Most of the vineyards in Germany that produce the greatest wines are concentrated around the Mosel and the Rhine river systems (fed by their tributaries the Saar, Ruwer and Nahe) in the West near the French border. Most German wines follow the wine laws that help identify the wine styles. First, the wines are labeled by quality: look for “Qualitätswein mit Prädikat” (also seen as QmP/ Prädikat) – meaning “quality wine with distinction.” They are also classified according to the amount of sugar in the grapes at the time of harvest and fall into distinct ripeness tiers on the QmP scale. (Ranging in progressive order of ripeness: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, BA, TBA, Eiswein.) For drier wines, look for the Kabinett or Spätlese classifications on the label, along with the terms ‘Trocken’ (dry) or ‘Halbtrocken’ (half-dry: wines with a touch of sweetness). Riesling is the face of German wine and may be produced as a dry wine (where all the sugar is converted to alcohol; complete fermentation) and are richer in alcohol (12% or higher); or in a sweeter style (with more residual sugar) – a traditional German approach – yielding a wine with less alcohol (6-8%), many of which age well. Germany also produces lesser-known, crisp whites such as Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and Ruländer (aka Pinot Gris). As for reds, Spätburgunder (aka Pinot Noir) does quite well here too.
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
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| The Rieslings from Germany’s Mosel region are perhaps the purest expression of the grape; offering lime, pie crust, apple, slate and honeysuckle characteristics on a light-bodied and racy frame. The greatest vineyards congregate on the left bank, with slopes having the southerly aspect that improves their exposure to the sun. The combination of warm days and long, cool nights brings the fruit to a fresh and yet gentle ripeness, making wines full of vivacity. The Lower Mosel produces wines that are very often on the dryish side, with a wild, earthiness to them, all founded on those keynote flavors of slate, apple and pear. The swing of temperatures (daytime temperatures versus nighttime temperatures) is markedly high in the Saar Valley creating a prominent and bracing acidity that gives these wines their particular energy, freshness and definition. Ruwar vineyards are in the cooler areas of the Mosel and sometimes have a touch more ripeness; but it is a brave individual who feels they could distinguish them from those of the Saar when tasted blind. |
| Key Red Grape Varieties
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Key White Grape Varieties
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Müller-Thurgau
Riesling |
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Rheingau
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| The Rhine has a moderating effect on temperatures, protecting from extreme lows but also, when the temperatures peak in midsummer, providing a welcome cooling effect. The vineyards of the Regina are perhaps the birthplace of modern German winemaking. The vast majority of sites (over 80%) are planted with Riesling. In fact, there are few other regions of Germany where Riesling is so predominant. The resulting wines are fairly close in style to those from the Nahe and are certainly distinct from the more delicate wines of the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer. These wines frequently have a deep, concentrated, focused flavor with a fresh and racy structure, supported by wonderfully fresh acidity. They are rounded, seductive yet firm wines that often have a very domineering presence on the palate. An interesting tidbit: the vineyards around Schloss Johannisberg are reputedly the first in Germany to have seen the harvest of grapes affected with “noble rot” for the production of sweet wine. |
| Key Red Grape Varieties
Most commonly labeled as… |
Key White Grape Varieties
Most commonly labeled as… |
| Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) |
Riesling
Müller-Thurgau |
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Nahe
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| Wines here are predominantly sweet in character, although the best are marked by an opulent, rich, spicy character which should bring lovers of German Riesling flocking to this region’s wines. They have a finely delineated acidity to support this richness yet have a fuller structure – a greater presence in the mouth – than the delicate style that typifies the Mosel. Riesling predominates, but there are a small band of hardy winemakers doing worthwhile things with Burgundian varieties, and with the lesser German grapes such as Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau. |
| Key Red Grape Varieties
Most commonly labeled as… |
Key White Grape Varieties
Most commonly labeled as… |
Portugeiser
Dornfelder
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) |
Müller-Thurgau
Riesling
Silvaner |
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Rheinhessen
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| Rheinhessen is the largest wine region in Germany (every 4th bottle of German wine comes from here), where the many rolling hills are host to a wide variety of crops grown alongside the grape vineyards. And the grape varieties themselves are also different, as Riesling is much less predominant, and the lesser German varieties, led by Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner, have a more significant presence. Many of Germany’s aromatic, early-ripening new crossings were bred here by Professor Georg Scheu, after whom the Scheurebe grape is named. Pinot Gris (known as Ruländer), when good, is soft and gently perfumed. Pinot Noir (called Spätburgunder) does well here too and can have silken textures, super-fine tannins with a firm palate loaded with bouncy red fruit, great spice, earth, smoke and an intense slate minerality. |
| Key Red Grape Varieties
Most commonly labeled as… |
Key White Grape Varieties
Most commonly labeled as… |
| Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) |
Kerner
Riesling
Müller-Thurgau
Silvaner
Scheurebe |
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Pfalz
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| These are some of the warmest vineyards in Germany, kindly sheltered by the Haardt mountains – therefore, ripening is not the issue that it is further north in the vineyards of the Saar and Ruwer. This is another region where Riesling is not all-dominating, accounting for only one-fifth of the vineyard area. The other leading varieties of the area are Müller-Thurgau, Scheurebe, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Traminer – the latter once regarded as something of a specialty of the region. There are also substantial plantings of Portugieser, a heavy-cropping black variety. . The wines of Pfalz are best characterized as stylish, mineral, full and racy. Wines from these more mixed deposit soils also have a tendency towards a plumper style, with a lush presence of fruit. |
| Key Red Grape Varieties
Most commonly labeled as… |
Key White Grape Varieties
Most commonly labeled as… |
| Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) |
Kerner
Müller-Thurgau
Riesling
Scheurebe
Traminer |
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