Wine Atlas

When people think of German wine, a sweeter white is always the first thing that comes to mind. There is no doubt that a massive amount of German wine is white, and by no means dry, but there is so much more to the wines made in the land of lederhosen and pumpernickel.

Vine growth in Germany can be traced back to the first century A.D. It has had a somewhat checkered history, but appears to be on the verge of a resurgence.

One question that seems to come up frequently when discussing German wine regards those confusing words on the label. What is Kabinett? Auslese? Spätlese?

These terms actually refer to the ripeness at which the grapes are harvested, which usually (but not absolutely) correlates to the sweetness levels.

Kabinett is the driest of German wine. Harvested early, the residual sugar is relatively low. Spätlese is next on the scale, followed by Auslese. This is generally as sweet as one would drink for a regular table wine.

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ARTHUR'S WINE SHOP, 4400 Sharon Road, in Belk at SouthPark mall. Tuesday: Danny Sanford of Fine Wine Trading Company on new and interesting wines for summer; $10 per person. 704-366-8610, www.arthurs-wine.com or arthurswineshop@bellsouth.net.CAROLINA WINE CLUB, The Wine Shop, 2442 Park Road. 6:15-8 p.m.; $35 or $125 for series of four. Tuesday: A Rose is a Rose -- Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah. July 11: Mystery Wine Identification. July 18: Appellation of Origin: Quality Levels. July 25: Sake and Fruit Wines. Reservations: 704-344-8027, info@carolinawineclub.com or www.carolinawineclub.com.

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René Renou, the president of the Institut National des Appellations d'Orgine (INAO), and one of the most influential men in French winemaking, has died aged 54.

Renou goes down as one of the great reforming characters in the French wine industry and was overseeing one of the most turbulent chapters in the INAO's history.

He was in the middle of effecting deep reaching changes, first attempted two years ago, and which had just been introduced early this month.

Recognising that the sheer number of Appellation d'Origine Controllées (AOCs) had become confusing for the consumer, he was attempting to divide the offer in two – a top category to remain as AOC for wines of excellence to be made under very strict conditions, and a second to be known as Appellation Controllée (AC) with more relaxed rules of production.

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