GERMANY IS THE NORTHERN MOST WINE REGION AND ITS WINE REGIONS ARE LOCATED NEAR THE BANKS

OF RHINE AND MOSEL. IT ACCOUNTS FOR JUST 1% OF THE TOTAL WORLD PRODUCTION. SUMMERS ARE SHORT, VINES GET SPOILED BY THE SEVERE FROSTS SHORTAGE OF SUNSHINE LEADS TO UNRIPEN GRAPES WHICH ARE HIGH IN ACIDITY. GERMANY IS FAMOUS FOR DRY WHITES AND DESSERT WINES. GERMAN WINES ARE BEST CONSUMED ON ITS OWN OR WITH DESSERTS, BUT NOT WITH ANY STRONGLY FLAVOURED FOODS.

Soil:
Lime Stone Clay Sand Slate Loam

Climate:
Germany lies north of equator therefore its wine producing regions are the coldest in the world.. Short summers. Rivers regulate the temperature. Late harvesting (starting from middle or end of November) provides aromas to grapes. Lack of heat and cool nights leave ripe grapes with good sugar levels but also high acid levels.

WHITE
Elbling Riesling

RED
Mullerrebe (Pinot Meunier) Trollinger

Silvaner
Rulander Muller-Thurgao Gewrztraminer Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)

Dornfelder
Portugieser Lemberger Schwarzreisling Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)

RHINE REGIONS

OTHER REGIONS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Rheingau Rheinhessan The Nahe The Pfalz Mittelrhein.

MOSELLE REGION 6. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer.

7. Franken 8. Ahr 9. Baden. 10. Wurttemberg. 11. Hessische Bergstrasse 12. Saale-Unstrut 13. Sachsen

 Location : Germanys most central wine region.It is a long hillside by the thick forests of the Taunus Hills and bordered by the Rhine river. Main grape varieties : Riesling, Silvaner, Spatburgunder

Popular White Wines : Schloss Johannisberg, Steinberger, Schloss Vollrads. Wines are fragrant, acidic and with great character and elegance.

 Location: Lies in the valley of hills bordered by Nahe River on the west and north and east by the Rhine. The second largest producer of wines. Main grape varieties: Muller Thargau, Silvaner, Riesling, Portugieser, Spatburgunder. Popular for LIEBFRAUMILCH(W) Popular Wines: Blue Nun (S), Guntersblumer (R), Niersteiner (W), Oppenheimer (W), Bodenheimer (W) Wines are fragrant, mild, soft, medium bodied.

 Location : Named after its river and lies on the west of Rheinhessen and east of Mosel. Main Grape Varieties : MullerThurgau, Silvaner, Riesling.

Popular wines: Schlossbockelheimer ( W), Munsterer ( W ) Wines are fruity, fragrant and full of flavour.

 Location : Bounded by the Rhine on the eastand Haardt mountains on the west. Formely known as Rheinpfalz.

The largest producer of wines and known for its inexpensive wines .
Main Grape Varieties: Muller-Thurgau, Riesling, Silvaner, Portugieser. Popular Wines: Deidesheimer (W), Ruppertberger (W), Durkheimer (R). Wines are aromatic, mild, round and full-bodied.

 Location : This region follows the Mosel river and its tributaries, Saar and Ruwer. The region produces the excellent white wines. Main Grape Varieties : Riesling, Muller-Thurgau.

Popular white wines : Bernkastler Doctor, Piesporter, Wiltengener. Wines are fragrant, piquant, fruity,and delicate. Both bottles of Moselle and Rhine are tall fluted but Rhine bottles are brown, while Moselle bottles are green.

 Location: Lies between Bonn and Bigen on the stretch of Rhine valley.

Main grape variety: Riesling, Kerner, Muller-Thurgau.

Popular wines: Oberweseler (W), Bacharacher (W).

International Star Wine: Toni

Jost (W).

 Location : Easternmost wine region and also known as Franconia. These wines are often dry and similar to French wines often refered as Steinwein Main Grape Varieties : Silvaner, Muller-Thurgau, Riesling. Popular Wines : Casteller (W), Wurzburger Stein (W). Wines are vigorous, earthy, robust, dry and full-bodied.

 Location: Germanys most northerly region, along the Ahr river. Smallest German wine region.

Main Grape Varieties : Spatburgunder, Portugieser, Riesling, Muller-Thargau.

Popular Wines: Heimersheimer(W), Neuenahrer (W), Marienthaler Klostergarten(R).
Wines are velvety, fiery, light & fresh and domestically consumed.

Location : Vineyards lining the slopes of Neckar river. It is the largest red wine region of Germany producing for domestic consumption. Popular wines : Maulbronner (R), Stockheimer (W) Main grape varieties : Spatburgunder, Riesling, Silvaner. Wines are fruity, earthy & powerful.

Location : South-West region of Germany. Famous for Weissherbst- Rose wine made of Pinot Noir. Popular wines : Micheifelder (W), Durbacher (W) Wines are heavy, flowery and high in alcohol content.

 Formulated in the year 1971. Grades wines according to the amount of sugar present in the grapes

at harvest.
Oechsle is the scale of measuring grape sugars based on the density of grape juice.

Grape juice of specific gravity of 1.075 = 75 oechsle.

There are two major wine categories:

1. Tafelwein (Table Wine ) a. Deutscher Tafelwein (Table wine)blend of German grown grapes from different regions. b. Deutscher Landwein (Regional wine)a product from a particular wine growing region.

2. Qualitatswein (Quality Wine)

a. Qualitatswein Bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QBA): QBAs are quality wines from designated regions. They are best when young. Sugar is added to these wines. b. Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP): These are best German wines. No sugar is allowed to be added to the must, when making this wine.

There are six categories of QmP wines: 1. Kabinett 2. Spatlese 3. Auslese This is the lowest in QmP category. Wine from late harvested grapes. Wine from specially selected sugar enriched grape. 4. Beerenauslese : Wine from overripe fruit grapes picked individually. These are very expensive. 5. Trockenbeerenauslese :Very sweet wine made from shriveled grapes, which are noble rot effected. 6. Eiswein (Ice wines) : Harvested in between (-8) to (-10) C. A dry wine with high acidic content. The grapes are harvested in the night under frozen condition. 98% of German wines are Qualitatswein & only 2% Tafelwein. : : :

Trocken Halbtrocken Liebling Suss Weisswein Rotwein Sekt Weissherbst Rotling

: Dry. : Medium Dry. : Medium Sweet. : Sweet. : White Wine. : Red Wine. : White Sparkling Wine. : Pink Wine from black grapes. : Pink Wine from black & white grapes.

1= Grower Producer 2= Vintage Year 3= Village and Vineyard 4= Grape Variety 5= Quality Level of Grape 6= Taste and Style of Wine 7= Quality Level of Wine 8= Official Tasting Number 9= Estate Produced & Bottled 10= Wine Region 11= Bottle Size in litre 12= Alcoholic Strength 13= Name and Address of Producer / Bottler. 14= Sub Growing Region