When it comes to beverages associated with Germany, beer often takes the spotlight, but it’s essential not to overlook the country’s prowess in white wine production.
Despite the climatic challenges posed by harsh winters and frost, Germany has solidified its position among the world’s premier producers of high-quality white wines, showcasing some of the most significant and long-lasting expressions of varietals such as Riesling, Muller Thurgau, and Sylvaner.
Among Germany’s illustrious grape varieties, Riesling stands out as a global benchmark. Thriving in Germany’s vineyards, Riesling produces wines renowned for their complexity, freshness, and remarkable aging potential. Additionally, Germany’s Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) has gained recognition as a versatile and widely cultivated red grape, consistently delivering wines of elegance and structure.
German winemaking is guided by rigorous standards of quality and sustainability. Many wineries embrace organic and biodynamic farming methods, showcasing a commitment to environmental stewardship and biodiversity preservation. Notably, Germany leads the way in producing natural and sulfite-free wines, catering to the increasing consumer demand for authentic and health-conscious wine choices.
Interview with Steffen Shindler, Marketing Department Manager of the German Wine Institute
Marketing Department Manager of the German Wine Institute
How many producers in Germany?
We have in Germany about 100,000 hectares of viticulture, which is about the size of Bordeaux in France. And we have about 8000 wine producers in Germany. So we are quite a small wine-growing country with many small wineries.
Which area do you produce in? Is it only in Germany?
No, not only. Not yet. Global warming is coming. So most of our viticulture is in the southwest of Germany, which is the hottest part of Germany, of course, close to France and Switzerland. So you see here in the southwest of Germany, you see France, Switzerland, and here we have 11 regions and we have two small regions in the east of Germany. So these are the hottest parts. But because of global warming, viticulture is moving north and we now have vineyards, even here on islands close to Denmark in the north of Germany. So it’s really moving northwards. Our viticulture.
And what is the difference between these areas?
The differences are, I mean, these are 400 kilometers here. And there is a big difference in climate. So here we have almost a Mediterranean climate in the south of Germany, and here in the north, we really have a cool climate. So the ripening period here in the north is a lot longer than in the south. And we also have more acidic wines here, very fresh, refreshing wines. And in the south, we have more powerful wines with more alcohol and more red wine as well. In the north, we have more white, obviously.
Oh, great. I see that you have two bottles for me.
Yes. I mean, these are our typical grape varieties in Germany. This is Riesling. Germany is the biggest producer of Riesling in the world. The word Riesling was first mentioned in Germany in 1435 already, and we have about 40% of all Riesling in the world. And I think Riesling is really the German grape variety we are known for. And also I have here a Pinot noir. Spätburgunder, as we call it. It’s a difficult name in German, but it’s the same grape variety. And we are the third biggest producer of Pinot Noir in the world in Germany. And these are, I would say it’s the dream team of German wine, the smaller wine-growing region. And it has the biggest Riesling density in the world. 80% of all the vineyards in the Rhine Gorge are planted with Riesling. That’s something you don’t have anywhere else in the whole world.
WINE TASTING
Riesling
So what you have in Riesling is peach. That’s very typical. And citrus aromas are very typical. Sometimes you have very floral and quite exotic aromas as well. It’s usually not that high in alcohol, and the backbone of Riesling is not alcohol. It’s acidity, freshness. And that’s what our producers want. The problem is, with global warming, the Riesling grapes get riper and riper every year.
So we have to harvest earlier in order to keep this fresh acidity. So Riesling is made to wake you up, to refresh you. And it’s also very good with Asian cuisine because very often the winegrowers play with a little bit of residual sugar and acidity, which together makes a very refreshing, cool wine that pairs really well with food. And that’s what Riesling is made for. It’s lightness, elegance. You look for it. It’s not heavy at all.
It’s nice, and it’s something you can’t make anywhere else. As I said, we are the biggest producer. We have mostly Riesling. That’s what made us great, and we have been exporting Riesling since the Middle Ages, to England, Scandinavia. Today we export Riesling all over the world.
Spätburgunder (Pinot Nero)
So now we have Pinot Noir, you know in Germany we call it “Spätburgunder”, and “Spät” means late. It’s late ripening, and “burgunder” means coming from Burgundy. Why? It was monks from monasteries in Burgundy who came to Germany and founded monasteries 800 years ago. And they came to Germany, and they brought vineyard vines and planted the first Pinot Noir in Germany. And we keep that memory in the word “Spätburgunder” coming from Burgundy still today.
We’ve been making wine for 2000 years, like in Italy. So it’s lighter in color. You can see it pretty well, typical Pinot Noir color and specifically we want elegance. We don’t want something heavy. It has quite a bit of alcohol, 13.5%, but we don’t want it to be over-concentrated or heavy, but refreshing.
What you say I would say the same. And that’s what you do not feel heavy, it’s not something which you only can drink half a glass and you’re finished. It’s something that you can drink for two or three glasses in the evening and goes well with modern cuisine.
I think modern cuisine is lighter than it used to be. And we need wines which are refreshing. At least that’s what we want to produce.
