1. Growing environment
1.1. Vineyard management
1.1.1. Vintage variation
1.1.1.1. Northern most limit for ripening grapes
1.1.1.2. Grape fails to ripen in cooler years and site
1.1.2. Recent improvements
1.1.2.1. Warmer climate
1.1.2.2. Vineyard management techniques led by institute research
1.1.2.2.1. Better clonal selection
1.1.2.2.2. Summer pruning
1.1.2.2.3. Green harvest
1.1.2.2.4. Selective hand harvesting
1.1.2.2.5. Better canopy management
1.1.3. Vine training
1.1.3.1. Traditionally staked individually with canes tied at the top
1.1.3.1.1. Labor intensive
1.1.3.1.2. Requires skill
1.1.3.2. Single/double replacement cane pruning with VSP
1.1.3.3. Flurbereinigung
1.1.3.4. Pendelbogen
1.1.3.4.1. Improve the flow of sap
1.2. Climate
1.2.1. Cool continental
1.2.1.1. Site selection essential
1.2.1.1.1. Near the Rhein
1.2.1.1.2. Steep slope facing south
1.2.1.2. Cold winter
1.2.1.2.1. Eiswein production
1.2.1.2.2. Winter freeze
1.2.1.3. Warm wet summer
1.2.1.3.1. Fungal disease
1.2.1.4. Spring frost
1.2.1.5. Protected from cold winds and rain by mountains
1.2.1.5.1. Taunus
1.2.1.5.2. Haardt
1.2.2. Latitude 49–50°N
1.2.2.1. Vineyard at low attitude
1.2.2.1.1. Below 200m asl
1.3. Soil
1.3.1. Dark slate
1.3.1.1. Mosel
1.3.1.2. Ahr
1.3.1.3. Retain heat
1.3.1.4. Radiate heat at night
1.3.2. Pockets of calcareous soil
1.3.2.1. Baden
1.3.2.2. Pfalz
1.3.2.3. Rheinhessen
1.3.2.4. Spätburgunder
1.3.2.5. Chardonnay
1.3.2.6. Weissburgunder
1.3.2.7. Silvaner
1.3.2.8. Pfalz
1.3.2.9. Rheinhessen
1.3.2.10. Pfalz
1.3.3. Clay
1.3.3.1. Grauburgunder
2. Grape varieties
2.1. Riesling
2.1.1. Cold hardy
2.1.1.1. Suitable for cold winter
2.1.2. Late budding
2.1.2.1. Avoid risk of spring frost
2.1.3. Thick wood
2.1.4. Late ripening
2.1.4.1. Need good sunlight exposure and dry autumn
2.1.4.2. Planting fell in 1970-1980s
2.1.4.2.1. producers turned to the more reliable German crosses which could readily achieve the must weights required by law
2.1.5. Retain high acidity when fully ripe
2.1.5.1. High quality wine in a full range of style
2.1.6. Susceptible to botrytis
2.1.6.1. Ideal for sweet wine
2.1.7. Pronounced flavor intensity and complexity
2.1.7.1. Green fruit
2.1.7.2. Tropical fruit
2.1.7.3. White flowers
2.1.7.4. Tertiary aromas
2.1.7.4.1. Petrol
2.1.7.4.2. Honey
2.1.7.4.3. Toast
2.1.8. Susceptible to botrytis
2.2. Müller-Thurgau
2.2.1. Earlier ripening than Riesling
2.2.2. Produce high yield in almost any condition
2.2.3. most planted grape variety in the 1970s and 1980s
2.2.3.1. widely used in the production of inexpensive blends such as Liebfraumilch
2.2.4. Lower acidity than Riesling
2.2.4.1. can produce wines with attractive but relatively simple floral and fruity aromas for early drinking
2.2.5. Wine with structure and character
2.3. Spätburgunder
2.4. Dornfelder
2.4.1. fruity, easy-drinking style
2.4.1.1. a little residual sugar
2.4.1.2. aromas of sour cherry and blackberry
2.4.2. complex style with ageing potential
2.4.2.1. lower yields
2.4.2.2. Greater focus on tannins and structure
2.4.2.3. Fermented/aged in oak
2.5. Silvaner
2.6. Grauburgunder
2.7. Weissburgunder
2.8. Chardonnay
2.8.1. allowed in Germany since 1990
2.9. Scheurebe
2.9.1. can produce full-bodied wines with intense aromas of ripe grapefruit and peach
2.9.2. acidity levels lower than Riesling
2.10. Kerner
3. Winemaking
3.1. Inexpensive high volume wine
3.1.1. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks
3.1.1.1. Easy temperature control
3.1.1.2. Easy to clean
3.1.1.3. Does not introduce oxygen
3.1.1.4. still a common choice for mid-priced and premium Riesling/Silvaner
