The principal reason I love Riesling as much as I do is obvious: it’s simply the joyful, nervy, exhilarating way it tastes…and how seamlessly that taste goes with food.
But…aha!…there are other reasons as well! No grape in the world (with the possible exception of Pinot Noir) leads as demonstrably to finished wine that is a document of its own geography. This is especially true in Germany, where the Riesling vine sucks up its soil and responds to its minute meteorological changes like nobody’s business. Of course, you don’t have to know about all this to enjoy German Riesling…but we wine geeks have an informational side as well (it’s part of the fun!)…and Riesling is one precise mother vine.
There are 13 official wine regions in modern Germany (the number expanded when East Germany and West Germany joined together in 1990). My favorites are all in what used to be West Germany, between Frankfurt and the French border. Here’s a map of the western German regions (click and expand image for better view):
I’ve picked out six of these regions to discuss below (my faves!), so you can get a feel for the delicate balance between wine and place:
THE MOSEL
Arguably the best-known wine region of Germany is the Mosel, which sits in the far northwest corner of Germany. It is one of the most northerly wine-growing regions in the world, one of the coldest, and contains the world’s steepest slope planted to vines (along with a zillion other steep ones–no machine-harvesting here!). Another key geographic factor is the river’s bends, its loops, its swirls (see photo above). This factor, along with many variations in the slate-based soil, leads to infinite variation in vineyard sites–so keeping track of Mosel vineyards and wines is always a great game for geeks! Typically, Mosel wines are Germany’s lightest, most elegant, with super-vibrant acidity. Lots of Mosel lovers prefer off-dry Rieslings from the Mosel, the wines weighing in at only 8 or 9% alcohol. The Mosel winemakers, however, have been working for decades on “Trocken” wines, or dry wines–and many of these wines today, though the alcohol may go up, still carry the signature Mosel elegance.
THE RHEINGAU
The Mosel’s chief rival for global visibility is the nearby Rheingau, on the Rhine River. Oh, the Rhine River itself flows through a number of regions in this special corner of Germany, but only the Rheingau can use a naming term that translates as “Rhine district.” Why is this one place considered to be the heart of Rhine winemaking? The answer, I believe, is again in the bend of a river: for about 30 km the Rhine, atypically, flows west at this place (it is usually flowing north). Visualize that. That means that all of the vineyards on the northern slopes of the river in this Rheingau stretch face south–enabling them to suck up an unusual amount of warmth in this cool place. (See the photo above of vines sloping down to the town of Rudesheim). This makes Rheingau wines richer than Mosel wines…”steelier” and more “aristocratic” are typical descriptors for wine geeks–but still in the recognizably elegant style of northern Germany. Once again, off-dry Rieslings from the Rheingau are adored by many geeks–but the Rheingau winemakers have long been more proficient than their Mosel brethren in the production of bone-dry Rieslings.
THE NAHE
This is the forgotten member of the reigning region triumvirate…but to many geeky geeks, the Nahe (pronounced, roughly, as NAH-huh) is making some of the most exciting wines of all in Germany today. One reason for neglect is the diverse geography of the region; it is hard to pinpoint a “typical” Nahe vineyard…so casual wine drinkers don’t carry away a strong image of the Nahe. That shit’s gotta stop! Yes, there are few Mosel-like impossibly steep, indelibly memorable slopes in the Nahe…but there is a twisty-windy path near and pretty near to the Nahe River, with a dazzlingly wide variety of topographical features and soils. For classification purposes, the Nahe is divided into three sub-regions. If you’re learning only one, the Upper Nahe is the one…with such great wine towns as Schlossböckelheim, Oberhausen, Niederhausen, and Traisen. Styles vary, of course…but at its most typical Nahe wine is even more concentrated than Rheingau wine, but with even more of the electric acidity we normally associate with the Mosel.
THE PFALZ
This very important region used to be known as “the Rheinpfalz,” situated as it is near the Rhine River. But the authorities in their incessant zeal to make things “easier,” dropped the “Rhein” part a few years ago, and turned the region into “the Pfalz.” Whatever you call it, the region is to the south of the others discussed above…and therefore considerably warmer; in the Pfalz, they even grow such warm-weather specialties as figs and almonds. Topographically, the Pfalz is less dramatic than either the Mosel, the Rheingau or the Nahe; lots of plains and very gently rolling hills are the norm (see photo above). Because of the greater heat, Pfalz Rieslings are some of the “fattest” in Germany, with lots of concentration and structure. A Pfalz wine picked very ripe, and vinified to dryness, has no trouble reaching 14% alcohol; these big, dry wines are very much to the taste of those reared on big, New World whites. Of course, many Pfalz producers strive for elegance, as well–and, this being Germany, there is always great acid to counterpoise the weight.
THE RHEINHESSEN
Another Rhine region (though this one has retained its “Rhein” part of the name), the Rheinhessen was principally a region for the cultivation of Riesling in quantity–often resulting in mass-market wine that did not give the region a good name. Things changed radically about twenty years ago, when producers with higher goals in mind stepped up to the plate. The typical Rheinhessen description of “flowery and soft, lacking the ‘cut’ of wines made in the nearby Rheingau and Rheinpfalz”–has become outdated. Today, especially on the slopes of the Rheinterrase (between Oppenheim and Nackenheim, on the east side of the Rheinhessen, see photo above), dynamic producers are making vigorous wines of excellent quality–though acid levels are still often not of the super-nervy kind.
THE MITTELRHEIN
This poor region gets hardly any attention at all…but, to me, parts of it are producing fabulous wine, real bargains in the marketplace, that stand up to the best of any region. Its vague impression on the wine-buying public may come from the fact that it is geographically amorphous. Part of it actually lies along the Rheingau, but on the southern slope of the river (see photo above). Another part of it lies along the Rhine just above the Rheingau, on the same side of the river! So some of the wines may be full of Rheingau-like breed, and some (more northerly ones) may be even crisper than Rheingau wines. Best advice: identify top producers and follow them!
So what do you do with this regional knowledge? You eat it! One week ago, I had the extreme pleasure of hosting a party in Manhattan…
…that featured the insanely delicious charcuterie of Eric Korsh from Calliope, one of NY’s buzziest bistros…along with some of the superb German Rieslings I’m importing as part of my David Rosengarten Wines for Food family. Regionality was rampant, as always! On this night, we featured wines from the Mosel, for their delicacy…and wines from the Pfalz, for their richness. Cut through the pork or match its weight–your choice!
Here are some photos from the party:
Photos courtesy of Wines of Germany and Leiti Hsu
