German Wine

Pairing German Wines With Meals, Part One

Perhaps one of the most common questions that people have regarding wine in general is which types of wine are best paired with certain types of food. This is especially true when dealing with German wines because if you are not familiar with the variations that exist with German wine, you may be uncertain about which may be the most suitable choice for your next meal. Luckily, today's blog is a beginning of a series focusing on which wines to pair with your favorite entrees. Today's focus will be wines that can be enjoyed with pasta, rice, or egg dishes.

For lighter pasta or rice meals, you may want to consider a wine that is equally light in terms of the overall sweetness of the taste. If you're a lover of white wines, you might be interested in trying out the Scheurebe or Auslese wines from Baden, Pfalz, and Rheinhessen. Riesling is often a great suggestion to consider, because it has a moderate body that can vary from light to full, and it comes with many variations that are worth trying. Nahe Riesling always tends to be enjoyable regardless of what type of meal you pair it with.

If you are going to be enjoying a spicy or heavily-seasoned dish, it is better to contrast it with a sweet wine. Consider options such as Spatburgunder Weissherbst, which has light yet rich notes of flavor to complement your meal. Alternatively red wine is going to be best paired with very heavy, rich dishes; these are the meals that you want to enjoy a glass of Portugieser, Lemberger Trocken, or Spatburgunder Trocken.

Understanding What Makes German Wine Unique

One question you may encounter regarding the subject of German wine is from those who want to know what makes it different from the rest of the wines that are available in the world. Of course, there are many other countries which are able to produce remarkable wines. However, Germany is unique for a few reasons.

Wine production in Germany is considered to be some of the most high quality in the world due to the traditional methods that are still used. One of the most common characteristics that is associated with German viticulture can be found in the amount of care that is taken when wine is being produced. By combining methods that have been proven from centuries of experience with some of the modern techniques available, the result is a quality wine that stands out among the rest. Germany is also known for using green methods to produce wine and harvesting the grapes by hand for some of the best wines that are available.

It is also impressive that such quality wine can be produced in Germany in consideration of the climate in the area. Because Germany tends to have a colder climate, the vineyards are generally located on slopes that are facing towards the south. This ensures that the vineyards would be able to get the most exposure to the sun in order to help the grapevines grow. Overall, aside from the unforgettable taste of German wines, it's the quality of production and the associated high standards that make this type of wine outstanding from the rest.

German Wine History

Knowing the history behind German wine can make every drink more enjoyable sometimes. If you're someone who likes to know unique trivia about different topics, wine can be a particularly interesting topic. Wine history can be intriguing because it often includes some of the most well-known individuals or time periods in history. While this type of knowledge is not commonly known about German wine, it can be a great conversation starter and piece of trivia during a conversation with a fellow wine connoisseur.

For example, winemaking in Germany used to be predominantly participated in western Rhine. The reign of Charlemagne helped winemaking to spread to the east. This is usually attributed to Charlemagne's support of Christianity, which was spreading to eastern areas at the same time. As Christianity began to spread in the area, the use of wine was becoming more popular because it was used by the many of the clergy members at local monasteries as an element of mass. As centuries passed, this spreading continued until wine was popular throughout the country.

Because the church had gained so much control as time progressed, many of the vineyards in Germany were subsequently owned by the church instead of the government at the time. The related concern was that there was less wine being produced during this era. As a result, Napoleon took control of the wine away from the church and began allowing the vineyards to be controlled by the government, which resulted in more separate vineyards being created. This allowed for wine to gain more popularity because it was more easily accessible than when it was controlled by the church.

An Introduction To German Wine

If you're an avid appreciator of wine, you probably have your own personal list of favorite wines that you are interested in. However, after a while, you will also probably start searching for new wines to experience as well. This is also true if you have friends that have a very devout interest in wine also - you will eventually want to discover a unique, memorable wine that they have not tasted before. In these circumstances, you might as well prepare yourself to search for the best wine available.
German wine is well known for having a strong and unforgettable taste and will be a perfect accent to some of your favorite dinners or on its own. There are 13 regions which produce wine in Germany. Among these regions, there are 39 districts, which are later organized into collective 167 vineyard sites. Within this statistic, there are over 2000 individual vineyards. As you can imagine, each of these vineyards create a great variety of wines that feature different tastes that can be suited for numerous scenarios.

This blog is going to explore the vast selection of German wines available. Not only will you be able to find wonderful recommendations of wines worth trying out, there will also be suggestions of what the wines should ideally be paired with, as well as some of the history that is associated with German wine. It is the perfect reference for any budding wine connoisseur who wants to learn more about some of the many wines they have not yet tried.