1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book

HOCKS AND MOSELLES

RHEINPFALZ. Wines originating from the Rheinpfalz, which is the largest wine-producing district in Germany, are familiarly known to Englishmen as Palatinate wines. The Rheinpfalz enjoys an extraordinarily mild climate, and in the Mittelhaardt district, between Neustadt and Duerkheim, where the vines are grown close to the ground in order to obtain as much heat as possible from the earth as well as from the sun, the finest wines are produced. The best known growths come from the dis tricts of Ungstein, Duerkheim, Wachenheim, Forst, Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg. The " Auslese " wines from all these districts, made from grapes specially selected for their ripe ness, are remarkable for their fruit, bouquet, and great body. The " Trockenbeeren-Auslese " wines are made from grapes that have almost reached the raisin stage (hence the word " Trockenbeeren," i.e., "Dry Berries and are therefore very highly concen trated, possessing a great deal of fruit and natural sweetness. Other terms indicating that wines have been made from selected grapes, such as " Edelbeeren- Auslese," " Edelgewaechs," " Spaetlese," mean that the grapes have been allowed to hang on the vines longer after the vintage gathering in order to take advantage of fine, sunny Autumn days.

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