German wine 1039202 225557677 2008-07-14T08:39:18Z Nwinther 126826 /* Medieval times */ Changed wording of heading, as it talks about the history until this day. [[Image:Vineyards at the Rhine bend.jpg|thumb|300px|Steep vineyards on ''Rüdesheimer Berg'' overlooking [[river Rhine]]. These vineyards are located in the southwestern part of the region Rheingau at a bend in the river. These vineyards are planted with Riesling grapes, with some Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and produce some of the finest wines in Germany.]] [[Image:Ürziger Würzgarten.jpg|thumb|300px|Steep vineyards along [[river Mosel]], close to the village [[Ürzig]].]] '''German wine''' is primarily produced in the southwest of [[Germany]], along [[river Rhine]] and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] era. Approximately 60 per cent of the German [[wine]] production is situated in the federal state of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], where 6 of the 13 regions (''Anbaugebiete'') for quality wine are situated. Germany has about 102,000 [[hectare]]s (252,000 [[acre]]s or 1,020 square kilometers) of vineyard, which is around one tenth of the vineyard surface in [[Spain]], [[France]] or [[Italy]]. The total wine production is usually around 9 million [[hectoliter]]s annually, corresponding to 1.2 billion bottles, which places Germany as the ninth largest wine-producing country in the world.<ref name="Statistics 07-08">[http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/1a6/1a64f607-a3e5-5117-3d28-952196117f51,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2007-2008]</ref> [[White wine]] accounts for almost two thirds of the total production. As a wine country, Germany has a mixed reputation internationally, with some consumers on the export markets associating Germany with the world's most elegant and aromatically pure white wines while other see the country mainly as the source of cheap, mass-market semi-sweet wines (notably [[Liebfraumilch]]) which a discerning wine drinker wary of his reputation should avoid altogether. Among enthusiasts, Germany's reputation is primarily based on its [[sweet wine]]s and on its being home to the [[Riesling]] grape variety, which at its best is used for aromatic, fruity and elegant white wines that range from very crisp and dry to well-balanced, sweet and of enormous aromatic concentration. While primarily a white wine country, red wine production surged in the 1990s and early 2000s, primarily fuelled by domestic demand, and the proportion of the German vineyards devoted to the cultivation of dark-skinned grape varieties has now stabilized at slightly more than a third of the total surface. For the red wines, [[Spätburgunder]], the domestic name for [[Pinot Noir]], is in the lead. ==Wine styles== Germany produces wines in many styles: dry, semi-sweet and sweet white wines, rosé wines, red wines and sparkling wines, called [[Sekt]]. (The only wine style not commonly produced is fortified wine.) Due to the northerly location of the German vineyards, the country has produced wines quite unlike any others in Europe, many of outstanding quality. Despite this it is still better known abroad for cheap, sweet or semi-sweet, low-quality mass-produced wines such as [[Liebfraumilch]]. The wines have historically been predominantly white, and the finest made from [[Riesling]]. Many wines have been sweet and low in [[alcohol]], light and [[unoaked]]. Historically many of the wines (other than late harvest wines) were probably dry ([[trocken]]), as techniques to stop fermentation did not exist. Recently much more German white wine is being made in the dry style again. Much of the wine sold in Germany is dry, especially in restaurants. However most exports are still of sweet wines, particularly to the traditional export markets such as [[Great Britain]], which is the leading export market both in terms of volume and value. The [[United States]] (second in value, third in volume) and the [[Netherlands]] (second in volume, third in value) are two other important export markets for German wine. Red wine has always been hard to produce in the German climate, and in the past was usually light coloured, closer to [[rosé]] or the red wines of [[Alsace]]. However recently there has been greatly increased demand and darker, richer red wines (often [[barrique]] aged) are produced from grapes such as [[Dornfelder]] and Spätburgunder, the German name for [[pinot noir]]<ref name="WRG">[http://blog.cellarer.com/the-wine-regions-of-germany/ The wine regions of Germany]</ref>. Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of German wines is the high level of [[acidity]] in them, caused both by the lesser ripeness in a northerly climate and by the selection of grapes such as [[riesling]] which retain acidity even at high ripeness levels. == History == [[Image:Kammerbau Eberbach.jpg|thumb|200px|Vine trellising according to the ''Pfälzer Kammerbau'' system traditional to the Palatinate, where it was widely used until the 18th century. In an all-wooden version (without the steel wires), this system is supposed to date back to Roman times.]] <!-- To be quite honest, the illustration of "Pfälzer Kammerbau" in OCW at all look like this. But this row of vines were clearly labelled "Pfälzer Kammerbau" and kept for display purposes by people who could be expected to know what they were doing. Unless someone had switched the signs of course, because there were several different vine training systems next to each other... I'm trying to find someone who can look into this. --> === Early history === [[Viticulture]] in present-day Germany dates back to [[Ancient Roman]] times, to sometime from the 1st to the 4th century AD. In those days, the western parts of today's Germany made up the outpost of the Roman empire against the [[Germanic tribes]] on the other side of Rhine. What is generally considered to be Germany's oldest city, [[Trier]], was founded as a Roman garrison and is situated directly on the river [[Moselle]] (''Mosel'') in the [[Mosel wine|eponymous wine region]]. The oldest [[archeology|archeological]] finds that may indicate early German viticulture are curved [[pruning]] knives found in the vicinity of Roman garrisons, dating from the 1st century AD.