Cast your mind back, maybe a decade or so, and you’ll probably agree: for all its Riesling and other delights, Germany used to seem just a tad staid, or even frustratingly complicated, often tightly bound by tradition.
Fast-forward to the present and you might be surprised. Because — even if the monopolies have not yet quite latched on — there’s now a whole new era unfolding in German wine. And it’s being very much driven by a group of dynamic young players, determined to quickly make their mark on what has been for many years a somewhat predictable scene.
Even more interesting is that, for the first time ever, many of these movers and shakers are women, eager to put to good use newly gained knowledge from the likes of Geisenheim University and travels elsewhere.
There’s much more here than meets the eye. Maybe it’s not solely a German thing. But I can’t help but think that in many countries, such as Canada, it’s not so easy or usual for parents to let go of their life’s work at a still relatively young age. Yet in present-day Germany, an older generation appears truly supportive in handing over the reins – in some cases, probably earlier than they expected.
All these factors and more are helping to shape the new world of German wine.