The Evolution Of German Wines
Whilst not always top of the list, Germany has one of the most noble and historic wine cultures of all. As well as being home to one of the world’s greatest grape varieties, Riesling, and producing wines which have graced tables across the world for centuries, Germany has also given the wine world some of the most pioneering winemakers and producers, both today and over the last 2 centuries. From Germany to the far-flung corners of the New World, especially Australia - A swift bit of research into the origins of some of the most famous and respected wine names in Australia trace back to German immigrants with winemaking backgrounds.
Historically, Germany, alongside France, dominated the international wine scene, and no more so than in England, where it was popular at court and in high society during the 18th and 19th centuries and shared prices similar to classed growth Bordeaux. ‘Hock’ and ‘Mosel’, made from varieties like Kerner and Muller-Thurgau, were the names that German wine was mainly known as. In the 20th century, German wines became very popular as the trend for home wine drinking grew, and by the 70s, Liebfraumilch, as this style became known, were some of the biggest sellers, giving consumers a sweet, fruity, easy-drinking wine, which was very affordable too. This boom unfortunately also proved to be their undoing.
By the 80s, Germany, the ‘grande dame’ of wine-producing countries fell off its high perch, and seemed to become doomed by its own success. Liebfraumilch accounted for 60% of all German wine exports which was fuelled laregely by two brands: Blue Nun and Black Tower. The rapid rise of supermarket own brand wines also contributed as German producers were very cost effective thanks to the volumes they could sell at this time. For a country that produces some of the most exquisite, elegant, and stylish white wines in the world, focussing its trade on the cheaper end of the market was short-term thinking and influenced consumers into thinking that this was all Germany was capable of, particularly when consumer preferences changed to dry wines, leaving Germany in the lurch.
Today, German wines' reputation is yet to recover to its former glory. However, the German wines we now see are very different to the 70s versions which is pushing things in the right direction. It is no longer the sweet, plonky styles, but rather a focus on premium, recognisable grapes such as Pinot Noir and high quality dry Rieslings. The average wine drinker isn't completely on board yet, but slowly it is happening as sales are beginning to creep back up since the focus has shifted to quality. In 2024, there was a 3% increase in export volume. With luck, soon everyone will realise that Germany is capable of producing some of the most divine, sublimely unique white wines in the world, which simply beg discovery by the wider wine drinking public.
Germany And Its Wine Growing History
Germany has been producing wine for centuries, and has a very proud history. Records trace wine growing back to Roman times, and many of the top estates, known internationally today, began as monasteries, where grapes were grown and wine was made. The world famous Schloss Johannisberg is one such example.
Much of Germany’s wine history is inextricably linked with the church, with the monasteries key in developing the vineyards and winemaking culture of the country back in medieval times. By the 16th century, winemaking was very important in western Germany, with around 4 times as many vineyards as there are today, however, this diminished as the Thirty Years War caused rapid decline and vineyards were uprooted for grain to feed the new bread and beer culture.
The majority of Germany’s vineyards are based in the western part of the country where viticulture first came to the Rheingau, arguably the most famous and high quality producing region, during the era of the emperor Charlemagne in the years around 700 AD. During the 19th century, Napoleon took control of all the vineyards; his new laws, including those of inheritance, meant that vineyards were divided and subdivided through ensuing generations, leading to many small holdings, and the rise and development of group cooperatives. Many top estates managed to hold onto their prized vineyards despite this.
Given its northern location, red grapes have traditionally been difficult to grow and ripen successfully (although with climate change red wine production is now growing), and over 60% of all wine produced is white. Germany’s main grape is the noble variety Riesling, a grape much loved by wine aficionados, but much reviled and misunderstood by many wine drinkers, who still associate it with the nasty, cheap, sugary wines of the 70s and 80s.
The first records found show that the Riesling has been planted in Germany since the 16th century, originally in Rheingau and then moving to Mosel. Records also track the discovery of ‘noble rot’, a mould that attacks the grapes but in the right conditions can produce some of the best dessert wines, back to the 18th century at Schloss Johannisberg. In those days, wine estates had to receive permission to begin the vintage. So, in 1775, the courier sent with this permission to Schloss Johannisberg was 2 weeks late. During this time noble rot developed on the Riesling grapes, resulting in a unique, sweet wine, which became known as ‘spatlese’, meaning "late harvest". Germany has been famous for these styles of wine ever since.
The majority of Germany’s vineyards are based close to the 2 main rivers, the Rhine and the Mosel, with the highest quality wines coming from the south-east facing slopes of the Rheingau, and the vertiginous slate soils of the Mosel. Until the 20th century production was very much focussed on quality, however the phylloxera vine pandemic and two World Wars meant that wine growing areas halved. Post 1945, high volume and cheap was understandably the best way to go which caused the move towards volume production and the popular, albeit brief, rise of Liebfraumilch.
During this time wine production expanded to regions such as the Pfalz and Rheinhessen, with reliable, low-maintenance grapes such as Muller Thurgau and Silvaner increasingly used for volume. Red wine production also began to grow, more so in recent years, with the focus on light, low tannin red grapes, such as Dornfelder and Spatburgunder, which are more suited to Germany’s cooler climate and don’t need the level of hot weather and sunshine that bigger, higher tannin black grapes do.
Wine Regions in Germany
The wine regions of Germany are almost entirely in the west of the country, with only 2 minor regions, Saale-Unstrut and Saxony, located in the eastern side of the country. There are 13 defined regions, within 39 districts (Bereiche), 167 collective vineyards (Grosslage), and nearly 2,700 individual vineyard sites (Einzellagen).
Ahr
Ahr is a small, northern, premium wine producing region with only 560 hectares under vine. Unusually, for its location, over 80% of plantings are for black grape varieties, mainly from Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir). The vineyards lie along the river Ahr, which cuts a steep, narrow valley through the region on dark slate and greywacke soils. This is perfect for ensuring the grapes get adequate sun exposure and heat given the latitude.
Reds used to be made with some sweetness as they were harvested late to ensure ripeness, however, climate change means that grapes are harvested earlier, resulting in dry styles. You now find some very premium Spatburgunder from here with relatively high tannin and spiced oak notes.
Baden
Baden is Germany’s most sunny and warm wine growing region, situated to the south west not far from Alsace and the Vosges mountains. It has a variety of microclimates reflected by the fact that it is split into a number of Bereiche (districts). Baden is best known for its Spatburgunder reds which come in a variety of styles due to the varied climates. The steep, south-facing slopes around an extinct volcano, the Kaiserstuhl, are where you'll find the most full-bodied, complex wines available. Cooler areas such as Ortenau and Tuniberg produce wines with greater acidity and more delicate fruit.
Still, over 60% of plantings are in fact for white varieties. Why, because the warm region is ideal for high volume grape production from Muller-Thurgau and Silvaner. Despite this, there has also been a growing reputation for other more premium white grapes. Chardonnay, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), often oak matured, are coming into recognition. Some full-bodied Riesling is also made to a high quality.
Unlike a number of German regions, around 75% of production in Baden is by cooperatives rather than smaller estates.
Franken
Franken is a relatively small wine producing region a little further east than the other key German wine regions. The vineyards are clustered close to the river Main.
The vast majority of wine production is white, interestingly with a history of dry styles rather than sweet. Muller-Thurgau is the most planted with only a little bit of Riesling. However, the top grape here is Silvaner, which produces full-bodied, floral wines with mineraly notes. The very best is found around the town of Würzburg. Silvaner plantings have however fallen quite considerably over the last few decades. Spatburgunder also performs well in the west of the region.
Franken is the only area where wine in Germany is allowed to be bottled in the unique flagon style, dumpy bottles, called ‘Bocksbeutel’. Most of the wine is consumed domestically but its worth keeping an eye out for.
Hessische Bergstasse
Hessische Bergstrasse is the smallest of the 13 wine regions of Germany, accounting for under 1% of total production, and very few of these wines are seen outside Germany. This area is a great tourist venue, close to the famous city of Heidelberg, and is actually very favourable for grape production, due to its high levels of sunshine, and warmer climate - however there are less than 500 ha of vines.
It is situated south of Frankfurt, to the west of the Rhine and the main Rhine wine regions. The majority of the wine is Riesling, with some reds from Spatburgunder.
Mittelrhein
This is another very small wine region, whose wines are rarely seen outside their native area. It’s a narrow area of around 100km long, and lies between the famous Mosel valley and the Rheingau. The best wines are grown on steep slopes of schist, slate and gravel, facing the south, but winemaking here is in the doldrums, and production is decreasing.
The majority of the wines are white, from Riesling and Muller Thurgau, with some red Spatburgunder, although the more northernly location makes the wines tend towards the light, and almost thin side in terms of style.
Mosel produces some of the most sublime, unique, and complex Riesling in the world which makes up over 60% of plantings. It is also one of the most beautiful, scenic wine regions in the world with extraordinarily steep topography. Due to the dramatic scenery, with vineyards clinging to almost vertical slopes, manual labour is often the only way of working the vineyards. It is intensive, and also expensive. The region also covers the Saar and the Ruwer, tribituaries of the Mosel river. It’s probably the most famous of Germany’s wine regions and deservedly so.
As one of the most northern wine areas, the climate is cool meaning that site selection is important to allow the grapes to ripen. The best vineyards are south-facing along the Mosel's banks giving them optimum sun exposure and even reflection from the water. The soils are dark slate, able to retain the heat from the day and slowly release it during the cold nights, further helping ripening. The region is divided into 3, logically named sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Mosel. The most famous estates and vineyards lie in the middle section, with names such as Bernkastel and Piesport.