<ref name="OCW Ge Hist">Entry on "German History" in J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition, p. 304-308, Oxford University Press 2006, ISBN 0-19-860990-6</ref> However, it is not absolutely certain that these knives were used for viticultural purposes. Emperor [[Probus]], whose reign can be dated two centuries later than these knives, is generally considered the founder of German viticulture, but for solid documentation of winemaking on German soil, we must go to around 370 AD, when [[Ausonius]] of [[Bordeaux]] wrote ''Mosella'', where he in entusiastic terms described the steep vineyards on river Moselle.<ref name="OCW Ge Hist"/> The [[Vitis sylvestris|wild vine]], the forerunner of the cultivated ''Vitis vinifera'' is known to have grown on upper Rhine back to historic time, and it is possible (but not documented) that Roman-era German viticulture was started using local varieties. Many viticultural practices were however taken from other parts of the Roman empire, as evidenced by Roman-style [[Trellis (agriculture)|trellising systems]] surviving into the 18th century in some parts of Germany, such as the ''Kammerbau'' in the [[Palatinate]].<ref name="OCW Ge Hist"/> Almost nothing is known of the style or quality of "German" wines that were produced in the Roman era, with the exception of the fact that the poet [[Venantius Fortunatus]] mentions red German wine around AD 570. ===From Medieval times to today=== Before the era of [[Charlemagne]], Germanic viticulture was practiced primarily, although not exclusively, on the western side of Rhine. Charlemagne is supposed to have brought viticulture to Rheingau. The eastward spread of viticulture coincided with the spead of Christianity, which was supported by Charlemagne. Thus, in Medieval Germany, churches and monasteries played the most important role in viticulture, and especially in the production of quality wine. Two Rheingau examples illustrate this: archbishop [[Ruthard of Mainz]] (reigning 1089-1109) founded a [[Benedictine]] abbey on slopes above [[Geisenheim]], the ground of which later became [[Schloss Johannisberg]]. His successor [[Adalbert of Mainz]] donated land above [[Hattenheim]] in 1135 to [[Cistercians]], sent out from [[Clairvaux]] in [[Champagne, France|Champagne]], who founded [[Kloster Eberbach]].<ref name="OCW Ge Hist"/> Many grape varieties commonly associated with German wines have been documented back to the 14th or 15th century. Riesling has been documented from 1435 (close to Rheingau), and Pinot Noir from 1318 on [[Lake Constance]] under the name ''Klebroth'', from 1335 in [[Affenthal]] in [[Baden]] and from 1470 in Rheingau, where the monks kept a ''Clebroit-Wyngart'' in Hattenheim.<ref>[http://www.wein-plus.de/glossar/Pinot+Noir.htm Wein-Plus Glossar: ''Pinot Noir'], accessed on February 17, 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.wein-plus.de/glossar/index.html?Suchwort=Kloster+Eberbach Wein-Plus Glossar: ''Kloster Eberbach''], accessed on February 17, 2008</ref> The most grown variety in medieval Germany was however [[Elbling]], with [[Silvaner]] also being common, and [[Muscat]], [[Räuschling]] and [[Traminer]] also being recorded.<ref name="OCW Ge Hist"/> For several centuries of the Medieval era, the vineyards of Germany (including Alsace) expanded, and is believed to have reached their greatest extent sometime around 1500, when perhaps as much as four times the present vineyard surface was planted. Basically, the wine regions were located in the same places as today, but more lands around the rivers, and land further upstream Rhine's tributaries, was cultivated. The subsequent decline can be attributed to locally produced [[beer]] becoming the everyday beverage in northern Germany in the 16th century, leading to a partial loss of market for wine, and to the [[Thirty Years' War]] ravaging Germany in the 17th century.<ref name="OCW Ge Hist"/> At one point the Church controlled most of the major vineyards in Germany. Quality instead of quantity become important and spread quickly down the river Rhine. The Development ended when Martin Luther's activities initiated revolts leading to the death of millions and affecting culture for centuries. In the 1800s Napoleon took control of all the vineyards from the Church, including the best, and divided and [[Secularization|secularized]] them. Since then the Napoleonic inheritance laws in Germany broke up the parcels of vineyards further, leading to the establishment of many cooperatives. However, there are a great deal of notable and world famous wineries in Germany, who have managed to acquire or hold enough land to produce enough wine not only for domestic consumption, but also for export. [[Image:Bocksbeutels.jpg|200px|thumb|left|German wine from [[Franconia (wine region)|Franken]] in the characteristic round bottles ([[Bocksbeutel]])]] An important event took place in 1775 at [[Schloss Johannisberg]] in Rheingau, when the courier delivering the harvest permission was delayed for two weeks, with the result that most of the grapes in Johannisberg's Riesling-only vineyard had been affected by noble rot before the harvest began. Unexpectedly, these "rotten grapes" gave a very good sweet wine, which was termed [[Spätlese]], meaning [[late harvest wine|late harvest]]. From this time, late harvest wines from grapes affected by noble rot have been produced intentionally. The subsequent differentiation of these late harvest wines into additional categories, starting with [[Auslese]] in 1787, laid the ground for the [[Prädikat]] system. Most of the present German wine law was introduced in 1971, and definied the Prädikat designations as they have been since then. ==Geography and climate== The German wine regions are some of the most northerly in the world.