Press

The late-ripening white variety, known as the “Queen of Grapes,” is Germany’s most planted for a reason. “A hallmark of the grape is bright acidity, and when there is no residual sugar, they tend to be light in body, which is exactly what I want this time of year,” says Dowling.

Across Baden, Rheinhessen, the Pfalz, and beyond, quality was remarkably consistent. The wines combined freshness with texture, precision with generosity, and, perhaps most strikingly, all of the above with confidence. The reasons why are both climatic and cultural. Warmer seasons have made ripening more reliable, while growers have become more exacting about where Chardonnay belongs.

Germany’s Rheinhessen, Nahe and Rheingau regions are hotbeds of hybrid wine production. Having recently spent several days attending revelatory tastings in all three, I’m impressed by wines made from second-generation hybrid varieties, including whites such as Sauvignac, Souvignier Gris, Muscaris, Cabernet Blanc, and Solaris and reds like Regent and Satin Noir.

It’s not always easy to decipher German wine labels, but when in doubt, just look for the eagle to guide your next glass choice. The golden eagle clutching a cluster of grapes represents the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP), an association of Germany’s top estates committed to producing wines of the highest quality. When you spot this eagle on a bottle, it’s a reliable indicator that the wine was crafted with exceptional care and precision.

2024 Clemens Busch Riesling Trocken has just 10.5% alcohol and is beautifully balanced, with enough zingy acidity to put a pep in your step. It is one of the best wines to drink while weeding the garden, doing laundry, cooking dinner or anytime you’d like something delicious to drink—sourced from a mix of many parcels, some young and some old, all planted on grey slate (thus the grey capsule) and farmed biodynamically.

It typically takes 10 to 15 years of research, experimentation, and aggressive bureaucratic maneuvering to make any major changes to the way wine is grown or classified across Europe. That’s why major recent changes in iconic regions like Germany feel so momentous.

Seven serious German Sekts reviewed — from Mosel Riesling to Pfalz Pinot — why Germany now rivals Champagne for a fraction of the price and why they deserve a taste.

From a growing movement toward non-alcoholic wines to the adoption of climate-change resistant grape varieties and the flourishing natural wine scene, German producers are redefining what quality and sustainability mean for the next generation of wine lovers.