain approved varieties. Meanwhile there are even sekt manufacturers in Germany who have specialised in the production of sparkling wine.

Enjoy the fun: sparkling Secco

Secco or semi-sparkling wine are aerated wines of a slightly lower internal pressure with added carbon dioxide. The term Secco, inspired by the Italian , has come to be used as a kind of generic term; the official name is Deutscher Perlwein. Semi-sparkling wines or Seccos are summery fruity refreshments which give great drinking pleasure. Due to the elimination of the tax on semi-sparkling wines in Germany and the simplified procedure they are generally cheaper thanS ekt. They are increasingly popular with the Germans. G E R M A N Y S PARK l e s 61 sparkles The word “Sekt” originates indirectly from Shake- speare! A well-known ac- tor, Ludwig Devrient, ordered his favourite drink champagne in the Berlin wine bar “Lutter und Wegner” (still in existence today!) around 1825 with a quote from Henry IV: „Bring er mir Sect, Schurke − ist keine Tugend mehr auf Erden?“ (Act II, 4: “Give me a cup of sack, rogue. Is there no virtue extant?”) Shakespeare had Falstaff actually order a sack, a dry wine. But as Devrient meant sparkling wine the expression “Sekt” for sparkling wine became popular. In 1925 it became the official designation because the term Champagne could no longer be used for German sparkling wines. By the way: Johann Gottfried Herder translated the French term “Mousse” for the bubbles in sparkling wine THE PIKKOLO with “Schaum” (foam) in 1779: the Schaumwein was born! The „Pikkolo“, a small sekt bottle with a capacity of 0.2 litres, is a German speciality. It is a registered trademark of the Henkell sekt manufacturer from the 1930s which was used for the dry Henkell sekt. Young ap- prentices in the hotel and waiting trade were then also called Pik- kolo, and a cartoon figure called „Pikkolo“ was the advertising character for Henkell. Today, the term is commonly used for mini- ature sekt bottles of other makes as well. There’s always time for a „Pikkolo“! 62 A ctiv e l y e xp e ri e nc e win e A ctiv e l y e xp e ri e N C e win e 63 Actively experience wine Germany‘s 13 wine-growing regions offer both outstanding wines as well as extremely varied ways of discovering the country and its people. If you stay directly at a vintner’s you will find the best conditions for an exciting and relaxing holiday in an authentic atmosphere. Many pro- ducers offer outstanding accommodation.

Walking & Climbing Rails & Skates You can enjoy wonderful walks almost anywhere where vines are plant- The wine-growing regions can be explored in a more leisurely way but ed. In the Rheingau and Mittelrhein for example, there is the 320km also with physical exertion on railway tracks – on handcars which long . Especially the section between St. Goar and Bacharach can be hired – they are lots of fun and are available in the Nahe and leads through impressive vineyards with breathtaking views of the Pfalz regions. Inline skaters will profit from visits to the Rheingau and Rhine Valley. A classic wine walking trail is the Ahr red wine trail from Mittelrheintal during the “Rhine-on-skates” event: In August, the main to Bad Bodendorf. Walking trails of many kilometres traverse road through the UNESCO World Heritage Site is given over to skaters on the Kaiserstuhl and Tuniberg in Baden. If you want to be more sporty a stretch of 135 kilometres for one day; the route goes from Rüdesheim then the steepest vineyard in Europe, the 378 metre high Bremmer to Koblenz. Calmont at the Mosel, or the Rotenfels at the Nahe provide challenges; however, the latter is only suitable for experienced climbers. In the Air If you are after a flight experience you have come to the right place in Bicycle Tours the Mittelrhein region. In Bad Ems on the Lahn you can take paraglid- The banks of the rivers in all wine regions are ideal for exploring by ing training flights. Many hot-air balloons can be seen above the gen- bicycle. The active cyclist can ride along the river Main for more than tly undulating vineyards of Rheinhessen when the weather is nice – a 600km of cycle paths from the source to the mouth and get to know popular trend sport which is also offered from the Southern Palatinate the romantic wine-growing areas. At the Mosel there are suggestions to Baden and across to the Hessische Bergstraße. for tours for tourists on the over 1,000km long cycle track network, including luggage transport on request. The wine roads, for example through the idyllic valleys of the Tauber, Jagst, Kocher and Rems in the Hooves or Motorbike Württemberg region, or the Bocksbeutelstraße in Franken, offer a lot of Those who consider the air not to be safe may prefer the back of a horse: variety for the eye and the legs all year round. In the Südpfalz tours between wine and wood are on offer for riders – or just rent a scooter and explore the vineyards like that! Guided motor- Water Sports bike tours are also offered at the Mosel while the Baden wine region Those who prefer to replace the bike with the boat will find many boat provides beautiful routes combined with culinary delicacies. rental stations along the 217 kilometre long „Wasserwanderroute Mosel“ (water route trail) and more than 60 berths for the walk on land Golf in between. Even water-skiing is possible on the Mosel at , wet- For all those who like to tee off, the Pfalz, for example, is an ideal des- suit included. There are also beautiful water route trails on the Saale tination. The Deutsche Weinstraße golf course situated in the middle and Unstrut. The Nahe tributary Glan as well as the Lahn are suitable of vineyards near even has holes which are named after for canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts. grape varieties. 64 A ctiv e l y e xp e ri e N C e win e

