One of the common stereotypes says: “In Germany they only drink schnapps or beer .” However, tourists who come to the country very quickly note that this statement is far from the truth.
They love wine here – and how! It is no coincidence that Germany holds an honorable sixth place among the world’s top ten producers of this alcohol. The vast majority of products – 60% – are white wines. Their production is concentrated mainly in Franconia, Nahe, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Mittelrhein and the Palatinate. The country also produces sparkling and berry wines, which the king, president or chancellor himself would not be ashamed to offer.
What is German wine made from?
The variety of grape varieties grown in Germany may seem small compared to Italy and other warm regions. The main wines grown here are Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Spätburgunder (a version of Pinot Noir) and, of course, Riesling. The latter is rightfully called the star of German wines due to its versatility and taste properties. It is able to give a bouquet special depth and expressiveness.
Riesling is widely used to make white vintage and sparkling wines. The best examples of this variety in Germany are grown in the Mosel Valley (brand names: Selbach-Oster, Wegeler-Deinhard, Grans-Fassian, Dr Loosen, Monchhof and others).
Also cultivated on the territory of German vineyards are:
- Blaufränkisch or Lemberger – gives the wine a pronounced blackberry berry flavor (Graf Adelmann, Drautz-Able).
- Dornfelder produces red wines that are not very typical for Germany – with soft, round tannins (Schittler & Becker, Heinrich Vollmer, Romisches Weindorf).
- Gewürztraminer produces balanced wines with predominant fruit notes (Andreas Laible, Klaus Zimmerling, Rebholz).
German winemakers also enjoy well-deserved fame among world varieties: Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, Muskateller, Grauburgunder .
And in Lower Saxony they relied on other berries. Here they make amazing raspberry, strawberry and blackberry wine, for the production of which they use berry juice, sugar and artificial yeast. The drink has a characteristic enchanting aroma and a juicy fruit and berry aftertaste. They drink it as a long drink, diluting it with mineral or sparkling water. The best German blackberry wine can be found by the name of the producer – Katlenburger.
One of the trends of recent decades in Germany is non-alcoholic wine (Alkoholfrei). Following a popular trend, many German producers remove alcohol from the wort, including Gerstacker, Peter Mertes, Abtei Himmerod.
What are German wines like?
Wines produced in Germany are divided into 4 categories:
- table (Tafelwein) – the most unpretentious type, which does not have pronounced flavor notes, is not exported and is cheaper than other varieties;
- local (Landwein) – wine under this name is produced by small enterprises and is of higher quality than table wine;
- “quality wine from a specific area” (Qualitatswine bestimmter Anbaugebiete, QbA) – created strictly in one of 13 regions of Germany and meets a whole list of specific requirements (from growing conditions and collection of raw materials to the alcohol and sugar content in the finished drink);
- “quality wine from specially selected grapes” (Prädikatswein, formerly Qualitatswine mit Prädikat, QmP) is the most valuable wine, for the production of which only “special” harvests are taken, for example, berries touched by noble mold or frostbitten.
The last group includes famous German wines, the names of which are well known outside Germany. The first variety of Prädikatswein is the Kabinett subcategory – light and pleasant dry wines produced from the main September harvest. Almost all German manufacturers have them, including Domdechant Werner, Weingut Van Volxem, Weingut Dr. Fischer. The strength of such wines varies from 7 to 12%. They go well with meat and fish dishes, as well as seafood.
Drinks in the Spätlese subcategory are made from harvests harvested later than usual, in October. These berries make excellent dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet wines, more textured and aromatic. The alcohol content in them, as a rule, does not exceed 12%. It is better to drink this German white wine with fish, seafood, and cheeses. Brands include Kerpen, Monchhof, Schittler & Becker.
Noble Auslese wines in Germany are created from late-harvest ripe grapes, most often the Riesling variety. The berries remain on the vine so long that they raisinize a little, making their flavor sweeter and brighter. Some grapes are affected by noble rot – they are selected manually. The strength of the finished drinks is 8-12.5%, and their aging can reach 5-10 years. Auslese wines are included in the line of brands with names such as Weingut Wittmann, Selbach-Oster, Balthasar Ress and some others.
