Germany
Even though Germany is the home of Riesling, there’s more to the country than just the aromatic white variety. The two other common white varieties are Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner. And Spätburgunder (aka. Pinot Noir) can also be found in the more southern regions of Germany. Other varieties found include Dornfelder, Blauer Portugieser, Trollinger and Schwarzriesling (aka. Meunier). And there are seven main grape-growing regions in Germany, concentrated on the western side of the country (there are 13 grape growing regions in total).
As a whole, Germany has a mainly cool continental climate and the long cool ripening period gives grapes time to reach sugar ripeness while still retaining their natural acidity. The best vineyard sites in Germany are found on steep slopes with south facing aspects against the various rivers throughout the region.
Because Germany is home of the Riesling grape and it is the most widely planted grape throughout the country, there is a unique classification system called the Prädikat system used to distinguish the different must weights (level of sugar in the grape juice) which then translates into a wine – from dry to lusciously sweet. The Prädikat system has 6 levels, and nearly all Prädikatswein will have residual sugar; however up until the category of Auslese, it’s possible for these wines to be made dry.
The levels in order are:
Kabinett- most delicate Riesling that is light in body with high acidity. It has notes of green apple and citrus fruits to balance the residual sugar. Depending on sweetness level, Kabinett wines can be between 8-12% ABV and fermentation is stopped early for the sweeter versions (hence the lower alcohol level).
Spätlese – “late harvest” wine made in a more concentrated and riper style than Kabinett. It has more body, alcohol and where relevant, sweetness. Still has notes of citrus, but also may include more stone fruit on the nose given its additional time on the vine.
Auslese – “select harvest” wine made from individually selected bunches of extra ripe grapes. It’s richer and riper than a Spätlese; and botrytis (noble rot) can play an important role here, regardless of sweetness level.
Beerenauslese (BA) – “berry select harvest” wines that are much rarer as the grapes are essentially raisins with botrytis before they’re picked. It’s not necessarily made every year but when it is, you can expect a dessert wine here.
Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) – “dry berry select harvest” wines that are the rarest of all the classifications in the Prädikat system. Wines are made from dried out raisinated grapes on the vine which translates to very sweet wines that are low in alcohol.
Eiswein – “ice wine” meaning that the grapes are frozen on the vine and then pressed so the sugars, acidity and flavours are more concentrated. This level in the Prädikat system is all about the varietal purity of the Riesling grape.
Outside of the Pradikat system, there are also a few other classifications that are good to know – which include:
Landwein – wine from a protected geographical indication
Deutscherwein – wine without any geographical indication
VDP – Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter which is an independent association of wine estates that classify vineyards
VDP Gutswein – “house wine” labelled without any village or region associated with it.
VDP Qualitatswein – “quality wine” from one of the 13 main regions in Germany
VDP Grosses Gewächs – “great site” used to designate some of the best vineyards and reserved for dry styles of wine only
VDP Erste Lage – “first site” wines are evaluated via a tasting panel and are deemed first-class vineyards with strict growing standards.
The Six Major Regions in Germany
Mosel
Rieslings dominate in the Mosel. Majority of wine production is centred in mid-Mosel and the best-known villages are Piesport, Bernkastel and Wehlen. Rieslings from Mosel are generally lighter in body, lower in alcohol and high in acidity than other regions in Germany. Floral and green fruit flavours dominate the nose and palate with these wines.
Nahe
Sitting between the Mosel and Rheinhessen, the best sites in Nahe are on the banks of the River Nahe between the villages of Schlossböckelheim and Bad Kreuznach. Riesling is also the most planted grape in Nahe, but you can also find Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and Dornfelder here.
Rheingau
Rheingau is a small but very prestigious region in Germany. It’s protected from drastic climatic influences from the Taunus Hills – and some of the best Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines are made here thanks to the humidity generated by the River Rhine. Riesling again dominates plantings here, but you can also find Spätburgunder here. The main villages are in the west of the region – Johannisberg and Rüdesheim.
Rheinhessen
This is the largest vine-growing region in Germany and there is a broad range planted in all that space. In Rheinhessen, you’ll find Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Dornfelder, Silvaner and Blauer Portugieser. At the west bank of the River Rhine is the village of Nierstein where some of the fullest bodied Rieslings are produced.
Pfalz
The second largest vine growing area in the country, Pflaz can be viewed as a continuation of the Alsace region of France. It is the driest of the German wine regions and not surprisingly, Riesling is the most planted variety, although black grapes account from a little less than 40% of the vineyard areas. The main villages in Pfalz are Forst and Deidesheim.
Baden
Baden is the warmest and most southerly wine region in all of Germany. It produces some of the fullest body, high alcohol wines. Given its climate, Spätburgunder is the most widely planted variety – one of the few regions in Germany where a black variety outnumbers a white variety.
Franken
Franken sits in the central part of Germany and it’s interesting to note that Riesling is not planted here – it’s dominated by the white grapes of Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau instead, and white wine making still dominates.
Other German regions: Mittelrhein, Ahr, Württemberg, Hessische Bergstrasse, Saale-Unstrut, and Sachsen.