Friday, January 25, 2019

Renaissance of the Terroir in Germany. Back to the Roots - Wine Tasting Seminar lead by Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), USA

Pictures: Renaissance of the Terroir in Germany. Back to the Roots - Wine Tasting Seminar lead by Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), USA

Many German wine lovers in the USA, when talking about the classification of wine in Germany, refer you to the Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese ... quality ladder of the Basic German Wine Law of 1971.

However, today, half a century later, the prevailing classification of wine in Germany is the Burgundy-style and terroir-driven "Gutswein/ Estate Wine, Ortswein/ Village Wine, Lagenwein/ Single Vineyard Wine" quality ladder.

Two centuries ago, when wines from Germany were among the most prestigious wines in the world, along with the wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, German wine was also classified according to the terroir-principle, like the wines of Burgundy.

Annette Schiller, in her presentation " Renaissance of the Terroir in Germany. Back to the roots" at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), USA on Friday, January 18, 2019, provided an overview of how the classification of German wine has gone from a terroir-driven classification 2 centuries ago, to the ripeness-of-the-grapes-at-harvest-driven classification in 1971 and back to the terroir-driven classification prevailing in Germany today.

Annette poured 13 wines, ranging from entry-level Gutsweine to Ortsweine and ultra-premium Lagenweine.

Picture: Washington DC

Renaissance of the Terroir in Germany. Back to the Roots

Two centuries ago wines from Germany were among the most prestigious wines in the world, along with the wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, and prices for those from famous vineyards like Marcobrunn or Steinberg were higher than for wines from Bordeaux first growth châteaux and Bourgogne grand cru vineyards.

Picture: Berry Bros. & Co Wine List of 1886

At that time, German wine was classified according to the terroir-principle, like the wines of Burgundy. The Prussian and Bavarian Governments did extensive research on soil compositions and geological formations in the vineyards. There are plenty of maps from these days showing the top vineyards of Germany. The oldest wine classification maps include one of the Rheingau from 1867 (Friedrich Wilhelm Dunkelberg), of the Mosel dating from 1869 and of the Pfalz from 1828.

Pictures: Historic German Wine Classification Maps

The philosophy behind producing top quality wines at that time was clearly terroir driven: good soils plus a good microclimate made for good fruit, and hence good wines. Over the following century, this focus on terroir slowly disappeared and gave way to a concept where all vineyards were considered equal and the quality determined by the ripeness of the grape.

In the 1930s, sterile filtration was invented, making it possible to produce the world famous sweet-style low-alcohol Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese wines.

Before 1945 the wine trade was largely in the hands of the Jewish Community, which collapsed during the Hitler Regime. After 1945, wines from the former Nazi Germany were unpopular in the world.

The shift from the terroir-driven to the ripeness-of-the-grape driven classification culminated in the the Basic German Wine Law of 1971. The 1971 law (a) reduced the number of vineyards from 35000 to 5000 by merging smaller vineyards; more generally the Basic German Wine Law of 1971 moved the vineyards and the terroir to the backburner and (b) moved the sugar content at harvest to the fore (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese). Basically, the 1971 law stated that the terroir did not matter and that all vineyards were equal; what matters is the sugar content at harvest.

Picture: Basic German Wine Law of 1971

It was in the 1980s when the movement to return to history started and the focus shifted back to the vineyard sites. The concept of terroir crowded out the thinking behind the Basic Law of 1971, driven by the "Trockenwelle" in Germany and by the new, highly educated vintner generation. Beginning in 2002 the VDP (Association of Premium German Wine Estates) worked to introduce a terroir-driven classification based on historic vineyard maps modeled after the Burgundy classification.

Today, when you visit a German wine producer, the wines you are served typically are classified according to a Burgundy-style classification: Gutswein/ Estate Wine, Ortswein/ Village Wine, Lagenwein/ Single Vineyard Wine. It is very rare to find a winemaker who still uses the predicates Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, etc. to indicate the quality of the wines.

Picture: Burgundy-style German Wine Classification System

The Tasting

45 people signed up for the tasting (US$40 for members and US$47 for non-members). Annette poured 13 wines, ranging from entry-level Gutswein to ultra-premium Grosse Lage Wein.

Pictures: The Tasting

The Wines

Annette presented 12 wines – and an additional very special one – to showcase the philosophy of terroir-driven wine making in Germany.

