Basic wine knowledge
Wine knowledge
All worth knowing about different types of wine, the grape varieties und the qualitiies of our wines. How to differentiate the flavour of our wines?
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Kind of wines |
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White grapes |
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Red grapes |
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Qualities |
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Flavours / Taste |
Grape varities
Different types of wine
If nature has done its job and the grapes are harvested, then it is up to the winemaker, to bring the quality-ingredients of the vineyard without loss from the grapes to the wine. The german wine law distinguishes among the three grape varities white, red and rosé wines. The permitted grape types and manufacturing processes are precisely defined.
white wine
Withe wine – tangy, fruity and fresh
After the harvest the grapes are first crushed, i.e separated from the stems and the berries are crushed. The result of the smashing and crushing is called "the must". For the white wine production the grapes are immediately pressed as gently as possible (whole bunch pressing) or destemmed, crushed and immediately, or after a short period of skin contact, pressed.
This gives the winegrower the most, which still contains cloudy particles. This most is stored in tanks or barrels and begins to ferment. The fermantation starts via the wine lees in the grapes or can be added as wine yeast populations.
In "average" musts, yeasts convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide (i.e. alcoholic fermentation) within eight to ten days at temperatures between 14 - 20°C (57 - 68°F). In higher-quality musts (with a high sugar concentration), fermentation can take months, e.g. Trockenbeerenauslese. Fermentation can be temperature-controlled (by heating or cooling) or regulated by using stainless steel pressure tanks. This makes it possible to stop fermentation, thereby allowing the wine to retain a certain amount of natural sweetness (in German, Restzucker, or residual sugar). The cloudy beverage in the process of fermenting, i.e. somewhere in between must and wine, is called Federweisser, Bitzler, Rauscher or Sauser (no English-language equivalents). Once fermentation has ended, it is referred to as "young" wine.
Rotwein
Red wine – Powerful, silky, voluminous
Red wine production generally involves one of two methods. One is fermentation on the skins, during which the skins are left in the must until sufficient tannins and color have been extracted, then the must is pressed and continues to ferment. The other involves thermal treatment of the must, whereby the juice is briefly warmed or heated to extract color. After it has cooled, the must is crushed and fermented. Today, many growers use a combination of the two methods to produce red wine.
Rosé
Rosé – chummy,fresh, uncomplicated
In rosé wine production, red grape must is pressed immediately. Weissherbst is one type of rosé wine produced in Germany.
white grapes - the german speciality
The wide range of grape varieties cultivated in Germany is impressive, from "A," as in Albalonga, to "Z," as in Zweigeltrebe.
Data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Statistics shows that there are nearly 100 grape varieties grown in normal and/or experimental vineyards. Of these, about two dozen are of commercial importance, above all, Riesling and Müller-Thurgau, which account for some 43% of Germany's 105,000 hectares of vineyards. Nearly 11,5% of the vineyard area is planted with Spätburgunder, or Pinot Noir, making it the most important red wine grape in Germany.
Because climatic factors vary from region to region, so does each region's varietal profile. In the more northerly areas, Riesling predominates, while further south, the Burgunder, or Pinot, varieties and red wine grapes play a more important role. More than 80% of the Rheingau's vineyards are planted with Riesling, which is also the premier grape in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, Mittelrhein and Hessische Bergstrasse (more than 50%). Riesling is also important (more than 20%) in Württemberg, the Pfalz and the Nahe. In terms of area, Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner) is the most important grape variety in Baden, Franken and Rheinhessen, as well as in Saale Unstrut and Sachsen. Silvaner is a traditional variety in Rheinhessen and Franken, while the Burgunder (Pinot) family is widely planted in Baden, particularly the red wine grape Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Red grape varieties are also important in Württemberg, where Trollinger, Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) and Lemberger are cultivated, and in the Pfalz, with the Portugieser grape.
Our white grapes
The great classic
Of all the grapes of Germany, the most noble is the Riesling — a variety that can do well even in stony soil and can subsist on a minimum of moisture.
It is also frost-resistant and a very dependable bearer of high quality grapes which have an acidity level that gives the wine a racy freshness and contributes to its long life. To reach its full potential, Riesling needs extra days of sun; ripening is very late, usually not until the latter half of October.
