Germany, Austria, and Alsace
Baden • Warm and sunny Baden, the southernmost German region, stretches
some 400km (240 miles) along the Rhine from the Bodensee (Lake Constance) to Heidelberg, taking in the Black Forest, as well as the vine-‐clad terraces of the Kaiserstuhl, a volcanic massif.
• As in neighbouring Alsace and Switzerland, Baden has a great tradiKon of wine and food.
• Dry, food-‐compaKble ‘Burgunders’ (Pinots), red and white, have long been popular throughout the region.
• Rivaner vineyards are also widespread, while other classic whites e.g. Riesling, Silvaner and Gutedel, are more localised.
Mosel • The valleys of the Mosel River and its tributaries, the Saar and the Ruwer (pronounced Roo-‐vair),
are the seSng for some of Germany’s most beauKful and romanKc wine country. • From Perl, as the ‘three-‐country’ corner of France, Luxemburg and Germany, the Mosel flows for
242km (145 miles) to join the Rhine at Koblenz. • Scores of wine-‐related artefacts and press houses unearthed throughout the region bear witness to
2,000 years of viKculture in the area. • The Mosel, with about 9,000 ha of vines, is Germany’s fourth largest winegrowing region,
predominantly planted with Riesling vines. • In the Saar and Ruwer valleys, and from Trier to Koblenz, the Riesling grape and slatey soil team up
to yield wines of incomparable delicacy, yet remarkable expression. • These are fragrant white wines, rich in acidity and fruit flavours, o[en with a mineral undertone. • The very finest gracefully age into sought-‐a[er rariKes that fetch legendary prices at aucKon.
Pfalz • The Pfalz is Germany’s second largest wine growing region with a vineyard area of about 23,000
hectares. Bordered by Rheinhessen to the north, the Haardt Mountains to the west, the Rhine River to the east and the French region of Alsace to the south.
• Its climate is much like that of Alsace and it is one of the sunniest and driest of the German wine regions. 45 white and 22 red grape varieKes are grown, with approximately 60% of the total area under vine planted with white wine grapes and 40% with red.
• The Pfalz has the largest acreage planted with the ‘noble’ Riesling grape. • Here, it yields wines of substance and finesse, with a less austere acidity than their Mosel
counterparts and aromas of peach and apricot rather than green fruit. Pleasant, mild white wines rich in bouquet and full of body are produced from Müller-‐Thurgau, Grauburgunder (Pinot Grigio), Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Scheurebe grapes, while smooth, fruity red wine is made from the Portugieser grape. In response to the growing demand for red wine, there are many new planKngs of Dornfelder which, depending on the winemaking techniques employed, produces a deep-‐coloured and complex wine.
• The world-‐renowned Pinot Noir is one of the most important red varieKes grown in the Pfalz region, parKcularly in the south.
Rheinhessen • Germany’s largest wine region Rheinhessen with about one forth of the whole German vineyard
surface, lies in a valley of gentle rolling hills. • Steep vineyard sites are confined to small areas near Bingen and south of Mainz along the Rhein
Terrasse. • Varied soils and the favourable climate make it possible to grow many grape varieKes, old and new. • The region boasts the world’s largest acreage planted with the ancient variety Silvaner. • In recent years Rheinhessen has developed very dynamically due to many young winemakers
coming into the industry. • Rheinhessen offers a wide range of wines – pleasant, easy-‐to-‐drink wines as well as wines of great
class and elegance, with a depth and complexity second to none.
Deutscher Wein
• The most basic levels of German wine are Deutscher Wein and Landwein(Germany’s simple “table wine” classificaKon).
• The higher quality wines of Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein. So, if you see “Prädikatswein” or “Qualitätswein” on the label, this is basic quality German wine.
• As you go higher up the rungs of these two quality classificaKons, you’ll find that quality is dependent on two factors: the ripeness/quality of the grapes and the regional specificity.
