Germany & South Africa

Question 1

German’s leading white grape that has the purest expression in the world

Answer 1

Riesling

Question 2

Climate

Answer 2

Continental. 49-51 . Vines are located primarily in southwest part of country along lakes and rivers borderling Belgium, France, and Switzerland

Question 3

Germany’s vineyards are planted on

Answer 3

Steep slopes near river banks on slate and basalt heat retaining soils that absorb heat during the day and retain heat all night. Vineyards are oriented to the south/southeast. Grapes enjoy a LONG COOL GROWING SEASON but can struggle to ripen at 49 degree northern limit of vine

Question 4

Like Austria 70% of wine production is white. What are the leading grapes

Answer 4

– Riesling
– Müller-Thurgau
– Silvaner
• Red
– Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Question 5

Which level of wines CAN be fermented to dry

Answer 5

Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese

Question 6

Wines styles

Answer 6

Dry, off, dry, or sweet. Fermented in stainless steel, or large oak casks. So little oak overall. Chaptalization is against the law at the Pradikatswein level. There is both bargain and fine sekht sparkling wine. Fine Sekht is made in the method traditional out of Spatbrugunder, grauburgunder and weissburgunder.

Question 7

How do you know if a German wine is dry

Answer 7

It will say troken or look at the alc. level. Also the VDP is synonomous with dry wines. If it actually addes kabinett, auslese and or spatlese than there is a level of sweetness.

Question 8

Wines without geographic indication

Answer 8

Wein

Question 9

Wines with geographic indication

Answer 9

Landwein (PGI)
– Regional wines: rarely exported
• Qualitätswein (PDO)
– Quality wine from one of 13 major regions
called Anbaugebiete
– This category includes top trocken wines
• Prädikatswein (PDO)
– A subset of Qualitätswein categorized by
ripeness at harvest. There are six prädikate
levels of quality. These wines are often, but
not necessarily, sweet.

Question 10

Order of ripeness and quality scale

Answer 10

Kabinet, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauselse, Eiswein, Trokenbeerenauslese

Question 11

GG

Answer 11

(Grosses Gewächs)

These are dry or trocken wines from the top vineyard sites

Question 12

Mosel

Answer 12

Porous slate, steep river bank, northerly 49 degrees. Alcohol 8 % with a small amount of residual sugar to balance acidity. When grapes are harvested they are high in acidity low in sugar. Stainless steel. Oldest vineyard in world for riesling.

Question 13

Where is Rheignau

Answer 13

South of Mosel on Rhine river. Backdrop of Taunus mountains which provide shelter and protection. The Rhine river reflects sunlight directly onto the vines. Creates more sunlight for photosynthesis and ripening of vine. Slate soils and other.

Question 14

Climate of Rheignau

Answer 14

Continental but slightly warmer than Mosel. More southerly

Question 15

Where are the vineyards

Answer 15

One long southfacing slope on the North bank of the Rheignau

Question 16

Grapes of Rheignau

Answer 16

Riesling and Spatburgunder. Grapes ensure more ripeness than Mosel. Johannisberg and Kloster Ederbach are top sites

Question 17

Rheinhessen

Answer 17

Large sprawling site south of Rheignau. Continental, flat, fertile,

Question 18

Soil of Rheinhessen

Answer 18

Red sandstone mixed with slate

Question 19

Grapes

Answer 19

White grapes only are grown
Riesling (the best but not the most planted grape in the Rheinhessen)
– Müller-Thurgau
– Silvaner

Question 20

What is unique about this Rheinhessen

Answer 20

Largest area under vine and biggest growing region. Quality ranges from Blue Nun to expensive individual sites.

Question 21

What makes Pfalz unique

Answer 21

Contiguous with Alsace separated only by the Rhine river. The Haardt mountains are an extension of the Voges mountains and provide a rainshadow

Question 22

Climate

Answer 22

Sunny dry, one of warmest growing regions. Soil is LIMESTONE.

Question 23

Grapes

Answer 23

White
– Riesling
– Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
– Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
• Red
– Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

Question 24

Wines Styles

Answer 24

Crisp and acidic. Rival champagne in terms of acid level. Wines are dry. sometimes off dry or sweet.

Question 25

What is an Einzellage

Answer 25

single vnieyard site

Question 26

Who settled the cape

Answer 26

The Dutch East India Company. It was a refuelling place for voyages to India

Question 27

Who introduced viticulture

Answer 27

French Heugonots in 1688. When Apartheid lifted in 1994 Economic boycotts were lifted opening the door for exports. South Africa is now 10th in the world for production

Question 28

KWV

Answer 28

Saved and regulated the wine industry by stablizing prices until aprtheid was lifted at which point it became a private company

Question 29

Oceans that converge at the cape

Answer 29

Atlantic and Indian oceans

Question 30

Benguela current

Answer 30

Flows from Antartica and cools the coastal vineyards. Vineyards get warm and then hot moving inland from the coast

Question 31

Soils are

Answer 31

Ancient and diverse

Question 32

White Grapews

Answer 32

Chenin Blanc (locally called Steen)
– Chardonnay
– Sauvignon Blanc

Question 33

Red grapes

Answer 33

Pinotage (a Pinot Noir x Cinsault crossing)
– Cabernet Sauvignon
– Syrah
– Merlot
– Pinot Noir

Question 34

Cape Doctor winds in sumer and spring

Answer 34

Help suppress fungal disease
Help moderate temperature
can injure vines and disrupt flowering

Question 35

WO (1973) was put in place before apartheid ended

Answer 35

Wine of Origin puts it stamp of quality once submitted, tasted and approved

Question 36

What percentages must be in place for vintage, varietal, and appellation

Answer 36

85%, 85% and 100%