Visiting the vintner

Shopping at a winery is always an adven- ture! No wonder then that many wine- growers, cooperatives and wineries have expanded their sales rooms: this is where they receive their customers! They have turned into modern vinoteques of archi- tecturally exciting designs, real lounges where wine can be enjoyed wonderfully relaxed, while the eye discovers ever new structural details. Rustic but uncomfort- able chairs or bar stools, vine WG, Veitshöchheim WG, leaves, old vats and crocheted tablecloths have long been a thing of the past as eistner, @ L eistner, regards decoration. Many of these styl- ishly decorated rooms have been awarded

architectural prizes. Not only wine is L Dieter Photo: for sale here but also much more: wine computer-controlled cooling, air-conditioned barrique cellars and fully jelly, gourmet food, chocolate, grape oil, , fruit , automatic bottling systems. Often the force of gravity is used in a , glasses and other accessories ... clever way to avoid unnecessary pumps and mechanical stress of the grapes or must. The frequently considerable financial investment has Many wineries also offer cellar tours to their visitors. This makes the a single goal: better quality and satisfied customers! wine connoisseur’s heart beat faster! Modern wineries often have romantic old cellars with large, carved wooden barrels alongside impressive high-tech equipment: pneumatic grape presses which process the grapes very gently, gleaming stainless steel tanks with

Visiting the winery

Not infrequently tables and benches are put up in the winery courtyards during the sum- mer and autumn months: The winery becomes a temporary wine (in German: Straußwirtschaft or Besenwirtschaft). These establishments are typical in Germany and go back to who allowed the wine makers to offer their own wines and snacks for a few months in the year. As a sign that the winebar was open a bouquet (Strauß) or a broom (Besen) was attached to the gate. A visit to such a winebar on a warm summer evening is a good thing and a great opportunity to try the wines from the wide range of the producer. In addition there are typical regional specialties made from fresh produce. What more could the heart want? A ctiv e l y e xp e ri e N C e win e 65

Did you know?

Holidays are precious. So why lose time searching? In the wine-growing regions, there are over 500 tourist guides with expert wine knowledge offering a wide range of wine-related activities – from vineyard walks to culinary wine tast- ings. Most tour guides are volunteers, all have undergone special training and take much pleasure in present- ing their region.

Further information: www.tourismus.deutscheweine.de

Holiday at the vineyard

If the visit to the vineyard has turned into an extensive wine tasting – vintners are always happy to answer questions of interested customers – the obvious question is: Could we not stay overnight? There are guest rooms or holiday apartments available in many wineries as spending a holiday at the vineyard has become popular. Vintners always come up with something for their guests: carriage rides and guided walks through the vineyards, bicycle tours with luggage transport, wine tastings with culinary themes to match the season, cookery courses, performances and concerts. A holiday at the vineyard is never boring!

What exactly is ...... a Riesling Lounge?