Due to these unique conditions, Mosel Riesling is lighter in body and higher in acidity than Riesling from anywhere in the world, with intense aromatic, floral aromas. Their bottle ageing potential is legendary, capable of evolving over decades into petrol flavoured, nutty wines.Wines from the Saar tend to be the most mineral, whilst the Ruwer ones are more delicate.
The region also has a strong reputation for sweet Riesling across all levels of German sweetness classification from Kabinett to Eiswein.
Situated between Mosel and Rheinhessen, Nahe is one of the smaller, lesser known wine regions, consisting of a number of small estates over a wide area. White grapes account for over 75% of all plantings with Riesling at the top. The conditions are a little warmer than Mosel although not quite as warm as regions around the Rhine, resulting in a style between the two. Riper and fuller than Mosel, but not as much as Rheingau or Rheinhessen.
Like the Mosel vineyards, the best vineyards (particularly in the east), are on dark slate soil, and cling vertiginously to the steep slopes of the hills bordering the river.
In the heyday of German wine, Muller Thurgau and Silvaner were the main grapes grown, along with Riesling, however nowadays, the focus is totally on quality in this small area, and Riesling reigns supreme, with an increasing amount of red wine from Spatburgunder and Dornfelder also being grown.
This is the second largest wine producing region of Germany, a narrow strip of vineyards between the Haardt Mountains (The Vosges in Alsace) and the Rhine plain. It enjoys a warmer climate than other more northern Rhine regions with vineyard locations ranged from steep slopes down to the flat plains.
The best and most famous vineyards are in the Mittelhaardt area in the North of the region. With south-facing slopes in the foothills of the mountain range; they are protected growing conditions with plenty of sunshine. The upcoming region of the Südliche Weinstrasse has recently seen an influx of a new generation of winemakers, who are leading the region away from its high volume roots into quality wines made from Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder and Weissburgunder. The Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc plantings are largely common thanks to French rule over this region and are fairly similar to the Alsace style.
White wines dominate plantings with Riesling taking up about a quarter of total vineyard space. Because it is slighlty warmer here, the wines are richer and fuller. There is more potential yet to be explored for the reds here with Dornfelder currently the most planted black grape. However, Spatburgunder is growing in popularity.
Even more so than Mosel, this is where the most iconic Rieslings are made, housing some of the most prestigious estates in Germany including Schloss Johannisberg and Schloss Vollrads. Nestled in a bend of the river Rhine as it turns eastwards, the vineyards enjoy the warmth of the direct southern-facing locations and protection by the Taunus Mountains, resulting in riper, fuller Riesling than Mosel.
The focus here is quality, with low yields, steep slopes and a range of soil types. Riesling makes up 77% of the region's total plantings! Most of the wines are dry, however, it also has a very good reputation for sweet wines, where botrytis’ or ‘noble rot’ was first discovered back in the 18th century. Spatburgunder can be found around Assmannshausen with the steep Höllenberg vineyard worthy of mention for full-bodied, outstanding quality Pinot.
Despite its formidable reputation, Rheingau only accounts for around 3% of total German wine production, which intensifies its status as a the most premium wine region in Germany.
The largest wine producing region in Germany, home to a quarter of German vineyards and responsible for the vast production of Liebfraumilch and Hock, which flooded shelves in the 70s and 80s. It lies in the middle of Rheingau, Nahe and Pfalz with the Rhine on it's east flank. It is warm, dry and with fertile soils, making it capable of high production.
White grapes are over 70% of plantings with Riesling, Muller-Thurgau and numerous other German grapes you've never heard of, mainly used for inexpensive blends. Dornfelder is the most planted red by far, with small amount of Spatburgunder.
Bulk production is still the focus and it is home to the major German wine brands. Still, there is some growing quality in the region. The Rheinterrasse, an area with steep slopes is capable of producing ripe Riesling with lemon and peach flavours. Within the region is also a narrow strip called the Roter Hang, famed for its Rotliegenden soils which are red and iron-rich and produce Riesling with a distinct smoky character. To the south, the Wonnengau area is also gaining a reputation for Riesling and Spatburgunder.
Saale/Unstrut
Lying way north, and the most northern and eastern wine producing region of Germany, this is a small region, which is climatically challenged in terms of wine production. It has a long history of wine production, dating back well over 1000 years, but as one of the most northern wine producing areas in the world, it struggles to get ripeness in the grapes. Muller Thurgau is the main grape grown here.
Wurttemberg
Wurtemmberg is the 4th largest wine producing region in Germany, located just north of Stuttgart to the east of Baden and south of Franken. The main production is light, fruity reds that are seldom exported. A number of upcoming small estates are producing some very good wines on steep, terraced vineyards near the river Neckar.
The main planted black grapes here are Trollinger (Schiava in Italy, or Vernatsch in Austria), Lemberger (Blaufränkisch in Austria) and Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) which give the region an exciting point of difference for wine drinkers wanting to explore. Recently, there has been a trend towards riper, fuller-bodied reds with oak ageing higher alcohol from Lemberger that are gaining some traction. Riesling makes up about half of white wine produced in the region.