<ref>[http://www.deutscheweine.de/internet-en/nav/289/2892c412-768a-401b-e592-6461d7937aae$20950559-5a8d-4501-e76c-d461d7937aae.htm German Wine Institute: Wine growing regions], accessed on February 17, 2008</ref> The main wine-producing climate lies below the 50th parallel, which runs through the regions Rheingau and Mosel. Above this line the climate becomes less conducive to wine production, but there are still some vineyards above this line. Because of the northerly climate, there has been a search for suitable grape varieties (particularly frost resistant and early harvesting ones), and many crosses have been developed, such as [[Müller-Thurgau]] in the [[Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute]]. Recently there has been an increase in plantings of Resling as local and international demand has been demanding high quality wines. The wines are all produced around rivers, mainly the [[Rhine]] and its tributaries, often sheltered by mountains. The rivers have significant microclimate effects to moderate the temperature. The soil is slate to absorb the sun's heat and retain it overnight. The great sites are often extremely steep so they catch the most sunlight, but they are difficult to harvest mechanically. The slopes are also positioned facing the south or south-west to angle towards the sun. The vineyards are extremely small compared to new world vineyards. This makes the lists of wines produced long and complex, and many wines hard to obtain as production is so limited. ==Regions== [[Image:German wine regions.jpg|thumb|450px|right|Germany's 13 regions for quality wine]] The wine regions in Germany usually referred to are the 13 defined regions for quality wine. The German wine industry has organised itself around these regions and their division into districts. However, there are also a number of regions for the seldomly-exported table wine (''Tafelwein'') and country wine (''Landwein'') categories. Those regions with a few exceptions overlap with the quality wine regions. In order to make a clear distinction between the quality levels, the regions and subregions for different quality level have different names on purpose, even when they are allowed to be produced in the same geographical area. ===Quality wine regions=== There are 13 defined regions for quality wine in Germany<ref name="WRG"/><ref>[http://www.wein.de/1453.0.html Wein.de (German Agricultural Society): 13 winegrowing areas in Germany]</ref>: :1. '''[[Ahr (wine region)|Ahr]]''' - a small region along the river [[Ahr]], a tributary of Rhine, that despite its northernly location primarily produces red wine from Spätburgunder. :2. '''[[Baden (wine region)|Baden]]''' - in Germany's southwestern corner, across river Rhine from [[Alsace]], and the only German wine region situated in [[European Union wine growing zone]] B rather than A, which results in higher minimum required maturity of grapes and less chaptalisation allowed.<ref name="OCW Baden">Entry on ''"Baden"'' in J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition, p. 59, Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0-19-860990-6</ref> Noted for its pinot wines - both red and white. Although the Kaiserstuhl region in the wine growing region of Baden is Germany's warmest location, the average temperature in the whole wine region is a little bit lower than in Palatinate (zone A). One of two wine regions in the federal state of [[Baden-Württemberg]]. :3. '''[[Franconia (wine region)|Franconia]]''' or ''Franken'' - around portions of [[Main]] river, and the only wine region situated in [[Bavaria]]. Noted for growing many varieties on chalky soil and for producing powerful dry Silvaner wines. :4. '''[[Hessische Bergstrasse]]''' (Hessian Mountain Road) - a small region in the federal state [[Hesse]] dominated by Riesling. :5. '''[[Mittelrhein (wine region)|Mittelrhein]]''' - along the middle portions of river Rhine, primarily between the regions Rheingau and Mosel, and dominated by Riesling. :6. '''[[Mosel wine|Mosel]]''' - along the river [[Moselle_River|Moselle]] (''Mosel'') and its tributaries, the rivers [[Saar River|Saar]] and [[Ruwer River|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. :7. '''[[Nahe (wine region)|Nahe]]''' - around the river [[Nahe]] where volcanic origins give very varied soils. Mixed grape varieties but the best known producers primarily grow Riesling, and some of them have achieved world reputation in recent years. :8. '''[[Palatinate (wine region)|Palatinate]]''' or ''Pfalz'' - the second largest producing region in Germany, with production of very varied styles of wine (especially in the southern half), where red wine has been on the increase. The northern half of the region is home to many well known Riesling producers with a long history, which specialize in powerful Riesling wines in a dry style. Warmer than all other German wine regions. Until 1995, it was known in German as ''Rheinpfalz''.<ref name="WP Pfalz">[http://www.wein-plus.de/glossar/index.html?Suchwort=Pfalz Wein-Plus Glossar: Pfalz], accessed on December 16, 2007</ref> :9. '''[[Rheingau (wine region)|Rheingau]]''' - a small region situated at a bend in river Rhine which give excellent conditions for wine growing. The oldest documented references to Riesling come from the Rheingau region<ref>http://www.graf-von-katzenelnbogen.de/ All about The History of the County of Katzenelnbogen and the First Riesling of the World</ref> and it is the region where many German wine making practices have originated, such as the use of ''Prädikat'' designations, and where many high-profile producers are situated. Dominated by Riesling with some Spätburgunder. The Rheingau Riesling style is in-between Mosel and the Palatinate and other southern regions, and at its finest combines the best aspects of both. :10. '''[[Rheinhessen (wine