November 2002 - Nr. 11
German Winemakers Expect Exceptional 2002 Vintage
TWIG - Rarely has praise for a new German vintage been as unanimous as the chorus of accolades for the 2002. Vintners from all of the country’s 13 wine-cultivating regions expect outstanding wines. Both the quality and the estimated yield are likely to surpass 2001’s internationally heralded wines. While last year’s wines were influenced to a great extent by a "golden October," this year it was a sun-kissed September that gave the German grapes their brilliance.
Vintners report that in their final weeks on the vines, the grapes have developed exceptional must weights, the amount of sugar developed in a grape’s juice and a key indicator of wine quality. Throughout the summer, the vines enjoyed ideal growing conditions, with none of the intense dry heat that can shut down sugar production in the grapes.
Even early-harvest white varietals like Bacchus (a cross between Riesling and Silvaner) have astonished vintners in many areas with must weights that have not been seen in years. Other varietals, such as Müller-Thurgau, used for many of Germany’s most popular wines, are also remarkably healthy. The prognosis for late-harvest Riesling, the signature grape of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rhine and Pfalz regions, is also excellent. In many areas where the Riesling harvest will last through November, vintners are hoping for an intensification of Edelfäule, or botrytis cinerea, the so-called "noble rot" which forms on grapes, concentrating their sugars and resulting in desirably sweet wines.
Germany’s red wine boom is also likely to benefit from the favorable conditions in 2002. Vintners say Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Portugieser and Dornfelder grapes are likely to have balanced must weights and acid values, and yield richly colored wines.
