A lesson in the wines of Germany
By Wine Atlas, Thursday 22 June 2006 :: Wine - Germany :: #115 :: rss
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.
We then go on to Beerenauslese, and finish up with Trockenbeerenauslese. (Try saying that after a glass or two.) Actually we don't finish there, but that is another matter entirely. Eiswein, or ice wine, is another animal for another day.
Without a doubt, the most widely grown grape in Germany is riesling (by the way, it's REES-ling, not RICE-ling). The cool climate is perfect for this tiny grape.
The woody vine is very hardy and able to withstand low temperatures, which is great for late harvesting, but it also ripens early in comparison to other international varieties. The grape maintains unparalleled high yields, which makes it a very attractive proposition for any commercial grower.
These factors probably explain why the grape is so prevalent, yet much maligned. The simple fact is that riesling is beautifully aromatic, with an uncanny ability to reflect the characteristics of the soil in which it is grown. It also has a high level of tartaric acid, which balances the sugar better than many more prestigious dessert wine grapes.
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