3.1.1.4.1. Maintain primary aromas
3.1.2. Red wines undergo thermovinification for quick extraction
3.1.2.1. fermented off the skins
3.1.2.1.1. fruity/ low tannins
3.2. High quality wine
3.2.1. Fermentation/maturation in large old oak
3.2.1.1. 1,000L Fuder of Mosel
3.2.1.2. oval-shaped 1,200 L Stück used along the Rhine
3.2.1.3. French oak is common for smaller vessels such as barriques
3.2.2. New oak
3.2.2.1. Rarely used for Riesling
3.2.2.2. Small proportion of new oak for red wine, Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder and Chardonnay
3.2.2.3. Rarely used for Riesling
3.2.3. Pinot noir
3.2.3.1. Cold maceration
3.2.3.2. Whole bunch fermentation
3.2.3.3. Maturation in oak
3.2.3.4. Whole bunch fermentation
3.3. Common practice
3.3.1. Enrichment
3.3.1.1. not permitted for Prädikatswein
3.3.1.2. often used to mask high acidity and bitterness from under-ripe grapes
3.3.1.3. Süssreserve
3.3.1.3.1. Unfermented/ partially fermented must
3.3.1.3.2. added to the dry wine just prior to bottling
3.3.1.3.3. contains minimal or no alcohol
3.3.1.3.4. thought to give less balanced wines
3.3.1.4. RCGM
3.3.1.4.1. can only be used for Deutscher Wein
3.3.2. Deacidification
3.3.2.1. Increasingly rare outside of bulk wine
3.3.3. Acidification
3.3.3.1. Only hot years
3.3.3.2. Used for inexpensive wine
3.3.4. RCGM
3.3.5. Deacidification
4. Regulation
4.1. Deutscher wein
4.1.1. Alcohol levels must be between 8.5% abv and 15% abv
4.1.2. can be produced in any style
4.2. Landwein
4.2.1. equivalent of PGI wine
4.2.2. can be produced at all sweetness levels
4.2.2.1. consumers cannot easily tell how dry or sweet
4.2.3. Alcohol levels must be between 8.5% abv and 15% abv
4.2.4. equivalent of PGI wine
4.3. Qualitätswein
4.3.1. grapes must come exclusively from one of 13 Anbaugebiete
4.3.2. can be produced at all sweetness levels
4.3.2.1. consumers cannot easily tell how dry or sweet
4.3.3. Minimum alcohol 7%
4.3.4. No maximum alcohol
4.3.5. Enrichment permitted
4.3.6. must undergo laboratory analysis and a blind tasting prior to release
4.3.6.1. AP numbers must appear on the label
4.4. Prädikatswein
4.4.1. Kabinett
4.4.1.1. can be produced at all sweetness levels
4.4.1.1.1. consumers cannot easily tell how dry or sweet
4.4.2. Spätlese
4.4.2.1. can be produced at all sweetness levels
4.4.2.1.1. consumers cannot easily tell how dry or sweet
4.4.3. auslese
4.4.3.1. the last category at which wines can be dry
4.4.3.1.1. consumers cannot easily tell how dry or sweet
4.4.4. Beerenauslese
4.4.4.1. Minimum 5.5% abv
4.4.4.2. Must be harvested by hand
4.4.4.3. Expensive
4.4.4.3.1. Low yield
4.4.4.3.2. Labor intensive
4.4.4.4. Typically botrytized
4.4.4.4.1. brief periods of humidity, followed by dry, sunny weather
4.4.5. eiswein
4.4.5.1. frozen grapes must be picked at temperatures below –7°C
4.4.5.1.1. grapes must be pressed whilst still frozen
4.4.5.2. Harvest from December to February
4.4.5.2.1. regularly lose some, and sometimes all, of crop either to disease or to predators
4.4.5.2.2. Some growers covering their grapes in plastic sheeting to protect them until they freeze
4.4.6. Trockenbeerenauslese
4.4.6.1. grapes must have been affected by botrytis
4.4.6.1.1. tiny amounts of highly concentrated, extremely sweet wines
4.4.6.1.2. Sweetness balanced by high acidity
4.4.6.1.3. Extremely low yield
4.4.7. grapes must come exclusively from a Bereich
4.4.7.1. the name of the Anbaugebiete must appear on label
4.4.8. enrichment is not permitted
4.4.9. can be produced from any grape variety