2_1_DiscoverGermany_May 2015_Issue26:Scan Magazine 1
27/4/15
15:00
Page 40
Big Wine Special Germany
Wine from German soil - experience, culture and taste Dating back 2,000 years, Germany’s wine history may well be equal in length to other European countries but it is remarkably distinctive. Like Goethe, viticulture is an inherent and very current part of the culture. And as is typical for the German culture of quality time, a glass of wine is often enjoyed directly from the winemaker in their wine taverns, wineries or wine stalls, or at one of the many wine festivals. International wine critics and authors praise the quality and versatility of German wine. In fact, it would be rare to find a dish that doesn’t team superbly with wine from a German wine cellar. TEXT & PHOTOS: DEUTSCHES WEININSTITUT GMBH | TRANSLATION: EMMIE COLLINGE
Diversity Germany’s 13 wine-growing areas, known as Anbaugebiete, are home to an enormous diversity of grapes and there are few places on earth that can rival the wine production in Palatine or Rhine-Hesse, where up to 100 varieties are grown. German winemakers have a veritable reservoir of grape
40 | Issue 26 | May 2015
varieties from which to choose, amongst which you’ll find ‘internationals’ such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The classics, think Riesling or Pinot varieties, naturally play a huge role, and Germany even boasts the world’s largest wine-growing areas for Riesling and Pinot Blanc