Dryness/ Sweetness
• Trocken/Selec+on: A dry wine with ~9 g/l RS or less. The term “SelecKon” is specifically for the wines of Rheingau that have been hand-‐harvested.
• Halbtrocken/Classic: A “half-‐dry” or slightly sweet wine with up to 12 g/l RS (up to 15 g/l RS for “Classic”)
• Feinherb: An unofficial term to describe an off-‐dry wine similar to Halbtrocken
• Liebliche: A sweet wine with up to 45 g/l RS • süß or Süss: A sweet wine with more than 45 g/l RS
Pradikatswein
• Pradikatswein-‐ This designaKon used to be called “Qualitätswein mit Pradikat” or “QmP” which you sKll may find on labels prior to 2007.
• Pradikatswein Riesling wines are tradiKonally sweet and this quality-‐level is commonly used in the Mosel of Germany.
• Pradikatswein has an addiKonal level of classificaKon based on the ripeness of the grapes when they are harvested.
• The sweeter the grape, the higher the potenKal alcohol and/or sweetness in the wine. The classificaKon also has a category for ice wine (aka eiswein).
Ripeness Levels • Kabine;-‐The lightest style of Riesling, made from grapes that have a sweetness
level of 67-‐82 Oechsle (148–188 g/L sugar). Kabiner wines range in style from dry to off-‐dry.
• Spätlese-‐Spätlese means “late harvest” and grapes have a sweetness level of 76-‐90 Oechsle (172–209 g/L sugar). Spätlese wines are rich and usually sweeter than Kabiner, although if you see “Trocken” on the borle you can assume it’s in a dry style with higher alcohol.
• Auslese Meaning “select harvest”, Auslese is even sweeter picked at 83–110 Oechsle (191–260 g/l sugar) where the grapes are hand-‐selected and have noble rot. Wines are sweeter or bold and high alcohol when labeled “Trocken.”
• Beerenauslese Meaning “berry select harvest”, these wines are much more rare because the grapes are basically raisinated noble rot grapes picked at 110-‐128 Oechsle (260+ g/l sugar!). Expect precious dessert wines sold in half-‐borles.
• Trockenbeerenauslese Meaning “dry berry select harvest” and the most rare wine of the group made from raisinated grapes that dried out on the vine picked at 150-‐154 Oechsle.
• Eiswein When grapes freeze on the vine and are pressed when frozen (usually in the middle of the night) this can be classified as a true ice wine. These wines will have between 110-‐128 Oechsle (260+ g/l sugar!) when picked.
Blaufränkisch
• Lemberger/ Blue Franc • Blaufränkisch is Austria’s champion age-‐worthy red wine
with a vein of acidity and big tannins to boot. • They're o[en a lirle harsh when young but Blaufränkisch
wines become wonderfully subtle and lush with age. • Expect blackberry, tart cherry, and an elegant citrus-‐like
spice in Blaufränkisch wines along with a pronounced burst of tannins in the mid-‐palate.
• Blaufränkisch Food Pairing • Blaufränkisch is rich with moderate tannin and it should be
paired with rich, grilled foods. • Try it with your next BBQ tenderloin or smoked tofu burger.
Blaufränkisch • Medium-‐bodied red wines with
blueberry and spice • One of Austria’s finer red wines,
Blaufränkisch (a.k.a Lemberger) has deeper plum, blueberry and blackberry flavors with peppery spiciness, chewy tannins and a subtle forest-‐like earthiness.
• The best wines tend to come from regions within Burgenland bordering Hungary where temperatures are warm enough for high-‐quality cool climate red wine varieKes (like Pinot Noir – in fact planKngs of Pinot conKnue to grow).
Wine AddiKves • Wine AddiKves: ChaptalizaKon and AcidificaKon Are Misunderstood • Just as a mechanic may have to make some tweaks under the hood
to ensure a car performs at its best, winemakers can also be found doing a lirle fine-‐tuning in order to keep fermentaKon and wine producKon on track.
