Red Wine Revolution in Germany
There is a red wine revolution going on in Germany and the world increasingly takes note of it. Of course, given its location, the red wines of Germany tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, the share of red wine in total German wine output was not more than 10 percent; in the international wine scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this is changing. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world; the share of red wines in terms of production has increased to about 35 percent now in Germany and increasingly the international market takes note of what is happening in Germany.
Jancis Robinson on the Rise of German Pinot Noir (Financial Times)
A couple of days ago, Jancis Robinson released an article in the Financial Times on the rise of Pinot Noir in Germany. For the full article, go here. Below you find the first few chapters of Jancis' article:
Which countries grow the most Pinot Noir, the red burgundy grape? Not surprisingly, France wins gold in this particular championship, its total vastly boosted by the amount of Pinot Noir grown in Champagne. And thanks to the 2004 film Sideways, American demand for the grape has soared so much that the US takes silver.
But the bronze medal for growing Pinot Noir nowadays goes to Germany. Just one German region, Baden in the south-west, grows about as much Pinot Noir as the world’s fourth most important Pinot grower, New Zealand.
Partly thanks to warmer summers, and partly because of German consumers’ increasing partiality for red wine, Germany’s total area of Pinot Noir vines almost doubled in the 20 years to 2006. This total, encompassing a great mix of different clones and varied soils, has since remained fairly stable at about a third of all German vineyards.
Such is German enthusiasm for their Spätburgunder, as Pinot Noir is known there, that we don’t see huge quantities on export markets, but I seize every opportunity I can to taste it, because it seems to me that the average quality has risen enormously over the past five to 10 years. And, while Spätburgunders from renowned producers are rarely cheap, burgundy prices are now almost ludicrously high, so alternatives to red burgundy have become increasingly attractive.
Top 10: German Spätburgunder/ Pinot Noir 2015 - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018
96 Points
Weingut Knipser/ Pfalz RdP Barrique 96 Points
Weingut Rudolf Fürst/ Franken Bürgstadter Hundsrück Grosses Gewächs GG 96 Points Euro 108
Weingut Bernhard Huber/ Baden Malterdinger Wildenstein Grosses Gewächs GG 96 Points Euro 49
95 Points
Weingut Rudolf Fürst/Franken Klingenberger Schlossberg Grosses Gewächs GG 95 Points Euro 67
Weingut Bernhard Huber/Baden Hecklinger Schlossberg Grosses Gewächs GG 95 Points Euro 59
94 Points
Weingut Knipser/ Pfalz Dirmsteiner Mandelpfad 94 Points
Weingut Koch/ Palz Hainfelder Letten Grande Réserve BK 94 Points Euro 50
Weingut Uli Metzger/Pfalz Arthos Euro 38
Weingut Bernhard Huber/Baden Malterdinger Bienenberg Grosses Gewächs GG 94 Points Euro 44
Weingut Jean Stodden/ Ahr Lange Goldkapsel 94 Points Euro 85
Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was released on Friday, November 24, 2017. I participated in the presentation of the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 in Mainz, Germany. The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 is at the same time a new and an old German wine guide.
2 days after the publication of the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018, on Monday, November 27, the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was released. The Gault Millau WeinGuide 2018 was published by Zabert + Sandmann, which had aquired the license for the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland in June 2017 from the Christian Verlag. The latter had published the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland for many years.
The Gault MillauWeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was put togather by a newly established team of tasters, all of them highly regarded, led by Editor-in-Chief Britta Wiegelmann. Previously, she was Editor-in-Chief of the Vinum Wine Journal. She took over the position from Joel B. Payne, who had been the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland Editor-in-Chief (earlier with Armin Diel) since it was first published in 1994.
Joel B. Payne - along with his Deputy Carsten S. Henn - stayed with the Christian Verlag, managed to bring on board the Vinum Journal and decided to continue publishing a wine guide under a new name: The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland was borne.
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was put togather Joel B. Payne, Editor-in-Chief, and Carsten Henn, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, with the same team that put togather and rated the wines and winemakers of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017, published 12 months ago. The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 looks very much like the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017 except for the color of the cover, which is red and no longer green. Also, the winemakers do not receive 1 to 5 grapes anymore but 1 to 5 stars.
Joel B. Payne made clear that he sees the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 as an update of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017 and in a row with the previous 24 issues of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland, the production of which he led as Editor-in-Chief. Red is now the new Green, said Joel B. Payne at the presentation of the Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2018 (which is red), while the cover of the Gault Millau Millau WeinGuide Deutschland has been green during the past 24 years and continues to be green.
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 reviews on about 1000 pages more than 12.000 wines of 1000 wineries. Its rating symbol is a star and Germany’s best winemakers are awarded one to five stars. The wines are rated on the 1 to 100 scale.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
UPCOMING Ombiasy Wine Tours in 2018 to Germany and Alsace (May/ June) and to Bordeaux and Burgundy-Champagne (September)
Invitation: TWO !!!!! Exceptional Bordeaux Winemaker Dinners: Lafon-Rochet, May 7, and Haut-Bailly, May 8, 2018, Washington DC, USA
Germany’s Best Winemakers and Wines – Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 Awards: The Award Ceremony in Mainz, Germany
Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken – Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Winemaker Dinner with Sebastian Fürst, Weingut Fürst, Franken, at Schaumahl, Offenbach/ Frankfurt, 16 Points Gault Millau, Germany
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Jean Stodden, Ahr, with Alexander Stodden - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours