Germany

Question 1

Germany - German Wine Law

Answer 1

• Wines without geographic indication
  
  • Wein
• Wines with geographic indication
  
  • Landwein (PGI): regional wines (rarely exported)
  • Qualitatswein (PDO): quality sine from one of 13 major regions called ‘Anbaugebiete’
  • Pradikatswein (PDO): A subset of Qualitatswein categorized by ripeness at harvest. There are 6 pradikate levels of quality. These wines are often, but not necessarily, sweet.

Question 2

Germany - Pradikatswein

Answer 2

• Ripeness of the grapes at harvest means everything and is the basis of the quality level system.

1. Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
2. Eiswein
3. Berrenauslese (BA)
4. Auslese*
5. Spatlese*
6. Kabinett*

*Can be weet or dry

Question 3

Germany - VDP

Answer 3

• VDP
  
  • The Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter
  • German association of over 200 top producers
  • Designed to emulate the grand cru model of Burgundy
• GG (Grosses Gawachs)
  
  • These are dry or trocken wines form the top vineyard sites int he VDP Classification

Question 4

Germany - Mosel AOP

Answer 4

• Geography: northen limit of viticulture at the 49th parallel along the Mosel river.
• Climate: cold and continental, moderated byt he Mosel river
• Topography: very steep vineyards. Facing south to capture the wrmth of the sun.
• Soil: Slate that is porous yet heat-retaining
• Grape: Riesling
• Viticulture: A long growing season to achieve ripeness. harvested grapes are generally high in acidity and low in sugar.
• Vinification:
  
  • Stainless steel fermentation
  • Residual sugar is left int he wine to counter-balance the intense acidity
  • Low alcohol (around 8%)

Question 5

Germany - Rheingau AOP

Answer 5

• Climate: continental, Taunus Mt provide protection, Rhine River reflects sunlight directly up into the vines.
• Soil: mixture of slate and others.
• White: Riesling
• Red: Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Question 6

Germany - Rheinhessen AOP

Answer 6

• Climate: continental
• Topography: Flat, fertile farmland
• Soil: red sandstone mixed with slate
• White: Riesling (the best but not the most planted), Muller-Thurgau, Silvaner

Question 7

Germany - Pfalz AOP

Answer 7

• Geography
  
  • Geographically contiguous with Alsace
  • Rain shadow from Haardt Mt (Vosges Mt)
• Soil: Limestone
• White: Riesling, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
• Red: Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Question 8

Germany - What is the Pradikat system is based on?

Answer 8

• Ripeness of grapes at harvest

Question 9

Germany - Which of the following is an important river in one of Germany’s wine regions?

Answer 9

• Rhine
  
  • Loire
  • Danube
  • Rhone

Question 10

Germany - All GG wines are…

Answer 10

• Sweet
  
  • Dry (Trocken)
  • Oaky
  • Sparkling

Question 11

Germany - Spatburgunder is the German word for which grape variety?

Answer 11

• Pinot Noir

Question 12

Germany - Place the following Pradikat in order of ripeness.

Answer 12

1. Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
2. Eiswein
3. Beerenauslese (BA)
4. Auslese
5. Spatlese
6. Kabinett

Question 13

Germany - Name the 13 German anbaugebiete.

Answer 13

1. Mosel
2. Rheingau
3. Rheinhessen
4. Pfalz
5. Ahr
6. Mittelrhein
7. Nahe
8. Baden
9. Wurttemberg
10. Franken
11. Hessische Bergstrasse
12. Saale-Unstrut
13. Sachsen

Question 14

Germany - Name 3 ways vineyards in the Mosel attain extra warmth to help grapes ripen.

Answer 14

1. South face slope
2. River reflecting sunlight
3. Heat-retaining slate soil

Question 15

Germany - What is an Einzellage?

Answer 15

• Einzellage translate into ‘Vineyard Name’