As you know friends, Riesling is a grape that is grown all over zee world. What you may not know is that since zee grape is late-ripening, Germany’s moderate climate is ideal to produce perfect mature Riesling grapes.

Actually, it goes beyond zee climate. From zee soil to zee landscape’s slope, zee Mosel Region is truly zee best place to grow zee best Riesling grapes. Zee slopes in this region are steep. I am not talking about a hill, friends. Some of zee slopes are as steep as 65 degrees! This gives zee vines greater exposure to sunlight. Vineyards lining zee Mosel River gain even more sun exposure due to zee reflections from zee water.

Our soil in this region is slate rich, which holds all of zee heat from zee sun well into zee cooler nights. This also contributes to zee mineral characteristic that is unique to German wines.

Of course, zee incline also mean a lot more work for us. It can take up to seven times as long to tend to vines in this region versus a flatter vineyard, but it’s all worth it for a higher quality product.

So yes, friends, zee Riesling grapes are grown all over zee world, but nobody grows Riesling like we do in Germany.

As I’ve said before friends, much has changed about zee wine business over zee years. One of zee best examples is fermentation. What is fermentation, you ask? Fermentation is a process by which zee sugar in zee juice is converted to alcohol. I have written about it before, so if you want to read more, click here.

Now back to mein point, friends. How winemakers manage zee fermentation has changed considerably. One of zee reasons is for zee safety of those making zee wine! When zee sugar is converted to alcohol it creates carbon dioxide, which as you know can be very dangerous. In zee days of mein ancestors, zee vintners did not have good ventilation in zee cellars, so if there was a leak, carbon dioxide could build up. For that reason they would light candles just about three feet from zee floor. If zee candles went out, then they knew zee cellar needed to be aired out before they entered.

Zee photo above shows an old wine cellar where wine would ferment. Zee one below shows zee fermenters we use today. Isn’t it amazing how things have changed, friends? If you have anymore questions about zee winemaking process, just email me or send me a Tweet!

Friends, since you’re reading mein blog I am assuming you have at least tried one or two of mein tasty Rieslings, but have you ever wondered how such a fine product is made? If so, keep reading! I have put together all of zee steps involved in wine making, starting, of course, with zee…

Grapes
This part you knew, right? Well, zee grape is zee most important part of zee whole process! From zee type of grape to when it is picked from zee vine, every detail matters. Even zee soil, location, incline of zee landscape und atmosphere affect zee grapes, which is why zee Mosel region is such a desirable place to grow Riesling grapes.

Harvest
Rieslings are late-ripening by nature, und there is a large window of time in which zee grapes are harvested. Zee ripeness of zee grape greatly affects the type of wine produced. To make mein Kabinett, we often pick around September, but it may be earlier or later depending on zee weather that year. For an Eisweins und Beerenauslese, we may be picking as late as December. In fact, this year zee window was so late in zee year that zee 2011 Eiswein harvest was picked in 2012!

Sorting
After zee grapes are picked they are hand-sorted to check zee quality of zee grapes. Only zee highest quality of grapes get past this process, so we take out zee rotten und dried grapes.

Destemming zee Grapes
While some of zee leaves are removed in zee sorting, stems are pulled from zee grapes in a machine, not surprisingly called a destemmer.

Fermentation
White wines, such as mein Rieslings, are pressed to separate zee skins und juices. At this point some wines will ferment naturally with a wild yeast, while others use a dried cultured yeast. Simply put, zee yeast will eat zee sugars und zee bi-product is alcohol!

Press
After zee fermentation is complete zee wine is drained to a press. As you may have guessed, zee wine is literally pressed to make sure we get every last drop of wine. The photo to zee right shows an old wine press.

Aging
All wines are different but after zee wine has been pressed it will go into a cool area, similar to your cellar. Some wines will only age a few months, while others take years. This helps zee wine mature to zee desired product. Some red wines will be aged in oak barrels, but Schmitt Sohne wines are aged in stainless steel tanks.

Bottling
Once zee wine is mature, it will be filtered for clarity und promptly bottled. After that, friends, we ship our wine und it is ready to drink immediately – no aging required! In fact, I recommend drinking zee wine within zee first four years.

That’s it friends! Simply as that, right? Now when you are enjoying a few drinks with friends you can show off your wine knowledge. If you have any questions, please let me know on mein Twitter or Facebook page.”

Photo by Bernt Rostad

Many of zee questions I get are from people who are learning about wine. It’s always wunderbar to help someone develop their understanding of Riesling. Did you know I have an entire section of zee website for learning about Riesling?

Part of mein job as a wine ambassador is teaching. I get so many wunderbar questions from those of you who want to learn more about wine. When I respond I point people to zee little German University section of mein website, where you can learn more about Riesling.