region)|Rheinhessen]]''' or Rhenish Hesse - the largest production area in Germany. Once known as Liebfraumilch land, but a quality revolution has taken place since the 1990s. Mixed wine styles and both red and white wines. The best Riesling wines are similar to Palatinate Riesling - dry and powerful. Despite its name, it lies in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, not in Hesse. :11. '''[[Saale-Unstrut]]''' - one of two regions in former [[East Germany]], situated along the rivers [[Saale]] and [[Unstrut]], and Germany's northernmost wine growing region. :12. '''[[Saxony (wine region)|Saxony]]''' or ''Sachsen'' - one of two regions in former East Germany, in the southeastern corner of the country, along the river [[Elbe]] in the federal state of [[Saxony]]. :13. '''[[Württemberg (wine region)|Württemberg]]''' - a traditional red wine region, where grape varieties Trollinger (the region's signature variety), Schwarzriesling and Lemberger outnumber the varieties that dominate elsewhere. One of two wine regions in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. These 13 regions (''Anbaugebiete'') are broken down into 39 districts (''Bereiche'') which are further broken down into collective vineyard sites (''Großlagen'') of which there are 167. The individual vineyard sites (''Einzellagen'') number 2,658.<ref name="DWI Soil&Sites">[http://www.deutscheweine.de/internet-en/nav/614/61407d71-9ffe-401e-76cd-461d7937aae2$20950559-5a8d-4501-e76c-d461d7937aae.htm German Wine Institute: Soil & Sites], read on January 2, 2008</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- bgcolor="lightgrey" ! colspan="8" | German wine-growing regions sorted by size (2006 situation)<ref name="Statistics 07-08"/><ref name="DWI Soil&Sites"/> |- bgcolor="lightgrey" ! Region || Number on map || Vineyard area (ha) || Proportion white:red (%) || Districts || Collective sites || Individual sites || Most grown varieties |- | Rheinhessen || 10 || 26 281 || 68:32 || 3 || 24 || 442 || Müller-Thurgau (16.0%), Dornfelder (13.3%), Riesling (12.2%), Silvaner (9.5%), Portugieser (6.8%), Kerner (5.1%), Spätburgunder (5,1%), Grauburgunder (4.3%), Scheurebe (3.9%) |- | Palatinate || 8 || 23 353 || 60:40 || 2 || 25 || 330 || Riesling (21.8%), Dornfelder (13.9%), Müller-Thurgau (10.2%), Portugieser (10.1%), Spätburgunder (6.8%), Kerner (5.2%), Grauburgunder (4.5%), Silvaner (3.8%) |- | Baden || 2 || 16 008 || 54:46 || 9 || 15 || 315 || Spätburgunder (36.7%), Müller-Thurgau (18.1%), Grauburgunder (10.3%), Riesling (7.5%), Weißburgunder (7.1%), Gutedel (6.8%) |- | Württemberg || 13 || 11 522 || 29:71 || 6 || 20 || 207 || Trollinger (21.6%), Riesling (18.1%), Schwarzriesling (15.6%), Lemberger (13.4%), Spätburgunder (10.9%), Kerner (3.3%) |- | Mosel || 6 || 8 975 || 91:9 || 6 || 20 || 507 || Riesling (58.2%), Müller-Thurgau (14.7%), Elbling (6.4%), Kerner (4.6%) |- | Franconia || 3 || 6 123 || 81:19 || 3 || 22 || 211 || Müller-Thurgau (31.3%), Silvaner (20.5%), Bacchus (12.2%) |- | Nahe || 7 || 4 124 || 74:26 || 1 || 7 || 312 || Riesling (25.7%), Müller-Thurgau (13.6%), Dornfelder (11.2%) |- | Rheingau || 9 || 3 088 || 84:16 || 1 || 11 || 120 || Riesling (78.4%), Spätburgunder (12.7%), Müller-Thurgau (1.7%) |- | Saale-Unstrut || 11 || 663 || 73:27 || 2 || 4 || 20 || Müller-Thurgau (19.2%), Weißburgunder (11.6%), Silvaner (8.7%) |- | Ahr || 1 || 548 || 12:88 || 1 || 1 || 43 || Spätburgunder (61.5%), Portugieser (8.8%), Riesling (7.1%) |- | Mittelrhein || 5 || 460 || 75:25 || 2 || 11 || 111 || Riesling (67.6%), Spätburgunder (8.5%), Müller-Thurgau (6.5%) |- | Hessische Bergstraße || 4 || 435 || 80:20 || 2 || 3 || 24 || Riesling (49.0%), Spätburgunder (10.1%), Müller-Thurgau (7.8%) |- | Saxony || 12 || 416 || 82:18 || 2 || 4 || 16 || Müller-Thurgau (19.5%), Riesling (14.9%), Weißburgunder (12.5%) |} ===Tafelwein and Landwein regions=== There are seven regions for Tafelwein (''Weinbaugebiete für Tafelwein''), three of which are divided into two or three subregions (''Untergebiete'') each, and 21 regions for Landwein (''Landweingebiete'').<ref name="WeinV 1995">[http://www.bundesrecht.juris.de/bundesrecht/weinv_1995/gesamt.pdf Weinverordnung (WeinV 1995), updated until Art. 1 V v. 11.3.2008 I 383], § 1 for Tafelwein and § 2 for Landwein</ref> These regions have the following relationship to each other, and to the quality wine regions:<ref>{{cite book |title=Rheingold - The German wine renaissance |last=Bird |first=Owen |year=2005 |publisher=Arima publishing |location=Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk |isbn=1-84549-079-7 |pages=259-260}}</ref><!-- Several changes, both additions and name changes, have been made between Bird sourced his table and the 2007 edition of the regulations were published. In many cases, the matching was trivial, but there could be a few mismatches in the table below --> {| class="wikitable" |- bgcolor="lightgrey" ! Tafelwein region || Tafelwein subregion || Landwein region || Corresponding quality wine region || Number on map |- | rowspan="11" | Rhein-Mosel || rowspan="7" | Rhein || Ahrtaler Landwein || Ahr || 1 |- | Rheinburgen-Landwein || Mittelrhein || 5 |- | Rheingauer Landwein || Rheingau || 9 |- | Nahegauer Landwein || Nahe || 7 |- | Rheinischer Landwein || Rheinhessen || 10 |- | Pfälzer Landwein || Palatinate || 8 |- | Starkenburger Landwein || Hessische Bergstraße || 4 |- | rowspan="4" | Moseltal || Landwein der Mosel || rowspan="4" | Mosel || rowspan="4" | 6 |- | Landwein der Saar |- | Saarländischer Landwein |- | Landwein der Ruwer |- | rowspan="3" | Bayern || Main || Landwein Main || rowspan="2" | Franconia || rowspan="2" | 3 |- | Donau || Regensburger Landwein |- | Lindau || Bayerischer Bodensee-Landwein || rowspan="2" | Württemberg || rowspan="2" | 13 |- | Neckar || - || Schwäbischer Landwein |- | rowspan="2" | Oberrhein || Römertor || Badischer Landwein || rowspan="2" | Baden || rowspan="2" | 2 |- | Burgengau || Taubertäler Landwein |- | Albrechtsburg || - || Sächsischer Landwein || Saxony || 12 |- | ?