Pictures: The 13 Wines

GUTSWEINE (Estate Wines)

2015 Spätburgunder, Weingut Sinß, Nahe

Picture: 2015 Spätburgunder, Weingut Sinß, Nahe

2016 Riesling, Weingut Baron Knyphausen, Rheingau

Picture: 2016 Riesling, Weingut Baron Knyphausen, Rheingau

Picture: Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

ORTSWEINE (Village Wines)

2017 Erbach Riesling, Weingut Baron von Knyphausen, Rheingau


2017 Wicker Riesling, Weingut Joachim Flick, Rheingau

Picture: Reiner Flick, Weingut Joachim Flick, and Christian G.E. Schiller in Hochheim. See: FairChoice Certified Wine in Germany: Weingut Joachim Flick in the Rheingau

2016 Weissburgunder, “Loess”, Weingut Born, Saale-Unstrut

Picture: 2016 Weissburgunder, “Loess”, Weingut Born, Saale-Unstrut

Picture: Tasting from Barrel at Weingut Born, in Salzatal-Höhnstedt, Saale-Unstrut, with Elisabeth Born. See: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Born in Salzatal, Saale-Unstrut, with Elisabeth Born - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

2012 Riesling, “vom Porphyr”, Weingut Wagner-Stempel, Rheinhessen

Picture: 2012 Riesling, “vom Porphyr”, Weingut Wagner-Stempel, Rheinhessen

Pictures: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wagner-Stempel in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen, with Winemaker Oliver Müller and Owner Cathrin Wagner. See: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wagner-Stempel in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen, with Winemaker Oliver Müller and Owner Cathrin Wagner - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

LAGENWEINE (Single Vineyard Wines)

Erste Lage (Premier Cru)

2015 Hasenpfad, Silvaner, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken

Picture: 2015 Hasenpfad, Silvaner, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken

Picture: Chef Christian L. Stahl and Winzerhof Stahl Wines. See: Lunch with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken: Not only a Gifted Winemaker but also a Gifted Chef - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Pictures: Christian Stahl at Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia. See: Annette and Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling 2016 in McLean, Virginia, with German Star Winemaker Christian L. Stahl, German Wine Journalist Joachim A.J. Kaiser and Virginia Star Winemaker Chris Pearmund

2014 Erbacher Michelmark, Riesling, Weingut Baron von Knyphausen, Rheingau

Picture: 2014 Erbacher Michelmark, Riesling, Weingut Baron von Knyphausen, Rheingau

Picture: The 3 von Knyphausen Wines

2017 Birkweiler Am Dachsberg, Riesling, Weingut Peter Siener, Pfalz

Picture: 2017 Birkweiler Am Dachsberg, Riesling, Weingut Peter Siener, Pfalz

Picture: In the Vineyard with Peter Siener, Weingut Siener, Pfalz. See: The Sun-Kissed South: Germany’s Pinot Noir, the Other Whites, the Culinary Regions - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

2016 Wachenheimer Grümpel, Riesling, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Pfalz

Picture: 2016 Wachenheimer Grümpel, Riesling, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Pfalz

Pictures: Hauskonzert - Sunday Morning Concert - at Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf with Annette Schiller and Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze and a 150 years old Steinway Concert Piano. See: Impromptu Tasting at Weinbar & Vinothek Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf in Deidsheim, with Managing Director Steffen Brahner - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Grosse Lage (Grand Cru)

2017 Kastanienbusch, Riesling, Weingut Peter Siener, Pfalz

Picture: 2017 Kastanienbusch, Riesling, Weingut Peter Siener, Pfalz

Pictures: Tasting with Peter Siener. See: The Sun-Kissed South: Germany’s Pinot Noir, the Other Whites, the Culinary Regions - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

2016 Gaisböhl, Riesling, Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Pfalz

Picture: 2016 Gaisböhl, Riesling, Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, Pfalz
Picture: Tasting with Managing Director Steffen Brahner and Marco Gulino (Host Weinbar) at the Weinbar & Vinothek of Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf in Deidesheim/ Pfalz. See: Impromptu Tasting at Weinbar & Vinothek Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf in Deidsheim, with Managing Director Steffen Brahner - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Extra Wine

2017 Hochheimer Königin Victoria Berg, (Monopol), Weingut Joachim Flick, Rheingau

Pictures: 2017 Hochheimer Königin Victoria Berg, (Monopol), Weingut Joachim Flick, Rheingau

Pictures: Tasting with Rainer Flick

Thanks

Thanks Annette for a great tasting.

Picture: The 13 Wines Annette Poured

schiller-wine: Related Postings

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: January 1, 2019)

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Reiner Flick, Weingut Joachim Flick, and Christian G.E. Schiller in Hochheim. See: FairChoice Certified Wine in Germany: Weingut Joachim Flick in the Rheingau

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Born in Salzatal, Saale-Unstrut, with Elisabeth Born - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wagner-Stempel in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen, with Winemaker Oliver Müller and Owner Cathrin Wagner - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Lunch with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken: Not only a Gifted Winemaker but also a Gifted Chef - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

The Sun-Kissed South: Germany’s Pinot Noir, the Other Whites, the Culinary Regions - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

Impromptu Tasting at Weinbar & Vinothek Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf in Deidsheim, with Managing Director Steffen Brahner - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

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