Category Archives: Wines

Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Rheinhessen Reds

 

What I Learned:

Of all the German states, Rheinland Pfalz has the most wine regions. And of all the German wine regions, the Rheinhessen wine region is the largest. Situated on the left/west bank of the Rhine, between roughly Worms and Mainz, it extends away from the river to as far west as Alzey-Weinheim, itself about 25 kilometers from the Rhine. In total, Rheinhessen vines cover approximately 26,000 hectares/65,000 acres.

The area round Ingelheim is known for its Spaetburgunder, or Pinot Noir. Most recent figures from the German Wine Institute show that white varietals represent about 63% of all cultivated vineyards, not unsurprising in a country where Riesling is king. However, more red varietals are being planted as the years pass, and of these, Spaetburgunder, Pinot Noir, leads the way with an impressive 11.5% of all red varietals in cultivated vineyards.

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Maindreieck’s Dettelbach

 

Bavaria’s only wine region, Franconia, has three wine districts, the Maindreieck, the Mainviereck, and the Steigerwald.  These wine growing regions are actually closer to Frankfurt am Main, than they are to Munich, the state of Bavaria’s capital. The Maindreieck, a triangle of land formed by an almost 180 degree turn in the Main River’s course, is particularly favored by nature to produce grapes. One of the major sites in terms of size is by the small town of Dettelbach, known for its consistently good wines.

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Switzerland, Wines

Wine Notes: Valais

 

What I Learned

Valais means valley, in this case, the Rhone River valley in Switzerland. Here, steep mountains rise up from the narrow, valley floor. This wine region in the southwestern corner of the country has Switzerland’s driest and sunniest weather. Thus, it is a little wine-making paradise, and accordingly, the Valais arguably produces some of the best- known wines in Switzerland.

In the Valais, vineyards lie on the north side of the Rhone, facing primarily south, from the west in Martigny to the east around Leuk. Within this area are several varietals that are little known to the general wine-loving population outside Switzerland. These include the white varietals of L’Amigne, Humagne, and the Petite Arvine, and the red varietals of Cornalin, Diolinoir and Gamaret.

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: French Moselle

 

What I Learned

The year 2011 saw the creation of the Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) Moselle. This AOC produces still white, red and rose wines. About 60 hectares and 20 communities participate in this newest of appellations. It falls in three distinct sections. One is by Sierck-les-Bains, where the Moselle first leaves French territory, heading into Germany and Luxembourg. A second is around the city of Metz, a bit further south. The third section is about 60 miles south from Sierck-les-Bains, around the town of Vic-sur-Seille.

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Baden-Wuerttemberg

 

What I Learned

Baden and Wuerttemberg were two different principalities, at one point in history. But in 1952, they joined to become one state in the Federal Republic of Germany. However, the wine regions of Baden and Wuerttemberg remain distinct. (There is no such thing as a Baden-Wuerttemberg wine region.) But in the northwest corner of the state, east of Karlsruhe, in a precinct named the Kraichgau, these two wine regions meet to form a complex mosaic of wine districts and noted growths.

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Italy, Wines

Wine Notes: Prosecco DOCG

 

What I Learned

The region producing Prosecco DOC wines maybe be found throughout northeastern Italy in the provinces of Belluno, Pordenone, Treviso, Padua, Gorizia, Udine, Venice and Vicenza. However, two major production districts within the Veneto region, in the Province of Treviso, are particularly well-known: Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (stress on the second “A”, in case you wondered). This is the designated Prosecco DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) area, a higher quality level than the Prosecco DOC. Conegliano anchors the eastern part of the area.

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Baden’s Kraichgau

 

What I Learned

The Kraichgau district of the Baden wine region is a relatively small pocket of hill territory located east of the Rhine and south of Heidelberg. This district is less well-known than many other Baden districts, and is characterized by small farming communities. The better-known Ortenau district of Baden begins south of the Kraichgau.

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Pouilly-Fuisse

 

What I Learned:

The Appellation Pouilly-Fuisse lies in the southern part of Burgundy’s Maconnais district, not too far from Lyon. It covers a small area: only Chaintre, Vergisson, Fuisse, Pouilly and Solutre, (known collectively as Solutre-Pouilly), totaling about 755 hectares (less than 1900 acres). This area was once under a vast sea, as is witnessed by the high concentration of limestone, made of trillions of trillions of tiny shells from ancient mollusks. Dropping down to the bottom of the sea, once the sea retreated, the shell mass solidified into calcareous limestone. This type of limestone can impart a fair degree of minerality to the wine.

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Pouilly Fume

 

What I Learned:

The Pouilly-Fume appellation is located along the central section of the Loire river on the right bank. Seven communes, to include the main town in the area, Pouilly-sur-Loire, lie within the appellation. It is not a large appellation, as there are slightly less than 1400 hectares (about 3500 acres) planted within the appellation limits.

It is a very well-known white wine appellation. For centuries, the area has produced wines. Its tradition of wine-making dates to late Gallo-Roman times, and the wines been esteemed since the medieval era, although it wasn’t until 1937 that it obtained appellation status.

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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Germany’s Tauber District

 

What I Learned

The Taubertal (Tauber (River) Valley) is a very diverse wine growing area. Following along the course of the river, upstream to downstream, you find 3 regions (Franconia, Baden and Wuerttemberg) and 4 districts represented: Franconia’s Mainviereck District, Baden’s Tauberfranken District, Wuerttemberg’s Kocher-Jagst-Tauber District, and Franconia’s Maindreieck District. All this within about 120 miles of a fairly narrow river valley! The frequent district changes reflect the diverse soils and growing conditions in each region. Of course, these differences result in a variety of unique wines produced along the Tauber.

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