<!-- Possibly this Landwein region is also a part of Albrechtsburg Tafelwein region, but no source has been found --> || || Mitteldeutscher Landwein || Saale-Unstrut || 11 |- | [[Niederlausitz (wine region)|Niederlausitz]] || - || [[Brandenburger Landwein]] || <small>In the federal state of [[Brandenburg]], outside the quality wine regions</small> || |- | [[Stargarder Land (wine region)|Stargarder Land]] || - || [[Mecklenburger Landwein]] || <small>In the federal state of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]], outside the quality wine regions</small> || |} ==Grape varieties== Overall nearly 135 [[grape]] varieties may be cultivated in Germany - 100 are released for white wine production and 35 for red wine production. According to the international image, Germany is still regarded to be a region for white wine production. Since the 1980s the demand for German red wine has constantly increased and this has resulted in a doubling of the vineyards assigned for the production of red wine. Nowadays over 35% of the vineyards are cultivated with red grapes. Some of the red grapes are also used to produce [[Rosé]]. Out of all the grape varieties listed below, only 20 have a significant market share. {| class="wikitable" |- bgcolor="lightgrey" ! colspan="7" | Common grape varieties in Germany (2006 situation, all varieties >250 ha)<ref name="Statistics 07-08"/> |- bgcolor="lightgrey" ! Variety || Colour || Synonym(s) || Area (%) || Area (hectares) || Trend || Major regions (with large plantations or high proportion) |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 1. [[Riesling]] || white || || align="right" | 20.8 || align="right" | 21 197 || constant || Mosel, Palatinate, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Nahe, Mittelrhein, Hessische Bergstrasse |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 2. [[Müller-Thurgau]] || white || Rivaner || align="right" | 13.7 || align="right" | 13 988 || decreasing || Rheinhessen, Baden, Franken, Mosel, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 3. [[Spätburgunder]] || red || Pinot Noir || align="right" | 11.6 || align="right" | 11 807 || increasing || Baden, Palatinate, Rheinhessen, Württemberg, Rheingau, Ahr |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 4. [[Dornfelder]] || red || || align="right" | 8.1 || align="right" | 8 231 || constant || Rheinhessen, Palatinate, Nahe |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 5. [[Silvaner]] || white || Grüner Silvaner || align="right" | 5.2 || align="right" | 5 314 || decreasing || Rheinhessen, Franken, Saale-Unstrut, Ahr |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 6. [[Blauer Portugieser]] || red || || align="right" | 4.6 || align="right" | 4 683 || decreasing || Palatinate, Rheinhessen, Ahr |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 7. [[Grauburgunder]] || white || Pinot Gris, Grauer Burgunder Ruländer ||align="right" | 4.3 || align="right" | 4 382 || increasing || Rheinhessen, Palatinate, Mosel |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 8. [[Kerner (grape)|Kerner]] || white || ||align="right" | 3.9 || align="right" | 4 004 || decreasing || Rheinhessen, Palatinate, Mosel , Württemberg |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 9. [[Weißburgunder]] || white || Pinot Blanc, Weißer Burgunder, Klevner ||align="right" | 3.4 || align="right" | 3 491 || increasing || Baden, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 10. [[Trollinger]] || red || || align="right" | 2.5 || align="right" | 2 518 || constant || Württemberg |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 11. [[Schwarzriesling]] || red || Müllerrebe, [[Pinot Meunier]] || align="right" | 2.4 || align="right" | 2 424 || constant || Württemberg |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 12. [[Regent (grape)|Regent]] || red || || align="right" | 2.1 || align="right" | 2 183 || increasing || |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 13. [[Bacchus (grape)|Bacchus]] || white || ||align="right" | 2.1 || align="right" | 2 113 || decreasing || Franken |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 14. [[Scheurebe]] || white || ||align="right" | 1.7 || align="right" | 1 781 || decreasing || Rheinhessen |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 15. [[Lemberger]] || red || Blaufränkisch || align="right" | 1.6 || align="right" | 1 664 || increasing || Württemberg |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 16. [[Gutedel]] || white || [[Chasselas]] ||align="right" | 1.1 || align="right" | 1 123 || constant || Baden |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 17. [[Chardonnay]] || white || ||align="right" | 1.1 || align="right" | 1 087 || increasing || |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 18. [[Traminer]] || white || [[Gewürztraminer]] ||align="right" | 0.8 || align="right" | 832 || constant || |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 19. [[Faberrebe]] || white || ||align="right" | 0.7 || align="right" | 689 || decreasing || |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 20. [[Ortega (grape)|Ortega]] || white || ||align="right" | 0.7 || align="right" | 686 || decreasing || |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 21. [[Huxelrebe]] || white || ||align="right" | 0.7 || align="right" | 677 || decreasing || |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 22. [[St. Laurent (grape)|St. Laurent]] || red || || align="right" | 0.7 || align="right" | 673 || increasing || |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 23. [[Elbling]] || white || ||align="right" | 0.6 || align="right" | 583 || decreasing || Mosel |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 24. [[Morio-Muskat]] || white || ||align="right" | 0.5 || align="right" | 541 || decreasing || |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 25. [[Acolon]] || red || || align="right" | 0.5 || align="right" | 