Germany
Germany has seen the reputation of its wines rise and fall in the past hundred years. Once revered as one of the top wines in the world, German Riesling has had to fight hard to regain its reputation. The mass exporting of cheap flavorless sweet wine known as Liebfraumilch damaged Germany’s standing as a world class wine producer. Recent vintages, a concern for quality over quantity, and a swing back towards the vineyard specific drier wines of the past have helped to re-establish German wines as world class.
Germany is split into 13 regions or Anbaugebiete. The wines themselves are given a geographic location, sometimes as specific as a parcel within a single vineyard, much the same way as Burgundy. The wines are also classified by ripeness. German wines are classified at harvest by the amount of sugar in the grape. The sweetness of the wine is determined by the winemaker not the harvest classification. Riesling is King in Germany; while other varieties such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Gewürtztraminer are growing in favor, it is the Riesling wines which put Germany on the map. Top German Riesling is aromatic, fruity and elegant, ranging from dry to a balanced sweet white wine.
▶ Mosel
Along the river Mosel and its tributaries, the rivers Saar and Ruwer, and was previously known as Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. The Mosel region is dominated by Riesling grapes and slate soils, and the best wines are grown in dramatic-looking steep vineyards directly overlooking the rivers. This region produces wine that is light in body, crisp, of high acidity and with pronounced mineral character. The only region to stick to Riesling wine with noticeable residual sweetness as the standard style, although dry wines are also produced.
▶ Pfalz
Germany's biggest wine region borders France to the South and the Rheinhessen to the North. Of all the regions in Germany it produces wines most similar in style to Alsace. The Rieslings here are drier, and fuller bodied than their northerly counter parts in the Mosel and Rheingau. Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer are planted in many vineyards and produce aromatic wines with a hint of sweetness. However, it is Pinot Noir which is rapidly becoming the Pfalz's claim to fame. The warmer, drier weather here creates wines with ripe fruit flavor and excellent acidity.
▶ Rheingau
The oldest documented references to Riesling come from the Rheingau region and it is the region where many German wine making practices have originated. The Rheingau region lies on the Rhein river, beginning where the Main joins the Rhein. Riesling has been grown in this region since before medieval times, but here Pinot Noir also flourishes. The growers here were the first to document picking the grapes at various stages of ripening and therefore created the Prädikat system of classification used to classify the grapes by ripeness level. They were also one of the first regions to investigate the idea of "late harvesting".
▶ Rheinhessen
South of the Rheingau lies the Rheinhessen. For many years it was the production centre for the infamous Liebfraumilch, a reputation it is slowly eradicating. Today it is one of the more exciting German wine regions with a wealth of young winemakers exploring the untapped potential. These younger producers have planted many different varieties here, Riesling, Sylvaner, Dornfelder, Muller Thurgau, and Pinot Noir are all planted in significant amounts.
Germany Wine Producers
To help narrow your search please enter a region or winery name into the search box.| Germany Area | Producer | Label | About the producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosel | Dr Loosen |  | Ernst Loosen took over the reins of the family winery in 1988. The winery has been family held for over 200 years and has ownership in some of Germany's best rated vineyards. With steep slopes and a long growing season, the Mosel provides the perfect growing conditions for old vine Riesling. In these vineyards are vines over 120 years old which provide a richness and complexity in the wine that is unmatched by other wineries. The six major vineyards used by Ernst Loosen are all designated as "Erste Lage" in the VDP classification of German vineyards. Similar to the Grand Cru system in Burgundy these vineyards produce wine of exceptional quality. To bring out the full potential of these vines, Ernst maintains low yields, avoids chemical fertilizers, and restricts his winemaking techniques to more gentle practices that allow the terroir to be seen in the wine. For winery information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: www.loosenbrosusa.com |
| Mosel | Blees Ferber |  | The Blees-Ferber estate is located on a hill above Leiwen in the Bernkastel area, showcasing a beautiful view of the Mosel and the surrounding vineyards. Since winemaker Stefan Blees has taken over production of this family-owned estate in the mid-nineties, he has successfully increased the quality of the estate's wines year over year. In short, quality not quantity matters to Stefan Blees. Through selective harvesting of the grapes, limited yields, tender care of the vines and environmentally friendly fertilization, he practices viticulture that is close to nature. The fermentation is temperature-controlled in relatively small steel and wood barrels to achieve elegant wines with distinct fruit notes. The estate's vineyards stretch over a total territory of 7.8 hectares, producing an annual average of 50,000 bottles. Like most Mosel vineyards, the winery produces mainly Riesling, which makes up 86% of it's portfolio, followed by Rivaner, Pinoit Noir, and Pinot Blanc. 75% of the wine is dry or semi-dry and 25% is sweet or dessert wine. For tasting & technical notes, winery & vineyard information, please see: www.blees-ferber.de. |
| Pfalz | J L Wolf |  | The Pfalz region produces fuller bodied, riper style wines than anywhere else in Germany. Ernst Loosen bought the J L Wolf estate in 1996 to be able to craft these styles of wines to compliment the lighter more elegant Mosel Rieslings produced by the Dr. Loosen label. The Villa Wolf label is used to produce varietal wines showing the true potential of the Pfalz region. Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Gewürztraminer ripen well here and produce the powerful wines the Pfalz is known for. In much the same manner as the Dr L from Dr Loosen these are excellent value wines which make great glass pour wines for restaurants. For winery information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: www.loosenbrosusa.com |
