” The role of the barrel in Germany “
Not so long ago, the use of barrels was unheard of in Germany. At the end of the 1970s, only a few isolated producers like Franz Keller and Wolf-Dietrich Salwey in Baden had begun experimenting with barrel ageing (by the way, when I talk about barrels, I mean 300-litre units and sometimes barrels of up to 600 litres). Up until that time, steel vats had triumphed. Because of the high production costs in my region – the Württemberg region – today “steel” dominates by over ninety percent of total capacity.
It was primarily the younger generation of winemakers who started down the road to oak. Even today, it is still striking to recall that the former President of the National Winegrowers’ Association, Dr Reinhard Muth, was among the first to adopt it. Our colleague Franz Keller, Oberbergen, and Wolf-Dietrich Salwey undoubtedly played the role of pioneers. And it wasn’t easy! These unusual wines did not meet one of the main requirements of German legislation: the wine must be typical of the region. Since the substance and style of these wines were completely new, they had no chance of passing official quality control.
As a result, most vintages were called “table wines”. It was following the great success of “table wines” in barrels that official policy changed; first in the Baden region, followed by the other regions in the nineties. The publicity of the conflict, between the barrel protagonists and those who called the movement “a traitor to national tradition”, led to a change of mind. Today, barrel carcasses can be found almost everywhere, from the Ahr region in the north to the Kaiserstuhl in the south, which has become the Mecca of this development. It’s safe to say that barrels account for at least 1% of total production (although statistics don’t reveal the exact figure).
Since barrel ageing does not correspond at all to the classic Riesling style, the regions of Nahe, Rheingau and above all Mosel – Saar – , Ruwer, hardly participate in this phenomenon, with the exception of a few Pinot Blancs or the rare red wines from these hills. It is primarily Baden, Württemberg and Pfalz that produce barrel-aged wines in considerable quantities. At first, it was almost exclusively the estates that favored this style. Today, it’s also the big cooperatives, including Germany’s largest units, the Badischer Winzerkeller and the Württembergische Winzerzentralgenossenschaft, that offer these products, which are actually in great demand.
Why was this new style so successful? First of all, it should be noted that the groundwork had long been laid by foreign wine imports, which accounted for roughly half of Germany’s consumption. On the other hand, wines classified according to the official German quality classification had – alas – lost their reputation somewhat (and sometimes a lot). This was mainly due to the excessive use of “grand titles”, such as “sélection de grains nobles”, sometimes at ridiculous prices for mediocre quality. It is not my intention to outline the weak points of German quality classification. But it has led many of my colleagues to abandon the traditional system. A chaptalized red wine, for example, which is simply classified as “Qualitätswein” can easily fetch an ex-cellar price of thirty marks or more. Almost all barrel wines are priced above twenty marks, a “zone” normally reserved for late harvest or noble grain selections.
It’s important to remember that there is a large group of customers – especially young people – who have followed the winemakers in acclaiming changes not foreseen in the classification of current legislation. The barrel is just one example of this attitude. All the same, there was a “religious war” over the new barrel. One traditional group doesn’t accept the influence of wood at all, and there’s no need to explain why. Proponents of the barrel talk of its role as a “servant” in terms of bouquet, structure and certainly longevity – it’s mainly good restoration that has decided in favor of this trend. Major magazines have created columns and even grand prizes just for this department. But the subject is still debated and contested by traditional customers.
Since 1996, wine has been matured either in traditional wooden casks or in barrels. This marks the end of the conflict in public. Even the most committed winemakers (there are a few who produce almost one hundred percent in barrels) admit that barrel ageing would be a mortal sin for a light, elegant white wine in the “Kabinett” rank, and especially for all Rieslings. There are certainly a whole range of “exceptions”, and – in my opinion – barrique is the exception to the rule, an alternative. And it always will be. Undoubtedly, it’s the Pinots that are well suited to a “marriage”. There are also other red grape varieties that are noticeably more tannic, such as Lemberger, Zweigelt (from Austria) or a dark-colored variety like Dornfelder (a successful new creation). Since the exact figures are not known, we can only make estimates: approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of barrel-aged wines should be reds.
To prevent multiple attacks, the Deutsches Barrique Forum, the only national group of winegrowers who age part of their wine in barrels, was set up in 1990. Another aim is to exchange experiences and opinions. Some thirty winegrowers, certainly not only known for their wines, have come together in the “Deutsches Barrique Forum”. At the end of this rudimentary presentation, I’d like to point out that the idea of the barrel has brought about many changes in viticulture and winemaking. Today, even more than in the past, we attach a great deal of importance to the ripeness and health of the grapes, and we aspire to low yields, since we have also obtained unsatisfactory results. As far as the “cellar” is concerned, it is well known that the wine needs to be spared as much as possible. The “time factor” is respected, meaning that many crus remain in the wood for more than a year – or sometimes even more than two years – and are marketed much later than usual.
In short, I think my colleagues have learned their lesson about the role of new barrels, toasting, wood blending and so on. All in all, this oenological movement, which we thought we could unmask as a “traitor to traditional culture” that “distorts wine”, has not only brought about a general improvement in quality work among its followers, but I dare say also greater esteem for German wines from an unconventional clientele, an esteem that is certainly not reserved solely for these new barrel wines. It seems to me that German customers now recognize an effort in this sector as elsewhere. What started out as a wine “flaw” could be – as I would say – a “complementary style” without the intention of upsetting the fundamental conception of German wine, which is above all attached to light, elegant, fruity white wines – first and foremost Riesling.
But that’s not all: the winemakers are already busy – for example – with Pinot Blancs that reflect the noble sweetness, cuvées of different grape varieties and new crosses of red varieties (rising star: Cabernet Sauvignon X Lemberger, a wine full of facets).
“Tradition is not keeping ashes but fire”, said Albert Camus.