Germany produces some of the world's most distinctive white wines, and Riesling is the reason why.
The Mosel: The Mosel river cuts through steep slate slopes in south-west Germany. Blue-grey slate absorbs heat during the day and radiates it at night, allowing Riesling to ripen slowly in a very cool climate. The result: wines of delicate body (often 7-11% alcohol), searingly high acidity, and extraordinary complexity, green apple, peach, slate minerality, and petrol (TDN) in older examples.
The Prädikat system: German wine law classifies wines by the ripeness of the grapes at harvest, in ascending order:
- Kabinett: lightest, most delicate, often off-dry
- Spätlese ("late harvest"): riper, more concentrated
- Auslese: selected ripe bunches, naturally sweet
- Beerenauslese (BA): individually selected botrytis-affected berries, rare and expensive
- Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA): shrivelled botrytis berries, intensely sweet, among the world's greatest dessert wines
- Eiswein: made from frozen grapes, very high acidity and sweetness
A common confusion: Prädikat level does not guarantee sweetness. A Spätlese Trocken is a dry wine made from late-harvested grapes. "Trocken" means dry; "Halbtrocken" means off-dry.
Other key regions: Rheingau (fuller-bodied Riesling), Pfalz (warmer, also Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer), Rheinhessen (diverse, excellent Pinot Noir, locally called Spätburgunder), Baden (Germany's warmest region).
