#WBC18 Wine Education Session: German Riesling: The New Generation of Dry Wines vs the Classic Styles with Sweetness

Which style of Riesling do you really prefer, dry or sweet? Which style expresses terroir more clearly? An in-depth exploration of the differences (and similarities) between the new Grosses Gewächs (GG) style of dry Riesling and a corresponding Prädikat counterpart from the same vintage and single-vineyard site.  Wines from five of Germany’s most highly regarded producers will be used to illustrate these differences.  @drloosenwines   

Transcript

1. GERMAN RIESLING: DRY OR SWEET? Wine Education Session 2018 Wine Bloggers Conference LoosenBrosUSA.com
2. Temperature limits of the world’s wine growing regions
3. THE WINE REGIONS OF GERMANY
4. 1st Century ad: Organized viticulture begins with the Roman troops stationed west of the Rhine. 280 ad: Emperor Probus (Marcus Aurelius) encourages wine growing in Gaul and Germania. Trier established as northern capital of the Roman Empire. 370 ad: Mosella, an epic poem in praise of German wine regions, is written by Roman poet Ausonius. 570 ad: Italian poet Venantius Fortunatus describes the beautiful Mosel vineyards; mentions red wines. 8th Century ad: Charlemagne promotes winegrowing throughout Europe; donates lands to monastic orders. 966 ad: Emperor Otto I, heir of Charlemagne, confirms a donation of Ruwer Valley vineyards, originally made to the order of St. Maximin by Frankish King Dagobert in the 7th Century. Middle Ages: Rapid expansion of viticulture after 1000. By 1500, vineyard surface was far greater than today. 11th Century ad: First planting in the Rheingau (on the Rüdesheimer Berg). 1435 ad: First documentation of Riesling in an invoice for vines sold in the Rheingau. 16th Century ad: Overproduction leads to lower quality and a decline in prices. 17th Century ad: Thirty Years’ War devastates most of Germany’s vineyards, including Alsace. 1711 ad: Johann Ruland produces the first single-varietal bottling of Pinot Gris in the Pfalz. 1750 ad: Archbishop of Trier decrees that only natural, unsugared wines (“Naturrein”) be produced. 1776 ad: The late-arriving “Spätlese Rider” ushers in the production of late-harvest botrytis wines at Schloss Johannisberg. 1786 ad: Archbishop Clemens Wenceslaus orders that inferior Mosel varieties be replaced with Riesling. 1804 ad: Napoleon secularizes church-owned vineyards; sells them at public auction. 1910 ad: Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) founded. 1971 ad: German Wine Law establishes the controversial Prädikat system and drastically reduces number of vineyard names (from over 25,000 to fewer than 2,700). A BRIEF HISTORY OF GERMAN WINE
5. Veranstaltung,  Datum,  ©  DWI  /  Projektleiter 14 2.  KEY  FIGURES  OF  THE  GERMAN  WINE  SECTOR 2 Vineyard Acreage Worldwide  2016.*   Country in  ha Spain 975  000 China* 847  000 France 785  000 Italy 690  000 Turkey* 480  000 USA 443  000 Argentina 224  000 Iran* 223  000 Chile 214  000 Country in  ha Portugal 195  000 Romania 191  000 Australia 148  000 Moldova 140  000 South  Africa 130  000 India 120  000 Greece 105  000 Germany 102  000 Brazil 85  000 Source:  OIV,  Paris *  Including vineyard surface for production of grapejuice and dried raisins !
