On August 18, wine lovers around the world celebrate Pinot Noir Day. Word is getting out about the enormous leap in quality that wines of this variety – known as Spätburgunder in German wine regions – have experienced in recent years. In the country with the third-largest area planted with Pinot Noir in the world, a true Spätburgunder miracle has taken place. On International Pinot Noir Day, The German Wine Institute (DWI) highlights precisely this dynamic development.
After all, Germany’s wine-growing regions offer the perfect “cool-climate” conditions that Pinot Noir thrives in. As a result, the wines remain delicate, fresh, lively, and well-balanced—exactly what both wine connoisseurs and the world’s top restaurants are looking for.
Great Terroir Diversity in Germany
Because Pinot Noir so precisely reflects its origin in its flavor, the variety also delights wine lovers in this country with an extraordinary range of flavors, thanks to the great diversity of terroirs. This range extends from the powerful Pinot Noirs of Baden’s Kaiserstuhl, shaped by volcanic rock, to the mineral-rich slate Pinot Noirs of the Ahr and the elegant Pinot Noirs from Franken’s Buntsandstein (red sandstone) soils, all the way to the limestone-influenced wines of the Pfalz and Rheinhessen.
Germany’s Most Important Red Wine Grape Variety
With its elegance, high demands on soil and climate, and outstanding qualities, Pinot Noir is the red counterpart to the renowned German Riesling. Pinot Noir has been grown in Germany since the ninth century and, with a cultivation area of approximately 27,800 acres, is the second most important German grape variety.
Unmatched: An Insider’s Tip Worldwide
The successes of German Pinot Noirs at international wine competitions are increasingly cementing their reputation as world-class red wines and demonstrating their international competitiveness. At the same time, they are a sign of a modern Pinot Noir style that has taken hold in German wineries. Not least because of their exceptionally good value for money, German Pinot Noirs are an insider’s tip for wine lovers and experts from all over the world.
