Unit 6 of the Intensive Sommelier Training at the International Culinary Center covers Germany and Eastern Europe in four days. The first two days cover Germany and the final two cover Austria & Hungary and Greece & Eastern Europe. On Day 1 we had an overview of German wine and learned about 2 of the 13 Anbaugebeits - the Mosel and Rheingau. In this post I’ll cover what we learned on Day 2, an overview of the other 11 Anbaugebeits – Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Ahr Valley, Nahe, Franken, Mittelrhein, Baden, Wurttemberg, Hessische Bergstrasse, Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen. I will then cover the learning objectives and provide a review of the 9 wines we tasted in class.
The Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest recognized wine region in terms of acreage (26,500 hectares / 65,482 acres cultivated) and it is the second largest in production. The region is bordered by the Nahe to the west, Pfalz to the south and the Rhine River to the north and east. The topography consists primarily of rolling hills that run along a large plateau which is surrounded by forests that protect the vineyards from the inclement weather.
The region has various soil types which enable wine growers to plant both white and red grape varieties. The most widely planted are Müller-Thurgau (a cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale) Silvaner, Riesling, and Scheurebe (a cross between Riesling and Silvaner) for white wine production and Dornfelder for red wine production. The Rheinhessen is home to 3 Bereiche, 24 Grosslagen and more than 400 Enzellagan.
Pfalz was known to English-speakers as the Palatinate and officially named the Rheinpfalz until 1992. It borders the Rhine River to the east and France to the south, the southern tip of Pfalz is close to the northern vineyards of Alsace. Pfalz is the second largest Anbaugebeit in terms of vineyard acreage which are planted to volcanic slate soils. It produces both white and red wines. The white grape varieties include Riesling, Scheurebe, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Müller-Thurgau and the primary red grape varieties are Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Portugieser.
The Ahr Valley is a small region of 558 hectares (1,380 acres) of vines as of 2008. The region is located between 50° and 51° north, which makes it the most northern region dominated by red wine grapes in the world. Despite its northern latitude it has a “Mediterranean” microclimate. Most vineyards are located on terraced slopes facing southwest to southeast along the middle and lower portions of river Ahr for 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from Altenahr to the Rhine. The vineyards are protected from cold winds by the Eifel Mountains. They are predominantly devoted to red grape varieties which account for 86% of the vineyard area, which is more than in any other German wine region. Ahr consists of a single Bereich called Walporzheim-Ahrtal, only one Grosslage (Großlage) called Klosterberg, and 43 single vineyard sites. The dominate red grape is Spätburgunder. Other grapes in very small portions (less than 10%) include Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Portugieser, Frühburgunder (a mutation of Pinot Noir), and Dornfelder. They also produce a very small amount of two lesser known grapes, Domina and Regent. Domina is a dark-skinned variety of grape created by German viticulturalist Peter Morio at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding in the Palatinate in 1927 by crossing Blauer Portugieser and Spätburgunder. Regent is a dark-skinned inter-specific hybrid grape variety. It was created in 1967 by Professor Gerhardt Alleweldt at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding by crossing Diana (a cross between Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau) with the interspecific hybrid Chambourcin, another lesser known grape that is a French-American interspecific hybrid grape variety who parentage is unknown.
The Nahe is west of Rheinhessen and it is named after the Nahe River which runs through the region. Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Dornfelder are the most widely planted varietals. Wines from this region are traditionally bottled in tall slender bottles made from blue glass. The best wines can be found in the villages of Schlossböckelheim, Oberhausen, Niederhausen, Norheim, Bad Münster, and Bad Kreuznach which line the banks of the Nahe River. The best wines are made from Riesling which are generally sweet. The rich, sweet Prädikat wines of Dönnhoff are the most well-known, expensive wines of the Nahe—especially those sourced from his monopole vineyard Oberhauser Brücke and Hermannshöhle in Niederhausen.
Franken has a cool climate and is centered along the Main River as it flows westward from Bamberg toward Frankfurt, to the east of Hochheim. While Riesling has difficulty ripening here the Silvaner grape grows well providing smoky, full, mineral-tinged dry white wines. But Silvaner was surpassed by Müller-Thurgau in plantings in the mid-20th century. Würzberg is Franken’s wine center; the vineyard Stein within Würzberg lends its name to “Steinwein” - an old nickname for Frankish wine. Almost all Franken wine is dry, and some excellent Grosses Gewächs Rieslings are now being produced along with a small production of Spätburgunder and Frühburgunder, an early-ripening strain of Pinot Noir. Traditionally, the wines of Franken are bottled in the squat, flask-shaped Bocksbeutel. There are two conflicting claims of the origin of the name Bocksbeutel. While there is no dispute that the word Beutel refers to some sort of container there are two views as to what the “bock” refers to. One theory is that the word “bock” refers to a “book” (buch) and the Bocksbeutel is reference to the bottle looking like a bag used for carrying books. The other theory is that the term “bock” refers to a “ram” (bock in German), hence Bocksbeutel actually means “ram’s scrotum” (or alternatively “goat’s scotum”) which is supposed to be of similar shape as the bottle.