6. Veranstaltung,  Datum,  ©  DWI  /  Projektleiter 21 2.  KEY  FIGURES  OF  THE  GERMAN  WINE  SECTOR 2 Riesling  Surface  Worldwide. Country ha Germany 22  520 USA 4  852 Australia 4  114 France 3  490 Ukraine 2  702 Austria 1  852 Moldova 1  343 Country ha Hungary 1  304 Czech  Rep. 1  181 New  Zealand 979 Russia 882 Canada 871 Croatia 676 Slovenia 676 Source:  University  of Adelaide
7. Veranstaltung,  Datum,  ©  DWI  /  Projektleiter 22 2.  KEY  FIGURES  OF  THE  GERMAN  WINE  SECTOR 2 Riesling  Regionally  (2016). Region ha Pfalz 5  850 Mosel 5  395 Rheinhessen 4  536 Rheingau 2  495 Württemberg 2  113 Nahe 1  202 Baden 1  069 Region ha Franken 331 Mittelrhein 309 Hess.  Bergstraße 202 Sachsen 71 Saale-­Unstrut 69 Ahr 46 Source:  Statistisches  Bundesamt
8. Veranstaltung,  Datum,  ©  DWI  /  Projektleiter 23 2.  KEY  FIGURES  OF  THE  GERMAN  WINE  SECTOR 2 Riesling  Surface  in  Germany  Historically. Year Surface  in  ha 1964 17  083 1972 18  841 1979 18  863 1991 22  013 2000 22  117 2006 21  197 Year Surface  in  ha 2008 22  434 2010 22  599 2012 22  837 2014 23  440 2015 23  596 2016 23  700   Source:  Statistisches  Bundesamt
9. Veranstaltung,  Datum,  ©  DWI  /  Projektleiter 33 Major  „German“  Grape  Varieties (ha). Source:  University  of Adelaide,  Statistisches  Bundesamt Rank Riesling Grauburgunder Weißburgunder Spätburgunder 1 23  596  Germany   6  608    Italy 4  973  Germany 29  738    France 2 4  252    USA 5  947  Germany 3  086    Italy 16  776    USA 3 4  114    Australia 2  388    Romania     1  914    Austria 11  784    Germany 4 3  490    France 2  042    Moldova 1  292    France 6  521    Moldova 5 2  702    Ukraine 1  969    France 732    Czech  Rep. 5  046    Italy 6 1  852    Austria     890    Hungary 695    Russia 4  776    New  Zeald. 7 1  343    Moldova 826    USA 525    Slovenia 4  690    Australia 8 1  304    Hungary 293    Austria     523    Slovakia 4  402    Switzerland 9 1  181    Czech  Rep. 210    Canada   350    Moldova 2  884    Chile 10 979    New  Zeald. 155    Luxembourg   338    Ukraine 1  802    Argentina 2.  KEY  FIGURES  OF  THE  GERMAN  WINE  SECTOR 2
10. THE RIESLING REGIONS OF GERMANY MOSEL NAHE BADEN ALSACE FRANKEN RHEINGAU PFALZ RHEINHESSEN Rhine Valley Rhine Valley A COMPARISON OF THE MAJOR GERMAN RIESLING REGIONS Acres of Av. temp. during Sunshine Riesling growing season hours Average rainfall Soil types Mosel 13,475 12.6°C / 54.7°F 1,358 706mm (27.75”) Devonian slate, areas of volcanic deposit Pfalz 13,645 13.0°C / 55.5°F 2,088 478mm (19.00”) Sandstone, limestone, basalt Rheingau 6,160 12.8°C / 55.0°F 1,643 536mm (21.10”) Sandy loam, slate, phyllite, quartzite, loess Rheinhessen 10,762 14.7°C / 58.5°F 1,700 575mm (22.60”) Loess, clay and loam over limestone
11. VDP.GROSSE LAGE • Grosse Lage [GROH-seh LAH-geh] = “Great Site” (equivalent of Grand Cru) • Only traditional varieties are allowed, as determined by each region. • A dry wine from a Grosse Lage is designated VDP.Grosses Gewächs (GG). • A wine with natural sweetness from a Grosse Lage is labeled with one of the traditional Prädikats. • Maximum yield is at 50hl/ha, and the grapes have to be harvested by hand VDP.ERSTE LAGE • Erste Lage [AIRS-teh LAH-geh] = “First Site” (equivalent of Premier Cru). • Not used in the Mosel region. All classified Mosel vineyards are Grosse