One could say: the tasting room 2.0! In a Riesling Lounge, fans can sample and enjoy top wines (not just Riesling) from all German wine-growing regions in a relaxed atmosphere. Such lounges have been established in several German cities with the support of the German Wine Institute: in Berlin (mesa Restaurant Grand Hyatt), Mainz (Hofgut Laubenheimer Höhe), Munich (RETTERs Fein- schmecker), Frankfurt (Restaurant Zarges) and Cologne (Excelsior Hotel Ernst). A Riesling Lounge is an independent bar with trained staff. 66 E N J O Y W I T H P l e A s u R E

H i n t s o n d e a l i n g w i t h G e r m a n Enjoy with w i n e pleasure E N J O Y W I T H P l e A s u R E 67

Learning by doing is good but it would be a shame to miss out on enjoyment with fine wine. With a few rules of thumb you can enjoy wine with pleasure from the beginning. You only need...

... the right temperature ... the right glass It has to have a stem and a tulip-shaped Since hardly anyone makes an cup. For red wine this should be larger and effort to actually measure the more voluminous. The thinner-walled the temperature of the wine, a rule glass, the more elegant and intense the of thumb applies: sekt, white flavour. Fill the glass only up to its widest wine and rosé wine should point. This allows the fragrance to unfold be put into the refrigerator at in the cup, and you can easily assist the robust, full-bodied red wine least two hours before serv- release of the aromas by swirling the wine 16° to 18° Celsius ing. It is better to pour it a bit by rotating the glass. The colour of the too cold as the wine warms wine can most easily be seen if the glass is young, fruity red wine up very quickly in the glass at clear and not coloured. 14° to 16° Celsius room temperature. When it is more mature, stronger white wine hot outside a table cooler for 11° to 13° Celsius the bottle should be used. Cool- ing collars which have been in young, light white wine, rosé the freezer are very practical. 9° to 11° Celsius You can even cool down warm sweet wine wine with it. With red wine it 9° to 11° Celsius has to be “room temperature”, rather a bit cooler than too Sparkling wine warm. 4° to 7° Celsius

... the right ... the perfect companion Have you ever discovered at a picnic that you have forgotten to take We are not talking about your friends although they a corkscrew? Getting the cork out of a bottle can be a strenuous are also an important factor of the enjoyment. For the job when you do not use the correct model. Even the Swiss Army enjoyment of wine you also need a good mineral wa- knife is only partially useful (maybe best as a substitute in the ter. Some bread also makes sense. And of course above-mentioned situation!). Simple, but effective the so-called the right food. But that is a separate chapter. waiter’s knife which uses leverage, or models that are placed on the bottle and simply unscrew the cork. A good thing then, that more and more wines are sealed with a or glass stop- per. You need no tools to open them!

... some accessories depending on the situation For example, a carafe for decanting. This means transferring the wine from a bottle to a carafe. If you want to separate a mature red wine from its deposit in the bottom of the bottle you have to do this very carefully, so that the deposit is not disturbed. If a wine is to get contact with air so that its aromas can unfold better you can decant the wine quickly, too. Not every wine has to be decanted but it almost never does any harm. By the way: sometimes, small crystals can be found in the bottle which can also get into the glass: . They do not influence the quality or the taste of the wine. They are formed when the minerals come into contact with the . Rather a sign of good quality! 68 E N J O Y W I T H P l e A s u R E

The proof OF the Tip: Organise a little wine tasting for your pudding friends. For this you need four or five different wines. Which ones? It is helpful to have a theme, for example “Riesling” – you can then compare This is quite commonly said. It is almost the same several Riesling wines, perhaps from different with wine because every sip is another experi- regions. Or you compare several varieties: Pinot ence and increases your connoisseurship. When Noir (Spätburgunder), Portugieser, Dornfelder tasting wine the most important thing is, if and – all from one growing area. It can be interest- how a wine tastes or what taste differences there ing if the participants initially do not know what are between two wines. Secondly – and this is wine they are trying. You can wrap the bottles in an important aspect with professional tasters – a aluminium foil or serve the wine already poured wine should be described as objectively as pos- into glasses. This method is called a blind tasting sible so that it is understandable for others. For and allows you to focus on the wine, without Does it have to be cork? this there is a specialist taster jargon (“nose” for the possibility of knowledge about the origin, “fragrance”, “body” for a strong sensation in the variety, or the producers influencing the ver- Natural cork is the traditional wine mouth, and so on). Even if you are not used to dict. Just as exciting: comparison of the vintage. bottle closure (also for sparkling it you can describe what a wine tastes like – by Two or three of the same wine from wine). However, in recent years, more simply thinking of similarities: “This wine re- one vintner show very clearly what maturation and more producers have been using minds me of fresh apples.” With a little practice means. Often the mature wines prove to be the different closure types in order to avoid this will become quite fun because wine is prob- more multi-faceted drops which are superior to the risk of cork taste. Plastic stoppers ably the only beverage with such an elaborate the “youngsters”! And often even the greatest make the same typical popping sound “pleasure language”. Of course you can limit wine-connoisseurs reach their limits when they on opening as natural cork. The screw yourself to the terse statement: “The wine tastes are asked to evaluate a wine without knowing cap is another practical alternative and good to me!” But you will notice: wine connois- what it says on the label. is now the method of closure on every seurs want to know why a wine tastes the way third in German cellars. The it does. glass , incidentally an inven- tion from Germany, also makes a good visual impression and can be used to re-seal an open bottle. E N J O Y W I T H P l e A s u R E 69