• ChaptalizaKon and acidificaKon are two such methods of tweaking the winemaking process to ensure a berer final product.
• More specifically, these techniques involve adding something to the mix: whether that be sugar (chaptalizaKon) or acid (acidificaKon).
• Though these two addiKves are barely detectable in the final product, their use does suggest that the grapes were somehow lacking or of lesser quality.
• Limited by law in some areas and kept hush-‐hush in others, these two correcKve addiKves will reveal some of the lesser-‐talked about truths in winemaking.
What is ChaptalizaKon? • ChaptalizaKon is the addiKon of sugar during fermentaKon in order to
boost the wine’s final alcohol content (percentage). For example, in France, the basic Bourgogne Blanc (Chardonnay) is required to have at least 10.5% ABV (alcohol by volume) but if the harvested grapes are overly sour (acidic), adding sugar will ensure that the wine reaches the minimum required alcohol percentage.
• Even though chaptalizaKon adds sugar, it’s not meant to sweeten a wine; it’s simply meant to give yeast enough fuel to turn into alcohol.
• Chaptaliza+on is common in cooler regions where grapes may struggle to reach ripeness and may be harvested with lower sugar content and higher acidity.
• Chaptaliza+on is allowed (in varying degrees) in France, Germany (not Pradikatswein), Oregon, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and New York.
• Chaptaliza+on is not allowed in ArgenKna, Australia, Austria, California, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and South Africa.
What is AcidificaKon? • AcidificaKon is the addiKon of acids (usually tartaric and malic acid)
in order to increase the final acidity of a wine. • This technique is o[en used when grapes are harvested too ripe
and, as a result, produce wines with low acidity and a high pH. • A high pH will cause wine to be unstable and it will produce off-‐
flavors and deteriorate quickly. • Thus, acidificaKon is needed to stabilize a flabby wine. • Acidifica+on is commonly used in ho;er regions where grapes
may be harvested too ripe (too sweet). • Acidifica+on is common in areas such as ArgenKna, Australia,
California, Washington State, Italy, and South Africa. • Acidifica+on is not common in areas such as Northern France,
Germany, Austria, Oregon, and New Zealand.
Can you taste chaptaliza@on or acidifica@on in wine?
• Because chaptalizaKon only affects the alcohol percentage, it’s not really detectable. That said, some experienced tasters believe that, despite the increased alcohol content, chaptalized wines tend to lack complexity and may also taste overly acidic (given that they’re made with under-‐ripe grapes).
• AcidificaKon is also tricky to detect, but can be detectable with some tasKng experience. Wines with added acidity will o[en have a somewhat unbalanced, sweet tart flavor (like the candy), which can persist in the a[ertaste, similar to the Kngly a[ertaste of soda-‐pop.
• How do you know if a wine was chaptalized or acidified? • Right now, there are almost no label requirements for menKoning
acidificaKon or chaptalizaKon. We suspect that if there were, you’d see a surprising number of popular wines using these addiKves to make their wines taste more well-‐balanced. That said, natural wines with no addiKves (or only sulfur addiKves) are the only wines available that won’t have acidificaKon or chaptalizaKon.
How addiKves affect wine quality
• If you’re not spending over $20 a borle for wines, then it’s perfectly okay to accept that processes like chaptalizaKon and acidificaKon are used to produce decent tasKng, good-‐value wines.
• On the other hand, if you’re looking for excepKonal quality wines, addiKves like chaptalizaKon and acidificaKon are clues that should cause you to quesKon the quality of the wine or vintage.
Worst Case Scenario: A Wine Scandal
• In 1985, German wine quality control scienKsts discovered the presence of a commercial solvent, diethylene glycol, in some of their low-‐end wines. Diethylene glycol is a sweet-‐tasKng toxic chemical someKmes used in anK-‐freeze. A[er the scienKsts discovered the chemical, they soon realized that the German producers were illegally blending Austrian wines with theirs.
