German wine is a wine produced in Germany. It is made from white and black grapes. The country is the eighth largest wine producer in the world. German wines are usually between 8 and 13 percent alcohol by volume.
History
German wine traditions likely came from the Romans. The oldest known bottle of wine in the world was found in Germany and dates to the 4th century. In the Middle Ages, monks produced wine. They also added herbs to wine. Germany developed sparkling wine in the 19th century. Its reputation declined after World War II due to the export of cheap, semi-sweet wines.
Types and styles
German wine is classified into several levels. Deutscher Tafelwein is a table wine. Deutscher Landwein is a local wine. Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) is a standard quality wine from a specific region. Prädikatswein is the highest quality wine made from selected grapes. The most common white grape is Riesling. Müller-Thurgau is the second most common. Pinot Noir is the main black grape.
How it is made
Grape growing is regulated by the 1971 Wine Law. The regions are located in the southwest along the Rhine River. About 60 percent of the wine produced is white. The wine bottles have a long, narrow shape. The main growing regions are Rheinhessen, Pfalz, and Baden. They occupy about 102,000 hectares.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Виноделие в Германии, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.