Grape profile: No. 2, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

In Germany, the Spätburgunder is to red wine what the Riesling is to white wine: the cream of the crop. Sensitive to climate and soil, it needs warmth, not intense heat, to thrive and does well in chalky soils. As the name implies, it ripens late (spät) and it was brought to Germany from Burgundy, where it has probably been cultivated since at least the 4th century (first documented, however, in the 14th century). Called Pinot Noir in France, this grape produces elegant, velvety, mouth-filling wines with a distinctive fruity bouquet reminiscent of bitter almonds or blackberries. The traditional style of German Spätburgunder is lighter in color, body and tannic acidity than its counterparts from warmer climates. Many contemporary winemakers are producing wines that are international in style, i.e. fuller-bodied, deep red wines with higher tannin levels. Often the wines take on more depth and complexity (and a light vanilla tone) if they are aged in small (225 litre) oak casks. Since 1997 plantings have increased by almost 40% and there are now in excess of 10,600 hectares of Spätburgunder vines, making it the most important red wine grape variety in Germany. Just over 10% of Germany's vineyard area is devoted to Spätburgunder, with over half the plantings in Baden, primarily in the Ortenau and Kaiserstuhl districts.

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Grape profile: No. 3, Silvaner

Silvaner is an old variety that once was the most important grape in Germany. Today, it accounts for some 7% of the country's plantings. A reasonably abundant producer, it likes average exposure to the sunshine and needs moist soil. It ripens about two weeks earlier than Riesling. Silvaner makes a rather full-bodied, neutral wine with a mild acidity, and is generally best enjoyed while young. A traditional variety in Franken, Rheinhessen and Saale-Unstrut, there are also extensive plantings in the Pfalz and an enclave in the Kaiserstuhl district of Baden.

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Grape profile: No. 4, Grauburgunder (Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris)

Grauburgunder, or Ruländer, is the German synonym for the grape more widely known as Pinot Gris in France and Pinot Grigio in Italy.

The variety is a mutation of Pinot Noir and originates from Burgundy where it was first documented in the Middle Ages. In the 14th century plantings of Grauburgunder came to the Kaiserstuhl in Baden via the Balaton region of Hungary and Alsace.

Although Grauburgunder produces white wine, its skins, when fully ripe, have a rust-red tinge. The grape is a particularly popular variety in southern Germany, especially in Baden, where the warmer temperatures and longer sunshine hours allow it to fully develop its characteristic fruity pear and pineapple flavours. In 2005 there were 1,619 ha of plantings, which accounted for 10 % of the total vineyard area in Baden. Today, Grauburgunder vines are also grown in the Pfalz (992 ha; 4.2 % of the vineyard area) and in Rheinhessen (1069 ha: 4.1 % of the vineyard area). In Germany as a whole, plantings totalled 4,211 ha in 2005 accounting for 4.1% of the total vineyard area in the whole country. This percentage makes Grauburgunder the fourth most important white wine grape variety in Germany.

Grauburgunder is sometimes referred to as Ruländer in Germany. This name originated in 1771, when a German merchant, named Johann Seger Ruland discovered a grape growing wild in the fields of Speyer in the Palatinate (Pfalz). The wine he produced became known as Ruländer and the vine was later found to be Pinot Gris.

Nowadays, although the names Ruländer and Grauburgunder are interchangeable, the term Grauburgunder is usually used to refer to the more elegant style of wines that work well with food. Ruländer is a term often used, although not exclusively, in the Baden region to refer mostly to the sweeter and heavier style of wines.

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