Lage. • Planted only with traditional varieties, as determined by each region. • A dry wine from an Erste Lage vineyard is labeled “Qualitätswein trocken.” • A wine with natural, ripe sweetness is labeled with one of the traditional Prädikats. • Maximum yield is at 60hl/ha, and the grapes have to be harvested by hand. VDP.ORTSWEIN • Ortswein [ORTS-vine] = “Village Wine” (equivalent of Villages) • Dry wines are labeled “Qualitätswein trocken” • Wines with natural ripe sweetness is labeld with one of the traditional Prädikats. • Maximum yield is at 75hl/ha. VDP:GUTSWEIN • Gutswein [GOOTS-vine] = “Estate Wine” • Must still meet the stringent standards prescribed by the VDP. The complete list of classified sites is available on the VDP web site: www.vdp.de THE NEW VDP CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
12. Qualitätswein/QbA • Pronounced “kval-ee-TAYTS-vine” • German for “quality wine.” • QbA is the acronym for “Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete” — quality wine that comes entirely from one of the 13 designated wine regions in Germany. • Chaptalization is allowed in QbA. Qualitätswein mit Prädikat/QmP Prädikat [PRAY-dee-cot] means “predicate.” Prädikat wines are “predicated” on a minimum level of natural ripeness. No chapalization is allowed. • KABINETT: The lightest and most delicate style of Riesling, from early in the harvest. • SPÄTLESE: [SHPAYT-lay-zeh] German for “late-harvest.” Extra hang time for more richness. • AUSLESE: [OWS-lay-zeh] “Selected from the harvest.” Very ripe, late-harvested grapes, typically with botrytis. • EISWEIN: [ice-vine] Quite literally, “ice wine.” Made from overripe grapes that have frozen solid on the vine. • BEERENAUSLESE/BA: [BEAR-en OWS-lay-zeh] “Berry selection.” Dessert wine made from overripe grapes that are fully affected by botrytis and have shriveled down about half way. • Trockenbeerenauslese/TBA: [TRAW-ken BEAR-en OWS-lay-zeh] “Dried berry selection.” Germany’s greatest and rarest dessert wine, made from fully shriveled, botrytis-affected grapes. GOLDKAPSEL: This is not a Prädikat, it’s an unofficial designation used to distinguish a special selection wine. Minimum Prädikat must weights by region (in Oechsle) QbA Kabinett Spätlese Auslese BA/Eiswein TBA Mosel 55 (13.5 Bx) 73 (17.7 Bx) 80 (19.3 Bx) 88 (21.1 Bx) 110 (25.8 Bx) 150 (34.3 Bx) Pfalz 60 (14.7 Bx) 73 (17.7 Bx) 85 (20.4 Bx) 92 (21.9 Bx) 120 (27.9 Bx) 150 (34.3 Bx) Rheingau 57 (14.0 Bx) 75 (18.2 Bx) 85 (20.4 Bx) 100 (23.8 Bx) 125 (29.1 Bx) 150 (34.3 Bx) Rheinhessen 60 (14.7 Bx) 73 (17.7 Bx) 85 (20.4 Bx) 92 (21.9 Bx) 120 (27.9 Bx) 150 (34.3 Bx) GERMANY’S LEVELS OF WINE QUALITY
13. LoosenBrosUSA.com GG — GROSSES GEWÄCHS • Grosses Gewächs = “Great Growth.” • Dry wines only. • From classified Grosse Lage (“grand cru’) vineyards. • Maximum yield: 50 hl/ha. • Approved varieties only (varies with region): • Mosel: Riesling • Rheingau: Riesling, Spätburgunder • Rheinhessen: Riesling, Spätburgunder • Minimum two months of maturation in barrel. • Not released until September 1 of the following year.
14. weingutwittmann.de (Bio)dynamic Rieslings from Rheinhessen
15. weingutwittmann.de Rheinhessen on the Map WITTMANN
16. weingutwittmann.de Wonnegau Vineyard Map WITTMANN
17. weingutwittmann.de The Wittmann Family Philipp, wife Eva, mother Elisabeth, and father Günter.