Sometimes, though, I notice a lot of people asking zee same question, so I like to post zee answer for everyone to see! Many of you have asked me recently, “Is Riesling a region or a grape?” Here is mein answer on a previous blog post. Enjoy, friends!

“Is Riesling a Region or a grape?”

If you keep up with mein blog, you probably know by now that Riesling’s are “late-ripening” by nature. That makes Germany’s moderate climate ideal for a long growing season und fully mature grapes. Plus, zee steep slopes that dominate zee growing regions provide zee vines with greater exposure to sunlight. Und zee slate-rich soil also works to hold zee sun’s warmth well into zee cool nights, while imparting a mineral characteristic unique to German wines. Needless to say, no other place on earth has such perfect conditions for growing zee world’s best Riesling grapes! So how does it all happen, you ask? Well let’s take a look at zee year in zee life of an average grapevine!

January
Winter pruning begins in order to stimulate growth.

February
Pruning continues until zee budbreak in order to give zee vines enough time to regenerate. They are then grafted onto rootstocks in order to be planted during zee spring zee following year.

March
Pruning finishes und zee grafting is continued. Zee spreading of fertilizers begins und zee soil of zee vineyard is ploughed in order to aerate zee soil. Depending on zee beginning of spring, some budbreak may occur.

April
Soil is removed from zee base of zee vines und cuttings from zee previous year are planted. New shoots develop from zee vine.

May
New shoots continue to grow. Plantings and zee maintenance of shoots are continued.

June
Vines start flowering. Maintaining zee shoots continues.

July
Pruning is done to take out excess leaves und shoots und also to expose zee flower sets to sunlight. Berries are beginning to form.

August
Zee berries begin to change color. Weeding continues but the spraying is stopped. Netting is sometimes necessary to keep away the birds.

September
Zee colors of zee grapes deepen, zee acidity levels drop und zee sugar levels in zee grapes increase. Zee grapes continue to ripen at this stage. Sugar levels are checked. Some grapes may begin to be harvested, such as those for our Kabinett.

October
Rieslings continue to be harvested. Kabinett und Spatlese may fall in this window, depending on zee climate. Spatlese is typically picked picked 12-14 days after those used for Kabinett.

November
Soil is used to cover zee base of zee vines und to protect against zee incoming frost. Fertilizers und manure are spread. When zee grapes hit zee very ripe stage, they are picked for Auslese.

December
Overripe grapes are handpicked for Beerenauslese und those that are frozen are picked for Eiswein. When zee grapes are dried und raisen-like, they are specially selected und picked for Trockenbeerenauslese. Soil that has been washed away by zee rain is put back to keep zee vine base covered.

A few things to keep in mind about our Schmitt Sohne wines:

Thomas Schmitt knows that zee secret to these grapes lies below ground in Germany’s slate-rich soil und climate of each vineyard. This, combined with zee steep, sloping vineyards (which can be as steep as 80°) not only expose our vines to more sunlight, but force them to extend their roots deeper into zee mineral-soaked soil. Zee result is grapes with an unusually complex character – which makes an exceptionally satisfying Riesling for you to enjoy!

I often get asked, “little German, what does Riesling go with?” Und I always respond, “Everything!”

You see friends, Riesling’s unique balance of flavors makes it zee world’s most deliciously versatile und food-friendly wine. Und as many of you know, its acidity makes it extremely versatile. Riesling is able to “cut through” rich, buttery or heavy foods, while sweeter styles make an excellent complement to spicy cuisine.

Rieslings are perfect with robust dishes including roast pork, chicken or beef, as well as foods that are on zee salty side, such as blue veined cheese, bacon or even smoked trout. They also go well with spicier, ethnic foods.

A light, low-alcohol Riesling, such as a Kabinett, is perfect with lighter cuisines, such as appetizers, salads, cheeses und cold meats. It is also a great wine to serve before your meal.

When it comes to food pairing, a Spätlese opens any number of great dining options. It’s ideal with seafood such as salmon, lobster or crab, as well as more aromatically spiced cuisines like Mexican, Indian or Thai.

A sweeter Auslese Riesling can hold its own with the likes of a rich foie gras or as a complement to heavily seasoned selections.

Rieslings that tend to be lower in alcohol with greater acidity, such as fruity Beerenauslese or an even richer Trockenbeerenauslese are highly sought-after, exceptional dessert wines. In fact, an Eiswein Riesling makes a fabulous dessert in itself! So, as you can see friends, you can enjoy a Riesling that is perfect for just about any food occasion!

Now friends, if you know me then you probably know what zee Riesling tastes like. But it can be useful to take a closer look at this delightful wine. It helps to differentiate it from others varieties und comes in handy when explaining zee flavor to your friends.

