Germany

Question 1

When did the Rheingau vineyards such as Schloss Johannisberg and Kloster Eberbach are planted.

Answer 1

12th Century

Question 2

When did the German Wine industry goes into decline because of the Thirty Years War. The vineyards on flatter plains were taken over by agriculture.

Answer 2

Early 16th century

Question 3

When were new wine laws introduced, based on the must weight of grapes, a principle which dominates German wine law to this day.

Answer 3

1830s

Question 4

When does Germany become unified, so states can begin to trade amongst each other.

Answer 4

1871

Question 5

When are some of Germany’s wine institutes are founded e.g. Hochschule Geisenheim University in Rheingau and the Julius Kühn-Institut in Pfalz.

Answer 5

Late 19th and early 20th century

Question 6

When did inexpensive, medium-sweet wines labelled as Liebfraumilch account for 60% of all German exports.

Answer 6

Late 20th century

Question 7

When was the fifth German wine law is passed. This lays the foundation for modern German wine production, establishing protected geographical labelling and classification of wine styles based on must weights.

Answer 7

1971

Question 8

Explain what is meant by Flurbereinigung.

Answer 8

Flurbereinigung can be translated as land consolidation and is a program of vineyard restructuring that involves the consolidation of many small, fragmented vineyards. Fragmentation has been a result of equal division inheritance laws (similar to the Napoleonic inheritance laws in Burgundy). This endeavour was undertaken to improve access to hard to reach vineyards by building roads etc. This was also an exercise in reducing costs for producers by having their vineyards adjacent rather than smaller plots scattered over a large area. This has allowed for more economical management of the vineyards through increased mechanisation

Question 9

Most of Germany’s vineyards are some of the most northerly in the world. Between which degrees latitude do most of the vineyards lie?

Answer 9

49-50°N

Question 10

Briefly explain how the Rhine river and the Taunus and Haardt mountains effect grape growing in Germany.

Answer 10

The river Rhine is one of the key reasons why viticulture and particularly the successful ripening of Riesling is possible in this marginal climate and northerly latitude. Proximity to large bodies of water moderate temperatures and this is what the river Rhine does. The result being an extended growing season which is key for ripening Riesling and the vineyards closest to the river benefit the most. The river also reflects sunlight and heat back on the vineyards.

The Haardt mountains are a continuation of the Vosges mountains in Alsace located directly south. The Pfalz vineyards are mostly planted at the base of the Haardt mountains in a long thin strip. The mountains provide the same protection from westerly winds and the rain that comes with it, creating a dry, warm and sunnier climate than surrounding areas that are not protected by these mountains. The resulting wine styles in this region are generally dry as the climate ripens grapes fully.

The Taunus mountains are in the Rheingau wine region and they are located north of the vineyards, which gives protection from cold winds. The vineyards are sandwiched between the Taunus mountains in the north and the river Rhine to the south.

Question 11

What is the soil type in Mose

Answer 11

Dark-coloured slate soils

Question 12

What is the soil type in Ahr

Answer 12

Dark-coloured slate soils

Question 13

What is the soil type in Rheinhessen

Answer 13

Calcareous soils

Question 14

What is the soil type in Baden

Answer 14

Calcareous soils

Question 15

What is the soil type in
Pfalz

Answer 15

Calcareous soils

Question 16

Considering vineyard establishment and management, identify four options that may improve the ripeness of the grapes.

Answer 16

1. Plant on slopes that are south east or west facing.
2. Plant near a river.
3. Clonal selection to pick clones most suited for the environment.
4. Summer pruning to remove excess foliage.
5. Green harvesting to remove grapes that are unlikely to achieve full ripeness.
6. Selective hand harvesting.

Question 17

What is the name of the German replacement-cane pruning system where the canes are arched in the trellis? Why do they use this?

Answer 17

Pendelbogen

The arching of the canes is thought to improve the flow of sap in the vine and increase the number of viable buds, in turn increasing yields.

Question 18

Which two of Germany’s principal varieties are crosses?

Answer 18

Dornfelder
Müller-Thurgau

Question 19

Describe typical German Riesling

Answer 19

• Can produce dry to sweet wines.
• It has high acidity and often significant potential for ageing.
• Wines can have pronounced intensity and fruit flavours range from green fruit to tropical, often with floral notes such as white flowers or honeysuckle. With age
• The wines develop toast, honey and sometimes petrol-like aromas.