460 || increasing || |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 26. [[Merlot]] || red || || align="right" | 0.4 || align="right" | 416 || increasing || |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 27. [[Domina (grape)|Domina]] || red || || align="right" | 0.4 || align="right" | 395 || increasing || |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 28. [[Dunkelfelder]] || red || || align="right" | 0.4 || align="right" | 372 || constant || |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 29. [[Cabernet Mitos]] || red || || align="right" | 0.3 || align="right" | 317 || increasing || |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | 30. [[Cabernet Sauvignon]] || red || || align="right" | 0.3 || align="right" | 274 || constant || |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | 31. [[Sauvignon Blanc]] || white || ||align="right" | 0.3 || align="right" | 260 || increasing || |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | '''All white varieties''' || || || align="right" | 63.1 || align="right" | 64 331 || decreasing || |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | '''All red varieties''' || || || align="right" | 36.9 || align="right" | 37 668 || increasing || |- bgcolor="lightgrey" | '''Grand total''' || || || align="right" | 100.0 || align="right" | 101 999 || constant || |} ===Grape variety trends over time=== [[Image:Grape varieties in Germany over time.gif|thumb|300px|Per cent share of common grape varieties in Germany 1964-2007. Data taken from German Wine Statistics.<ref name="Statistics 07-08"/><ref name="Statistics 04-05">[http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/00f/00f51f4e-0098-401b-e592-6461d7937aae,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2004-2005]</ref><ref name="Statistics 05-06">[http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/b2b/b2b50494-b00c-b601-33e2-dc952196117f,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2005-2006]</ref><ref name="Statistics 06-07">[http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/beb/beb77ebd-3a08-d017-288b-5952196117f5,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2006-2007]</ref>]] During the last century several changes have taken place with respect to the most planted varieties. Until the early 20th century, Elbling was Germany's most planted variety, after which it was eclipsed by Silvaner during the middle of the 20th century.<ref name="OCW Silvaner">Entry on ''"Silvaner"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 630-631, Oxford University Press 2006, ISBN 0-19-860990-6</ref> After a few decades in the top spot, in the late 1960s Silvaner was overtaken by the high-yielding Müller-Thurgau, which in turn started to lose ground in the 1980s. From the mid-1990s, Riesling became the most planted variety, a position which it probably had never enjoyed before on a national level. Red grapes in Germany have experienced several ups and downs. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, there was a downward trend, which was reversed around 1980. From mid-1990s and during the next decade, there was an almost explosive growth of plantation of red varieties. Plantings was shared between traditional Spätburgunder and a number of new crossings, led by Dornfelder, while other traditional German red varieties such as Portugieser only held their ground. From around 2005, the proportion of red varieties has stabilized around 37%, about three times the 1980 level. ===Common white wine grapes=== White grape varieties account for 63% of the area planted in Germany. Principal varieties are listed below; there are larger numbers of less important varieties too. *'''[[Riesling]]''' is the benchmark grape in Germany and cover the most area in the German vineyard. It is an aromatic variety with a high level of acidity that can be used for dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling wines. The drawback to Riesling is that it takes 130 days to ripen and, in marginal years, the Riesling crop tends to be poor. *[[Müller-Thurgau]] is an alternative grape to Riesling that growers have been using, and which is one of the so-called "new crossings". Unlike the long ripening time of Riesling, this grape variety only requires 100 days to ripen, can be planted on more sites, and is higher yielding. However, this grape has a more neutral flavour than Riesling, and as the main ingredient of [[Liebfraumilch]] its reputation has taken a beating together with that wine variety. Germany's most planted variety from the 1970s to the mid-1990s, it has been losing ground for a number of years. Dry Müller-Thurgau is usually labeled Rivaner. *[[Silvaner]] is another fairly neutral, but quite old grape variety that was Germany's most planted until the 1960s and after that has continued to lose ground. It has however remained popular in Franconia and Rheinhessen, where it is grown on chalky soils to produce powerful dry wines with a slightly earthy and rustic but also food-friendly character. *[[Kerner]] *[[Bacchus grape|Bacchus]] *[[Scheurebe]] *[[Gewürztraminer]] *Grauer Burgunder or Ruländer ([[Pinot Gris]]) *Weisser Burgunder ([[Pinot Blanc]]) ===Common red wine grapes=== Red wine varieties account for 37% of the plantations in Germany but has increased in recent years. *Spätburgunder ([[Pinot Noir]]) - a much-appreciated grape variety that demands good sites to produce good wines and therefore competes with Riesling. It is considered to give the most elegant red wines of Germany. *[[Dornfelder]] - a "new crossing" that has become much appreciated in Germany since it is easy to grow and gives dark-coloured, full-bodied, fruity and tannic wines of a style which used to be harded to produce in Germany. *[[Portugieser]] *[[Trollinger]] *Schwarzriesling ([[Pinot Meunier]]) *[[Lemberger]] ===Released varieties=== According to the German [[wine law]], the federal governments are responsible for drawing up lists of grape varieties allowed in wine production. The varieties listed below are officially released for commercial cultivation.