Glou-Glou is your rendezvous with natural wines from all over Europe, with forgotten grape varieties and ancestral winemaking methods brought up to date.
Every week, Zeweed brings you healthy wines to share with friends all day long. To be drunk with or without moderation, but always in the Glou-Glou spirit.
Today, I’m talking about German wines and answering the question you’re already asking yourself, “Are German wines for real?”
Because it’s not just beer that’s produced in Germany, and curiosity always leads me to try something new, let’s talk about German wines.
Already the world’s leading consumer of organic wines, Germany’s wine production has been steadily improving over the past 20 years. 100,000 ha of vines, compared with our 900,000 ha in France, isn’t much, but it’s enough to warrant interest, and Germany is still the world’s leading producer of Riesling.
Mainly concentrated in the south and south-west, German vineyards are spread over 13 regions, with 35% reds and 65% whites.
Red grape varieties are more recent (pinot noir, in the majority, but also dornfelder and regent) and the most common white grape varieties are riesling (20% of the surface area), sylvaner, gewürztraminer, müller-thurgau, and also more recently weissburgunder (pinot blanc), grauburgunder (pinot gris) and chardonnay.
Interestingly, the average size of a vineyard is 3 hectares or less, making Germany a country of small producers, where cooperation is paramount.
We know most of Germany’s grape varieties because they’ve been grown in Alsace for centuries, but climate and terroir produce very different results on either side of the Rhine. Most German vineyards are grown on hillsides or steep slopes, protected by forests that shelter them from the wind, and almost always near a river, reflecting the sun and tempering the climate.
The climate in the production regions is always cool and stable, with few heatwaves.
German wines are therefore relatively light in alcohol, rarely more than 12 degrees for whites, and up to 13 degrees for reds.
Traditionally, German consumers preferred sweet white wines, but today the situation has changed considerably, and most white wines produced in Germany are dry, with the best showing great finesse and purity.
On a beautiful summer’s day by the pool, I chose 6 wines: 4 rieslings, 1 pinot blanc and 1 rosé, all certified organic and/or biodynamic.
Rosé Heitlinger 2020, from the Baden region:
A blend of 3 grape varieties: pinot noir (spätburgunder), lemberger and riesling noir, this rosé comes from the biodynamic Heitlinger estate, in a magnificent region between Karlsruhe and Heidelberg.
This is a wine with red fruit aromas (strawberry and cranberry), but very well balanced, it remains dry and is a perfect companion for the pool, terrace or barbecue. Light in alcohol (11°), it’s perfect for hot summer days.
Available to order here
Pinot blanc Kesselring, 2020, from the Pfalz region (Rhineland Palatinate):
This single-varietal pinot blanc, produced by Lukas Kesselring, has aromas of green apple and lemon, and is fruity on the palate (apple, melon, pineapple) with a nice acid finish. 12° alcohol for pleasant afternoon sipping.
Riesling Signature Kesselring 2020 :
From the same estate, a very dry, juicy and fresh Riesling, 12.5° alcohol. Quite floral on the nose, with citric notes, on the palate we taste pear, apple and a fine minerality.
Available to order here
Riesling Meyerhof “Liaison” 2020, from the Rhineland region:
This Riesling is noticeably drier than the previous one, and also a little pearly.
Very citric, with notes of green apple, this is a very fresh wine, very pleasant to drink at the height of summer, 12° alcohol.
Available to order here
Peter Jakob Kühn, Doosberg Riesling 2018, from the Rheingau region (near Frankfurt):
THE star Riesling winemaker in Germany, certified biodynamic since 2004. His wines are classified as grand cru, and they deserve it!
On the nose, notes of citrus fruit and verbena, and on the palate, great mineral purity with a long, persistent finish.
This is a wine that will go wonderfully with fish and shellfish, as well as goat’s cheese.
Available to order here
Reichsrat Von Buhl Forster Kirchenstück Riesling 2016, from the Pfalz region
This family estate, founded in 1849 and located just north of Strasbourg, produces some of Germany’s most renowned wines.
With this 2016, we see the ageing potential of this magnificent Riesling. With its lovely golden color, it has citric and floral aromas (rose petals), green apple, peach and pineapple on the palate, with a final acidity that brings great freshness.
Available to order here
All these wines show just how far Rhine winemakers have come in the last twenty years, with very drinkable, very glou-glou wines, and the last 2 tasted also display great aromatic complexity.
Have a good weekend, and see you next week for another glou-glou!
