Wine Region Blog- Baden Wine Region of Germany

                                 

 Baden Wine Region of Germany

     The Baden Wine Region is in the southernmost area of Germany’s 13 wine regions. It spans over 250 miles from the Border of Franken in the north to Lake Constance in the south making it the longest wine region in Germany. Historical documents state that some of the region’s vines have existed since the end of the Ice Age, and wine-making dating back to the 12^nd century. Records start production in the 1300”s.  The region is primarily situated on the eastern bank of the river Rhine where it’s warm and sunny location presents the perfect locale for a vineyard. Baden vineyards are primarily family owned and attached to cooperatives that produce wine following strict guidelines. Over 80% of the wine in Baden is produced by cooperatives. A cooperative is an agricultural cooperative which is involved in winemaking and owned by its members. In Germany, the Baden region is the only wine region in Zone B rather than Zone A. The Zones allow stricter regulations and criteria for wine production. Currently there are over 100 winemaking cooperatives in Baden.

     The Baden Wine Region is nicknamed the “The Black Forest” due to its proximity to the Rhine rift which is protected by the Black Forest and the Vosges mountains to the west. The Baden region is divided into nine districts (Bereiche) or sub-regions which are more than any other German wine region. Soil types vary within the areas from clay, sand, limestone, granite, glacial sediment and even volganic ash. The sub-regions are as follows:

·      Bereich Badische Bergstrasse-near the city of Heidelburg 

·      Bereich Bodensee-in the southeast near the shores of Lake Constance

·      Bereich Breisgau-which boast the warmest temperatures

·      Bereich Kaiserstuhl-which have terraced vineyards in volcanic hills

·      Bereich Kraichgau-south of Bergstrasse

·      Bereich Markgraflerland-known for easy drinking Gutedel wines

·      Bereich Ortenau-south of Offenburg

·      Bereich Tauberfranken-known for Franconia style sold in round bottles

·      Bereich Tuniberg-known for flat vineyards that produce light wines

The vineyard area is planted in approximately 56% white and 44% red varieties. Most common varieties are the star grape red Spatburgunder(Pinot Noir) at 36-40%,  followed by the full bodied white Grauburgunder(Pinot Gris), white Weisburgunder(Pinot Blac), Riesling, Muller-Thurgau and the Gutedel(Chasselas). The wines vary in taste from a velvety-fiery red(Pinot Noir) to food friendly-flora aroma(Pinot Blanc) to fruity-crisp(Riesling). Because the warm terrain is so conducive to wine-making wines are made in different ripeness levels leading to variations in flavors and colors. If one prefers a wine of a lighter style the Pinot’s are considered to be a good choice. German wine laws provide specific lists of allowed varietals for any German wine that is sold and are classified according to quality.

     








When choosing a wine , the grape variety is the single most influential factor that determines taste. In Germany the wine labels are very specific and include the region the wine originates from such as Baden. They include the vintage-the year the grapes were harvested and the ripeness categories of the wine. The taste or level of dryness is indicated such as Troken a dry, less sweet wine or Halbtrocken a semi-dry wine. The producer or the estate name is included as well as the grape variety. Example the Riesling is fruit driven with a fine acidity or the Trockenbeerenauslese  a dry berry, overripe, sweet and concentrated. There are over 100,000 grape groves but only about ¼ as many wine producers. The labels help to indicate which growers grow, produce and bottle their own wine by using the term “Gutsabfullung”. If a wine was estate bottled the word Erzeugerabfulliung will indicate the grapes were grown and the wine produced by the same grower or Winzergenossenschaft, a cooperative of growers. Coding is very specific to allow official testing centers the ability to identify the wine. The AP NR(Amtliche Prufnummer) number is the official approval number and identifies the wine. An example is 5 169 878 0009 93. Each group of numbers on the bottles include the testing center-5- were the wine was approved, the village the winery is located and produced the wine-169, the code number for the winery-878, and the number of wine tested and in what year-9^th bottle in the year 1993. The Baden Wine Region is one of the largest in Germany however must of the wine is consumed in Germany. It continues to be known for some of the highest quality wine in the world.

Sources: 1. Baden(Wine Region) by Frederick P. Miller, Agnes F. Vandome and John McBrewster, Alphascript Publishing, 02/25/11

                    2. The Finest Wines of Germany: A Regional Guide to the Best Producers and Their Wines by Stephan Reinhart, 102412.

                     3.http:www.germanwineusa.com/press-trade/wine