In Germany, every bottle of quality wine carries a number. This Amtliche Prüfnummer (AP number) is awarded only after a wine passes a blind tasting by a panel of 9–15 local experts. Composed primarily of winegrowers and cellarmasters, this panel vets each bottle against strict legal standards: the wine must be technically clean, legally sound and true to the typicality of its region, variety and Prädikat. Instituted in...
Franken's future – unapproved and provocative
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A growing network of low-intervention winemakers is redefining Franken’s historic terroir. Above, shrouded in fog, one of the steep, terraced vineyards farmed by Stefan and Katja Vetter (© Weingut Stefan Vetter).
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