Like much of Europe, Germany’s wine making history was impacted by the arrival of the Romans whose viticultural practices, such as the trellis systems, were still used in Germany right through to the eighteenth century. However, it was perhaps the spread of Christianity many centuries later that had the largest impact on the success of winegrowing as churches and monasteries adopted viticulture and concentrated on the production of high quality wine. For example, the famous winery Schloss Johannisberg in Geisenheim sits on the land that belonged to the Bennedicctin Abbey founded by Archbishop Ruthard of Mainz (1089-1109).
But the history of wine making in Germany hasn’t always seemed so romantic; in fact, many people believe that the golden era for German wines has already passed. The attention to quality over quantity, locality to the Rhine and the uniqueness of being one of Europe’s most northern wine-producing countries, meant that produce was highly sought after, particularly during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. However, vine disease, economic depression, war and subsequent occupation have slowly taken their toll and Germany has struggled to rise from being the eighth largest wine-producing country in the world.
Germany’s geography means that winemakers have to give particular attention to the kinds of vines that can be grown; as the climate doesn’t reach excessive highs like those of France and Spain, they must be frost resistant and require early harvesting. There have been several primary vines over the last century, Silvaner being one of the most popular up until the 1960’s. Grown primarily in Alsace, it is actually considered to have a rather ‘neutral’ taste and so it is frequently blended. Müller-Thurgau is a ‘new breed’ variety of grape and is often used as an alternative to Reisling as it requires a much shorter ripening time of only 100 days.
The Reisling vine accounts for about 20% of the wine growing area in Germany, with several of the major winemaking regions growing it such as Palatinate, Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe and Hessische. Although less frequently used, the Grauburgunder vine is one of the few increasingly popular choices, grown primarily in Rheinhessen, Palatinate and Mosel.
Rheinhessen is the largest of the thirteen viticultural regions in Germany and is renowned for its quality wines, both red and white. Most people will know the name through the famous (or infamous) Liebfraumilch – a semi-sweet white wine once considered to be of a high quality, but has now become a generic label to market vintages from anywhere in the Rheinhessen region regardless of quality – which may account for the fact that it is frequently sold as a low cost wine in Germany, along with ‘Blue Nun’ and ‘Black Tower’ which may well be exported from Germany for a good reason. The town of Nackenheim is host to the Rothenberg site which has produced some lovely sweet wines and the Gunderloch is a great example.
Palatinate is the second largest producer of wines in Germany, predominantly of white although there are plenty of reds on the rise too. Palatinate seems to be one of Germany’s best kept secrets and with a combination of quality soils, climate and plentiful water, and of course the many modern winemaking techniques; it comes as no big surprise that there are some real success stories here. Silvaner, Weissburgunder, Mueller Thurgau…wines from the region are typically medium dry to dry but there are also several great strong and fruity desert wines.
The Mosel region is a great example of how winemakers take advantage of the natural climate to make great wines, for the river has a great influence on the vines nearby as it protects them from extreme temperatures such as frost. Morning mists are a frequent occurrence just a short distance from the river which can help to prevent the development of botrytis. The Mosel region is home to some fine whites that are yet to be taken advantage of by the rest of the world: the Piesporter Goldtröpfchen vineyard literally translates as ‘little drops of gold’; fitting, perhaps, for a sweet wine taken from ripe golden grapes. Some of the more famous wine towns in the Mosel region include Graach an der Mosel, Bernkastelkues, Wehlen, Ürzig and Erden.
One of the more important things to note about German wine is that having never heard of it is no reason to presume that it might not be any good. The German wine industry consists of many small vineyard owners and there are only a few ‘brands’ of wine that can meet the demands of large international exportation. Many wine growers prefer to keep their love of viticulture as a hobby and have no intention of commercialising their own wine, but fear not; they are more than happy to accommodate any passing visitors so if you really want to discover the truth about German wines, then dedicate some time to exploring the country in person.
