Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site cbosgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!rlp From: rlp@cbosgd.UUCP (Bob Platt) Newsgroups: net.wines,net.consumers Subject: An Intro. to German Wines Message-ID: <618@cbosgd.UUCP> Date: Sun, 30-Dec-84 16:13:45 EST Article-I.D.: cbosgd.618 Posted: Sun Dec 30 16:13:45 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 31-Dec-84 03:01:37 EST Distribution: net Organization: Bell Labs, Columbus Lines: 61 Xref: watmath net.wines:403 net.consumers:1623 The purpose of this article is to provide a brief review of German wines for the novice. I hope this article will be of some assistance the next time you're in a wine shop staring at the polysyllabic label of a German wine. In the interest of brevity, I have made a few simplifications. If there is sufficient interest, I can submit a more detailed article later. Germany has very strict labeling laws for it's wines. By learning a few "buzzwords", a consumer can get a fairly good idea of what (s)he is buying. Germany is known for it's white wine, especially, wine made from the Riesling grape. Other varieties include Muller-Thurgau, and Silvaner. Growing regions include the Mosel and Rhine rivers. These are distinguished by green and brown bottles respectively (usually!). By law German white wine is divided into three quality categories: Tafelwein - or table wine, the lowest category, is wine that is a blend of several wines, sometimes with the addition of sugar. Qualitatswein (QbA) - quality wine, is from a particular region of Germany, and may be sugared. Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP) - is the highest grade, is not blended, and must not be sugared. QmP is sub-divided into additional quality categories. These are based on the concentration of natural sugar, where sweeter is better (or at least more expensive). These categories are: Kabinett - usually fairly dry (low sugar content) Spatlese - literally "late harvest" - grapes gathered late in the year, when they have dehydrated, increasing the sugar content. Auslese - "selected late harvest" - grapes are individually selected for high sugar content. Beerenauslese (BA) - made from dried berries afflicted with "botrytis cinerea", or "noble rot", a fungus that absorbs water from the grape concentrating the juices. Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) - this incredibly sweet wine is made from individually selected dried berries afflicted with noble rot. Be prepared to pay big bucks. An additional category is "Eiswein" - or "ice wine". Growers who procrastinate in harvesting (sometimes waiting till January) are sometimes rewarded with this sweet delicate beverage made from grapes frozen on the vine. The grapes are quickly crushed before thawing, separating the concentrated juice from the frozen water. Finally, vintages ARE important. Three excellent vintages are 1971 (now fairly expensive), 1976 (still readily available), and 1983 (just coming onto the market now). I prefer aged Spatlese's and Auslese's, thus I might drink a '76, and put an '83 into my cellar. BA's and TBA's are best well aged. -- +----+ R. L. Platt /| /| AT&T Bell Laboratories +-|--+ | Columbus, Ohio | +--|-+ |/ |/ cbosgd!nscs!rlp +----+ (614) 860-4850 "Wherever you go, there you are"