18. weingutwittmann.de The Barrel Cellar at Wittmann
19. weingutwittmann.de The Hills of Westhofen
20. weingutwittmann.de Morstein Vineyard
21. vonschubert.com Expressive Rieslings from the Ruwer Valley
22. vonschubert.com The Ruwer Valley Maximin Grünhaus M osel Ruwer
23. Carl von Schubert and his son, Maximin, the fifth- and sixth-generation owners of the Maximin Grünhaus estate. vonschubert.com The Maximin Grünhaus Estate
24. Bruderberg Herrenberg Abtsberg vonschubert.com The Monopole Vineyards of Maximin Grünhaus MAXIMIN GRÜNHAUS • The estate owns 31 hectares (78 acres) of vineyard. • Abtsberg is the steepest, with thin topsoil and blue slate subsoil. • Herrenberg has deeper soil, based primarily on red slate. • Bruderberg is the smallest, and with the least favorable exposition.
25. Harvesting in Abtsberg Working in the vineyards can be dangerous!
26. The slightly gentler slope of the Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg vineyard. vonschubert.com The Vineyards of Maximin Grünhaus
27. The first-class, extraordinarily steep Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg vineyard. vonschubert.com The Vineyards of Maximin Grünhaus
28. vonschubert.com In the cellar at Maximin Grünhaus Simplicity in the cellar • Natural clarification of the must. • Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in traditional 1,000-liter Fuder casks. • Now producing casks from the estate’s own oak trees.
29. New Fuder barrels from Grünhaus oak.
30. Dr. Loosen Riesling from the Mosel Dr. Loosen Riesling from the Mosel drloosen.com
31. THE DR. LOOSEN ESTATE • In the Middle Mosel village of Bernkastel. • Ernst Loosen took over the estate in 1988. • Vision is to make intense, world-class Rieslings that clearly show their origin in the unique terroirs of the Mosel. • Focus on vineyards classified as Erste Lage (“first site”) in the Prussian government’s 1868 tax assessment map (detail below). • Inherited old, ungrafted vines from his penny-pinching father. s N Bernkasteler Lay DR. LOOSEN Graacher Himmelreich Wehlener Sonnenuhr Ürziger Würzgarten Erdener Prälat Erdener Treppchen Wine Regions of Germany
32. Riesling Warrior — owner of Dr. Loosen and Villa Wolf ERNST LOOSEN
33. Bernkastel on the Mosel, home of the Dr. Loosen estate. DR. LOOSEN MOSEL VINEYARD CLIMATE • Steep, south-facing slopes and the proximity of the river create a perfect climate for Riesling. • The vines get ideal exposure to the sun, and the river holds heat to protect them from cold nights.
34. SLATE SOIL, DEEP ROOTS The topsoil in the Middle Mosel is very thin, and beneath it is pure slate. The vines force their way deep into the cliff to extract water, minerals and nutrients. Deep roots also make the vines impervious to severe weather – deep roots cannot freeze, and they can still find water in very dry conditions. OLD, UNGRAFTED VINES This vine is well over 100 years old. It doesn’t look that old because growth is so slow in this cool, northern climate. Phylloxera cannot survive in this well- drained soil, so the vineyards of the Dr. Loosen estate are all ungrafted and average 70 years old, with the oldest vines exceeding 120 years. Elements of Quality in the Mosel Valley
35. ESTATE WINE: “Red Slate” Riesling Dry • 100 percent estate-grown fruit. • From red slate sites in Erden, Ürzig, Lösnich and Kinheim. • Fermented in 3,000-liter oak casks. • Intense minerality, with a floral, spicy aroma of citrus blossom. • Harmonious on the palate. GROSSES GEWÄCHS (GG) ALTE REBEN • Limited-production dry wines from seven Grosse Lage (grand cru) vineyards. • Old vine (Alte Reben) parcels — minimum 100 years old. • Indigenous yeast fermentation in traditional 1,000-liter Fuder casks. • Kept on the full lees for 12 months. GG RÉSERVE • Selected GG barrels from Erdener Prälat, Ürziger Würzgarten and Wehlener Sonnenuhr. • Kept in Fuder on the full lees for 24 months. • Bottled and lagered for a further 24 months before release. In 2008, Ernst Loosen embarked on a quest to revive the dry Riesling style of his paternal grandfather. • Dry wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts in 1,000- or 3,000-liter oak cask • Matured on the lees for 12 to 36 months; no batonnage. • Rigorous vineyard management for fully ripe, healthy fruit (no botrytis). • Long hang time to allow the flavors to develop and the acidity to soften. • Brief maceration (eight to 12 hours), to further reduce acidity and clarify the juice. DRY RIESLINGS FROM DR. LOOSEN
36. The insanely steep Ürziger Würzgarten vineyard, with Erdener Prälat in the distance. SINGLE-VINEYARD SITES: ÜRZIGER WÜRZGARTEN
37. ÜRZIGER WÜRZGARTEN [ERTS-iger VERTS-garten] (The Spice Garden of Ürzig) • Unique because of its weathered, red volcanic soil. • Extremely steep, south-facing. • Wines have a spicy character and intense tropical fruit aromas. RED VOLCANIC AND SLATE SOIL The original Ürziger Würzgarten vineyard, directly behind the village, is composed of a weathered, red volcanic sandstone, called Rotliegendes. The vineyards on either side of the village are predominantly red slate. s N DR. LOOSEN Ürziger Würzgarten
38. Healthy Riesling on the vine Botrytis-affected fruit Kabinett Auslese Beerenauslese Spätlese & Dry WInes SELECTING THE VARIOUS RIPENESS LEVELS DURING HARVEST
39. Auslese Beerenauslese Dry / Kabinett / Spätlese Trockenbeerenauslese SELECTION BY HAND DURING THE HARVEST
40. Separating the various stages of botrytis from the unaffected fruit. Auslese Dry/Kabinett/Spätlese Beerenauslese Trockenbeerenauslese
41. Oliver Haag and his legendary father, Wilhelm.
42. Middle Mosel section of the 1868 Prussian classification map. The village Dusemond is now known as Brauneberg. Fritz Haag
43. The extremely steep vineyards (up to 70° inclination) of the Brauneberg (“brown hill”). weingut-fritz-haag.de The Vineyards of Fritz Haag
44. A close-up view of the extremely steep Brauneberger vineyards. weingut-fritz-haag.de The Vineyards of Fritz Haag
45. The sundial that gives the name to the Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr vineyard. weingut-fritz-haag.de The Vineyards of Fritz Haag
46. The brown slate of the Brauneberg. weingut-fritz-haag.de The Soil of the Fritz Haag
47. Meticulous, labor-intensive botrytis selection during the harvest at Fritz Haag. weingut-fritz-haag.de Harvest Selection at Fritz Haag
48. weingut-robert-weil.com Peerless Rieslings from the Rheingau
49. weingut-robert-weil.com Rheingau Vineyard Classification Map ROBERT WEIL The Rheingau Area
50. weingut-robert-weil.com Weingut Robert Weil – a history of excellence Dr. Robert Weil founded the estate in 1875. The1893 Kiedricher Berg Auslese was the favorite wine of royalty. Wilhelm Weil with his record-setting 2003 Kiedrich Gräfenberg auction TBA
51. Gräfenberg Klosterberg Turmberg weingut-robert-weil.com The Hillside Vineyards of Kiedrich ROBERT WEIL
52. weingut-robert-weil.com Kiedrich Turmberg and Gräfenberg
53. weingut-robert-weil.com The Terroir of the Gräfenberg Vineyard Kiedrich Gräfenberg (“Hill of the Counts”) This grand cru-rated site has been a renowned vineyard since the 12th century, and it is undisputedly one of the greatest vineyards of the Rheingau. The soil is of similar composition to the Turmberg — phyllite, loess and loam on a slate base — but the topsoil is deeper and heavier, and retains water better. The vineyard is steep, with ideal southwest exposure. It bene- fits from good air circulation as winds are drawn from the Taunus mountains down into the Rhine valley.
54. weingut-robert-weil.com Vineyard work at Robert Weil
55. weingut-robert-weil.com The newly expanded cellars at Robert Weil
56. Thanks for drinking with us!
57. GERMAN RIESLING: DRY OR SWEET? Wine Education Session 2018 Wine Bloggers Conference LoosenBrosUSA.com