Germany and Its Wines in December

Deborah Damery Lazear, CSW

Germany for the holidays? Gingerbread Anyone? Germany’s vineyards lie as far north as Newfoundland (pop quiz: Where is Newfoundland?) with the best situated on south-facing slopes to catch the light and warmth from the sun’s reflection off the rivers. Low in alcohol, these wines reverberate with precision and finesse. There is a fine line between acidity and fruit.

Red wine, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) accounts for 25% of production of the sixty or more grapes grown. Riesling is the most prestigious and is not blended. Other important white grapes are MüllerThurgau, Scheurebe (SHOY-Ray-Beh) , Gewürztramiminer, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), and Rulander (Pinot Gris).

Reading German wine labels:

• Look for QbA (Good Regional Wine) or QmP (Higher Level of Quality

Wine) on the label for a measure of quality. • Kabinett indicates dry wine. • Spatlëse is made from fully ripe grapes with a touch of sweetness and high acidity. • Auslëse is very ripe grapes with higher level of sweetness, harvested only in best years. • Beerenauslëse are individual berries picked by hand and affected by

Botrytis (beneficial mold), offering a honey richness. • Trockenbeerenauslëse (TbA) berries are allowed to dry on the vine (not frozen), Botrytis affected, and are hand-picked to produce rich, dessert wines. • Eiswein are frozen grapes picked by hand by workers wearing gloves so not to warm the grapes. Why does Riesling get the sweet wine bad reputation? During World War II, sugar was rationed which created a craving for sweetness with the American GIs stationed there. They brought that taste back with them, which carried on with Blue Nun for example. Today, German Riesling has returned to its glory with over 2/3 of production having little or no residual sugar. Riesling is recognized as one of the “go-to” wines for food pairing due to its acidity and crisp profile. Other terms that are useful to know:

Trocken = very dry wine Halbtrocken = half dry or slightly sweet Sekt = sparkling wine made in the Champagne method Wine Areas:

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer: Soil is slate. Rocks that slide down the hillside are carried back up by hand in buckets as a precious commodity. Riesling has slate, minerals, and wet-stone flavors distinctive of this area only. Wine is lean, racy, and refreshing. The Rheingau: Riesling is rich, round, earthy, firm, acidic and a pure expression of fruit. Kabinett (dry) wines have elegance, transparency, balance, and profound fruit. Hock is the British name for Rhine wines and there are special Hock glasses. The Pfalz: Grapes are Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Weisburgunder, Rulander, Scheurebe, and Spatburguder. With a sunny and dry climate, ripeness is rarely a problem. Wines are fruity, rich, and expansive with vanilla, tangerine, and crème brulée on the tongue. These wines pair with every holiday food on the buffet. Don’t overlook the cheese trayKabinett and Spatlëse perfection! Holiday desserts adore a Riesling Beerenauslëse, following the rule that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert.