Winederland Ep.8: Esplorando il Rinascimento del vino tedesco, dal Riesling al Pinot Nero

Welcome wine lovers! In this enlightening episode of Winderland, we dive deep into the fascinating world of German wines. Despite ranking fifth among the world's wine producers, Germany has seen an exponential increase in the quality of its wine production over the past few decades. Join us as we explore the historical and contemporary landscape of German viticulture.

We start with a historical perspective, revealing how in the 19th century, German Riesling was sold at higher prices than first-choice Bordeaux wines in London. Today, Germany is known for producing some of the most vivid and pure expressions of fruit in their wines, offering a spiritual experience to wine enthusiasts.

Our journey through Germany's wine regions begins with an exploration of the country's best vineyards, strategically planted on slopes exposed to the southwest or east to capture every available ray of sunlight. We discuss how climate change has positively impacted German wine production, allowing for the gradual maturation of grapes, which results in more complex flavors.

Next, we delve into the unique characteristics of German wines, particularly their naturally high acidity, which contributes to their light palate and refined taste. We compare this to the robust wines of California, highlighting the German winemakers' focus on precision, sophistication, and transparency.

Germany is predominantly a producer of white wines, with Riesling and Müller-Thurgau being the most significant white grape varieties. However, red wines also hold a substantial position, making up 40% of the country's production. We spotlight the Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), known for its spicy, earthy, and delicate flavors, and the surprising emergence of Shiraz, which has produced some remarkably delicious reds in Germany.

We then move on to the organization of German wines, which is distinct from other wine-producing countries. German wines are categorized into six levels of ripeness: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and Eiswein, each offering unique flavors and characteristics. These categories range from light, low-alcohol wines suitable for meals to intensely sweet and rare wines made from hand-selected, noble rot-affected grapes.

Our tour of Germany's wine regions includes the Moselle, Rheingau, and Pfalz. The Moselle is renowned for its elegant wines and steep vineyards, producing wines with distinct mineral flavors. The Rheingau, with its aristocratic charm, offers richer and more voluptuous Rieslings, as well as spicy Spätburgunder wines. Lastly, we explore the inventive Pfalz region, known for its diverse soils and generous sunshine, resulting in almost extroverted wines with creamy acidity and tangible energy.

As we conclude this episode, we hope to have shared both emotions and intriguing information about German wines. Join us next week for another exciting adventure in the world of wine on Winderland. Cheers!

Episode Transcript

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Winderland is a podcast for anyone who has an interest in the world of wine.
Every week I dedicate my time sharing my passion for wine with educational lessons
on viticulture and international oenology for all of you wine lovers.
You gotta stay hungry Hey baby I'm just a fast-forwarding play I'm dying for.
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(00:38):
Some action I'm sick of seeing Welcome wine lovers!
Wine thank you thank you today in episode
8 of weinerland I will introduce you to the vineyard region
that ranks fifth among the wine producers
in the world which is one of the nations that
in the last decades has had an exponential increase in

(00:59):
its production quality germany in
the 19th century in the catalogues of the wine and
wine sellers in london the German Riesling tedesco
veniva venduto a prezzi più alti rispetto
ai bordeaux di prima scelta i migliori vini tedeschi
sono in molti modi ciò a cui tutti i
vini aspirano un'espressione del frutto così

(01:22):
vivido e puro che si solleva dal
mondo ponderoso e corporeo dell'umanità e
diventa un'esperienza spirituale naturalmente la
germania ha sempre conosciuto vini dolci economici
ma in realtà and their best wines are the opposite
dry obviously we will face
this confusion between dryness and sweetness later

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it is.
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Important to know that the best vineyards have always been
planted on slopes exposed to southwest or
east to capture the light and the color of

(02:05):
each available ray of sun in fact the
best vineyards of germany are also planted on rocky soils such as ardesia basalt
more than any other country in the world germany has benefited from climate
change therefore today every harvest produces mature grapes considered,

(02:26):
a success to be clear maturation in
germany usually proceeds gradually but this
is an advantage because the grapes that mature slowly
have a better possibility of developing
complex flavors compared to the
grapes that mature quickly due to their
naturally high acidity the best German wines

(02:49):
often seem light to the palate in fact the
acidity is so important that German wine
producers consider it in a qualitative way not only quantitative therefore due
to the naturally high level of acidity of the wine it is possible to think of
a German wine in the same way as one would think of a Californian wine.

