German pinot noir has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past two decades, shifting from widely dismissed, overripe and heavily oaked wines to elegant, precise and terroir-driven expressions. Producers now focus on earlier harvests, lower
The cold snap in November meant that many German wine regions have already harvested grapes for producing ice wine which is unusually early. Regulations require a minimum temperature of minus 7°C (in other words, it
There is something very special about hearing Romana Echensperger talk about wine. She is not only one of the few to hold the prestigious title of Master of Wine but also a master at captivating
Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest wine region both in terms of area and volume. Most of the German bulk wines that are sold in bag-in-box and funny bottles are made here. But Germany’s answer to the
The Palatinate, or Pfalz in German, with its warm climate grows all kinds of fruits and perhaps Germany’s best asparagus. The wines from here are a little more broad-shouldered and fruit-dominated than from the cooler
The Baden wine district stretches 400 kilometres in a north/south direction along the border with France all the way down to Lake Constance. The most famous of the areas in Baden is the Kaiserstuhl, which
The Nahe is a tributary of the Rhine that empties opposite the mountainous terrain of the Rheingau. The district has a slightly cooler climate thanks to the winds that run along the valleys. So if
The most northerly of the districts we visited this time is the Rheingau where the river Rhine normally flows quietly in an east-west direction, but this year after the extensive rain, the river barges have
German wines are increasing in popularity both for whites and reds. Above all, it is riesling and spätburgunder (pinot noir) that drive the development and it’s all about dry wines. More and more people are
German rosé wine production reached a new peak in 2023. The share of rosé wines rose in 2023 from 13 to 16%. The increase came at the expense of red wines, which now make up
During one afternoon in July 2021, 132 people died from a downpour from hell that hit Ahr. In a few hours, the water rose to the villages, and those who did not have time or
Blue Nun is a German bestseller and legend (perhaps not for the best reasons), a riesling sold in a blue bottle with low alcohol content and high residual sweetness. 29 grams of sugar per litre
German wine producers are adapting to the evolving tastes of consumers. This is the conclusion of the German Wine Institute after last year’s mandatory tasting of all German quality wines. Exactly half – 50% –
If you say Franconia, I’ll say Pinot Noir at lightning speed Germany is getting a reputation for the quality of its pinot noir, locally called spätburgunder. But how can that be? It is already a
Europe had a few freezing weeks in December, including Germany. This chilly weather has enabled some growers to make Eiswein (ice wine) finally again. It has been a long time. On December 11, 12 and
Hunting the thimble among German wines German wines have undergone an enormous quality development in recent decades. A new generation of winemakers has taken over their family vineyards. Not infrequently, the young winemakers have done
We don’t have the opportunity very often to taste German wines, but when we do, we always enjoy it. Recently we tasted a selection of whites and reds from small, family-owned producers in the regions
Making icewine in Germany is hard work in freezing temperatures, which results in only a few drops of wine. But it is worth it, and that is the reason for the happy faces when almost
Germany introduces a wine hierarchy based on geography Germany has introduced a new “classification” system for its wines, under the name Qualitätswein. It creates a hierarchy of wines – Area, Region, Village and Vineyard –
In 2009 the EU implemented a wine reform that structured wine in a few different groups. The intention was, and is, to harmonise the different systems that exist in the member countries. How this has
Riesling is a magnificent grape but a difficult one. For its many devoted admirers, it is the foremost white wine grape in the world. Riesling is one of the most prestigious grapes, but it is
A warm welcome back, dear producers. And a rosé surprise. The same smile, unchanged energy level and sparkling enthusiasm. Long, narrow, graceful flute bottles line up, the humidity condenses into small pearls on the neck
For those of you who love bubbles, we can announce that the fourth “International Sparkling Festival” will take place on June 14, 2020 in Frankfurt. Over 160 sparkling wines, made using the traditional method (with
Mundus Vini is one of the world’s most influential wine competitions. It has been running for 18 years and every year around 11,000 different wines participate in the competition. It must be acknowledged that I
Secateur or spraying plane? Early morning in July 2019. A pre-arranged schedule involves alarm clock and strong coffee to have the time to go on a bike morning session. On a mountain-bike, Mosel’s makes it
When the cork screw slowly works its way down, you probably have quite a good idea of what is in the bottle. Probably one of your favourite wines from a trusted producer, or at times,
The vine is in many ways a robust plant that can withstand difficult conditions and drought. But it has weaknesses. One is that it is prone to fungal diseases. No vineyard can survive without spraying.
VDP stands for Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweinguter and is a highly respected association of around 200 German top producers with their own set of rules for wine growing and wine making. VDP recently launched a new
Henkell Trocken is one of the world’s most famous sparkling wines. The German company Henkell & Co is also the largest producer in the world of sparkling wines since the purchase of Spanish Freixenet in
“Mosel is perfect for riesling, why should I grow something else?” Sybille Kuntz is the latest generation in a long line of wine growers in the Mosel Valley. After taking over her family’s vineyard more
German pinot noir has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past two decades, shifting from widely dismissed, overripe and heavily oaked wines to elegant, precise
The cold snap in November meant that many German wine regions have already harvested grapes for producing ice wine which is unusually early. Regulations require
There is something very special about hearing Romana Echensperger talk about wine. She is not only one of the few to hold the prestigious title
Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest wine region both in terms of area and volume. Most of the German bulk wines that are sold in bag-in-box and
The Palatinate, or Pfalz in German, with its warm climate grows all kinds of fruits and perhaps Germany’s best asparagus. The wines from here are
The Baden wine district stretches 400 kilometres in a north/south direction along the border with France all the way down to Lake Constance. The most
The Nahe is a tributary of the Rhine that empties opposite the mountainous terrain of the Rheingau. The district has a slightly cooler climate thanks
The most northerly of the districts we visited this time is the Rheingau where the river Rhine normally flows quietly in an east-west direction, but
German wines are increasing in popularity both for whites and reds. Above all, it is riesling and spätburgunder (pinot noir) that drive the development and
German rosé wine production reached a new peak in 2023. The share of rosé wines rose in 2023 from 13 to 16%. The increase came
During one afternoon in July 2021, 132 people died from a downpour from hell that hit Ahr. In a few hours, the water rose to
Blue Nun is a German bestseller and legend (perhaps not for the best reasons), a riesling sold in a blue bottle with low alcohol content
German wine producers are adapting to the evolving tastes of consumers. This is the conclusion of the German Wine Institute after last year’s mandatory tasting
If you say Franconia, I’ll say Pinot Noir at lightning speed Germany is getting a reputation for the quality of its pinot noir, locally called
Europe had a few freezing weeks in December, including Germany. This chilly weather has enabled some growers to make Eiswein (ice wine) finally again. It
Hunting the thimble among German wines German wines have undergone an enormous quality development in recent decades. A new generation of winemakers has taken over
We don’t have the opportunity very often to taste German wines, but when we do, we always enjoy it. Recently we tasted a selection of
Making icewine in Germany is hard work in freezing temperatures, which results in only a few drops of wine. But it is worth it, and
Germany introduces a wine hierarchy based on geography Germany has introduced a new “classification” system for its wines, under the name Qualitätswein. It creates a
In 2009 the EU implemented a wine reform that structured wine in a few different groups. The intention was, and is, to harmonise the different
Riesling is a magnificent grape but a difficult one. For its many devoted admirers, it is the foremost white wine grape in the world. Riesling
A warm welcome back, dear producers. And a rosé surprise. The same smile, unchanged energy level and sparkling enthusiasm. Long, narrow, graceful flute bottles line
For those of you who love bubbles, we can announce that the fourth “International Sparkling Festival” will take place on June 14, 2020 in Frankfurt.
Mundus Vini is one of the world’s most influential wine competitions. It has been running for 18 years and every year around 11,000 different wines
Secateur or spraying plane? Early morning in July 2019. A pre-arranged schedule involves alarm clock and strong coffee to have the time to go on
When the cork screw slowly works its way down, you probably have quite a good idea of what is in the bottle. Probably one of
The vine is in many ways a robust plant that can withstand difficult conditions and drought. But it has weaknesses. One is that it is
VDP stands for Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweinguter and is a highly respected association of around 200 German top producers with their own set of rules for
Henkell Trocken is one of the world’s most famous sparkling wines. The German company Henkell & Co is also the largest producer in the world
“Mosel is perfect for riesling, why should I grow something else?” Sybille Kuntz is the latest generation in a long line of wine growers in
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