German Wines:
German wine is primarily produced in the southwest of Germany, along river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of the German wine production is situated in the Rhineland, where 6 of the 13 regions (Anbaugebiete) for quality wine are situated. Germany has about 252,000 acres of vineyard, which is around one tenth of the vineyard surface in Spain, France or Italy. The total wine production is usually around 1.2 billion bottles, which places Germany as the eighth largest wine-producing country in the world.White wine accounts for almost two thirds of the total production.
As a wine country, Germany is considered one of the world's most elegant and aromatically pure white wines. Among enthusiasts, Germany's reputation is primarily based on wines made from the Riesling grape variety, which at its best is used for aromatic, fruity and elegant white wines that range from very crisp and dry to well-balanced, sweet and of enormous aromatic concentration. While primarily a white wine country, red wine production surged in the 1990s and early 2000s, primarily fueled by U.S. demand, and the proportion of the German vineyards devoted to the Spätburgunder, the domestic name for Pinot Noir, is in the lead.
JOin our wine class on Monday 6/14 at 6:30 and taste through styles of Riesling such as Spatlese, Kabinette and Auslese ans well as Rose of Pinot Noit and Dornfelder from the Pfalz. .
Dornfelder is a dark-skinned variety of grape of German origin used for red wine.
It was created by August Herold (1902-1973) at the grape breeding institute in Weinsberg in the Württemberg region in 1955. Herold crossed the grape varieties Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe, the latter which bears his name, to create Dornfelder. Helfensteiner (Frühburgunder × Trollinger) and Heroldrebe (Blauer Portugieser × Lemberger) were both crosses created some decades earlier by Herold. Sound confusing? Don't worry---it all clears up when you taste them!
203-353-3319 to sign up!