Question 20

Describe typical German Müller-Thurgau

Answer 20

• A white variety, generally with medium acidity.
• It can produce wines with attractive but relatively simple floral and fruity aromas for early drinking.
• Can also produce high yields.

Question 21

Describe typical German Dornfelder

Answer 21

• A black grape variety that produces wines that are often deep in colour, high in acidity with fruity and floral notes.
• It is used to produce two quite distinct styles of wine;
• one is an easy-drinking style, occasionally with a little residual sugar
• the other is a more complex style with ageing potential produced from lower yields.

Question 22

Describe a typical German Silvaner

Answer 22

• It can produce high-quality,
• dry
• medium-bodied wines
• medium to medium (+) acidity
• distinctive earthy characteristic.
• Inexpensive versions have subtle fruit aromas that can range from green fruit to tropical fruit.

Question 23

Given Germany’s cool climate, enrichment is permitted (apart from for Prädikatswein). Most of Germany’s regions (apart from Baden) lie within EU Zone A. What percentage ABV enrichment does Zone A permit?

Answer 23

3% ABV

Question 24

True or false?

De-acidifaction is permitted in Germany but acidification is not.

Answer 24

False

Acidification is permitted, but only in the hottest years. Both acidifcation and de-acidifcation only tend to be used for high volume, inexpensive wines.

Question 25

What are the names of the following sized barrels in Germany: * 1000L * 1200L * 225L

Answer 25

* Fuder * Stück * Barriques In Germany, a range of fermentation and maturation vessels are used, but old oak is often used for gentle oxygenation.

Question 26

Describe how and why Süssreserve is used in the production of German wines.

Answer 26

Süssreserve is used to sweeten a dry wine. It must be produced from grapes of the same region and the same quality level as the wine to which it is added. It is common for the Süssreserve and wine to come from the same must; producers take a small proportion of must pre-fermentation, clarify, chill and protect it with SO2 so it remains fresh, and then add this must back to the fermented wine to create the desired level of sweetness. Süssreserve is added to the dry wine just prior to bottling.

Question 27

Briefly explain how sweetness is achieved in Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines.

Answer 27

Beerenauslese roughly translates as “selected late harvest of berries” and the prädikatswein system which Beerenauslese is covered, requires the wine to be sweet and to have a minimum must weight (2nd highest in the system). This can be achieved by leaving the grapes on the vine for an extended period to ensure maximum ripeness and high sugars. Noble rot is not required but generally some berries will have noble rot. On the other hand, trockenbeerenauslese roughly translates as “dried berries selected late harvest” and the dry is in reference to the level of noble rot the berries need to have. They need to be fully shrivelled and the must weights are the highest required in the prädikatswein system. For both wines, the fermentation will be slow and will naturally stop before dryness due to the extremely high sugar levels in the must. The finished wines are sweet and low in alcohol (5.5-8% ABV).

Question 28

List some of the winemaking techniques for German inexpensive high volume Red wine

Answer 28

* Thermovinification * Matured in stainless steel * De-acidification

Question 29

List some of the winemaking techniques for German high-quality, premium red wines

Answer 29

* Whole bunch fermentation * Cold soaking * Maturation in oak

Question 30

What is the fundamental principle of German wine law?

Answer 30

Classification of grapes according to their must weight at harvest.

Question 31

List the four quality levels of German wine in increasing order of must

Answer 31

Deutscher Wein, Landwein, Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein

Question 32

Deutscher wein and Landwein must have a minimum alcohol level of what % ABV and a maximum level of what % ABV.

Answer 32

8.5% ABV 15% ABV

Question 33

Qualitätswein must be made from grapes from where? ; they must have at least what % ABV, but there is no maximum permitted level.

Answer 33

One of the 13 designated Anbaugebiete

Question 34

What are the mininmum and maximum ABV for Qualitätswein

Answer 34

Mininmum 7% ABV No maximum

Question 35

Grapes for Prädikatswein must come from where?

Answer 35

The grapes must come from only one of the 40 Bereiche, and the region must appear on the label.

