Lettie teagues six favorite new wine books wall street journal casual readers will enjoy the maps, the photos by hendrik holler and overviews while the serious student will find her reward in the. Featuring sixtyseven exceptional color maps as well as eightyseven vivid images by photographer hendrik holler and others, this is the most comprehensive and uptodate atlas of german winea detailed reference to vineyards and appellations. In the wines of germany, master of wine anne krebiehl takes us with her on a journey through vineyards clustered along the countrys many winding rivers to uncover this new world of german wine. Germanys vast world of white wines wine enthusiast. This is arguably the best of the titles so far in the finest wines series and the best book about german wines in english for a generation. Some great wines sidle up next to you, inclining their heads as if to say, hey there, good lookin. With that expertise, reinhardt ventured to write the first book on current german wine making and wine makers in english since 2003 the wines of germany by stephen brook. Its steep, winding vineyards cover hillsides of such calfshattering steepness that the grapes have to be harvested by hand. The great german pinot noir tasting david crossleys wide. The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is hisher sole responsibility. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. For a full description of the country and its wines, see germany. Like wine anywhere, germanys highest quality bottlings come from a specific place. Better german rieslings are available only in fine wine shops, and the very best are very limited in supply and are sold at a series of wine auctions in germany.
Winding your way along the german moselstrasse, tucked in between the curves of the river that the highway mirrors, and the impossibly steep vineyards, the picturesque villages whose names adorn some of the worlds greatest rieslings give the impression of timelessness. Goldberg translator is an instructor of history at kennesaw state university and the author of a forthcoming book on the history of. Former fbi negotiator chris voss at the australia real estate conference duration. The german wine is the countrys oldest scenic drive. Aug 14, 2019 the 1997 and 1999 german vintages both produced excellent wines, but since 2001 german wines have been remarkably consistent and of generally good to excellent quality. Yet, beyond rieslings bright glare, germany boasts a diversity of intriguing white wines. Wine atlas of germany by dieter braatz, 9780520260672, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Never mind that is not the reason why the book does not warrant 5 stars.
We cannot leave the topic of german wines without mentioning the red wines the country produces. Classified by ripeness at harvest, riesling can be picked early for dry wines or as late as january following the harvest for lusciously sweet. In an amendment to the 1971 law it was determined that no quality wine may originate from two districts, even if the vineyards are adjacent, the only exception being liebfraumilch. Hugo thanisch, a prussian politician and his widow katharina, and gained its reputation through the spectacular success of the wine auctions of the vdp. Jul 14, 2015 german wine is considered by some to be the best in the world. Browse by regions, use the search box or click on a producer name for contact information, services offered and more details. People, power and politics, which won the veuve clicquot and icp awards.
Stephen brook is a leading writer on wine and gastronomy. The hillside vines produce elegant fruity wines while plantings in the valley have more richness and body. Now almost 40 years into a crusade to reintroduce germanys great wines in america, wiest has become a groundbreaking figure in the german wine world. Riesling is the flagship wine of germany and constitutes more than onefifth of all wine varieties grown in the country. Thats down almost 20% in the last 25 years due partly to climate. The book does an excellent job of explaining the fundamentals of the german wine law and labeling system, which can be offputting to the novice. The road runs through the rhineland palatinate, germanys second largest wine growing region, and starts in the town of bockenheim in southwest germany then snakes through 50 miles of gorgeous wine country all the way to the french border. The wine growing tradition of the thanisch family dates back to 1636. The history of wine in germany worldwide wine tours. German wines are hugely underrated, even if theyve enjoyed something of a renaissance in the last several years.
Most are renowned for offering different styles of riesling, however baden is best known for producing pinot noir. They down enough foamy brew to consistently place in the top five of the annual litersperperson ranking, but germany recently lost its number one ranking to the czech. French, spanish, and italian wines receive most of the accolades and superlatives surrounding the wine industry, and for good reason, but they have pushed german wine to the shadows. Goldberg translator is an instructor of history at kennesaw state university and the author of a forthcoming. Besides, this years contest for best sommelier of the world was won by marc almert, a german sommelier. Theyre fruity in style, low in alcohol, rarely oaked, and often offdry or sweet. The very rare, superfine natural wines made in good vintage years from perfect grapes of the better varieties and possessing the unaccountable quality that vintners call breed are produced in the bordeaux, burgundy, and rhone regions of france, in the rhine valley of germany, in californias napa and sonoma valleys and other parts of the. The great german pinot noir tasting posted on 28032018 by dccrossley pretty much every time i go to a tasting of german wines we see a few reds tacked on to the end, and i suppose thats how reds have been seen in the past when it comes to the uk market for german wine. German wine 101 a short history of german wine on the steep slate and shale banks along the mosel, the pristine, castlecrowned vineyards of the rheingau or the rolling hills of rheinhessen, germany produces some of the worlds best, yet underrated wines. Understanding german wine tim gaiser, master sommelier. German wine 101 truly fine wine curated wines from.
