Germany

Question 1

What are the key varieties in Germany?

Answer 1

Riesling
Spatburgunder (pinot noir)

Question 2

What are the other grape varieties found in Germany?

Answer 2

Dornfelder
Muller-Thurgau
Grauburgunder
WeiBurgunder
Silvaner

Question 3

What do you need to know about Dornfelder?

Answer 3

German
Domestic
Deep red

Question 4

What do you need to know about Muller-Thurgau?

Answer 4

It’s a crossing on Riesling and Madeline Royal.
Fruity.

Question 5

What do you need to know about Grauburgunder?

Answer 5

It’s Pinot Gris

Question 6

What do you need to know about WeiBurgunder?

Answer 6

It’s Pinot Blanc

Question 7

What would you expect from Mosel?

Answer 7

There is the River Mosel that snakes through.
Riesling dominates - it’s on the greener side.
Green apple, light body.
HIGH ACID, you have to leave a little residual sugar.

Question 8

What would you expect from Nahe?

Answer 8

Similar to Mosel, river Nahe runs through, but slightly warmer and so slightly riper

Question 9

What would you expect from Rheingau?

Answer 9

Vineyards are on a south facing slope facing the Rhine. More often than not dry - they don’t need to sacrifice alcohol

Question 10

What would you expect from Rheinhessen?

Answer 10

A decent amount of red produced and some Riesling that’s riper and rounder.

Question 11

What would you expect from Pfalz?

Answer 11

Enjoys a bit of a rain shadow. Similar to Alsace but about 40% red

Question 12

What would you expect from Baden?

Answer 12

More red, Spatburgunder

Question 13

What would you expect from Franken?

Answer 13

Silvaner

Question 14

What is the Pradikat System?

Answer 14

A categorisation of PDO wines. It increases with weight of the must as the heavier the must the riper the grapes.

Question 15

What style of wine would you expect from wines labelled Kabinett, Spatlese or Auslese?

Answer 15

These wines can still ferment until dry but they could also have some residual sugar.
Kabinett - Green Apple
Spatlese - Citrus
Auslese - Peach/stone fruit

Question 16

What would you expect from wines labelled Beerenauslese (BA), Eiswein or Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)?

Answer 16

There is too much sugar in these grapes for them to fully ferment so they would be sweet wines.
BA and TBA are botrytis affected so would have flavours of orange peel or tertiary marmalade.
Eiswein are from a protracted harvest that continues all the way to winter.

Question 17

What is Qualitatswein?

Answer 17

A category for German PDO wines

Since 2021 it can be labelled as the vineyard, village, region or wine growing area.

Question 18

What is the Verband Deutscher
Pradikatweinsguter (VDP)?

Answer 18

An association of German winemakers famous for GG (their grand cru system)

Erstes (premier) or Grosses (Grand)

Lage (vineyard) or Gewachs (wines)

GG are considered to be the best dry wines in Germany.