European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Zum Wohl a a guide to German wine a meal without wine is like a Day without Sunshine. A a. A a a Antic Leo Biltat Savann by Randy Pruitt staff writer. E very year is different. No one knows this better a than the winemaker and nothing is More telling than the wine itself a a a a a a a. In Germany this is especially. True German wines speak of a Long growing season of Steep Hillside acrobatics-,.of  labor and finally a if it really was a Good sunny year a of a drink to. Savor. A. German wines enjoy a a a a a. A it worldwide following. Every year the German wine Institute at. Main conducts we Klong seminars that attract citizens from other a. A european countries the United. States. Canada and Japan. A fresh and fruity taste High natural acidity crispness and Low a. Alcohol Content distinguish a  a German wines Many consider a. Them to be the world s most versatile Good with culinary. A a masterpieces and everyday foods or excellent just for sipping. A Quot people should enjoy,,&Quot a said Christian Adams who Heads -. The. Institutes Export division. Quot you should ask yourself Why. You like a a certain wine or Why you Don t does it fit a particular.food7 is it a a too Sweet is it too acidic is it too Light in the Way the food is. A a a a a a overpowering the wine Quot a a a a a a a. Knowledge of wine is gained with experience and comparison Adams said a a a a compared with other countries Germany s wine output of 1 billion liners is Small  accounts Quot a for Only 1 percent of world wine and 5 percent of wine in Thea european economic a Community Quot said Adams. Italy a and trance s outputs total 6.1 billion and 5.7 billion liners respectively exports of German wine however Are rather High at 25 to 30 percent Adams said France in comparison a sends about 17 percent of its wine to other countries fifty eight percent of German wine exports Ltd. Goto the United kingdom 12 percent to the Netherlands 10 percent to the  and v 9, percent to Japan. V. German wine comes from 11  growing districts each a a a nurturing  with a special a personality a total of 90,000 a owners cultivate,235,000 acres of vineyards each acre yields about a 5,000 bottles. About 87 percent is a. Planted in White grape varieties the rest in red grape varieties a  is almost exactly Quot a a a a a opposite of other wino producing a \ a regions in the world. A. Quot a White grape varieties and their characters tics based on Institute records Are a a a a a a ,. A a a a a. A a a Muller Thurgau is . A widely planted grape totalling 24 percent of total Vineyard area. Developed in 1882 by prof h. Muller  Switzerland it is probably a crossing of riesling a and Silvaner grape varieties its wine has a flowery bouquet a Milder acidity than a riesling and slight Muscat flavor. It is Best consumed while fresh and Young a riesling is the finest and Best known of Germany s White. A. Varieties making up 21 percent of the we crop the grapes Ripen slowly leading to their late Harvest  or november. The slow. Ripening process produces More Aroma and a harmonious balance the wine p fragrant with a Fine. Fruit bouquet pacy  it aging potent a v a a a a a a Quot a. Silvaner is a traditional variety accounting for 8 percent of the plantings. A v a. The wine s bouquet has been described As Neutral acidity is mid. It is described As a full. A bodies of wine enjoyed Best while a Young. A a. -. A a Kerner is  new a a crossing developed from a a Tillinger a red variety and the. White riesling. Kerner makes up 7 percent of Germany s  Breed produces thick skinned  grapes. A a a. A a -. Vav nes  a Light Muscat bouquet. Acidity is similar to v a riesling. A. A. A Scheu Rebe. 4 percent of a vineyards is another new crossing of Silvaner and riesling. A the wine has a Lively acidity and a bouquet and taste reminiscent of Blackcurrants a a Rulander is among the Best varieties in Germany and makes v of Only 3 percent of plantings wine is described As beings i Ooth soft and full on the palate. German red wines Are regarded 33 a speciality and Are often. -. Consumed where they Are grown. Their popularity is growing. Spa Burgunder is they t. Quot r Calm go a red counterpart and is planted on 5 percent of the total a v Weyard area. It produces elegant. U Octive wines. The . A is it Nal a came from the French province of Burgundy. A. I inns Are ri3garded As velvety. A bodied with a hint of almonds a a a a a. Per aug Eser originally came from the Danube Valley in Austria. Three percent of vineyards Are planted with this variety. \. Wines described As Quot easy. Going Quot Are flavorful Light and mild. A Trollinger grows almost exclusively in Syu Ottemberg. Only 2. Percent of vineyards cultivate the a variety. A. Wines Are fragrant and Hearty. Adams said 100 to 120 Days of. Sunshine Are needed to produce. Good wines something that is not always easy in this Northern it climate. The Lack of Sun accounts for the late harvests which begin in. Late october or Early november a. A two categories of Quality Taf Elwein and Quality Eswein have emerged under the German wine Law Taf Elwein called Deutscher Taf Elwein is table wine. Deutscher Landwei special table wine. Contains More body and character. Quot Tafel Wens run an average of $4 per bottle Adams said two categories make up. Q u a i i Tats we in. Quality Eswein. Bests meter Arbaug Biete is made from approved  that  style and traditional taste of the Region. Quality Eswein Mit Prad Kat. Includes the finest wines of Germany. Each carries one of six there Are 11 wine growing districts in Germany where grapes Are harvested every fall. Special attributes on its Label they Are. A Nabinett. Fine Light wines made from fully ripened grapes the lightest of the Prad Kat wines. Good with or without meals. A spa Tiese wines of Superior. Quality made from grapes harvested at least seven Days after the Normal Harvest. These wines Are More intense in flavor and concentration but not necessarily Sweet. Good with Richer More flavorful foods or by themselves. A a. \ /. A Auslee a Harvest of. Selected very Ripe Bunches. Wines Are intense in bouquet but Are not always Sweet. A . Made from overripe berries individually. Selected.  wines Are in this category. A Siswein wine created from. The Label the wines birth certificate geographic origin  the degree of ripeness at Harvest and the wine makers individual style determine a wines taste. And German wine labels provide All the information you need to select Thea right wine. A the specified growing Region one of the eleven. Designated regions in a Germany. A the year in which the grapes were harvested. A a the town and the Vineyard from which the grapes come. In this Case a hypothetical example a the . 5 the taste or style of the wine. In this Case Semi dry. A the Quality level of the wine indicating ripeness of the grapes at Harvest. Example of a German wine Label a Rhei Pfalz 1982. Ltd Winzer Dorfer Retberg a Muller Thurgau a Hal Brocken a  b a. A p. Or 5169h7  7a . Or Hon wire or a the official testing number proof that the wine has passed chemical and sensory testing. Required for All German Quality wines. Quot a a wines bottled and 1 produced by the grower or a cooperative of growers May be labelled  other wineries and bottlers Are identified a As  grapes harvested and pressed while Frozen truly unique wines. A  Mode from individually selected overripe  up to almost raisins. Hone like -. Sweetness is the end result. A adorns said qua Lital winos can be purchased Lor $6 to so a a a a bottle. A Spall so costs from $10 to $12. Buyers can expect to pay $12 and up for Ausloos and other. Specially wines. Prices May be slightly less at class i  in a  like Germany Adams said grape growers often experience difficulty in finding people to / Harvest each year s crop. Adams said the Insl Lule sometimes a helps coordinate arrangements Between the growers and a american students visiting Europe. A a. Quot sometimes people Don t realize How hard work it is Quot he said. Picking which must be done by hand takes two to three weeks. \. Many smaller growers or estate owners with Lull time jobs deliver. Continued on Page 16 amp a Quot y a j Friday aft 19,1991 the stars and stripes a Page 15