Question 36

How many Prädikat levels are there? List them

Answer 36

6 * Kabinett * Spätlese * Auslese * Beerenauslese * Eiswein * Trockenbeerenauslese

Question 37

What is the mininmum % ABV for Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese

Answer 37

7% ABV

Question 38

What is the mininmum % ABV for Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese

Answer 38

5.5% ABV

Question 39

What is the sweetness level Halbtrocken

Answer 39

Wines with between 4 and 12 g/l of residual sugar (or up to 18 g/l where residual sugar does not exceed total acidity by more than 10g/l)

Question 40

What is the sweetness level Trocken

Answer 40

Wines with no more than 4g/l residual sugar (or up to 9 g/l where residual sugar does not exceed total acidity by more than 2g/l)

Question 41

What is the sweetness level of Süss

Answer 41

Wines with more than 45g/l of residual sugar

Question 42

What is the sweetness level of Lieblich

Answer 42

Wines with between 12 and 45g/l of residual sugar

Question 43

Why might a German, off-dry wine be labelled as 'feinherb'?

Answer 43

Wines with residual sugar have fallen in popularity in recent years, and consumers are buying more dry wines. Feinherb is not a legally defined term but falls within the legal definition of halbtrocken but extends to wines with slightly higher levels of residual sugar. It literally translates as 'fine dry'; this may lead consumers to believe these sweeter wines are more like popular dry styles.

Question 44

Define Grosslagen

Answer 44

Collective vineyard sites, ranging in size from 600 to 1,800 ha.

Question 45

Define Bereiche

Answer 45

a wine producing district

Question 46

Define Einzellagen

Answer 46

Individual vineyard sites, ranging in size from less than 1ha to over 200 ha but the average is around 38 ha.

Question 47

Define VDP Ortswein

Answer 47

The equivalent of village wines in Burgundy, these are produced from grape varieties that are typical of their region. The maximum permitted yield is 75hL/ha.

Question 48

What are the legal requirements for using Liebfraumilch as a labelling term.

Answer 48

* Must be a medium sweet wine * Mininmum 18 g/l of residual sugar * White wine * Qualitätswein level * It must be at least 70% Riesling, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau and Kerner * Most of the wines come from Rheinhessen and Pfalz , * But Rheingau and Nahe are also permitted.

Question 49

Define VDP Grosse Lage

Answer 49

The equivalent to Burgundy grand cru, these have been determined to be the best parcels from the best vineyards. These wines should be outstanding quality and have long ageing potential. The maximum yields are low at 50hL/ha and the choice of grape varieties is more restricted.

Question 50

Define VDP Gutswein

Answer 50

These are regional wines, which originate from a member’s (VDP) holdings within a particular region. They must meet the general standards prescribed by the VDP. The maximum permitted yield is 75hL/ha.

Question 51

Define VDP Erste Lage

Answer 51

This designates ‘first-class’ vineyards with distinctive characteristics and is the equivalent to Burgundy premier cru. These are very good quality wines with ageing potential. The maximum permitted yield (60hL/ha).

Question 52

What are the four largest wine producing regions in Germany?

Answer 52

* Baden * Rheinhessen * Pfalz * Württemberg

Question 53

List three villages in Rheinhessen

Answer 53

Nierstein Oppenheim Nackenheim

Question 54

List 5 villages in Pfalz

Answer 54

Bad Dürkheim Wachenheim Forst Deidesheim Ruppertsberg

Question 55

List 7 villages in Mosel

Answer 55

Brauneberg Graach Erden Ürzig Wehlen Bernkastel Piesport

Question 56

List two villages in Nahe

Answer 56

Schlossböckelheim Bad Kreuznach

Question 57

What is the largest wine region in terms of production in Germany.

Answer 57

Rheinhessen

Question 58

What is the driest German wine-producing region and the only one where drought can be a concern.

Answer 58

Pfalz

Question 59

Name the German region where the vast majority of the region's production comes from the central co-operative, Möglingen.

Answer 59

Württemberg

Question 60

Which is the wine region with the most continental climate in Germany.

Answer 60

Franken

Question 61

Explain why the number of growers in Germany has decreased in recent years.

Answer 61

For vineyards on the steeper slopes in particular, the high cost of labour and low yields, particularly for sweeter wines, coupled with vintage variation result in high production costs. Although such wines often command higher prices, for some growers the cost of farming the land is unsustainable against the prices customers are prepared to pay, hence the reduction in the number of growers in recent years. Younger generations are also less likely to take agricultural jobs.

Question 62

Explain why co-operatives are important to German wine business.

Answer 62

Wine cooperatives allow small producers to compete with larger, wealthier producers as costs of machinery, expertise and general production costs are shared. This share of resources is necessary in a country like Germany were there are many fragmented vineyards and more than half of growers owning vineyards of 3 ha or less.