OLLI Wine Class
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Wines of the World - Germany/Spain OLLI Wine Class October 25, 2013 Mosel / Germany German Wines Wine regions of Europe developed along rivers - ease of transport - river mitigates extremes in climate - water reflects sun into vines - gravely soil drains well 1 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Germany NAMES Pre-1971: 30, 000 different names (villages and vineyards) 1971: Government required vineyards to have min. of 12.5 acres Now: 1,400 wine villages 2,600 vineyards 4,000 different names German Wines - Produces 23% of world wines - Greatly influenced by weather - 50º latitude = Newfoundland, Canada - Grown on hilly sites - 20% of land - 10º slope - 15% of land - 10 to 15º slope - 65% of land - 46-60º slope 2 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Wine Regions of Germany Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Mittelrhein Rheingau Nahe Rheinhessen Pfalz Grapes of Germany Riesling (23%) - most widely planted Silvaner (7%) - earthy fruit, good acidity, light, low sugar - in Franken since 1659 (came from East) Müller-Thurgau (21%) - cross between Reisling and Chasselas - grapy freshness, spice, flowery - used in Liebfraumilch - widely planted in cooler areas of Franken, Baden and Pfalz 3 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Style of German Wines Balance of sweetness and acidity and low alcohol content Good Year lots of sun + southerly slope = good wine Poor Year less sun = higher acidity and lower alcohol Chaptalization add sugar before fermentation (not permitted in higher-quality German wines) 4 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Types of German Wine Trocken - dry Halbtrocken - medium-dry Fruity - semi-dry to very sweet Quality of German Wine Tafelwein - “table wine” - lowest designation - never carries vinyard name - not exported Qualitätswein - quality wine (2 types) Qualitätswein bestimmer Angebaugebiete “QbA” - comes from 1 of 13 specified regions Qualitätswein mit Prädikat “QmP” - quality wine with distinction - cannot be chaptalized 5 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Qualitätswein mit Prädikat Kabinett - light semi-dry; normally ripended grapes ($15-25) Spätlese - “late picking”, medium style, more body and more intense flavor ($20- 35) Auslese - “selective picked”, medium to fuller style wine, ($25-50) Beerenauslese - “individual picked grapes”, rich dessert wine, made 2-3/10 years (up to $250) Trockenbeerenauslese - “dried” beerenauslese, raisinated, richest, sweetest, honey-like wine, most expensive Eiswein - beerenauslese quality grapes pressed while still frozen, very rare Important Villages Rheingau Rheinhessen Eltville Oppenheim Erbach Nackenheim Rüdesheim Nierstein Rauenthal Pfalz Hochheim Deidesheim Johannisberg Forst Wachenheim Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Ruppertsberg Durkheimer Erden Piersport Bernkasel Graach Ürzig Brauneberg Wehlen 6 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain German Wine Label German Wine Label 7 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain German Wine Label Mid-Mosel Region 8 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Mosel Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler German wines 9 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Fast Facts Germany •13 Regions •240.000 Acres •Production: 90 Million cases •Consumption: 200 Million Cases • Export: 20 Million Cases 10 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain LANDMARKS OF THE GERMAN WINE LAW Wine label and Wine law One of the strictest regulations in the world Many controls to guarantee quality Basic information on front label 11 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain What does Oechsle mean? The Oechsle Scale is a hydrometer scale measuring the density of grape must This term stands for the content of sugar and non-sugar-ingredients in the grape- must 1° Oe corresponds to one gram of the difference between the mass of one liter of must at 20°C and 1 kg. Tafelwein / Landwein • Tablewein: • Basic Quality – irrelevant for Export • Landwein: • closer defined area of production, still basic - irrelevant for Export, too. Tablewein / Landwein 12 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain QbA (Quality wine of a special region) Simple wines, basic quality level Comes from one growing area, e.g. Mosel Early harvest, sugar level in the grapes still low, acidity quite high – As a result you get young fresh, lively wines with low alcohol Qualitätswein (QbA) Tafelwein / Landwein Kabinett Minimum sugar (Riesling 70° Oe, 17 brix) First Prädikatsstufe – grapes harvested about a week after the QbA Light and crisp, Riesling often with some CO2 Very universal (food and cocktail wine) Kabinett Qualitätswein (QbA) Tafelwein / Landwein 13 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Spätlese (Late harvest) As the term late harvest indicates – grapes picked later than Kabinett grapes – 10 – 15 days more to build sugar and mineral deposit – Riesling requires 76° Oe (18.5 brix) to be called Spätlese Rich wines, decent length, fine acidity Mainly food wine Spätlese Kabinett Qualitätswein (QbA) Tafelwein / Landwein Auslese (Selection) Hand selected grapes – 8-15 days more hangtime