• While there were no reported casualKes and the wines were pulled from the market, the media scare caused a long-‐term fear in consumers over wine addiKves.
• Don’t worry, wine addiKves are now more closely regulated and the naKonal electronic archives maintains a list of chemicals that are legally allowed for use in wine.
Common Wine AddiKves
• Food products such as beer, juice and wine are unstable. Because of their volaKle nature, processes have been developed to stabilize food products such as homogenizing juice. In the wine world there are many different wine addi+ves, some of which have been used for hundreds of years with no ill effects.
• The intenKon of these addiKves is not to adulterate the wine, but to stabilize it. Wines have the potenKal to last longer when they are stable. Many of these aren’t really addiKves at all, instead they glom (with molecular arracKon) onto unwanted parKcles and are removed from the finished wine.
Sulfur
• Sulfite sensiKvity affects about 1% of the populaKon. Wine usually has about 150 ppm of sulfur added whereas dried fruit has 1000 ppm.
• Sulfites are used to kill unwanted bacteria and yeasts in the winemaking process.
• Since 1987, American producers have been required to menKon the presence of sulfur if it exceeds 10 parts per million (ppm) in the finished wine.
• The EU recently passed a similar labeling law in 2005. • The laws are designed to help protect the small percentage
of people who are sensiKve to sulfur and should not be confused with the myth that sulfites in wine can give you a wine headache.
Yeast • Yeast is a eukaryoKc microorganism that turns sugar into alcohol. • Different kinds of yeast greatly affect the flavor of the resul@ng
wine. • Some winemakers prefer ambient yeast that is present on their
winery equipment while other winemakers create a custom cocktail of cultured yeasts.
• Each method has unique benefits depending on the wine variety. • Vitamins! Yeast benefits from vitamins, minerals or any chemical
compound that helps keep the yeast alive in grape juice during fermentaKon.
• For instance, Thiamine Hydrochloride is a B Vitamin which helps keep yeast happy in high alcohol wines over 14% ABV.
Tannin
• Tannin is one of the 4 traits that makes wines age-‐worthy. Wine grapes are full of seeds which are very tannic.
• The seeds are crushed with the grapes to add structure to wine.
• Oak aging also adds small amounts of tannin as the wine is exposed to the oak wood.
• While oak chips are not as roman@c as a room full of oak barrels, they are berer for forests and are cheaper to transport.
Sugar • Chaptaliza+on is the process of adding sugar to grape juice in order
to increase the final alcohol level in the finished wine. • Adding sugar doesn’t make a wine sweeter because the sugar is
consumed by the yeast when it is fermented into alcohol. • ChaptalizaKon can add up to 3% ABV to a wine. • It is legal in areas where grapes struggle with ripeness, such as
Bordeaux, France and Oregon. Illegal in Some Areas
• Adding cane sugar is not legal in California, ArgenKna, Australia, Southern France and South Africa.
• Producers can add sugar rich grape concentrate to simulate the same results, as the use of grape concentrate is not considered chaptalizaKon.
Fining
Fining & Clarifica@on
• A[er a wine has been freshly fermented it goes through a period of stabilizaKon.
• The chemicals added during this process are designed to pull unwanted characterisKcs out of the wine.
• For instance, copper sulfate is added to remove free sulfur in a wine.
• The copper has the same effect as puSng a penny in wine to remove undesirable smells.
• A[erwards the copper sulfate is removed from the wine.
Fining • For many hundreds of years in Italy and France, winemakers would add an egg
white or two to a large barrel of wine. • The proteins in the egg white would bind to free proteins suspended in the wine. • A[er a short wait, the egg white and free proteins would precipitate out of the
wine and drop to the borom of the barrel. • Winemakers would strain the clear wine off the top and leave the sludge. • This process is called Fining and Racking. • Nowadays, there are more advanced ways of achieving the same results including
numerous microbial products (read: totally vegetarian!) that perform the same funcKon.
