One of the most beguiling, revered and historic wine producing nations in the world is Germany and makes a plethora of styles of Riesling that identify with the same adjectives. It is also one of the most confusing wine classification systems for even the most engaged drinkers of these wines. At the World of Wine, we aim to empower our clients with the knowledge to make the best decision and find the best wines to suit any occasion. With this in mind, we have created this guide to hopefully demystify some of the more confusing terminology surrounding German riesling and help advance you along your own wine journey.
The Regions at a Glance
While Germany has 13 officially designated wine regions, called the ‘Anbaugbiete’, we will focus on the five most important regions for making world renowned riesling. Each region and micro-climate differs depending on what the producer aims to achieve, but generally speaking the below will help clarify the geographical locations and stylistic differences.
Mosel - The most westerly region of Germany, near the border of Luxembourg, with the 3 major appellations of vineyards planted on the steep slopes along the Mosel river. Riesling produced from the Mosel ranges from bone-dry styles all the way to lusciously sweet ‘noble’ styles. Lighter bodied wines with bracing acidity that accentuates the slate borne flavours of the different sites.
Rheingau - Located in the central hub of German wine production, north of Rheinhessen and Nahe, the Rheingau vineyards are planted along the banks of the River Rhine & River Main. Due to location the vineyards are warmer, producing medium-full bodied dry rieslings with regionally significant peach characters and with the proximity to the rivers can also produce noble rot/sweet styles.
Pfalz - The most southerly and largest of the major riesling regions. Protected by the Haardt Mountain range (essentially an extension of Voges range on the French border) this region has historically been referred to as an extension of Alsace. The warmest and driest, producing a large range of styles but focusing on dry Riesling of huge power, concentration and depth. The best vineyards are grown on the slopes of the mountain range which runs through the region. Produces the most volume.
Nahe - The Westerly region that is adjacent to the Rheinhessen, Nahe is renowned for the enormous variety of soil types and site specific expressions of Riesling. Slate, volcanic, sandstone or a blend of geologic soils, Nahe is a study in terroir and style originating from the earth. Generally powerful dry riesling is produced here.
Rheinhessen - The central focal point for German riesling production, with Nahe to the west, Rheingau to the north and Pfalz to the south. Combines history, structure and an aligned regional commitment to innovating riesling production. Utilises limestone soils with excellent drainage, as well the red-sloped banks of the Rhine river, location within the region drastically affects the resulting wines. Home to not only some of the greatest dry riesling on the planet but also some of the most accessibly priced.
Summary
This article only scratches the surface of the intricacies of German riesling and German wine production, but it should serve as a basic guide to understanding why these wines are labelled and how they are produced. At the World of Wine we encourage you to explore these wines in the most rewarding way possible - drink them - and uncover what your favourites are. In our experience, when the great German rieslings are poured they are commonly the wines with some of the least hype in the line-up but invariably steal the show.
Our next article will give you a guide to the German Classification system.