more sugar and minerals, lower acidity – Riesling requires min. 83° Oe (20 brix) The sugar content is very high, so they have even more body than the Spätlese Perfect wine for dessert or cheese Auslese Spätlese Kabinett Qualitätswein (QbA) Tafelwein / Landwein 14 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain BA/TBA/Eiswein Beerenauslese & Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) can only be made with the help of the fungus Botrytis (it removes moisture from the grapes) Eiswein is made from naturally frozen grapes TBA Eiswein BA Auslese Spätlese Kabinett Qualitätswein (QbA) Tafelwein / Landwein How to say the terms correctly: Kabinett Beerenauslese [kah-bih-NEHT] [BEH-ruhn-OWS-lay-zeh] Spätlese Trockenbeerenauslese [SHPAYT-lay-zeh] [TRAWK-ehn-beh-rehn-OWS- lay-zeh] Auslese [OWS-lay-zeh] Eiswein TBA [ICE-vine] Eiswein BA Auslese Spätlese Kabinett Qualitätswein (QbA) Tafelwein / Landwein 15 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Basic terms of the taste DRY – OFFDRY – SWEET What the wine law says: The following terms are defined in the winelaw by the content of residual sugar – Dry • residual sugar in the wine: 4 – 9 gram per liter – Offdry • residual sugar in the wine: 9 – 18 gram per liter – Sweet • residual sugar in the wine: 18 – 45 gram per liter – Anything beyond this sugar level is called noble sweet 16 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Don‘t mix it up Sugar content in the grape Residual sugar after juice (must) fermentation in the wine Auslese M Sweet Off dry Dry O Spätlese R Sweet Off dry Dry M TBA 150- E 154° O Eiswein Kabinett R 110-128° Sweet Off dry Dry A BA 110-128° E QbA L Auslese 83-100° Sweet Off dry Dry C O Spätlese 76-90° LESS ALCOHOL O E H Kabinett 67-82° C O H Qualitätswein (QbA) 51-72° L S DR. HEIDEMANNS- BERGWEILER Premium wines from the Mosel 17 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Mosel About 9.100 ha (~23,000 acres) – Grape varieties: • Riesling 60%(5.300 ha), Rivaner 14%, Elbling 6% • Red <10% (Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, Regent) There are three distinct regions: – Lower Mosel (west of Trier), Middle Mosel and Upper Mosel Terroir+Riesling: – vibrant, elegant wines /w fine acidity & minerals The Mosel is the largest Riesling producing region in the world Winery Landmarks The ancestors names can be tracked back to the early 16th century of wine making history Dr. Pauly started in 1959, he took over from his grandfather Today it is one of the most renowned wine producers in the Middle Mosel area The Estate has the reputation of making only the highest quality Riesling wines Stefan started in 2006, after he got his degree in Heilbronn 18 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain The Philosophy The most important asset of the Dr. Heidemanns‐Bergweiler Wine Estate consists of its vineyards. Extensive care of these vineyards, combined with intentionally low yields and selective handpicking, serve as guarantors for our extraordinary wines and their individual and unique character. Attention to Detail Our quality orientation is continued in our work in the wine cellar. The Riesling grapes are processed in modern facilities just outside of Bernkastel. Our work flow is focused on gentle treatment of the grapes and the young wines. The wines are made carefully in order to insure that the typical tastes and aromas of a given vineyard are maintained. 19 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Wine Maker’s Passion We use small stainless steel tanks where the grapes of each different vineyard can be fermented separately. Since we have 15 different vineyards by name, we need to blend some of them later and before we fill the wine into bottles to ensure that the number of wines stays manageable. The fermentation is temperature‐controlled and kept very slow and at low temperatures to retain the diversity of aromas and the vitality of the wines. A Diverse Portfolio Our collection of Riesling wines is very diverse. In most vintage years we have all the varieties found on a good wine menu, ranging from a juicy, hearty table wine to fine quality wine and further to a creamy, sweet dry berry selection. 20 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Winery Key Points 100 % Riesling quality level Seperate vinification 100 % handwork of every single lot – Individual taste of all wines – Steep slopes only – Mix of cultured and natural yeast Extensive vineyard care Fermentation in stainless steel Carefully selected – Temperature controlled grapes – Reductive – Separate harvest for every THE MAGIC SLATE 21 Wines of the World - Germany/Spain Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg Dr. Pauly‘s pride and joy, this 4.6 acre vineyard is the neighboring vineyard of the Bernkastler Doctor. Planted with Riesling vines over 35 years old, it yields full-bodied, complex wines with rich depth and charm. The stony blue-grey clay slate is a residual soil having a very good heat-storing potential, which makes it possible to produce quality grapes for high-end wines. The high proportion of blue slate gives the wine a high content of minerals and finesse. Graacher Himmelreich This vineyard lies above the town of Graach -- and is named “Kingdom of Heaven” due to its location above the town’s cemetery.