http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/~peru/history.html FYI: > A Brief History of German Wine > > The origins of viticulture in Germany can be traced back to the > Romans, at the first century. The earliest vineyards existed at the > left bank of the Rhine, and plantings spread to the Mosel probably > around the 3rd century. The vine advanced further in the Middle > Ages, mainly through the church, its monastries in particular. In > the Rheingau, Benedictines founded an abbey which later became the > Schloss Johannisberg. Kloster Eberbach was established by > Cistercians in 1135. The planting of vines reached a high point in > the 15th century, when the area under vine was four times larger > than it is today. This included Alsace, which was the most highly > esteemed region during that period. The most important early variety > was probably Elbling. Silvaner, Muskat, Traminer, Spdtburgunder, and > Trollinger were also known. Riesling arrived relatively late, and is > first reliably documented in the Rheingau in 1435 and in the Mosel > not much later. Different varieties were generally mixed within a > vineyard, rather than carefully distinguished. > > A serious crises developed around the 17th century, when prices > fell, due to overproduction and competition from beer. The 30 > Year War raged, which ended in 1648, with Alsace becoming a French > province. In the wake of the disaster, quality improved as > unsuitable land was returned to other uses. Riesling replaced lesser > varieties, often by decree from political and clerical authorities. > The term "Cabinet" was first used in 1712 by the Kloster Eberbach to > indicate wines of superior quality. In 1720 the first monoculture of > Riesling was planted at Schloss Johannisberg. Noble Rot was > discovered a little later, and Kloster Eberbach produced a > successful wine from botrytised grapes in 1753. The invention of > Spdtlese (see picture) is generally dated at 1775, when the harvest > at Schloss Johannisberg was delayed by accident, resulting in a late > harvest of largely rotten grapes. The wines made from these grapes > became a legend. > > In the 19th century, in the wake of the French occupation, most of > the church's wine estates were secularised. Technological progress, > such as the invention of the ``Oechsle" must weight scale, helped to > further improve the wines. In many ways, German wine entered a > golden age. The great estates of the Rheinpfalz and Mosel-Saar-Ruwer > rose to fame, alongside the Rheingau. At the hight of its prestige, > Rhine wine generally sold at prices above those of first growth > Bordeaux. The Mosel's first Trockenbeerenauslese was made by the > Thanisch estate from the Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard in 1921, and > created something of a ``Doctor cult". Yet, times were not easy > during the deterioration of the political and economic situation in > the early 20th century. Phylloxera added to the troubles. The worst > blow to German wine since the 17th century came with the Nazis, when > the 2nd world war eventually devastated Germany's wine regions, > along with much of the rest of Europe. > > German Wine since 1945 > > Germany's economy recovered surprisingly quick from the disaster, > yet the German wine industry slowly began to loose its way in the > ``economic miracle". Post war western Germany saw large increases in > wine production, and consumption. New vineyards were planted, > usually on flat land which was accessible to machines, and suitable > for production of high quantities of wine at lower costs. The Mosel > area for example expanded to twice its size by planting on the > valley floor and gentler hillsides of less than ideal exposure. New > crossings of varieties were introduced, in particular M|ller > Thurgau, which ripen reliably in inferior sites, producing high > quantities, rather than quality. Clonal selection, chemical > fertilisation, and heavy use of pesticides, and new cellar > technology added to the increase in output. The average yield used > to be around 20hl/ha in earlier centuries. By the 1950s it had > doubled, only to reach 80hl/ha by 1971. Over 100hl/ha, on average, > was common practise in the early 80s. The notorious wine law of 1971 > cemented the confusion of must weight with quality, and allowed > labels to carry the names of large, undistinguished vineyards zones, > with no indication of their inferiority to the finest single sites. > > As German consumers became more wealthy, and open to the world, the > demand for cheap, sweetish German wine dropped in favor of imported > dry wines from France and Italy. By the 80s the good name of German > wine had been practically ruined at home by the ocean of sugar water > that spilled from its vineyards. Exports increased, with the largest > share of Liebfraumilch et al. going to the UK, which tripled during > the 80s. The whole direction of the German wine industry clearly > pointed to a dead end, as labor costs and climatic conditions do not > favor mass production of wine in Germany, and sweetness, which masks > the lack of flavor of so many bad German wines, is rejected by most > wine drinkers. To make things worse, even at many top estates > quality standards were slipping. The production of dry wines > increased during the 80s, to cope with the changes in demand. This > has revitalised the German wine landscape, although too often these > dry wines only expose the inferiority of the fruit that they were > made from. > > In recent years the gloomy picture has become brighter again. > Various ambitious smaller growers have rediscovered the superb > potential of Germany's best vineyards to produce unique wines, which > only a depressingly small number of producers, such as J.J. Pr|m, > had continued to demonstrate throughout all those years. Good dry > wines are being made, and are held in high regard by the more > discerning consumers. Sweeter versions from Kabinetts to Auslesen > are still widely misunderstood though, and thus present often > bargains among the worlds fine wines. At the rare top end of > production, the world wide demand is high enough for the greatest > BA's, TBA's, and Eisweine to fetch astronomic prices. > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > Back to The German Wine Page