Wine Region - Germany, Baden

History

Baden wine has been a part of the German wine regions since the 12th century.  The earliest details of Baden wine production are unknown, but records of German wine list Baden wine production beginning in the 1300s.  Baden wine composes the third largest of German wine regions, housing more than one hundred wine cooperatives and specializing in the production of wines for local and regional consumption.

Classifications

German wine laws provide a specific list of the allowed varietals for any German wine produced and sold.  Lists for red and white grapes include both the grapes allowed for normal cultivation and production, and those included for smaller experimental blendings.  The wines are then classified according to quality.

Tafelwein - German table wine.  This is rarely exported and often consumed within the region it was produced.

Landwein - this country German wine comes from a larger area than the table wines, but is rarely exported.

Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) - simple German wines that meet the first level of quality.

Prädikatswein - these German wines are of greater quality and the grapes used to make them must reach a certain ripeness.

     - Kabinett - allowed to ripen longer than QbA wines, these are the first Prädikatswein to be picked.
    - Spätlese - these late harvest wines are harvested 12-14 days after Kabinett grapes
    - Auslese - select harvest wines, made from hand chosen late harvest grapes.
    - Beerenauslese - berry selection, made from grapes left on the vine long enough to develop “noble rot”
    - Eiswein - made from grapes that have frozen on the vine, allowing a concentrated sweetness
    - Trockenbeerenauslese - dry berry, made from overripe grapes and often very sweet and concentrated

Geography

The Baden wine region sits along the eastern bank of the Rhine, producing full bodied, high alcohol German wines thanks to the weather protection received from borders along the Black Forest and the Vosges mountain range.  This position makes the Baden wine region one of the warmest of all German wine producing areas.

Regions

The Baden wine region is composed of nine small areas, all of which offer unique characteristics of German wine.  Tauberfranken lies in the northeast and produces Franconia style wines sold in characteristic round bottles.  Badische Bergstrasse is located near the city of Heidelberg.  Kraichgau is just south of this region, near Karlsruhe.  Ortenau is a more well known German wine district south of Offenburg.  Breisgau boasts the warmest average temperatures of all the Baden wine zones.  Kaiserstuhl showcases terraced vineyards in the volcanic hills near Freiburg.  Tuniberg produces light wines cultivated in flat vineyards south of Kaiserstuhl.  Markgräflerland stretches from Freiburg to the Swiss border at Basel, and is known for its easy-drinking Gutedel wines.  Bodensee sits in the southeast on the shores of Lake Constance.

Varietals

Popular Baden wine varietals include Grauer Burgunder, Gutedel, Riesling, Regent, Silvaner, Schwarzriesling, Roter Traminer, and Cabernet Mitos.