Riesling produces elegant wines of rich character with an incomparable fragrance and taste, often reminiscent of peaches, or when young, apples. In 1996, the vineyard area planted with Riesling exceeded that of Müller-Thurgau, thus making it Germany's premier grape variety in terms of area (ca. one fifth of all plantings). It is grown throughout German wine country.
Uncomplicated consumption
The Müller-Thurgau, or Rivaner, is the second most widely planted grape in Germany and accounts for about a fifth of the total vineyard area. It is named after Professor Müller of Thurgau, Switzerland, who created it in 1882, by crossing Riesling and Gutedel — not, as previously assumed, Riesling and Silvaner. It yields about 30% more than Riesling and ripens earlier, usually in the latter part of September. While it requires less sun and makes few demands of the climate, it does need more rain than Riesling, as well as soil with good drainage. Its wines are generally light, with a flowery bouquet and less acidity than Riesling. Müller-Thurgau often carries a hint of Muscat in its flavor. The wines are best consumed while fresh and young. Dry versions are increasingly marketed under the synonym Rivaner. It is grown throughout German wine country.
Grauer Burgunder: These are synonyms for the grape known as Pinot Gris in France and Pinot Grigio in Italy.
Grauburgunder denotes the more food-compatible, sleeker, drier style, while the richer, fuller-bodied and more fragrant version is labeled Ruländer. The latter is named after a businessman from Speyer, Johann Ruland, who propagated it in the early 18th century. This variety needs good vineyards with deep, heavy soil. Harvest time is usually late September and early October. It is grown primarily in Baden and the Pfalz.
Synonymous with the French Pinot Blanc, this ancient variety thrives in fertile or chalky soils and ripens fairly late.
Weissburgunder wines have a less pronounced, relatively neutral bouquet, yet more acidity, than the Grauburgunder (from which it mutated).
The drier style wines are extremely popular with food. Most plantings are in Baden and the Pfalz, but it is also a traditional variety in the Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen regions.
agile, good wine
Today, Kerner is the most widely planted new crossing in Germany, covering about 7% of the surface devoted to viticulture. Bred in 1969 in Württemberg and named after a local poet, Justinius Kerner, it is a crossing of Trollinger and Riesling. Compared with Riesling, Kerner can be grown in less favorable sites and yields more. It ripens in early October. The wines are fresh, racy and fruity — not unlike Riesling — yet milder in acidity, with a more pronounced bouquet, often with a Muscat tone. The largest vineyard areas of Kerner are in the Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Württemberg and Mosel-Saar-Ruwer regions.
Red grapes -Always trendy
Red grapes are becoming increasingliy popular. The biggest wine-producing regions of red wines are in the meantime Rhine-Hesse and Palatinate.
And there are further signals: it turns to "Burgunder" grapes and there is a comeback of the classical red grapes.
Here you can find the most important red grapes from our vineyard:
Our red grapes
the cream of the crop
In Germany, the Spätburgunder is to red wine what the Riesling is to white wine: the cream of the crop.
Sensitive to climate and soil, it needs warmth (but not intense heat) to thrive and does well in chalky soils. As the name implies, it ripens late (spät) and it was brought to Germany from Burgundy, where it has probably been cultivated since at least the 4th century (first documented, however, in the 14th century). Called Pinot Noir in France, this grape produces elegant, velvety wines with a distinctive bouquet reminiscent of bitter almonds or blackberries.
The traditional style of German Spätburgunder is lighter in color, body and tannic acidity than its counterparts from warmer climates. Many contemporary winemakers, however, are producing wines that are more international in style, ie fuller-bodied, deep red wines with higher tannin levels. Often the wines take on more depth and complexity (and a light vanilla tone) if they are aged in small (225-liter) oak casks. Just over 11,5% of Germany's vineyard area is devoted to Spätburgunder, primarily in the Ortenau and Kaiserstuhl districts of Baden; it accounts for over half the plantings in the Ahr.
An effective growing
Regent is a dark-skinned inter-specific hybrid grape variety, used for making wine. It has both European (Vitis vinifera) and American vine species in its pedigree and a broad resistance against the most significant fungal diseases which affect grapes, such as downy mildew. Regent was created in 1967 by Professor Gerhardt Alleweldt at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding by crossing Diana, a Silvaner x Müller-Thurgau cross and thus a Vitis vinifera variety, with the interspecific hybrid Chambourcin. Experimental plantings followed in 1985, and it received varietal protection in 1994 and was released for cultivation in the first German region in 1996. It is at present among the most important new fungal-resistant quality grape variety world-wide, especially in German wine regions. Regent wines are colour intensive red wines with moderate acidity, can have rather much tannin and show aromas of cherries or blackcurrants. The wines often reach high alcohol levels since Regent tends to reach high must weights. Some better German versions are matured in barriques. The cultivated area in Germany was 2,183 hectares (5,390 acres) in 2006, with an increasing trend.[5] This made it Germany's 12th most cultivated variety, and the most cultivated hybrid grape variety. Regent is also grown in the United Kingdom with some success.