Beerenauslese in Germany refers to wine made from late-harvested grapes, most of which were affected by noble mold. It sounds unappetizing, but, as in the case of French cheeses , everything is redeemed by the taste – naturally sweet, fruity, with hints of honey. These are exclusive and rare wines, stronger than other varieties (alcohol content up to 15%). They are produced by Peter Mertes, Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, Dr. Loosen and others. Riesling is considered the most popular grape variety.
German Trockenbeerenauslese wines are made from a particularly successful late harvest that is completely covered in noble rot. A very long, warm, dry autumn is needed for the berries to ripen to the desired state. But they are collected later, at sub-zero temperatures, and only by hand.
This kind of German wine – sweet, rich, with a long, caressing aftertaste – can only be produced once every few years. It often contains very little alcohol and is easy to drink on its own. But these white wines also go perfectly with foie gras and blue cheeses. Well-known German manufacturers: Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, Nackenheim Rothenberg and Domdechant Werner.
The berries for Eiswein , “ice wine,” are left on the vine until the first frost so that it has time to develop its special flavor. This is possible only in some regions of Germany with appropriate climatic conditions. The raw materials are collected at night and pressed when frozen. This is how rare, elite German wine with a rich sweet taste and delicious aroma is born, which is highly valued in the world.Icewine goes perfectly with fruits and nuts, desserts . It is most appropriate to drink it as a digestif with dishes. One of the main producers of this wine in Germany are Balthasar Ress, Joh.Jos. Prum, Gunderloch and Markus Molitor.
They also produce sparkling wine in Germany – Sekt . A mandatory step in its production is re-fermentation in separate bottles and subsequent aging in dark, cool cellars. Most often, two grape varieties are used for production: Weissburgunder and Riesling. The result is a magnificent drink, which is not inferior in quality to French champagne or Italian sparkling wine . In Germany, Sekt is sold under brands with names such as Henkell, Kupferberg, Rotkäppchen, Deinhard, Naumburger and others.
Where to try German wine
Wine in Germany is a significant part of the tourism industry. The German Wine Route, which covers 85 kilometers, runs through the largest wine-growing regions of the Palatinate . The entire route along the B 38 and B 271 highways is marked with special yellow signs. You can drive along it by car, or you can ride a bicycle – the bike path is laid parallel to the main route.
The route starts in the south of the country, at the Wine Gate in Schweigen-Rechtenbach, and ends in the north, at the House of the German Wine Route in Bockenheim an der Weinstrasse. It passes through Bad Bergzagern, Grundstadt, Deidesheim and other settlements. German cities along the route offer winery tasting tours and wine festivals throughout the year. And with all the breadth of their souls, the winegrowers pour wine into dubeglass glasses – and this, for a second, is 0.5 liters.
The first wine festival of the year takes place in Gimeldingen in March. It is dedicated to almond blossom. The largest festival in Germany is the Wurstmark in the resort of Bad Durkheim. It is held on the second or third weekend of September. The last Sunday in August is the day when cars are not allowed along the route. But wineries and bars are happy to welcome guests on bicycles, rollerblades and other wheels without a motor.Wine festivals are also held in other regions of Germany: Baden, Mosel, Württemberg and Saxony.
Popular “wine spots”
You can get acquainted with the history of German winemaking at the Mosel Museum, whose wine library contains more than 150 varieties of red and white wine, including sparkling wine. After viewing the multimedia exhibition, tourists are invited to a tasting in the 500-year-old cellars of the St. Nicholas Hospital.Even more ancient vaults welcome guests to the Bremen Town Hall. Here, since the beginning of the 15th century, a wine cellar has been open – a pub and a shop selling the best German wines bottled from ancient barrels.
Many wineries allow groups of tourists to watch the wine production process and then taste the result. For example, the Deinhard Sektkellerei sparkling wine factory in Koblenz offers hour-long tours with 1 glass of wine for only 8 € per person. A two-hour excursion “Pearls of Europe” with tasting of 5 types of sparkling wine will cost 25 €. Or the Emil Franz winery in the town of Traben-Trarbach, where a tasting costs from 6 €, and for a fee you can try local German cuisine .
On national holidays, and sometimes just on weekends, fairs take place in city squares throughout Germany. The owners of colorfully decorated pavilions attract guests with white and red wines, offering to taste them and buy the ones they like. At such fairs you come across excellent samples produced by small German wineries. Their products are often no worse than those of more well-known farms. So go out, try it – and, of course, enjoy the best wine in Germany!