(03:13):
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Grande e potente può essere un aggettivo desiderabile quando si applica al vino

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della California, ma la mentalità dei produttori di vino tedeschi sono diverse.
Ciò che sperano di ottenere è precisione, raffinanetezza e un senso di trasparenza,
il che significa che il vino diventa un riflesso puro dei sapori potenziali legati a un vigneto.
Tuttavia, non utilizzando il lievito commerciale,

(03:55):
adjusting the acidity in an artificial way capitalize or
make ferment or age the wine
in new barrels and many do not
even clarify the wines germany is
mainly a producer of white wines however the red wines are in a good position
with 40 percent of the entire production in addition to a considerable amount

(04:18):
of rosé after the riesling the white grape most important Germany is the Müller Thurgau,
which usually produces soft.
Decent wines, but rarely memorable.
On the other hand, Germany produces red wines that are very loved,
especially by local Germans.
In fact, more than 35% of all German wine varieties are dedicated to red grapes.

(04:45):
The most important and widespread is the Black Pine, Spatburgunder,
which in Germany produces a red, spicy, earthy and delicate.
But the biggest surprise is Shiraz, which would be a wine that is new in Germany,
has been transformed into some surprisingly delicious reds evocative of wild and wild herbs.

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The cellars are usually located
in small villages and margins of vineyards in fact
the labels of German wines often provide not only the names of the cellars but

(05:36):
also the names of the cities and vineyards in the past the connoisseurs of German
wines bought basandos wine first on the reputation of the vineyard then on the
name of the producer unlike other
wine-growing countries germany is distinguished by an organization,
different from the category categorization of

(05:58):
the quality style of its wines in fact
the wine can be produced in six levels
of growing maturation cabinet typically a light wine low in alcohol and usually
dry or semi-dry easy to drink suitable for meals then we have the spatelese

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which would be a completely,
mature wine and produces a greater intensity and slightly fuller body compared
to cabinet wines a spatelese can be dry or like a cabinet can be semi-dry then
we have the auselese in In general,

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the Ausolese can be produced only in the best years and that have been hot and successful.
Most of the wines of this style are opulent and today are often quite sweet.
Then we have the Bernasolese. These wines are rare and expensive,
made from individual grapes, very mature selected by hand,

(07:03):
affette dalla muffa nobile e
la chiamata botrytis enerea che conferisce
la loro ricchezza profonda e melliflua
poi abbiamo il trockenbarneslaes letteralmente
significa raccolta di bacche questi vini
sono assolutamente affascinanti nella loro

(07:24):
intensità e squilibrio esquisito and rightly expensive then finally we have
the swine it is called so because it is made of very mature and frozen grapes
it perfectly matches with cheese dessert spicy cuisine like the Indian and Mexican one I don't know.

(07:59):
Holly came from Miami, FLA,
Hitchhiked away across USA,
now if we want and talk about
the sub-regions of germany we
have the first is the moselle where

(08:22):
the most elegant wines are produced and moselle cultivates
the largest riesling the vineyards of moselle are
the steepest in germany and among the
steepest in the world the vineyards are also among
the most northern of germany the steepness
and in a region cold and northern vineyards means that the sun is in contact

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with the vines for a limited number and precious hours every day consequently
the vineyards of the moselle attack only the
slopes exposed to the south at every curve
of the river where the rivers look to the
north the slopes do not have vines the wine drinkers throughout history have

(09:08):
appreciated the wines of the moselle specifically for their ardesia mineral
flavors and wet rocks in a cold mountain of a cold mountain.
No other wine in Germany has the same flavor. Then we move on to the Rheingau.
The Rheingau is a aristocratic and serene wine region, with a long,

(09:31):
practically continuous horizontal slope, a wavy carpet with a condensation full
of mountain forests of the Taunus that are eroded behind it.
The main grape of the Rengau is Riesling.
The first record of the Riesling plantation in Germany dates back to 1435,

(09:56):
near the winery in the village of Johannesburg.
The Riesling here, however, is completely different from the Riesling of the Moselle.
It is richer, more round, more earthy and more voluptuous.
The best wines of the Rheingau have surprising aromas, in one sip they can suggest

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everything, from the flowers of Violetta and the black Ribes to the albicocca and the honey.
The other important grape of the Rheingau is the Spatbergunder,
the Pinot Noir, which here produces a pale red, but spicy, with a bitter almond flavor.
Bitter then we move on to the false it was

(10:39):
one of the most exciting vineyards inventive of
germany this is due to the
vast variability of the lands which is
another key element of the diversity of wines and
flavors given its more southern
latitude the sun is more generous the maturity is
more scontata i vini del falz e

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di conseguenza sono quasi estroversi con
il frutto inoltre l'acidità qui non è per
niente dura invece i migliori vini del falz
hanno un'acidità quasi cremosa e
un'energia tesa che è tangibile infine
l'impressione più morbida dell'acidità i vini
secchi del falz sono molto meno rigidi

(11:24):
e severe rispetto ai vini secchi del museo siamo alla conclusione anche oggi
spero di aver condiviso con tutti voi sia emozioni che informazioni interessanti
vi aspetto per la prossima ventura con wonderland ciao.
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