Following her presentation at the German Wine Society in Philadelphia/South Jersey a few weeks ago, Annette Schiller, Ombiasy PR and WineTours, gave a similar presentation and led a tasting – with different wines – at the German Wine Society in Washington DC.
See:
New Developments in German Wine - Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society in Philadelphia, USA
As in Philadelphia, Annette talked about “New Developments in German Wine”, including the emerging new wine regions in the eastern part of Germany, the German red wine boom, and the new German Wine Classification, which is being pushed by the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers. She also briefly talked about the 2 wine tours coming up to Germany that she is organizing and leading.
The German Red Wine Boom
There is a red wine boom in Germany. The share of red wines in terms of production has increased from 10 percent in the 1980s to about 35 percent now in Germany. Of course, given its location, the German red wines 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, in the international scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this has changed. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world.
4 Approaches to Classifying German Wine
Although many people think that there is only one wine classification system in Germany – the classification system of the Law of 1971 – this is not correct. There are four approaches to classifying wine in Germany. True, the classification system of the Law of 1971 with its pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest (Qualitaetswein, Kabinett, Spaetlese, Auslese …) at the center is the standard classification system in Germany and the vast majority of winemakers in Germany use this approach. A large number of winemakers, however, have moved away from the standard, in particular the powerful group of German elite winemakers, the VDP (Verband Deutscher Praedikatswein Produzenten), which has conceived its own classification system. Other winemakers moved to a zero classification system – no classification, an approach very familiar in the New World. Finally, there is a fourth group of winemakers that have designed their own classification system.
See also:
QbA, Kabinett, Spaetlese….No, there is not just 1, but there are 4 Different Wine Classification Systems in Germany
The VDP Classification
In sharp contrast with the standard classification system, the VDP classification system is based on the terroir principle. The pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest (which dominates the standard German wine classification of 1971) has moved to the backburner in the VDP system. Instead, following Bourgogne, the terroir principle has taken center stage. And here, the VDP has moved from a 3 tiers quality ladder to a 4 tiers quality ladder in its recent modifications, effective with the 2012 harvest. The VDP has added an additional layer to its classification system, which consists now of the following 4 layers. (In brackets, the equivalent quality classes in the classification system of the Bourgogne):
• VDP.Grosse Lage (Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Erste Lage (Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Ortswein (Village level in Burgundy)
• VDP.Gutswein (Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)
Note that for some legal reasons, the VDP has started to use the terms Grosse Lage, Erste Lage, Ortswein and Gutswein with the pre-fix VDP.
See:
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany
Germany Wine Tours by ombiasy in 2014
As in previous years, the husband and wife team Annette and Christian Schiller will personally guide the tours throughout the trip. Through our friendships with many winemaker and owners, the tours are a very intimate, personal experience for everyone in the small group (10 people maximum) traveling with us.
Quintessential German Whites (Germany-North): From September 04 – September 13, 2014, we will explore six (Saale-Unstrut, Franken, Rheingau, northern Rheinhessen, Mosel, Nahe) German wine regions with visits to 19 top wineries and cultural gems.
The Sun-kissed German South (Germany-South): From September 14 – September 20, 2014, we will explore three wine regions (Baden, Pfalz, southern Rheinhessen) in the south of Germany and will experience the German red wine revolution.
For the exact itinerary, prices and other questions, visit the ombiasy Public Realtions website:
ombiasy Public Relations.
The Germany tours are 2 of 3 tours by ombiasy coming up in 2014:
3 Wine Tours by ombiasy Coming up in 2014: Germany-North, Germany-South and Bordeaux
For a summary of the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, see:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
The Tasting
The wines were selected by Annette Schiller. She choose 2 wines from the cellar of the German Wine Society and the remainder from the portfolio of Mac Arthur Beverages in Washington DC.
RED
2010 Spätburgunder, Becker, Trocken, Pfalz
2008 Lemberger, Schnaitmann, Trocken, Württemberg
WHITE
2012 Riesling, Dönnhoff, Trocken, Nahe
2012 Riesling, Pur Mineral, Fürst, Trocken, Franken
2012 Riesling, Rüdesheimer Klosterlay, Kabinett, Leitz, Rheingau
2010 Riesling, Oberemmeler Hütte, Kabinett, Von Hövel, Mosel
2011 Riesling, Marienburg, GG, Clemens Busch, Mosel
2009 Riesling, Dautenplanzer, GG Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe
2012 Riesling, Kiedricher Grafenberg, Spätlese, Weil, Rheingau
2012 Riesling, Westhofener Kirchspiel, Spätlese, Keller, Rheinhessen
schiller-wine: Related Postings
3 Wine Tours by ombiasy Coming up in 2014: Germany-North, Germany-South and Bordeaux
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region - A Profile, Germany
Tasting at Weingut Balthasar Ress, Hattenheim, Rheingau, with Stefan Ress, Germany
Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany
A Tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn, Rheingau, with Angela and Peter Jakob Kühn, Germany
Tasting with Rita Busch at Weingut Clemens Busch in the Mosel Valley, Germany
Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany
Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch with Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe Valley, Germany
An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany
The World Meets at Weingut Weegmueller, Pfalz, Germany
Tasting with Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Weingut Thoerle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen, Germany
New Developments in German Wine - Annette Schiller at the German Wine Society in Philadelphia, USA
QbA, Kabinett, Spaetlese….No, there is not just 1, but there are 4 Different Wine Classification Systems in Germany
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany