Germany has a deep history of winemaking, and Riesling has long been considered the country’s most celebrated grape – The first documented mention of Riesling dates back to the early 15th century near the Rheingau region. While perhaps most known for rich, fruity Shiraz, Australia is home to a surprising array of wine grapes that perform well across its many wine regions. Riesling catches its stride in the Clare and Eden Valleys of South Australia. A minute amount of a hydrocarbon contributes to this unique aroma, and it is most common in aged Riesling. Choose wines with skill from the Mosel Valley and learn why this region has been considered the best place for Riesling in the world. This designation used to be called “Qualitätswein mit Pradikat” or “QmP” which you still may find on labels prior to 2007.
A cooler vintage overall, leading to wines with more acidity.
A challenging vintage for ripeness but some producers expect these wines will last for decades. The second layer of finding great quality in the Mosel is knowing, and respecting, vintage variation. Not all of the vineyards here are created equal. Riesling is a hardy vine that is well-suited for cool-climate wine regions.
Saints Hills 2015 St. Lucia Vineyard Plavac Mali (Dingač). Modern Times . Of course as global warming continues and our desire for dry wine increases we might see this change, but for now, Pradikatswein is the most common designation you’ll find in the Mosel Valley.
Mosel Riesling ranges from bone-dry to sweet but the primary aromas and taste profile are distinct and easy to identify. Privacy Policy, By continuing to use our Services and/or submitting the above information, you agree to our use of cookies and the terms of ourPrivacy Policy. As you’ll find out, it’s a combination of geology, geography and history (Riesling was first recorded in Germany in 1435) that makes the Mosel wine region unique.
The sweeter the grape, the higher the potential alcohol and/or sweetness in the wine. Today, VDP (“Verband deutscher Prädikatsweingüter”) represents both sweet and dry styles and is commonly used outside of Mosel, particularly in the Rheingau anbaugebiet. 18+ Excludes Wine Route, boxed wine, fortified wine, bottles under £5 in England and NI or £7 in Wales & bottles under 200ml. 1.900. So, if you see “Prädikatswein” or “Qualitätswein” on the label, this is basic quality German juice!
@WineFolly. German Riesling is known to age well. Pieroth Wein AG, based in Burg Layen near Bingen (Rhineland-Palatinate), is one of the world’s leading companies for the sale of wine to end consumers. @WineFolly. The Rhenish Mountains, as they are now called, were carved out by the Mosel River revealing this geological history. Riesling. The Mosel Valley is stunningly beautiful. Once you know the system that identifies the styles, you can hone in on the regional differences of Germany’s 13 unique regions. Recent News. By continuing to use our Services and/or submitting the above information, you agree to our use of cookies and the terms of our Spätlese, Auslese, etc). This classification is determined by a minimum ripeness of grapes and it must be produced with grapes from only 1 of the 13 regions (aka “anbaugebieten”). Riesling is well-regarded in Austria, however it is commonly overshadowed by the country’s main white grape, Grüner Veltliner. Great producers did well but others, not so much, mainly because of rain and rot problems. By using our website and/or subscribing to our newsletter,
Other grapes worth investigating further include Elbling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Kerner and Auxerrois. Riesling can be found in all of Germany’s 13 wine-growing regions, however it is most prominent in the Mosel, Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Rheingau and Nahe regions. This is intensified ... Perfumed notes of yellow cherry and peach introduce this sun-kissed Premier Cru ... Leeuwin's latest Riesling release is a bright and ultraracy bottling.
Wow. Riesling is, by origin, an Old-World variety, and nowhere is it more famous than in Germany, where the grape is almost never blended or exposed to oak. Germany grades its Riesling harvest by ripeness level within a hierarchy called the Prädikatswein. I co-founded Wine Folly to help people learn about wine. Get to know the regions and the wines of Germany on this illustrated map. Bookings are advisable. I co-founded Wine Folly to help people learn about wine. deutschewein.de. The view over Bremm (in the shade) in the Mosel.
36 bottles. Join us for a comparative tasting of Thelema and Sutherland wines. The classification also has a category for ice wine (aka eiswein). Just freakin’ awesome. Trocken or Halbtrocken can be included on the label to denote wines that are finished dry or off dry.
i heart around the world. 0345 605 6767My Account. There are 2 primary types of slate soils found in the Mosel Valley: blue slate and red slate. As a general rule, great vintages (like 2015) offer amazing wines at all price points, whereas less-awesome vintages (like 2016) require some buying finesse. These wines tend to be slightly higher in alcohol than German counterparts and much drier, however there are Vendange Tardive (VT) and Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN) wines that are vinified sweet. Could actually age quite well. The Mosel River weaves dramatically through the Eifel mountains. Get the James Beard Award-winning book! Riesling is a hardy vine that is well-suited for cool-climate wine regions.
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It’s no wonder then, that 40% of the vineyard acres in the Mosel are located on steep slopes (at or over a 30% pitch) and the best vineyards typically face south. Over time, pressure of two super continents joining to create Pangea (Gondwana and Laurasia/Euramerica) compressed this sea floor which metamorphosed into slate. It’s possible that great producers will still make great wines on less favorable vintages, but bulk/value wines usually suffer.
This bold acidity contributes the ageability of these wines, some of which can last for decades. The lifted perfume of whole candied tangerines rises softly from the glass ... Ephemeral compared with grand cru expressions from the Mosel that are increasingly ... Cherry blossoms and white peach perfume this svelte, silken grand cru Riesling.
Please save some for me. Tough vintage. German wine classifications and the VDP levels. The slate soils here are very poor for most agricultural purposes (they’re hard to farm! This is a gorgeously smoky, stony wine that juxtaposes pert white grapefruit ... Whiffs of steel and smoke introduce this very angular dry Riesling. Lots of rain and insect problems. Latest News The World's Best Champagnes. Here are the levels: The VDP is an association of German wine estates that classifies wines by the quality of the vineyard.
In the United States, the grape performs well in Oregon, Washington, New York’s Finger Lakes region and Michigan. The word for region in German is anbaugebiet (“ahn-baw-jeh-beet”). A wine by a quality producer from great vintage will last up to 40 years. It is along this winding river gorge that we find the most classic Riesling wines in the world. Modern Times. The grape is also common in Ontario, Canada, where it produces a range of dry to sweet wines. The slate was later pushed up during the Variscan Orogeny about 100 million years later. First, the vineyards in the Mosel are well-drained which is good during wet growing seasons. Very simply, cool climate wine growing regions like the Mosel Valley tend to be more susceptible to variable weather conditions. The benefit of VDP is there’s an additional level of classification based on where the wines are grown (a regional designation similar to Burgundy). Quality varies in this category, from bulk wines like Black Cat Riesling to decent quality everyday Riesling wines sourced from all over the Mosel. The slate soils offer a few unique benefits to wine growing in the Mosel. This classification was originally created for quality dry Rieslings (and other official varieties).
The Mosel Valley is home to more grapes than just Riesling.
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