<ref>Walter Hillebrand, Heinz Lott & Franz Pfaff: ''"Taschenbuch der Rebsorten"'', 13. edition 2003, Fachverlag Dr. Fraund GmbH, ISBN 392115653X</ref> The lists include varieties only released for selected experimental cultivation. {| class="wikitable" width="100%" |- bgcolor="lightgrey" ! colspan="4" | {| width="100%" style="background:lightgrey" | width="10" | [[Image:White Wine Glas.jpg|14px]] | align="center" | released white grapes | width="10" align="right" | [[Image:White Wine Glas.jpg|14px]] |} |- bgcolor="FFFFE0" | width="25%" valign="top" | * [[Albalonga (grape)|Albalonga]] * [[Arnsburger]] * [[Auxerrois Blanc]] * [[Bacchus grape|Bacchus]] * [[Blue Silvaner]] * [[Bronner (grape)|Bronner]] * [[Chardonnay]] * [[Ehrenbreitsteiner]] * [[Ehrenfelser]] * [[Elbling]] * [[Faberrebe]] * [[Findling (grape)|Findling]] * [[Fontanara]] * [[Freisamer]] * [[Früher Malingre]] * [[Gelber Muskateller]] * [[Gewürztraminer]] | width="25%" valign="top" | * [[Goldriesling]] * [[Grauburgunder]] * [[Gutedel]] * [[Hibernal]] * [[Hölder (grape)|Hölder]] * [[Huxelrebe]] * [[Oliver Irsay|Irsay Oliver]] * [[Johanniter (grape)|Johanniter]] * [[Juwel (grape)|Juwel]] * [[Kanzler (grape)|Kanzler]] * [[Kerner (grape)|Kerner]] * [[Kernling]] * [[Mariensteiner (grape)|Mariensteiner]] * [[Merzling]] * [[Morio-Muskat]] * [[Müller-Thurgau]] (Rivaner) * [[Muskat-Ottonel]] | width="25%" valign="top" | * [[Nobling]] * [[Optima (grape)|Optima]] * [[Orion (grape)|Orion]] * [[Ortega (grape)|Ortega]] * [[Osteiner]] * [[Perle von Alzey|Perle]] * [[Perle von Csaba]] * [[Phoenix (Rebsorte)|Phoenix]] * [[Prinzipal (Rebsorte)|Prinzipal]] * [[Regner]] * [[Reichensteiner]] * [[Rieslaner]] * [[Riesling]] * [[Roter Elbling]] * [[Roter Gutedel]] * [[Roter Muskateller]] * [[Sauvignon Blanc]] | width="25%" valign="top" | * [[Scheurebe]] * [[Schönburger]] * [[Septimer (grape)|Septimer]] * [[Siegerrebe]] * [[Silcher]] * [[Silvaner]] * [[Sirius (grape)|Sirius]] * [[Staufer (grape)|Staufer]] * [[Veltliner]] * [[Pinot blanc|Weißer Burgunder]] * [[Würzer (Rebsorte)|Würzer]] |} {| class="wikitable" width="100%" |- bgcolor="lightgrey" ! colspan="4" | {| width="100%" style="background:lightgrey" | width="10" | [[Image:Red Wine Glas.jpg|15px]] | align="center" | released red grapes | width="10" align="right" | [[Image:Red Wine Glas.jpg|15px]] |} |- bgcolor="FFA07A" | width="25%" valign="top" | * [[Acolon]] * [[André (grape)|André]] * [[Blauburger]] * [[Cabernet Dorsa]] * [[Cabernet Mitos]] * [[Cabernet Sauvignon]] * [[Dakapo]] * [[Deckrot]] * [[Domina (grape)|Domina]] | width="25%" valign="top" | * [[Dornfelder]] * [[Dunkelfelder]] * [[Frühburgunder]] * [[Hegel (grape)|Hegel]] * [[Helfensteiner]] * [[Heroldrebe]] * [[Blaufränkisch|Lemberger]] | width="25%" valign="top" | * [[Merlot]] * [[Muskat-Trollinger]] * [[Palas (grape)|Palas]] * [[Blauer Portugieser|Portugieser]] * [[Regent (grape)|Regent]] * [[Rondo (grape)|Rondo]] * [[Rotberger]] * [[Schwarzriesling]] | width="25%" valign="top" | * [[Spätburgunder]] * [[St. Laurent (grape)|St. Laurent]] * [[Tauberschwarz]] * [[Trollinger]] * [[Zweigelt]] |} ''See Also:'' [[List of grape varieties]] ==Viticultural practices== [[Image:Vineyard zell germany.JPG|thumb|200px|In the Mosel region, such as here close to the village of Zell, vines are ofted trained on individual wooden stakes, so-called ''Einzelpfahlerziehung''.]] Many of the best vineyards in Germany are steep vineyards overlooking rivers, where mechanisation is impossible and a lot of manual labour is needed to produce the wine. Since it can be difficult to get ripe grapes in such a northernly location as Germany, the sugar maturity of grapes ([[must weight]]) as measured by the [[Oechsle scale]] have played a great role in Germany. German vintners on average crop their vineyards quite high, with yields averaging around 90 hl/ha<ref name="Statistics 07-08"/>, a high figure in international comparison. "New" crossings used for low-quality white wine commonly yield 150-200 hl/ha, while quality-conscious producers who strive to produce well-balanced wines of concentrated flavours will rarely exceed 50 hl/ha. Many wines in Germany are produced using [[organic farming]] or [[biodynamic agriculture|biodynamic]] methods. ==Winemaking practices== [[Chaptalization]] is allowed only up to the [[QbA]] level, not for ''Prädikatswein'' and all wines must be fermented dry if chaptalised. In order to balance the wine, unfermented grape juice, called [[Süssreserve]], may be added after fermentation. ==Classification== {{main|German wine classification}} [[Image:Rheingaufloete.jpg|thumb|150px|A German wine bottle]] German wine classification is sometimes the source of confusion, especially to non-German speakers. However, to those familiar with the terms used, a [[German wine label]] reveals much information about the quality level and dryness/sweetness of the wine. *'''[[Deutscher Tafelwein]]''' (German [[table wine]]) is mostly consumed in the country and not exported. *'''[[Deutscher Landwein]]''' (German [[country wine]]) comes from a larger designation and again doesn't play an important role in the export market. * '''Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete''' ([[QbA]]) wines are simple wines that meet the first level of quality. * '''[[Prädikatswein]]''', recently (August 1, 2007) renamed from '''Qualitätswein mit Prädikat''' (QmP) wines are of greater quality. The grapes for these wines must meet a certain level of ripeness. As ripeness increases, the fruit characteristics and price increase. **'''[[Kabinett]]''' wines are made from grapes picked several days after the QbA grapes are picked. These are the first picked grapes of the Prädikat level. **'''[[Spätlese]]''' wines ("late harvest") are made from grapes harvested 12-14 days after the Kabinett grapes are picked. **'''[[Auslese]]''' wines ("select harvest") are made from grapes that have