Quality categories
Among the most important legally required declarations on a label is a wine's quality category. The German wine law makes far more distinctions within the two broad quality categories mandated by the European Union wine law - table wine and quality wine - than other wine-growing countries.
The ripeness of the grapes at harvest time is a key factor to a wine's quality category. One indication of ripeness is an increasing amount of natural sugar in the grape juice or must. The riper the grapes, the higher the amount of natural sugar in their juice (measured as «must weight» in degrees Oechsle - click «Must Weights» for details) and, hence, the greater the potential quantity of natural alcohol in a wine. The wine law has established legal minimum amounts of natural alcohol that a wine must achieve in order to qualify for a specific quality category. Natural alcohol is of natural origin. It is measured prior to fermentation and prior to implementing cellar techniques to strengthen alcoholic content via concentration or enrichment (see chaptalization below). Existing alcohol reflects yeast performance, i.e. it is the amount of alcohol that is actually produced when yeast converts the sugar in grape juice during fermentation. It is the amount of alcohol in the bottle, expressed in percent by volume on the label - a mandatory declaration since 1988.
Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (Q.b.A) abbreviated QbA (quality wine from one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions) must fulfill the following conditions: - be produced exclusively from German produce from the legally recognized roster of grapes permitted in Germany, grown in one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions; the region must be declared on the label - must reach a natural alcohol content corresponding to a must weight between 51 and 72o Oechsle (depending on region and grape variety) - must reach an existing alcohol content of at least 7% by volume. The alcohol content of these wines may be strengthened prior to fermentation by chaptalization. Since 1 September 1994, the German wine law has permitted the production of a special type of QbA, a quality wine of guaranteed origin. Qualitätswein garantierten Ursprungs (QgU), is a QbA from a specific district, vineyard or village that has a consistent taste profile associated with its appellation of origin. Such wines are subject to more stringent sensory and analytical requirements. A group of Mosel vintners near the Luxembourg border was the first to make use of QgU status with an Obermosel Elbling trocken (dry).
Prädikatsweine abbreviated QmP (quality wine with special attributes) must fulfull the following conditions: - be produced exclusively from German produce from the legally recognized roster of grapes permitted in Gemany, grown in one Bereich (district) within one of the 13 specified wine-growing regions; the region must be declared on the label - must reach a natural alcohol content as legally prescribed for the region, grape variety and special attribute (level of ripeness at harvest) of the wine - must reach an existing alcohol content of at least 7% by volume (the minimum for Beeren-, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein is 5.5% by volume). Chaptalization is never permitted for these wines. Furthermore, one of the following six special attributes must be identified on the label and the wines are subject to additional regulations concerning ripeness level, and in some cases, method of harvesting. In ascending order of ripeness at harvest the attributes are:
Kabinett: made from fully ripened grapes. Fine, usually light wines with a low alcohol content. Excellent with or without meals.
Spätlese: literally means late harvest; made from riper grapes that usually have been picked at a later stage in the harvest. These wines are more intense in flavor and concentration, but not necessarily sweet. Good with richer, more flavorful foods, or by themselves.
Auslese:made from selected, very ripe bunches. Noble wines, intense in bouquet and taste, usually, but not always sweet.
Beerenauslese: (abbreviated BA): made from individually-selected, overripe berries that usually are infected by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot). These are rarities, harvested only when exceptional weather conditions enable the grapes to ripen to this extent. They are notable for their longevity (can be stored for decades). Remarkably rich, sweet dessert wines, or to be enjoyed by themselves.
Trockenbeerenauslese: (abbreviated TBA): made from individually-selected berries which are overripe (and usually infected by noble rot) and dried up almost to raisins. Rarities. Extraordinary longevity. Rich, sweet, luscious, honey-like wines.