The Mittelrhein is a narrow Anbaugebiet following the Rhine River northward past Assmannshausen and Lorch in the Rheingau. Cultivation in Mittelrhein is particularly challenging as it has the steepest vineyards in the world, most of which is on slate planted predominantly to Riesling. Nearly 80% of the wine is either trocken or halbtrocken. The Hahn Grosse Lage vineyard, a monopole of Toni Jost in Bacharach, is one of the region’s finest sites. The village of Spay, near Koblenz, is also the source of some good wines, especially from the estate of Matthias Müller.
Baden and Wurttemberg
Baden and Württemberg are larger regions in southern Germany. Baden covers a large area along the French border and Württemberg is to the east, south of Franken. Both have separate zones along the Swiss border to the south, on the shores of Lake Boden (Bodensee). Germany’s warmest winegrowing region, Kaiserstuhl, is located in Baden. The dominate red grape is Spätburgunder followed by Trollinger and they produce whites wines from Müller Thurgau but the region is too warm for quality Riesling. Württemberg produces most of Germany’s Schwarzriesling, and Lemberger (Blaufränkisch) is also commonly grown, but few of the wines are exported. Both regions are dominated by mass production and co-operatives. The Weissherbst (rosé) made from Spätburgunder is a local favorite in Baden. Schillerwein, a style of rosé produced by fermenting red and white grapes together from Trollinger, Riesling and Lemberger, is more common in Württemberg.
Hessische Bergstrasse (Bergstraße) which means “Hessian Mountain Road” is located in the state of Hesse among the northern and western slopes of the Odenwald mountain chain. It has just over 400 ha (988 acres) which makes it one of Germany’s smallest Anbaugebiets. It is also the only region in the country without a VDP Grosse Lage site.
About 79% of the vineyards are planted to white varieties, with primarily Riesling (48%), and 21% are planted red grape varieties of which about 10% is Spätburgunder. Hessische Bergstrasse is divided into two districts (Bereiche) - Umstadt and Starkenburg with three collective vineyard sites and 24 individual vineyard sites. The region produces mostly dry wines but does have a sizable production of Eiswein. The majority of the region’s wine is produced by a winemaking cooperative based in the city of Heppenheim, to which about 620 of 850 growers of the region deliver their grapes. Because the production is fairly small and it is close to densely populated areas, most of the wines is sold locally, so very little is exported.
Sachsen and Saale-Unstrut
The Anbaugebiete of Sachsen (Saxony) and Saale-Unstrut are located in former East Germany, and were added when the country was reunified in 1990.
Sachsen is located in the Elbe River Valley, and is one of Germany’s smallest winegrowing regions. The most widely planted grape is Müller-Thurgau. But Goldriesling, which some theorize that it is a crossing of Riesling with Courtillier Musqué Précoce, but this has not been verified.
Saale-Unstrut is Germany’s northernmost winegrowing region which is located at where the Saale and Unstrut rivers meet. Most of the region’s 685 hectares (1,690 acres) under vine, 74% of which is devoted to white varieties with the dominate grapes being Müller-Thurgau and Weißburgunder (Weissburgunder / Pinot Blanc). The region has a cold climate so Spätlese or Auslese can be produced only in exceptionally warm years and yields are generally low.
Learning Objectives of Unit 6 – Day 2: The Rest of Germany
At the beginning of class lectures a list of learning objectives is provided to the students. By the end of the class, the students should have a certain degree of understanding from their own reading and the lectures and be able to provide the answers to a list of questions. The Learning Objectives for Unit 6 - Day 2 along with the answers are as follows.
By the end of class, students should be able to answer the following questions:
(1) Name the grape for which Spätburgunder is a synonym
Answer: Pinot Noir
(2) Name the grape for which Weissburgunder is a synonym
Answer: Pinot Blanc
(3) Name the grape for which Grauburgunder is a synonym
Answer: Pinot Gris
(4) Explain the cross named Müller-Thurgau
Answer: Müller-Thurgau is a cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale.
(5) Define Liebfraumilch and state where it is commonly found
Answer: Liebfraumilch is an inexpensive semi-sweet white wine which may be produced in the regions Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Rheingau and Nahe. The word literally means “Beloved lady’s milk”. The grapes used must be at least 70% Riesling, Silvaner or Müller-Thurgau, and it must have 18-40g/li residual sugar.
(6) Explain the word Bocksbeutel and state where it is commonly used
Answer: Bocksbeutel are bottles that are squat, flask-shaped used for bottling wines from Franken.
