Sommeliers and wine critics, well acquainted with its charms and severity, perpetually fight its underdog status, waging a long information campaign to educate casual wine drinkers that not all German Riesling is sweet. It’s a versatile grape in terms of sugar: Riesling offers a little or a lot of sweetness—or lacks it completely. We announce its purity, its effortless expression of terroir, its usefulness as a foil for many styles of cuisine, its ability to age magnificently in the cellar. Certainly no country in the world is more tied to the fortunes of Riesling than Germany, which grows almost half of the world’s total supply. But even as the variety finally ascended to become the Germans’ most planted grape in the last days of the 20th century, the country has a richer field of varieties than the stereotype suggests—and the Germans love drinking dry wines! (From 1985 to 2015, the percentage of total German wines vinified dry shot up from 16 to 46%.) Today, a sommelier well-versed in Germany’s offerings should understand its trocken styles, its noble sweet wines, everything in between, red wines, Silvaner, Pinot Blanc, and other grape varieties coming from a diverse set of growing regions and soils, wrapped up in tradition, reclaimed by modern voices, defined in wine law but often exemplified in extralegal categories, rendered obscure by the fearsome constructs of its own language, and… Ah, well. Achtung!
Vitis vinifera arrived in Germany with the Romans, whose legionnaires crossed the Alps over 2,000 years ago and extended their eastern frontier to the Rhine River, far from the traditional bases of viticulture in their Mediterranean homeland. Germanic tribes adopted
Hey, Jacob! Great question. There are a few things to keep in mind here. First and foremost, the Roter Hang is a large area of ~180ha of vineyards. That said, it is challenging to designate the whole area as a singular soil type, as the soils will ebb and flow at different levels of elevation, exposure, and erosion. As a whole, red clay is the iconic feature of the hill. Depending on where you are, there are elements of slate and sandstone along the way. Rotliegendes is a term used to describe the soil of the hill, but due to the area's diversity, it has evolved to represent all the soil types of the hill. At the end of the day, I'd go with a broad definition like "red clayey slate and sandstone."
Also, in the expert guide it says, "There is one area historically associated with quality winegrowing in the Rheinhessen: the Roter Hang, a “red hill” of clay and weathered red sandstone (Rotliegendes) on the left bank of the Rhine between the villages of Nierstein and Nackenheim. But also, in the Glossery of terms it says, "Rotliegendes: Reddish slate."" Help!
I am looking for the most solid answer here...the soil type found in the Roter-hang is, per VDP Site: The VDP.GROSSE LAGE® is located in the upper approximately eight hectares of Rotliegendes (red weathered clayey slate). The lake-like broadening of the Rhine, the intense morning sun, and the highly weathered red slate strongly influence the microclimate.....So I ask, can I get clarification if it is going to be red slate or red clay?
Thank you very much
Hey, Réza! It is definitely considered a regional specialty as opposed to one focused withing a single bereich. That being said, the most important bereiche of the region are Württembergisch Unterland and Remstal-Stuttgart.
Hello,Are they specific bereich known for Lemberger in Wurttemberg?
Thanks, Juan! We will have all the planting data and top grapes reviewed and updated shortly!
Another change in a region's top grape is in Wurttenberg:www.winesofgermany.com/.../wuerttemberg
The percentages of grape varieties planted in all regions has changed, a big one is that Silvaner is now the most planted variety of Franken and has taken the throne from Muller-Thurgau. www.winesofgermany.com/.../franken
Matthieu Kauffman is mentioned in the section of sekt, it is worth noting he has not been at Von Buhl since 2019.