Germany has gained a poor reputation with UK wine drinkers, mostly because of the overly sweet, mediocre wines that flooded the supermarkets in the 70's and 80's. The main offender was Liebfraumilch, a blend usually dominated by the inferior Muller-Thurgau grape, with a minimum sugar level of 18g/litre.
It is a shame that Germany has been burdened with this poor reputation, as it produces some fantastically good white wines - some of the best in the world. These are usually made with the highly superior Riesling grape.
Riesling is the classic white grape of Germany, with a tangy (though not particularly green), grapy and flowery flavour. When it's young, it can have peach, apple, and smoky flavours. There's usually some sweetness in the wine to balance the grape's high acidity, making it delicious rather than cloying.
Many wine enthusiasts believe these German Rieslings to be among the foremost of the wine world's hidden treasures. Thanks to their lack of general popularity, however, many of these wines are on the market for bargain prices and are well worth experimenting with.
The Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (M-S-R)
This region comprises of a collection of vineyard areas on the river Mosel and its tributaries the Saar and Ruwer. It produces some magnificent Riesling wines, especially from villages such as Piesport, Bernkastel and Erden.
They are low alcohol, intensely flavoured wines that balance slatey, mineral qualities with honeyed sweetness and acidity. Fine Mosel Reisling tends to have mineral and citrus notes, with the classic Riesling floral bouquet.
The Rheingau
Situated on the north bank of the Rhine, the Rheingau's steep, south-facing slopes produce superb Rieslings. They are weightier and richer than those from Mosel, but just as long-lived and perfectly balanced. The region has many famous wine villages such as Hochheim, Eltville and Johannisberg. The village of Assmannshausen is one of the few centres for Red wine production in Germany.
Rheinhessen
The Rheinhessen is a large area south of the river Rhine, producing softer wines than elsewhere in Germany. However, only a small proportion of its vineyards are dedicated to producing good quality wines. Wines from villages such as Nierstein and Nackenheim are some of the best: explosively fruity and as good as any in Germany.
Nahe
Pronounced "Nah-hay", this region's best sites are on steeply sloping hillsides. Unfortunately, the Nahe produces many dull wines made from inferior grapes such as the Müller-Thurgau varietal. However, Bad Kreutznach is one of the best villages, making really intense, mineral-flavoured Rieslings.
Pfalz
As well as Riesling, Pfalz produces some big ripe wines, often from Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. Although it's an area where some very interesting experimental wines are made (including oak-aged wines, which are unheard of in Germany), much of the wine is the highly commercial stuff that does Germany's reputation for fine wines few favours.
Classification
The German system of classification grades wines according to the ripeness and natural sweetness of the grapes. The highest grades of wines are invariably very sweet. The lower grades can be dry or off-dry. The levels are as follows:
| Classification |
Description |
| Tafelwein |
Table wine, the grapes for which needn't even be German. |
| Landwein |
The equivalent of France's Vin de Pays, and usually not of high
quality. |
| Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) |
Middle-quality wine - Germany's basic, everyday wine. Grapes must
come from demarcated regions, which will appear on the label. Unless
the label indicates that the wine is a Riesling, then it is made
from another variety or, more likely, varieties. |
| Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) |
Translated as "Quality wine with
distinction". All QmP wines are Riesling unless otherwise indicated on the
label, the opposite of QbA labelling. |
As shown in the table below, tere are 6 levels of distinction (Pradikat) within this category, each demanding higher sugar levels for qualification.
| Kabinett |
Normal, fully ripe grapes (9.5 % minimum potential alcohol). Dry
/ off-dry. |
| Spätlese |
'Late-harvested' grapes, which produce a fuller and riper, usually
off-dry wine. |
| Auslese |
Individually selected, very ripe bunches used to make medium-sweet
wine.
May have some noble rot. |
| Beerenauslese |
Individually selected, noble-rot grapes used to make very sweet,
luscious dessert wine. |
| Trockenbeerenauslese |
Individually selected, fully noble-rotted grapes used to make the
sweetest, most expensive German dessert wines. |
| Eiswein |
Super-sweet; grapes harvested whilst frozen. |
Most of the wines consumed in Germany itself are made dry, although in good examples a little perfumed fruitiness will always shine through.
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