Some people think of Riesling as a sweet wine, but that would be like saying all chocolate is sweet, rather than coming in zee variety of styles it actually does. True, most Riesling is crisp und fruity. But zee taste profile can range from very dry to very sweet depending on the ripeness of zee fruit (usually apple, peach or pear) und zee style zee winemaker is looking for.

Zee flavor of zee Riesling grape is influenced like no other by zee soil in which it’s grown. Zee uniquely slate-heavy soils of Germany’s wine growing regions produce a pronounced mineral character. This perfect balance of fruit und acidity, combined with a rich mineral base, makes German Rieslings unique among wines – red or white – from around zee world.

Und as I’ve mentioned before, zee degree to which Riesling grapes are allowed to ripen, known as selective harvesting, greatly influences their flavor. Most Riesling grapes are harvested early when they’re light in character, then pressed und fermented.

Riesling is also generally low in alcohol, making it extremely enjoyable und refreshing – excellent in a wide range of settings with any number of dishes or on its own. Und if you are looking for specific suggestions, look no further, friends – next week we will cover a few wunderbar pairing ideas!

Continuing on our journey of zee Pradikatswein Rieslings (remember, we ranked zee first three earlier this week), we have:

Beerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese
EIswein

Zee Beerenauslese (BARE-ehn-OWS-lay-zeh) is made from select grapes individually harvested by hand. So its name very appropriately means, “berry select harvest.” These wines are lower in alcohol und delivers a richness of honey, caramel und tropical fruits. They are both rare und exceptional!

Trockenbeerenauslese (TROCK-en-BEHR-en-OWS-lay-zeh) are zee richest of zee German dessert wines. At zee time of harvest, zee grapes are dried und shriveled so they resemble raisins. Because of this, their name means “dried berry select harvest.” They contain so little water when pressed that it can take an entire day to pick enough grapes to make just ONE bottle! Wowy wow, friends! But zee intense, complex flavors they deliver make them well worth zee effort.

Eiswein (ICE-vine) literally translates to “Ice wine”! Zee harvest of these wines is very rare as it only occurs during zee first hard frost that freezes zee last of zee remaining grapes on zee vine. Hence zee name, Eiswein! To make this super tasty Riesling, zee grapes are picked und pressed frozen so very little water gets in to zee press. Then only a small amount of zee highly concentrated juice is extracted. Zee result is an extraordinary bond between sweetness & acidity!

Last week we covered zee Qualitatswein, so today we shall move onto zee next quality category – Pradikatswein.

When distinguishing Rieslings, it’s important to remember that a Riesling’s sweetness depends only partly on when zee grapes are harvested. Zee biggest determinant is how long zee wine maker chooses to ferment zee juice.

So what about this ferment? Well fermentation is a process by which sugar is converted to alcohol. So zee further zee fermentation is allowed to progress, zee drier zee wine!

Understanding zee different types is a little easier when you refer to this list of Pradikatswein Rieslings, ranked from lightest to most intense:

Kabinett (Clean & Crisp)
SpÃtlese (Intense & Fruity)
Auslese (Sweet & Luscious)
Beerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese
EIswein

To make things a little easier, we will talk about zee first three now und finish up with zee second half in a few days.

Kabinett (pronounced Kah-bee-NET) gets its name from zee word “cabinet” – exactly where zee winemakers stored their best wines! Kabinett’s grapes are hand-selected during normal harvest, creating a wine that is well balanced in acidity und dry to semi-dry. These are also zee lightest of zee Pradikatsweins.

SpÃtlese (SHPATE-lay-zuh) literally means late harvest, quite simply because zee grapes are picked a couple of weeks later in zee harvest! As they sit longer on zee vines, zee grapes reduce und intensify in flavor – creating a wine that has greater body, longer finish und a firmer, fruitier structure. Zee result is a zeelicious concentration of fruit that is excellent as a cocktail, with cheese (I LOVE ZEE MAC UND CHEESE!), fruit or wild game birds. It is also wunderbar with Asian, Cajun, Thai, southwestern or any spicy cuisine.

Auslese (OWS-lay-zeh) these selected harvest wines are made from grapes that remain on zee vine until extremely late in zee year – we’re talking as late as December! Auslese grapes are also considered select because they are made from very ripe grapes grown in select bunches und harvested by hand. Auslese Rieslings are sweeter (but never sugary!) in style und more complex in flavors, which tend to unfold slowly. Zee result is a mouth-filling, luscious wine that’s excellent as a cocktail or for sipping after a zeelicious dinner. Zee hints of apricot, nectarine und honey also compliment a range of cheeses, fruits und desserts!