What is a Spatlese wine?
Spätlese Spätlese means “late harvest” and grapes have a sweetness level of 76-90 Oechsle (172–209 g/L sugar). Spätlese wines are rich and usually sweeter than Kabinett, although if you see “Trocken” on the bottle you can assume it’s in a dry style with higher alcohol.
What does Trocken mean in German wine?
dry
“Trocken” (dry) denotes a wine in which all or nearly all of the natural sugar in the grape juice has been fermented, i.e. converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. According to the wine law, this includes wines with up to 32 grams/liter of residual (leftover) sugar.
Does Germany produce good wine?
It’s true. German winemakers do produce red wine, and yes, it’s quite good. The quality is actually rising with each vintage. Red grapes now account for over a third of vineyard plantings in Germany, which might surprise those who automatically associate the country with its signature Riesling grape.
Where does Nierstein wine come from?
Nierstein Wine. Nierstein is significant town and wine-growing region in Rheinhessen, Germany. It sits on the banks of the Rhine river between the cities of Mainz and Worms, and also lends its name to one of Rheinhessen’s three Bereiche (wine districts).
What is Nierstein known for?
Within Rheinterrasse, Nierstein composes the southern end of the Roter Hang (Red Slope), a steep embankment along the Rhine from Nierstein north to Nackenheim, known for its iron-rich clay and sandstone soils, which have a reddish hue and considered prized terroir, giving the Rieslings a distinctive mineral character.
What to see in the vineyards of Nierstein?
Above the municipality, the watchtower is the highest viewpoint in the vineyards. It was built using stones from the old Königsstuhl between Nierstein and Lörzweiler, where in 1024 the conclave of princes elected Conrad II as the first Salian to sit on the German throne.
Where is Nierstein Castle?
The castle was held by the Staufer emperors, whose home was in Swabia. In the Middle Ages, the villages of Dexheim, Schwabsburg and Nierstein formed a municipality administered by the Nierstein knightly court.