Which of Germany’s wine regions is the oldest?
Mosel
On what parallel is the Mosel wine region?
49th parallel
What is the climate of the Mosel?
Cool Continental
Which river helps moderate the Mosel wine region?
Mosel River
What is the landscape of the Mosel wine region?
Very steep, south-facing vineyards
What is the soil of the Mosel wine region?
Slate
- porous, well draining
- excellent heat retention
What grapes are grown in the Mosel?
Riesling
Riesling grown in the Mosel is typically:
- ultra-ripe, low acid, high alcohol, dry
- ripe, medium acid and alcohol, dry
- just-ripe, high acid, low alcohol, off-dry
Just-ripe, high acid, low alcohol, off-dry
Most Mosel Rieslings are vinified in what type of vessel?
Stainless steel
Why do most Mosel Rieslings have residual sugar?
To balance out the ripping-high acidity.
Think lemonade: if there’s too much lemon juice (acidity), you need sugar to balance out that sharpness.
Why are most Mosel Rieslings so low in alcohol?
Because the grapes struggle to ripen at that northerly latitude, their sugars are low which in turn means a lower-alcohol wine.
Name two gemeinden (villages) in the Mosel famous for their Rieslings.
- Ürzig
- Piesport
The Rheingau is north or south of the Mosel?
South of the Mosel
What mountain range is on the north side of the Rheingau?
Taunus Mountains
These mountains protect the Rheingau from cold northerly winds.
What is the climate of the Rheingau?
Continental
Rheingau is a bit warmer than the Mosel due to its being further south.
Which river runs through the Rheingau?
Rhine River
What is the soil of the Rheingau?
Slate for the top vineyards with some clay and sand on lower slopes.
Where are the vineyards of the Rheingau located, and which direction do they face?
South-facing vineyards on the long slope on the north side of the Rhine River.
What are the grapes grown in the Rheingau?
- Riesling (white)
- Spätburgunder (red)
Name 1 famous vineyard in the Rheingau.
Schloss Johannisberg
What is Kloster Eberbach?
Originally, it was a monastery founded by Cistercian monks in 1135.
The monastery dissolved in the 1800s and today it’s known as a top-tier, single vineyard.
Where is the Rheinhessen in relation to Rheingau?
South of Rheingau
What is the climate of Rheinhessen?
Continental
What is the landscape of the Rheinhessen?:
- flat with fertile soil
- steep hills with infertile soil
Flat and fertile
What are the soils of the Rheinhessen?
- Red sandstone
- Slate
What are the white grapes of Rheinhessen?
- Riesling
- Müller-Thurgau
- Silvaner
Rheinhessen is the ___est wine region in Germany.
Largest
What is Liebfraumilch?
An inexpensive, sweet white wine made mostly from Müller-Thurgau. It was heavily exported in the 1980s and very popular at the time, but it ended up being a blemish on the perception of German wines for decades.
Where are the top vineyards in the Rheinhessen located?
A thin ribbon of steep hills on the WEST bank of the Rhine River, between Nackenheim and Nierstein.
This area is best known for today’s high quality, dry Rieslings.
Clue to German pronunciation of “ie” and “ei”:
You pronounce the second vowel, meaning:
- If the i is after the e, you pronounce the i
- e.g. Nackenheim (nack-en-hime)
- If the e is after the i, you pronounce the e
- e.g. Piesporter (peece-porter)
The Pfalz region in Germany is pretty much a continuation of the ____ region in France.
Alsace
What river separates the Pfalz from Alsace?
Rhine River
What is the mountain range on west side of Pfalz?
Haardt Mountains
The Haardt Mountains are an extention of what other mountain range?
Vosges Mountain range
The Haardt Mountains provide the Pfalz with a ____ _____.
Rain shadow
Between the Pfalz’s southerly latitude and it being in a rain shadow, it has one of the ____est growing areas in Germany.
Warmest
What is the soil in Pfalz?
Limestone
What are the white grapes of Pfalz?
- Riesling
- Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
- Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
What is the red grape of the Pfalz?
Spätburgunder, aka Pinot Noir
What style of wine does the Pfalz mainly produce?
Dry wines
Pfalz Rieslings tend to be fuller, riper, and higher in alcohol vs. Mosel Rieslings.