Germany’s Future Wines Have Arrived

Second Generation Hybrids are Producing Appealing Wines

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. While some first-generation disease-resistant hybrid grape cultivars (DRHGCs), often referred to as PIWIs (short for Pilzwid-erstandsfohige Rebsortens), prioritized pathogen resistance over wine quality, that mistake has now been rectified.

Hybrid grapes may be crosses between V. vinifera cultivars and wild species of Vitis, between hybrid grapes and V. vinifera cultivars via a practice known as backcrossing, or between hybrid cultivars. In 2021, the EU began permitting the use of PIWIs in protected designation of origin (PDO) wines, and Germany has since reclassified the hybrid varieties Regent, Rondo, and Bronner as V. vinifera. Almost every producer I tasted with is growing and vinifying at least one second-generation variety.

Though their chemistry necessitates specific winemaking practices – compared to V. vinifera, they have higher acidity, pH, and proteins in addition to lower anthocyanins – second-generation hybrid varieties possess sensory profiles that work in their favor.

Souvignier Gris wines from winemakers Laura Weber of Weingut Udo Weber in the Nahe, Eva Vollmer of Eva Vollmer Weine in the Rheinhessen, and Anja Seybold of Weingut Gemmrich in Baden-Wurttemberg all showed characteristic lemon, grapefruit, citrus pith, and white fruits along with saline mineral and/or lightly spicy white-pepper notes through the finish. “We are increasingly confident in this variety as it can make all of the styles. What remains to be seen is its ability to age,” said Vollmer, who, with Hanneke Schonhals, founded Zukunfts-weine (Future Wines), a movement and brand built around DRHGC grapes with about 60 members.

Germany’s Generation Riesling is Excelling with Hybrids

Fifth-generation Rheinhessen winemaker Sebastian Erbeldinger is one of many producers working with Sauvignac, a cross of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and other resistant varieties, producing a standout wine that shows lime blossom, kiwi, and melon with good intensity. “The new-generation [hybrids] have two or three resistant genes, making them even more resistant,” he said, “and they are later ripening.” This allows more time for the fruit to build aromatic and phenolic maturity, which results in a fuller, more expressive wine style.

At Weingut Forster in Nahe, third-generation winemaker Johannes Forster works with several hybrid varieties, including Sauvignac, Muscaris, Regent, and Solaris. Regent, a cross between Diana and Chambourcin, is a teinturier grape that produces ripe, assertive, dark-fruited wines with good structure. Solaris has a complex lineage that includes Riesling and Muscat Ottonel and is typically made in a sweet style; at 93 grams per liter of residual sugar, Forster’s Auslese rendition was exceptional, with elderflower, lush yellow peach, passion fruit, and hazelnut notes.

Muscaris, which counts Solaris as a parent along with Gelber Muskateller, is intensely aromatic with notes of citrus, florals such as orange blossom, and often exotic fruit notes like lychee.The wines it yields are typically dense and extract-rich yet fresh, with notably high acidity. Fourth-generation winemaker Martin Koch at Rheinhessen producer Weingut Abthof, a member of Future Wines, makes a stunning example, its floral aromas of rose and lilac combining with bright citrus, yellow fruits, and nutmeg.

One of the most refreshing and compelling red wines I tasted is produced by siblings Carl and Pauline Baumberger at Glow Glow, a project within their family estate that dates to 1855 in the Nahe region of Germany. Rays of Red is a light, chilled natural red wine made from a blend of Dornfelder, Portugieser, St. Laurent, Regent, and Pinotin with bouncy red cherry fruit, vibrant acidity, and a gentle herbal structure.

For all the exemplary sensory qualities of these second-generation hybrids, their success still relies on consumer acceptance. According to researchers, German consumers place a high priority on environmental credentials, which helps to override their unfamiliarity with the varieties; the wines’ affordable prices and naturally lower alcohol levels could be an incentive for U.S. consumers as well.