Germany

Wine Guide / Countries / All Countries / Germany

Germany deserves more credit for its winemaking chops than it receives. For a country gifted with a long ripening season, a terroir that can nurture finicky grapes and a bunch of very creative wine makers, Germany is needlessly underrated. This old world giant is in its finest form when it comes to white wines, especially Riesling ranging from bone dry to honeyed sweet.

The Mosel Valley produces Germany’s best Riesling with Pfalz, a close second. Germany is also renowned for making stellar Pinot Noir thanks to cold weather and conducive soil. Germany is in fact the world’s third largest producer of Pinot Noir and some of its estates give Burgundy a run for their ferment. Germany also produces large batches of Muller Thurgau, a white wine which the Germans routinely drink in heaps.

There’s also some quality sparkling wine produced using the same method as Champagne though Germans themselves consume most of it apart from importing a lot of Champagne. The one natural advantage that pervades nearly all German wine is the abundance of natural acidity that elevates delicate fruit aromas and flavours, making them an absolute delight to consume.

key regions

Mosel

Mosel is Germany equivalent of Burgundy and that refrain wouldn’t upset the Germans one bit. The dominant grape however is different here. The Riesling lords over the region’s steep, slate and mineral rich vineyards that run alongside the Mosel river, tapering sharply into its banks.

Mosel’s success as a region can in large part be attributed to a combination of continental climate and the steeply sloping vineyards that given the grapes ideal amount of sunshine. The slate rich soil retains heat from the day and warm up the wines at during the cold night.

Mosel’s wine makers, mindful of nature’s gift do their best to return the favour with an emphasis on organic and sustainable viticulture. Mosel is Germany’s third largest by production but far and away its most famous considering just how superb its Rieslings are. Rated by critics as some of the world’s best white wines, the Mosel Riesling style ranges from the bone dry to honeyed sweet.

Nahe

Nahe in South West Germany, like Mosel takes its name from the river that nurtures its vines. This picturesque region feels like an idyllic postcard dotted with colourful mountains and rolling vineyards that enjoy their protection from cold winds, benefitting from plenty of sun ripens the grape nicely remarkable soil diversity, giving winemakers to work with many grape varieties.

Steep slopes of volcanic stone, are planted with Riesling while the plains rich in loam and sand are harnessed with Muller Thurgau vines and Silvaner and Pinot Noir. Nahe is also a big draw for tourists during summer when the harvest coincides with a calendar of cultural and culinary events, making for a feast of the senses.

Pfalz

Not talked up enough and plenty significant given how good its Riesling is, Pfalz is a German region of much potential. Pfalz sits in Western Germany beside the Rhine river, containing the country’s second largest acreage of vineyard and is also the world’s single largest region for Riesling production. The region is protected from harsh cold winds by the Pfalzerwald mountains and receives ample sunlight which coupled with limestone and slate soils, yield rich and ripe yet balanced wines. Renowned for fuller styles of Riesling and Pinot Noir, Pfalz has also made local red grape Dornfelder an international contender.

key varietals

Riesling is Germany’s serial winner across decades of vintages, shining with delicate floral and fruity flavours and winning minerality. The diversity of styles ranging from dry to sinfully sweet are a veritable national treasure.

Gewurztraminer is a versatile local German grape that has the potential to produce both sweet and dry wines and is some ways, similar to Moscato though comes bearing more depth of flavour and body.

Müller-Thurgau is an offspring to Riesling and wildly popular in Germany. The white grape.

Pinot Noir is the French grape the Germans rather stylishly call the Spatburgunder. While the grape it French, it has clocked nearly thousand years of Germany vintages, evolving and elegant yet fuller style.

Dornfelder is interestingly a young indigenous grape that was created at a grape breeding centre. It’s primarily appeal is its intense colour and contrastingly delicate flavours of red fruit and piping acidity. Dornfelder is also Germany’s second most planted grape.