• Non-‐vegetarian wine addiKves are sKll widely used. Here are the most common: • Albumen (egg white): Fining agent for wine • Milk products (pasteurized whole, skim, or half-‐and-‐half): Fining agent for grape
wine or sherry. To remove off flavors in wine • Isinglass: Dried swim bladders of fish. To clarify wine • Gela+n (food grade): To clarify juice or wine • Casein, potassium salt of casein: To clarify wine
Acid Control
• The pH of wine is crucial to how it tastes and how long a wine will last? On a perfect vintage, the wines will be more naturally in balance. So what to do when it’s not perfect?
• De-‐acidifiers Adding Calcium Carbonate (aka chalk) to wine will reduce high acid levels and increase the pH. This pracKce is common in areas that have cooler weather and ripening is challenging.
• Acidifiers What if there’s not enough acidity? Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid and Citric Acid or any blend thereof could help balance the wine. Many people claim they can taste simulated acids in a wine. Adding acid is common with lower acidity grapes in warmer regions.
Stabilizers • Besides sulfur, there are a few other common wine stabilizers. • Acetaldehyde For color stabilizaKon of juice prior to concentraKon:
The amount used must not exceed 300 ppm, and the finished concentrate must have no detectable level of the material. This is something that happens naturally in grapes although some people claim it causes severe headaches.
• Dimethyl Dicarbonate (DMDC) Used to sterilize and to stabilize wine as well as dealcoholized wine. It is approved for use in the U.S., the EU, and Australia.
• While DMDC is poisonous within the hour it’s added (usually at borling), it hydrolyzes in about a half-‐hour. DMDC (aka Velcorin) is also used in fresh orange juice, flavored ice tea, and Gatorade.
Time to Taste!
Rebholz Estate Riesling, Trocken, Pfalz, 2016
• Alcohol: 11,5 % vol | Acidity: 7,9 g/l | Residual Sugar: 3,1 g/l
• The Riesling Estate is grown on sandstone and quarz soils from Ganz Horn and other vineyards with the same soils.
• Ripe, mineral, aroma of citrus fruits, apricot and peach. Typical of the colorful sandstone soils is the fine minerality and elegance. Fresh and lively with a perfectly balanced acidity. Perfect with fish and light appeKzers.
• 2016 Vintage: “To my surprise, given an analysis that reflects strong acidity and a mere two grams of sugar (the closest this boSling has ever come to the radical dryness of its “Ökonomierat” counterpart), the mouthfeel here is downright plush as well as substan@al. But the acids kick in efficaciously and agreeably in the form of bright fresh apple and lemon, seXng up a sa@sfying counterpoint of richness and anima@on. Scents of apple blossom and sea breeze an@cipate the inner-‐mouth perfume and saliva-‐drawing salinity that persist into a mouthwateringly sustained, seemingly stone-‐suffused finish. Hardly for the first @me, Rebholz’s 10,000 boSles of basic Gutsriesling offer excep@onal value.
• 90 Points” -‐ David Schildknecht, Vinous.com -‐ March, 2019 • $28
St Christopher, Riesling Spatlese, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Mosel, 2017
• Country: Germany Region: Mosel-‐Saar-‐Ruwer Sub-‐Region: Mi;el Mosel Appella+on: Piesport Grape Varietal: Riesling
• Mosel Prädikatswein – Spätlese -‐ produced from Riesling grapes grown in the renowned “Goldtröpfchen” Einzellage (single-‐vineyard). This Spätlese offers fresh pear and melon flavors with a touch of grapefruit on the finish. Excellent as an aperiKf or with smoked ham, broiled seafood or lighter fare.
• $16
Fritz Muller Rosé, Rheinhessen, 2018
• Produced from the grapes Portugieser and Pinot Noir, this rose has aromas of ripe raspberries and red Currents with some so[ citrus notes as well. Delicious and easy drinking with fresh acidity, it is a great accompaniment to salty meats, seafood, or as a refreshing aperiKf.
