Germany has 13 separate wine growing regions, each of which produces its own style of wine, often from the same varieties. Generally, the lightest and most elegant German wines are produced in the Mosel-Sarr-Ruwer and Ahr regions.
Slightly fuller wines are made inthe Mittelrhein, Nahe, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, while the fullest German wines tend to come from the regions of Pfalz, Hessische Bergstrasse, Sachsen, Württembery and Baden.
| Wine regions | Major wine types | Soil type | Wine style |
| Ahr | Red/Rose: Spätburgunder, Portugieser |
volcanic slate | light, fruity |
| Mosel-Saar-Ruwer | White: Riesling | slate-covered slopes, rich in minerals |
elegant, delicate, racy |
| Nahe | White: Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner | loess, loam, quartzite, porphyry | fruity, crisp, stylish |
| Pfalz | White: Riesling, Scheurebe, Gewürztraminer,Muller-Thurgau, Kerner, Silvaner Red/Rose: Spätburgunder, Portugieser |
loam, weathered limestone | full, aromatic, round |
| Hessische Bergstrasse |
White: Riesling, Müller-Thurgau |
loess | elegand, fruity, good acidity |
| Baden | White: Ruländer (Pinot Gris), Müller-Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, Riesling Red/Rose:Spätburgunder |
loess, loam, volcanic soil |
full, aromatic, spicy |
| Sachsen | White: Müller-Thurgau, Weissburgunder, Gewürtraminer |
variety of soil, (sand, porphyry, loam) |
dry, crisp, distinctive |
Selected websites show other articles on: Germany wines.
This blog also has a post that gives an overview of the German red varieties and another with an overview of the German white varieties.
(Pinot noir) is the riesling’s red counterpart (7% of the total vineyard area), producing elegant, distinctive wines. Its small grapes ripen late. It originally came from the French province of Burgundy.
Originally came from the Danube Valley in Austria (not Portugal). It ripens early (4%).
Grows almost exclusively in Württemberg (2%) and probably originated in Tyrol. It ripens very late.
Riesling
It is now the most widely planted grape in Germany (23% of total vineyard area). It is a crossing of two varieties, probably Riesling and Silvaner, developed in 1882 iin Geisenheim, Germany, by Prof. H. Müller from Thurgau, Switzerland. The grapes ripen early, usually in September.
Silvaner
It is a popular new cross, developed from 
Scheurebe
(