German wines are produced mainly in the west of the country, along the banks of the Rhine, and the first vineyards appeared here during Roman rule. Germany ranks 8th in the world in wine production, behind Spain, France, Italy and other European countries, but its white wines are highly valued on the international market.
One of the brightest representatives of this galaxy is Liebfraumilch, “Madonna’s Milk”. This is a semi-sweet white wine that does not belong to a specific brand and can be produced by different manufacturers. The key to its popularity is its delicate taste and more than affordable price of about 2 euros per bottle.
The hallmark of German wines is Riesling. From this variety, both light dry wines and fragrant sweet ones are obtained. As for styles, it’s easier to say that Germany does not produce – namely, there are no fortified wines like port in its assortment, everything else is here. 2/3 of production falls on white wine, red mainly remains on the domestic market and is rarely exported.
Riesling accounts for at least 20% of all wines produced in Germany. This variety can reveal tones of peach, jasmine, honeycomb, apricot and even spices.
History of German winemaking
The first historical evidence of winemaking in these areas dates back to the first century AD, but perhaps the history of German wines actually began even earlier. As today, the main region of production was the area along the river Rhine.
The development of winemaking coincided with the spread of Christianity. As in other European countries, the monasteries became the main centers for the production of the highest quality wine. In the XIV century there are already mentions of Pinot, and in the XV – Riesling, the loan appeared Sylvaner, Muscat, Traminer and others.
At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the area of German vineyards was four times the modern one, it was the peak of winemaking. Then beer came to the fore, and the consumption of fermented grape juice began to decline. Wars, the dissolution of monasteries after the Reformation and the climatic changes of the Little Ice Age also did not contribute to the preservation of winemaking and the cultivation of vineyards, by the end of the XNUMXth century this area was in decline.
In 1775, a funny story happened: the courier with the harvest permit was late for two weeks, as a result of which the riesling berries in the Rheingau picked up gray rot. Surprisingly, this only improved the taste of the drink, and thus the appearance of Spätlese or “Late Harvest” was born. In 1971, a classification of wines was introduced, which is still used today.
Climate
The wine-growing regions of Germany are located in the north of the country (and Europe), so not all varieties take root here, but the wine turns out to be quite interesting. The main vineyards are located in the valleys along the banks of the rivers, as well as on the steep slopes of the hills. Despite the relatively small area, the appellations boast a variety of soils and microclimates.
Wine regions of Germany
In Germany, there are 13 officially recognized wine regions (in decreasing order of area):
- Rheinhessen is the country’s largest wine region, also known as the Liebfraumilch land. Once famous for cheap and low-grade wines, quality is now valued over quantity.
- Pfalz is the second largest wine-producing region, mainly producing Riesling, but red wine also accounts for a significant share.
- Baden is the southernmost, warmest and sunniest region in Germany, famous for its red and white Pinots.
- Württemberg is famous for Trollinger red wine and other dark varieties.
- Mosel – Moselle wines are recognizable all over the world. They are made from grapes grown on extremely steep slopes and shale soils. This region supplies the market with light-bodied and low-alcohol wines with high acidity and a distinct mineral flavor. You can also find semi-sweet Riesling here, a style uncharacteristic of this variety.
- Franken is the only wine region in Bavaria, famous for its chalky soils and extra-dry Sylvaner.
- Nahe – thanks to volcanic soils, gives the world the best of German Rieslings.
- Rheingau is most likely the oldest wine region in Germany with a specialization, of course, in Riesling.
- Saale-Unstrut – located on the territory of the former GDR, and is also the northernmost wine-growing region of the country.
- Ahr – located on the tributary of the same name, the river Ahr, specializes in red wines from Spatburgunder.
- Saxony (Saxony) is the second region in the former GDR.
- Mittelrhein also specializes in Riesling.
- Hessische Bergstraße – grows Riesling.
Classification of German wines
German wines are divided into the following categories according to the degree of maturation of the raw materials:
- Table wines (Tafelwein) are mainly not very high-quality wines for sale on the home market or in general for own consumption, not for sale.
- Country wines (Landwein) are slightly better than the previous category, but still not good enough to be exported.
- Quality wines (Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete) are wines from a particular appellation, with the exception of Liebfraumilch, which can be a blend from different regions and still belong to that category.
- The wine of the highest quality (Prädikatswein) is made only from the ripest berries, when the grapes reach their maximum sugar content and taste.
Prädikatswein, in turn, is also divided into categories:
- Kabinett (locker) – wine made from berries that have reached the minimum sugar content level, this parameter depends on the region and grape variety.
- Spätlese (late harvest) – wine made from the last harvested berries.
- Auslese (selected vintage) is a wine made from hand-picked late berries that have reached the minimum permitted potential alcohol level.
- Beerenauslese (selected berries) – wine from hand-picked late berries affected by noble gray rot. They usually make a sweet or dessert wine.
- Trockenbeerenauslese (selected dried berries) – it is made from raisined berries affected by noble gray rot.
- Eiswein (ice wine) – made from frozen berries.