• The Fritz Müller story began in 2009 with a very specific goal of breathing new life into the tradiKonal German grape variety, Müller-‐Thurgau. Fritz Müller is a joint effort between Guido Walter and Jürgen Hofmann. Guido Walter originated the idea, and Jurgen, who comes from Appenheim in the Rheinhessen wine region, is not just a small winemaker -‐ he is also a big star. In 2010 he was awarded three grapes in the respected “Gault Millau” Wine Guide, in which they proclaimed him a rising star.
• "Bright pink with ruby highlights. Red fruit aromas such as red currant & raspberry. Vibrant citrus notes on the palate, fruit-‐driven with delicate spices and the dark berry aromas characterisKc of these varieKes. Pleasantly Kngling."~Winery notes
• $19
Salwey Pinot Noir, Baden, Germany, 2016
The family winery is situated in Germany’s most sun-‐drenched region, known as the Kaiserstuhl atop an exKnguished volcano not far from Switzerland and across the Rhein from Alsace. ViKcultural roots of the family date back to the 18th century. The winery, however, was founded in 1950 by Benno Salwey in Oberrotweil. In 1985 his son Wolf-‐Dietrich took charge. A[er his unexpected passing in a car accident in 2011 his eldest son Konrad assumed ownership and today is responsible for managing this 49 hectare estate. Although fully involved in the family winery since 2002, Konrad at first sorely missed the experience and wisdom of his father, though he has now developed a clear vision of the wines he wants to produce in the future. The estate wines are produced from the three Pinot varetals. The whites are natural offered as Kabiner dry wines (never chaptalized) and the red, offered simply as estate Pinot Noir (rarely chaptalized ). All are picked at Spätlese must weight.
• Total Winery ProducKon: 15,000 cases • Soil Decomposed Volcanic soil, Loess and Decomposed Gneiss • Vine Age 30 years • 100% Dry • 50% Stainless Steel / 50% Oak • Primarily Natural yeast fermentaKon • PracKcing Eco Friendly • $24
Preisinger Blaufrankisch Kalkundkiesel, Burgenland, Austria, 2017
• Claus Preisinger was born in 1980 in Eisenstadt. A[er arending a viKcultural high school in Klosterneuburg, he gained experience abroad working in Californian vineyards, and then as a winemaker with Hans & Anita Nirnaus for the next three years. He simultaneously introduced his own first wines in 2002. In 2004 he was accepted into the renowned “Pannobile” associaKon of wineries, and then in 2006 he converted his vineyards to biodynamic winegrowing.
• Claus Preisinger has obtained several accolades and top scores from wine publicaKons. He processes grapes from around 40 ha on the north shore of Lake Neusiedl.
• Claus has been using ambient yeasts since 2002 as well as lirle to no sulfites. The preisinger wines are cerKfied biodynamic, which Claus takes very seriously. His commitment to the environment and non-‐intervenKonal winemaking shines through in the superior wines he produces.
• Region: Burgenland • Grape VarieKes: Blaufränkisch • Soil type: Gravel, Limestone
• Vessel type: Clay Pot -‐ Amphora, Wood -‐ Old oak • Unfined. • Unfiltered. • No added sulphites.
• Notes on addiKves, aids & processing used: • No temperature control. • Organic/Biodynamic
• Total Sulphites: 0 mg/L • This wine is fermented spontaneously. • $25
Wine Fi[y Five • All of these wines are available for sale by Wine Fi[y Five. • There will be a sales sheet on the first presentaKon that can be
used for ordering your wines Wine Fi[y Five or your choice of retailer.
• Anyone who is interested in ordering wine from the class selecKons should turn in sheet at the last class, or email if you’d like wines earlier.
• You can purchase them by emailing: [email protected] • Wine Fi[y Five offers free home delivery for purchases of $100 or
more. • Wines may also be picked up at our offices in Durham by
appointment. • 10% discount for mixed case purchases. • 919 423-‐1617
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