(7) Explain the term edelfäule
Answer: Noble rot
(8) Name any 1 Anbaugebiet that is important for red wines
Answer: The Ahr Valley, the dominate red grape is Spätburgunder.
(9) Describe the attributes of any wines tasted today
Answer: See below
On the second day of Unit 6 we tasted the following wines from the the rest of Germany:
1. 2011 Weingut Okonomierat Rebholz Pinot Blanc Dry, Pfalz
This is a clear white wine, straw in color at the core to a watery at the rim, day-bright, with medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean and youthful with subtle aromas of lemon, apricot and white flowers with hints of cheese rind and blanched almonds. On the palate it has subtle flavors of white peaches, bees wax, with subtle notes of white pepper, honey and chives. It has medium+ acidity, medium body, medium alcohol and a medium length finish. A less than impressive wine, it sells for $20 per bottle.
2. 2012 Hans Wirsching Iphof Kronsberg Scheurebe Kabinett Trocken Franken
This is a clear white wine, low intensity straw in color, with medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean and youthful with subtle aromas of canned fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, canned peaches, melon, lychee, gardenias and floral soap. On the palate it has flavors of canned pears, oxidized oranges and it has a creamy/oily mouth feel. It is off-dry with medium+ acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, it is moderately complex and a has a long finish. A less than impressive wine, it sells for $20 per bottle.
3. 2012 Hans Wirsching Silvaner Estate Trocken Franken
This is a clear white wine, medium intensity straw in color with a hint of green on the rim, with medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean and youthful with subtle aromas of green apples, Concorde green pears, Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum, lime sknins and subtle notes of jasmine. On the palate it has flavors of oxidized peaches, oranges and jasmine. It is dry with medium+ acidity, medium body, medium alcohol; it is moderately complex and has a long finish. Another less than impressive wine, it sells for $16 per bottle.
4. 2012 Juliusspital Würzburger Stein Slivaner Erste Lage Franken
This is a clear white wine, low intensity straw in color with a hint of green on the rim, with medium+ viscosity. On the nose it is clean and youthful with subtle aromas of dried pears, cheese rind, apricots, green stems and a hint of sour dough. On the palate it has flavors of peach skins, apricot skins, bitter orange peels, bitter blanched almonds, potatoes and steamed squash. It is off-dry with medium+ acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, it is moderately complex and has a long finish. This is a bottle of plonk made from Pinot Blanc (Pinot Bianco in Italy, Weissburgunder in Germany). It sells for $13 per bottle.
5. 2012 Rebholz Riesling Dry Estate Pfalz
This is a clear white wine, straw in color, low intensity; it is start bright with a tint of green on a watery rim with medium+ viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of peaches, oranges, canned pears, apricots, lime and floral soap. It has flavors of yellow apples, pears, lemon-lime, orange peel, green tea, with a hint of green herbs and a salty minerality. It is dry with medium+ acidity, medium body, medium alcohol; it is moderately complex and has a long finish. This wine sells for about $17 to $20 per bottle.
6. 2012 Gunderloch Riesling Jean-Baptiste Kabinett Rheinhessen
This wine is clear, straw in color, day bright with low concentration with a green tint at the rim and medium viscosity. On the nose it has subtle and youthful aromas of peaches, lime, green apples, apricots, with a hint of green herbal notes, cheese rind and a stony minerality. It is off-dry with medium+ acidity, medium body, medium alcohol; it is moderately complex and has a long finish. This wine sells for about $15 per bottle.
7. 2010 Reichsrat Von Buhl Riesling Forster Pechstein Grosses Gewächs Dry Pfalz
This wine is clear, straw in color, day bright with low concentration with a green tint at the rim and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate aromas of canned peaches, dried mango, dried apricots, dried pineapple, canned peas, lemon curd, with hints of black tea and petrol. It is off-dry with HIGH acidity, medium body, medium alcohol; it is highly complex and has a long finish. This wine was one of the best in the line-up, it sells for about $38 per bottle.
8. 2011 Furst Spätburgunder Klingenberger, Franken
This is a clear red wine, ruby at the core to garnet at the rim, low intensity, day-bright with medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of strawberry preserves, black cherries, a hint of cloves, white pepper with a hint of smoke and a touch of white mushrooms. On the palate it has flavors of strawberry preserves, dried cherries, minor notes of cloves and, black pepper with a hint of chalk and stems. It is dry with low tannin, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol and body and a medium length finish. This wine is a bit too “stemmy” and it seemed like they were using oak to make up for the lack of freshness in the fruit, but it was an “okay” wine. It was difficult to find a local seller for this wine but according to the limited sources on the Internet, this wine sells for about $62 per bottle, which is excessive. In the previous review we tasted a 2010 Karl Johann Moliter Assmannshauser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Trocken Rheingau which sells for $22 as was on par with this wine, if not even a better wine.