The Wines of Germany

Rating:
Summary: the book is dated but still interesting
Review: This is the 2nd edition, released in 1983, of Frank Schoonmaker's original classic from 1956. Schoonmaker's familiarity with the subject matter goes all the way back to the 1930s, although Peter Sichel has now issued a newer edition. Needless to say there have been many changes in the German wine scene over the last 17 years or so - not the least of which is the emergence of Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich as the unofficial King of the Rheingau - but it still offers a thorough and scholarly assessment of the time. I absolutely concur with the author's assertion that the top vintages in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, then and now, can produce wines, from the best vinyards, that stand comparison with anything the rest of the world has to offer. He places Egon Muller's holdings in the Scharzhofberg vinyard in Wiltingen right at the top, which might have been true in 1971, but today Fritz Haag's wines from the Juffer-Sonnenuhr vinyard in Brauneburg are worthy to rank alongside him in that position.

The book does an excellent job of explaining the fundamentals of the German wine law and labeling system, which can be off-putting to the novice. It covers all the major and minor wine regions of what was West Germany at the time, and all the varietals. Then as now, Riesling is still the grape of choice. The vintage chart goes back from 1982 into the 1970s, which could come in handy.

This is recommended as a supplementary reference source, but the newer 3rd edition should be sought out first.