been hand-selected out from the other grapes. These grapes are late-harvest and have a high sugar content. **'''[[Beerenauslese]]''' wines ("berry selection") are made from grapes that have been left on the vine longer than the Auslese grapes. These grapes develop the fungus Botrytis, which removes the moisture from the grape. Thus these wines are very sweet and make good dessert wines. **'''[[Eiswein]]''' ([[ice wine]]) wine is made grapes that freeze naturally on the vine and reach a sweetness of Beerenauslese level. The grapes are harvested and pressed in the frozen state. The ice keeps part of the water isolated to achieve the high sugar content of these wines. **'''[[Trockenbeerenauslese]]''' wines ("dry berries selection") are extremely sweet, concentrated and usually quite expensive wines. The grapes used for Trockenbeerenauslese have reached an even more raisin-like state than those used for Beerenauslese. In addition, wines are classified by the Verband Deutscher Prädikatswein (VDP). Top wines are classified according to region and the very best vineyards. On wine labels, German wine may be classified according to the residual sugar of the wine. '''Trocken''' refers to dry wine. These wines have less than 9 grams/liter of residual sugar. These bottles are usually identified by a yellow-coloured capsule. '''Halbtrocken''' wines are off-dry and have 9-18 grams/liter of residual sugar. Due to the high acidity ("crispness") of many German wines, the taste profile of many halbtrocken wines fall within the "internationally dry" spectrum rather than being appreciably sweet. "Feinherb" wine are slightly more sweet than halbtrocken wines. There are also several terms to identify the grower and producers of the wine. * '''Weingut''' refers to a wine producing estate. * '''Weinkellerei''' refers to a [[winery]]. * '''Winzergenossenschaft''' refers to a winegrowers' co-operative wine. * '''Gutsabfüllung''' refers to a grower/producer wine that is estate bottled. * '''Abfüller''' refers to a bottler or shipper. If the suffix "-er" appears after the name of the town, the wine comes from a particular vineyard located in that town. ==Industry structure== The German wine industry consists of many small vineyard owners. The 1999 viticultural survey counted 68 598 vineyard owners, down from 76 683 in Western Germany in 1989/90, for an average size of 1.5 ha. Most of the 40 625 operators of less than 0.5 ha should likely be classified as hobby vintners.<ref name="Statistics 04-05"/> Many smaller vineyard owners do not pursue viticulture as a full-time occupation, but rather as a supplement to other agriculture or to hospitality. It is not uncommon for a visitor to a German wine region to find that a small family-owned ''Gasthaus'' has its own wine. Smaller grape-growers who do not wish or are able to commercialise their own wine have several options available: sell the grapes (either on the market each harvest year, or on long-term contract with larger wineries looking to supplement their own production), deliver the grapes to a wine-making cooperative (called ''Winzergenossenschaft'' in Germany), or sell the wine in bulk to winemaking firms which use them in "bulk brands" or as a base wine for Sekt. Those who own vineyards in truly good locations also have the option of renting them out to larger producers who will handle the entire operation of the vineyard. 5 892 vineyard owners owned more than 5 ha each in 1999, accounting for 57% of Germany's total vineyard surface, and it is in this category that the full-time vintners and commercial operations are primarily found.<ref name="Statistics 04-05"/> However, truly large wineries, in terms of their own vineyard holdings, are rare in Germany. Hardly any German wineries reach the size of New World winemaking companies, and only a few are of the same size as a typical Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé château. Of the ten wineries considered as Germany's best by ''Gault Millau Weinguide'' in 2007<ref>[http://www.weinguide.de/bewertung/besten.htm Weinguide.de: Unsere Besten], accessed on December 16, 2007</ref>, nine had 10,2 &mdash; 19 ha of vineyards, and one ([[Weingut Robert Weil]], owned by [[Suntory]]) had 70 ha. This means that most of the high-ranking German wineries each only produces around 100,000 bottles of wine per year. That production is often distributed over, say, 10-25 different wines from different vineyards, of different ''Prädikat'', sweetness and so on. The largest vineyard owner is the Hessian State Wineries (''Hessische Staatsweingüter''), owned by the federal state of [[Hesse]], with 200 ha vineyards, the produce of which is vinified in three separate wineries.<ref>[http://www.wein-plus.de/glossar/index.html?Suchwort=Hessische+Staatsweing%FCter Wein-Plus Glossar: Hessische Staatsweingüter], accessed on December 16, 2007</ref> The largest privately held winery is Dr. Bürklin-Wolf in the Palatinate with 85,5 ha.<ref>[http://www.wein-plus.de/glossar/index.html?Suchwort=B%FCrklin-Wolf Wein-Plus Glossar: Bürklin-Wolf], accessed on December 16, 2007</ref> == References == {{reflist}} * Stephen Brook, ''The Wines of Germany''. ISBN 1-84000-791-5. * Alfred Langenbach, ''German Wines and Vines''. Vista Books 1962. * S.F. Hallgarten, ''German Wines''. ISBN 0-9507410-0-0. * Andrew Barr, ''Wine Snobbery: An Insiders Guide to the Booze Business''. ISBN 0-571-15060-8. Especially Chapter 8 on history of sweetness in German wines. == See also == * [[German cuisine]] * [[German wine label]] * [[German wine auctions]] * [[Verband Deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitätsweingüter]] * [[Flurbereinigung]] {{Wines}} {{Wine by country}} {{German wine regions|collapsed}} [[Category:German cuisine]] [[Category:German wine| ]] [[Category:German wines| ]] [[de:Weinbau in Deutschland]] [[es:Vino de Alemania]] [[fr:Viticulture en Allemagne]] [[nl:Duitsland (wijnbouwland)]] [[ja:ドイツワイン]] [[no:Tysk vin]] [[sv:Tyska viner]]