Germanys entire annual production is only 25% that of france. The book also lists producers the authors deem good, superior or exceptionalso even germanwine neophytes can locate those names on bottle labels. Ageing of german wines losing sweetness gaining character 1 wines of higher ripeness and concentration age better i. Its time for german wine to take the spotlight, given its excellent aromas, drinkability, and masterful sophistication of grape varieties. The history of wine in germany when it comes to making a toast in germany, most people imagine large beer steins clinking together, not wineglasses. Germany has wine regions 11 regions in the west and 2 regions in the eastern part of the country. Winesearcher currently lists 3907 german wine producers. Many of the estatelevel wines will end up slender, light and fruitforward with a few specialty wines in the pradikat range. The mosel follows the borders of luxembourg and france and the region is equivalent to the napa valley in america. In the faq section, and every few months, people put together marvelous lists of books on italian and french wines, global wine books, introductory wine books but nothing on german wines.
Wine atlas of germany, university of california press posted on october 5, 2014 by don this is the most extensive, comprehensive and up to date book on german wine geography available in the english language. Wine atlas of germany by dieter braatz, ulrich sautter. Spatburgunder, or pinot noir, is made from grapes grown in the baden area of germany, near the french border. V o n s c h l e i n i t z e s t a t e top riesling and pinot noir from the steepest part of the mosel region wine production of germany in comparison production in million cases in 2008 germany california italy france. Hallgarten, the great wines of germany and its famed vineyards new yorklondon, 1963, p. Dec 10, 2012 for a lover of cool climate wines im predisposed to want to like this book. The wines of germany the law and the label the grapes ripeness is all red, pink and sparkling wines the ahr moselsaarruwer mittelrhein the rheingau. Riesling has a long history dating back to the 15th century, and originates in germanys rhine valley. Their labels carry grape names, which is an anomaly in europe.
Germanys top wines come from its most beautiful nooks and crannies, where steep hillsides expose grapes to the sun and rivers bring richness to the soil even in the dead of winter. If you love white wine, you will enjoy the fruitful taste of german wine. Nearly a third of all grapes grown in germany yield red wine, and not all is sweet. This book is a good choise to learn about germany wines with history,terroir,classification,regions and producers,but the author could write more about the wines of each producer. This book is simply the next best thing to exploring the wine regions of germany in person. Oct 31, 2012 with that expertise, reinhardt ventured to write the first book on current german wine making and wine makers in english since 2003 the wines of germany by stephen brook. Though these wines typically have the most delicate and elegant of frames, they support incredible intensity, purity. Following the mosel river as it slithers and weaves dramatically through the eifel mountains in germanys far west, the mosel wine region is considered by many as the source of the worlds finest and longestlived rieslings. Today the estate is managed by sofia thanisch, the great granddaughter of the founders, and the fourth generation of women.
His previous books include sauternes, the wines of germany, and the wines of california, which won the prix lanson, glenfiddich and veuve clicquot awards. Germany is far more famed for its signature white riesling wines, but almost a third of its production is red. Wine atlas of germany by dieter braatz, ulrich sautter, ingo. An outstanding reference on the subject of german wines. Vin allemand canada german wine canada wines of germany. Consider us your primary source for information on german wine regions, statistics, and fun facts, plus promotions and events here in the u. Riesling responds splendidly to germanys variable terroir, allowing the country to build its reputation upon fine wines at all points of the sweet to dry spectrum, many of which can age for decades. Germany is the producer of some of the most admired wines in the world. With a career that spans over forty years, the author is a consummate authority on every aspect of the wine industry, from the planting and pruning of vines through the creation and marketing of the finished product. When the stately homes whose family names also appear on these. The wines of germany, a new book from infinite ideas classic wine library by german wine expert anne krebiehl mw, offers a tour round this new german wine landscape in assessing the damage inflicted by the last century, she notes that, it is only.
Approximately 60 percent of german wine production is from the federal state of rhinelandpalatinate, where 6 of the regions anbaugebiete for quality wine are situated. Wine atlas of germany it seems to cover more regions than other books on german wine. Its a pretty formidable challenge to throw at someone. This wine is highly aromatic, fruity or flowery in taste and has a high acidity level that is often balanced by adding sugar. When you buy german wine from us, youll have an extensive selection of wines to choose from to have delivered directly to. German wine is primarily produced in the west of germany, along the river rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the roman era. There are a wide variety of grapes planted, many of them laboratorydeveloped hybrids and riesling crosses like mullerthurgau, ortega and rieslaner, designed not so much with quality in mind, but simply to ripen to high sugar levels. While germans are indeed master brewers, they are also master winemakers with an ancient tradition of cultivating superior fine wines. Weve handpicked the most charming wine towns across the country, so you can plan your next wine getaway with ease. Featuring sixtyseven exceptional color maps as well as eightyseven. How german wine found its sweet spot the washington post. Low yield, good estatelevel wines germanys easternmost wine region saw bud break almost two weeks earlier than the historical average, and flowering began on 8 june under very advantageous conditions. While german wines are gathering a better and better reputation among international wine critics notably my beloved jancis robinson was an early supporter, old notions of.