Crash-course in wine tasting

The gods have put tasting before drinking – at least this is often the case with wine lovers. Tasting means trying a wine but not necessarily drinking it. Pro- fessional tasters spit out the sample sip after they have moved it around in their mouths extensively. Not only the tongue but almost all the senses are involved.

1. The eye 2. The nose 3. The mouth Look at the colour in the glass, if possible in Smell at the glass while slowly swirling its Swirl the sample sip back and forth in your daylight and in front of a light background. content. In this way the aromas combine mouth. If you inhale air at the same time – the The colour is bright and clear? This is a good better with the air. Is the smell pleasantly famous “slurping” of the “experts” – the fla- sign. A wine may not be cloudy. On the edge of fresh, clear and pure? Do you recognise fruit vours are transported to the olfactory organs the glass (hold it at an angle) you can some- aromas or floral scents? Young white wines more easily. The sensation in the mouth times see that a wine is matured. Mature reds are often reminiscent of citrus fruit, apples should be intense, fresh, juicy and lively. How have brown edges, young ones have purple or peaches. Mature white wines can smell of long do you feel the taste after swallowing or ones. yellow , beeswax and leather. Red wines spitting out of the test drink? The longer the smell more like red fruits such as cherries, “finish”, the better! strawberries, blackberries and plums.

Into the cellar!

German wines have a good ageing potential which of course depends on the grape variety and style of the wine as well as the vintage. With red wine it is the tannins, with white wine the acidity and sweetness which give the wines what the expert calls “storage potential”: the ability to develop positively in the bottle over time.

What happens when a wine matures? How long can German wines be stored? Mature wines are often more harmonious The higher the quality of the wine the more and at the same time more complex. Some suitable it is for long-term storage. Spätlese aromas only develop after some time. During and Auslese wines from Riesling and Pinot maturation certain molecules combine, partly varieties of good vineyard locations and good influenced by the presence of oxygen in the vintages can be stored for five to eight years bottle. The fact that a wine changes chemi- to mature without a problem, as can good red cally manifests itself in the colour among other wines. Noble sweet wines have a huge potential things. It becomes more intense for white wines which can achieve several decades. Rule of while red wines often get a little lighter and thumb: The more alcohol, acidity, sweetness Recognising and may change from blackish red to brownish or or tannins a wine has, the greater its potential naming aromas – an brick-coloured for maturity as these four components act as amusing challenge ! Tip: To give a wine as a gift – for for any wine lover which requires some prac- How to store wine correctly example from the year of birth on somebody’s tice. A good aid is the aroma wheel. On this the Horizontal storage in a room which is protected 18th birthday – noble Trockenbeerenauslese typical flavours of German wines are clearly listed, from light, vibrations and strong smells with and Eiswein are most suitable! Sparkling wines separately for white wines and red wines. Do you a constant temperature of about 12 degrees do not improve during storage and should have strawberry, raspberry or rather in the Celsius is ideal. People who have no cellar can therefore be enjoyed directly after purchase. nose? Leather, or maybe liquorice on the palate? With the aroma wheel you will soon store their wines in the bedroom where it is get the knack of it! rarely too warm. Wine bottles with closures www.germanwines.de other than natural cork can be stored in an up- right position as horizontal storage is designed to prevent cork from drying out and becoming permeable to air. 70 G E R M A N W I N E s & int e rnationa l c u i s in e

