German wine: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:30, 4 February 2007

Revision as of 21:17, 21 February 2007

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[[Image:Bocksbeutels.jpg|200px|thumb|right|German wine from [[Franconia|Franken]] in the characteristic round bottles ([[Bocksbeutel]])]]

'''German wine''' is produced in many parts of Germany, andwhich due to the northerly ___location havehas produced [[wine]]s quite unlike any others in Europe, many of outstanding quality. Despite this it is still better known abroad for cheap, sweet, low-quality mass-produced wines such as [[Liebfraumilch]].

The wines have historically been predominantly white, and the finest made from [[riesling]]. Many wines have been sweet and low in [[alcohol]], light and [[unoaked]]. Historically many of the wines (other than late harvest wines) were probably dry ([[trocken]]), as techniques to stop fermentation did not exist. Recently much more German white wine is being made in the dry style again. Much of the wine sold in Germany is dry, especially in restaurants. However most exports are still of sweet wines, particularly to the traditional export markets such as [[Great Britain]]. Red wine has always been hard to produce in the German climate, and in the past was usually light coloured, closer to [[rosé]] or the red wines of [[Alsace]]. However recently there has been greatly increased demand and darker, richer red wines (often [[barrique]] aged) are produced from grapes such as [[Dornfelder]] and Spätburgunder, the German name for [[pinot noir]].

Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of German wines is the high level of [[acidity]] in them, caused both by the lesser ripeness in a northerly climate, and by the selection of grapes such as [[riesling]] which retain acidity even at high ripeness levels.

Many wines in Germany are produced using [[biodynamic agriculture|biodynamic]] or [[organic farming]] methods. [[Chaptalization]] is allowed only up to the [[QbA]] level and all wines must be fermented dry. In order to balance the wine, unfermented grape juice, called [[Süssreserve]], may be added after fermentation to balance the wine.

==History==