Page 110 - GV2020 Portfolio Master

GERMANY
As th e world’s northernmost fine wine producing region, Germany faces some of the most extreme climatic and topographic
challenges in viticulture. Fortunately this country’s star variety, Riesling, is cold-hardy enough to survive freezing winters, and has
enough natural acidity to create balance, even in wines with the highest levels of residual sugar.
Riesling responds splendidly to Germany’s variable terroir, allowing the country to build its reputation upon fine wines at all points
of the sweet to dry spectrum. Many, of which, can age for decades. Classified by ripeness at harvest, Riesling can be picked early
for dry wines or as late as January following the harvest for lusciously sweet wines. There are six levels in Germany’s ripeness
classification, ordered from driest to sweetest: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein. The
Kabinett category will include the drier versions and anything above Auslese will have noticeable, if not noteworthy, sweetness.
Eiswein is always remarkably sweet.
Other important white varieties include Müller-Thurgau, Grauburguner (Pinot Gris) and Weissburguner (Pinot Blanc). The red,
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), grown in warmer pockets of the country can be both elegant and structured. As the fourth largest wine
producer in Europe (after France, Italy and Spain), in contrast to its more Mediterranean neighbors, Germany produces about as
much as it consumes—and is also the largest importer of wine in the E.U.

Mosel
Max Ferdinand Richter
Dr. H. Thanisch
Dr. Pauly Bergweiler
Heinz Eifel
Karthäuserhof

Rheingau
August Kesseler

Rheinhessen
G&M Machmer
Heinz Eifel

110