Eiswein: made from grapes as ripe as BA, but harvested and pressed while frozen. Truly unique wines with a remarkable concentration of fruity acidity and sweetness.
Deutscher Landwein superior table wine), a category created with the harvest of 1982, must fulfill the following requirements: - be produced exclusively from German produce from the legally recognized roster of grapes permitted in Germany, grown in one of the 19 «Landwein» regions (i.e. permitted in all wine-growing regions except Franken); the region must be declared on the label - must reach a natural alcohol content of at least 0.5% more than simple Tafelwein and show «regional» characteristics - must be either trocken (dry) or halbtrocken (off-dry) in style. The alcohol content of these wines may be strengthened prior to fermentation by enrichment, i.e. adding dry - cane or beet - sugar. This procedure is also referred to as chaptalization, named after its proponent, the French scientist Jean-Antoine Chaptal (1756-1832). Its sole purpose is to increase the final alcoholic strength of a wine - the added sugar (along with the grapes' natural sugar) is converted during fermentation. The EU wine law limits the amount of additional alcohol that can be achieved through this cellar technique to 3.5% by volume (28 grams of alcohol per liter) in zone A and 2.5% by volume (20 grams of alcohol per liter) in zone B. The quality wine category (wines made from ripe, very ripe or overripe grapes) comprises two levels in Germany. These wines are subject to a quality control examination and must bear a quality control test number (A.P.Nr.) on the label.
List of German "Landwein" regions:
- Ahrtaler Landwein
- Badischer Landwein
- Bayerischer Bodensee-Landwein
- Brandenburger Landwein
- Landwein Main
- Landwein der Mosel
- Landwein Neckar
- Landwein Oberrhein
- Landwein Rhein
- Landwein Rhein-Neckar
- Landwein der Ruwer
- Landwein der Saar
- Mecklenburger Landwein
- Mitteldeutscher Landwein
- Nahegauer Landwein
- Pfälzer Landwein
- Regensburger Landwein
- Rheinburgen Landwein
- Rheingauer Landwein
- Rheinischer Landwein
- Saarländischer Landwein
- Sächsischer Landwein
- Schleswig-Holsteiner Landwein
- Schwäbischer Landwein
- Starkenburger Landwein
- Taubertäler Landwein
Deutscher Wein ohne Herkunftsbezeichnung (former "Tafelwein") Deutscher Wein must fulfill the following conditions: - be produced exclusively from German produce from the legally recognized roster of grapes permitted in Germany. Since 1. August 2009 it is allowed to declare the grapevine variety on the label. - must reach a natural alcohol content (must weight) of 5% (44o Oechsle) in climatic zone A (all German wine-growing regions except Baden) and 6% (50o Oechsle) in climatic zone B (Baden). - must reach an existing alcohol content of at least 8.5% by volume in zones A and B - must reach a total acidity of at least 4.5 grams/liter. The alcohol content of these wines may be strengthened prior to fermentation by concentration (evaporation of grape must under vacuum) or enrichment (adding dry-cane or beet- sugar, or concentrated grape must, to the [still] unfermented juice). Note: Blends of table wine from different countries of the EU, i.e. Euroblends, must include a statement on the label indicating where the grapes were grown or that it is a blend from several countries. Only «Deutscher» Tafelwein is 100% German in origin
Flavors
Wine flavors
Dry is not just dry. For wine and champagne tastes are different indications.
This is the same term for wine and champagne for a different amount of residual sugar.
We distinguish four different flavors in wine:
Dry is the designation for wines that are almost or completely fermented. That means, it is for wines with residual sugar to a maximum of 4 grams per liter.
The german wine law permits the designation also dry up to 9 grams of residual sugar, when expressed in g / l total acidity, tartaric acid 2 g / l residual sugar content is lower than the (formula: acid + 2 to the ceiling 9). A dry wine is not synonymous with "sourly". It just has very little unfermented sugar. However, you 'll ratherl taste a higher acerbity in "dry" wines.
Medium dry wines may have up to 12 grams of residual sugar per liter, or up to 18g per liter, if the residual sugar does not exceed 10g. (Formula: acid + 10 up to maximum 18).
Smooth wines have a residual sugar content more than medium dry wines. But the highest value of resiual sugar is 45 g/liter.
We call a wine sweet, if its residual sugar exceeds 45 g / liter
(Quelle: Deutsches Weininstitut GmbH, Mainz, 2009)
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