Naked wines currently boasts a turnover of some euro 70 million in great britain and was sold in 2015 by germanys wiv group to specialist retail market leader majestic wines plc. Wines of germany clink different, experience the wines. Stephen brook has written an excellent book on the subject, striking a good balance between detail on individual producers and giving an overview of trends and challenges in the field of german wine. German wine is typically associated with riesling, the nations most heralded and widely planted grape. The time when you only thought of cheap sweet white wine when you think of german wines is definitely behind us. Concentrated in the southwest part of the country, germanys vineyard area is divided into official wine regions. Four of the major regions, moselsaarruwer, rheingau, rheinhessen and pfalz are ideal destinations for wine tourists who also want to explore some of germanys stunning. Inevitably its a book largely about riesling though pinot noir features well too, and i like reinhardts cool anecdotes to arrive at pins and needles, rocks and minerals to describe the variety in its germanic homeland undoubtedly because it concords with some of my own descriptions.
The key to understanding what makes german wines so diverse and delicious is in the various microclimates, extensive soil types, and regional history. In the wines of germany, master of wine anne krebiehl takes us with her on a journey through vineyards clustered along the countrys many winding rivers. There are many other wine growing regions in germany including nahe, baden and pfalz. Though these wines typically have the most delicate and elegant of frames, they support incredible intensity, purity of fruit, and nuanced expression of terroir. The wine styles vary based on vintage and site, but tend to be more pearlike and spicy yet softer in acid and less overtly fragrant than wines from mosel. He revised the lastest edition of hugh johnsons wine companion. German wines are gaining popularity and its time we start to think of germany too when we think of good wine countries.
Auslese will generally age better than kabinett 2 aging potential of dry german wines. German wine guide save germany has winemaking regions and all boast gorgeous countryside, many with lush hills, river valleys and pretty villages, holding great appeal for walkers and cyclists. The book focuses on the best producers from the main wine areas of germany in the opinion of the writer some mosel producers in particular which in my opinion make some of germany s finest wine are not included here. Australian wines are known not only for their quality but also for their unequalled, rainbowlike spectrum of styles. The wine atlas of germany is a wonderful coffeetablestyle book that takes a thorough look at the wine geography of germany. Apr 07, 2015 organic, biodynamic and natural wines have a more concentrated flavour than traditionally produced wines, some of the producers claimed at a seminar on german organic wines that i recently attended. It covers all the major and minor wine regions of what was west germany at the time, and all the varietals. These are its rieslings, both sweet and dry, from top sites and producers.
German wines have changed a lot during the past 25 years. Germany is known internationally for producing elegant and aromatically pure white wines. There, i found a weathered copy of a 1956 book titled the wines of germany, by frank schoonmaker, one of those bon vivant gentleman writers who flourished in. John winthrop haeger, author of north american pinot noir the authors voice is consistently engaged and enthusiastic, and his book should appeal to a general readership of wine lovers as well as to anyone with a professional interest in. The authors explain the geography of all the german winegrowing regions and provide independent analysis and ranking of the most significant vineyards. Some great wines sidle up next to you, inclining their heads as if to say.
For years they consumed millions of bottles of white german wines with names like blue nun, black tower and zeller schwarze katz. Pdf download wine atlas of germany free unquote books. Spatburgunder, or pinot noir, is made from grapes grown in the baden area of. And some of them are easily good enough to rival far more lauded winegrowing areas, says fiona beckett. One way to tell the difference is that german wines are relatively sweet to mediumdry, whereas alsatian wines are quite dry.
Then as now, riesling is still the grape of choice. University of california press, berkeley, 2014 277 pp. Understanding germanys wine laws and styles dummies. The wines will be presented for the first time at the wines of germany trade tasting g string on 9th may 2017. Germany has about 103,000 hectares 252,000 acres or 1,030 square. But following a bruising twentieth century, german wine over the past thirty years has experienced a renaissance. After difficult decades during the last ccentury, germany s producers are now reviving the wine industry with exciting, highquality wines. Learn about mosel wine, common tasting notes, where the region is and more. The best german wines you need to try at least once. A regional guide to the best producers and their wines by reinhardt, stephen, wyand, jon isbn. The competition allows wineries from all over germany, including those who are currently still seeking uk representation, to enter their wines. American reference books annual arba laura herrell this herculean reference is required reading for anyone who loves german wine. List of books and articles about wine industry online. The international wine world seems to be increasingly aware of how important it is that wine be produced in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
Although the alsace wine region is a short boat ride across the rhine river from germany, its in northeastern france, not germany and has been since the end of world war i. Stephen brook has written an excellent book on the subject, striking a good balance between detail on individual producers and giving an overview. The european commission and the consumers, health, agriculture and food executive agency chafea do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be. Believe it or not, some of germanys best whites and all of its reds are dry.
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