Germany
Germany produces a compelling variety of mostly white wines from 13 wine-growing
regions (including two from the former East Germany). Selecting a German
wine appears to be a daunting task, due to the large number of types and
styles, and confusion resulting from label nomenclature. By using a few
basic guidelines, selecting a German wine is not difficult, given the
generally high quality standards most producers uphold. The key factors
are finding the appropriate style(s) for your taste and producers you
can depend upon.
German wines are categorized according to ripeness at picking. The minimum
levels of ripeness for each category vary by region, but the basic categories
are Tafelwein ("table wine"); Qualitätswein, or QbA ("quality
wine"); and Qualitätswein mit Prädikat, or QmP ("quality
wine with added distinction"). Within the latter category the distinctions
are (in ascending order of ripeness) kabinett; spätlese; auslese;
beerenauslese, or BA; trockenbeerenauslese, or TBA; and eiswein. Under
certain climatic conditions, the grapes may be affected by Botrytis cinerea,
a desirable, flavor-enhancing fungus known in Germany as Edelfäule.
Although they may contain residual sugar, German wines tend to be richer
as one tastes through the categories of distinction; not until beerenauslese
is sweetness enough of a dominant factor for a wine to be considered a
dessert wine. At all levels German wines are balanced by high acidity,
so they do not necessarily taste sweet. Above all, you should look for
balance among a wine's components.
Undoubtedly the best German wines are made from Riesling. This white
grape is capable of developing intense flavors at lower ripeness levels,
making it an ideal cultivar for Germany's northern climate. Under the
right weather conditions, Riesling will ripen late into autumn, rendering
late-harvest styles. When combined with an attack of Edelfäule ,
these late-harvest grapes produce some of the most stunning and longest-lived
wines around. The best values in Rieslings ($12 to $20) are those at lower
ripeness levels -- such as QbA, kabinett and spätlese -- and originating
from a single vineyard site, such as Piesporter Goldtröpfchen. However,
many quality producers are bottling estate Riesling from a number of their
sites, simply calling it "Riesling Pfalz" to simplify labeling.
Yet others are blends of different sites bottled under collective names,
or Grosslagen. A couple of examples are Zeller Schwarze Katz or Bernkasteler
Kurfürstlay.
The bulk of the least expensive German wines are usually either table
wine (a category that in Germany includes both tafelwein and landwein)
or QbA, and may be blends of two or more grape varieties. Black Tower
and Liebfraumilch are two examples. German wine law requires a varietally
labeled wine to contain at least 85 percent of the specified grape variety.
Varieties commonly blended with Riesling are Sylvaner, Müller-Thurgau
and Elbling. These wines often cost $10 or less.
Müller-Thurgau is the most widely planted white variety in Germany
and is capable of producing good value wines if the yields are low enough
to coax some character out of the grapes. Riesling has the next largest
area under cultivation. Other white grape varieties include Kerner, Scheurebe,
Bacchus and Pinot Gris (Ruländer). Minuscule quantities of Gewürztraminer,
Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Sylvaner and experimental crossings with
exotic names like Huxelrebe and Ortega are also grown. There is some red
wine production, mainly from Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), but the
values are more likely to be from varieties such as Blauer Portugieser,
Trollinger and Lemberger or blends of the latter two varieties.
With German wines, the region often provides an indication of style.
Those from the Mosel tend to be the most delicate, often exuding characteristic
lime, apple and mineral aromas and flavors. Rheinhessen wines are rounder
and fruity, with the best hailing from the steep vineyards overlooking
the Rhine river, while Nahe wines fall somewhere between the two. Rheingau
produces firmly structured, spicy wines that often need a few years to
shed their youthful austerity. The richest, fullest versions of white
German wines come from the Pfalz.
Learn more about these Wine Regions:
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