German wines and international cuisine A love match

German wines are wonderful drops to enjoy on their own, whether it is the glass of simple wine at a summer festival or the glass of fine red wine in German wines are a perfect match for Asian front of the fireplace in winter. But they Little effort, a lot of pleasure cuisine. this is now almost a truism. Asian can also be different. Riesling, Spät- cuisine is indeed a broad term – from Thai If you do not want to cook a big meal, you cuisine dominated by coconut milk to the burgunder and others are excellent can quickly prepare enjoyable snacks: three extremely spicy dishes from the Chinese pro- companions to modern cuisine and two or three different vince of Szechuan, from the clear flavours of wines – these are six to nine combinations from all over the world. Japanese cuisine to the mild to spicy which provide lots of material for conversa- of the Indian one ... However, among the wines tion. A mild soft cheese, a spicy hard cheese, from the German wine-growing regions a mat- a blue cheese, served with a Riesling and a ching companion for every type of food can be Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), perhaps even a found! Trockenbeerenauslese – and of course plenty of bread! Many aromas and spiciness A sweet ending! You should try a dry with dishes con- taining fresh ginger. Or an aromatic Scheurebe A group of people with a sweet tooth can be with a made with coconut milk. Actual- pleased with a similar tasting with choco- ly, these can also be enjoyed with matu- late. Rules of thumb: Wines which are rich in re wines. but beware: the food partners of acidity go well with chocolate with little to no powerful wines should not be too spicy. Alco- Dry Kabinett, semi-dry Spätlese, Trockenbee- cocoa content (e.g. Riesling with white cho- hol acts as an amplifier to spiciness which can renauslese, Eiswein, Winzersekt, all made colate). The higher the cocoa content of the then quickly become too violent. Wines which from a single grape variety, but many diffe- chocolate, the richer in tannins a red wine are low in alcohol with a noticeable residu- rent wines – this can often all be found in a may be. Flavoured chocolates (with fruit or al sugar content go much better with spicy single wine-estate in Germany. no problem flowers) are a big experimental field com- dishes. Sugar has a soothing effect on spici- then to select the companions for a multi- bined with (Gewürztraminer, ness. Salty dishes which include sushi dipped course dinner from only a single type of grape Muscatel, Scheurebe): Sometimes it fits won- in soy sauce like wines with a lively interplay which can show its diverse potential. some derfully, sometimes not at all. If you discover between sweetness and acidity, for example guests will not believe it – wines can develop a great combination – remember it! A better Riesling. in substantially different ways. ending to the menu is hardly conceivable. German wine and food

STYLE / Aroma SUBTLE INTENSE

poached fish Asian dishes Riesling üller-Thurgau üller-Thurgau M DRY -

ilvaner poultry wildfowl S

LIGHT Bacchus

lbling leaf salad with braised E KABINETT DRY cheurebe vinaigrette sauce S vegetables KABINETT DRY SEMI OR

veal cutlet spicy pasta dishes Weißburgunder Weißburgunder Gewürztraminer

rich freshwater fish goose, duck Riesling

mussels, lobster Grauburgunder game lbling E ese DRY l

ROBUST us ESE DRY

asparagus with pätburgunder roast beef L S ÄT P S

ese DRY / A sauce hollandaise or lamb l Weißburgunder Weißburgunder ät Sp strips of meat Lemberger rich cheese ilvaner S in sauce Dornfelder

Rule of thumb: Light (low fat) food with served with rich, powerful wine with pro- cious exceptions. Preferably try them low alcohol wine, delicate flavours in the nounced fruity aromas, barrique wine or, with desserts or strong cheeses (blue food call for subtle, elegant aromas in in certain cases, with sweet wine. Pro- cheese). So much for the theory! the wine. Fatty, heavy food with intense nounced sweet wines (Beerenauslese, seasoning, on the other hand, should be Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein) are deli- D a s e T I K e tt

Publisher: Deutsches Weininstitut Gutenbergplatz 3-5 55116 Mainz Germany [email protected] www.germanwines.de