The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | Wine writing competition

German wines – guide to our coverage in 2022

• 1 min read
2021 harvest in the Mosel

We'll keep adding to this… Above is the 2021 harvest on the Kellers' parcel on the 73% slope of Nierstein's Pettenthal vineyard, described by Klaus Peter Keller as 'mountain climbing with grapes', a reminder of how labour-intensive German viticulture can be.

We're proud of paying so much attention to German wine, thanks to our previous German specialist Michael Schmidt and his successor Paula Sidore, as well as my and Julia's love of the wines. Tam is pretty keen too.

There was an almost audible sigh of relief after the first tasting of 2021 whites to find a sea change from the much hotter, drier vintages that preceded 2021 and, as time went on, it became clear that this is a very special vintage indeed. There may not be many late-picked, sweet marvels but the quality of the dry and Kabinett wines is inspiring, as you will see from the articles below.

Also released this year is clear proof that Germany is now a country capable of producing fine reds too. No one could complain that the 2020 reds have anything in common with the pale, wan dark pinks of yesteryear. And more and more wine lovers are realising that Germany can be fertile hunting ground for those looking for less-expensive alternatives to red burgundy.

Read on.

Tasting articles

Current Germans in London by Julia Harding MW and Jancis Robinson 8 November 2022

GG releases in 2022 – Riesling part 2 by Paula Sidore and Julia Harding MW 23 September 2022

GG releases in 2022 – Riesling part 1 by Paula Sidore, Tamlyn Currin and Julia Harding MW 22 September 2022

GG releases in 2022 – non-Riesling whites by Paula Sidore and Tamlyn Currin 16 September 2022

GG releases in 2022 – reds by Paula Sidore, Tamlyn Currin and Julia Harding MW 15 September 2022

Howard Ripley's 2021 Germans by Jancis Robinson 22 June, updated 28 June

The Kellers' 2022 releases by Julia Harding MW 16 June

The return of the Weinbörse, part 2 by Paula Sidore 1 June

The return of the Weinbörse, part 1 by Paula Sidore 31 May

Current German releases – two Ws by Paula Sidore 5 May

Current German releases – the three Ks by Paula Sidore 24 March

General articles

A brilliant idea by Jancis Robinson 18 June

Germany 2021 – wet, wet, wet by Paula Sidore 22 March

Choose your plan
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 297,048 wine reviews & 16,151 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors

Everything in “Member”, plus:

  • Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
  • Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 297,048 wine reviews & 16,151 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade

Everything in “Professional”, plus:

  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
  • Access to submit wines for review
  • Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
  • API access available for an additional fee
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Free for all

Markus and Eben Sadie at Berry Bros April 2026
Free for all Leading new-wave South African wine producer is looking to the future. A version of this article is published by the...
Sam Neill
Free for all Jancis remembers the most charming wine producer she has ever met. Above, Neill in his Two Paddocks vineyard. The worlds...
A glass of Sauvignon Blanc at an airport bar
Free for all After a first round of judging, we’re delighted to begin publishing the best of this year’s writing competition entries. All...
Boscastle harbour
Free for all Extraordinary seafood and the magic of a good pairing at The Rocket Store. Boscastle harbour is pictured above. The restaurant...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Barale estate and vineyards
Tasting articles A final report on a tricky vintage that now shows remarkably fresh and accessible. Today, reviews of wines from multiple...
Valle de Guadalupe vineyards
Inside information Mexico’s wine industry offers lessons in dealing with climate challenges, says Mexico-based journalist and sommelier Carlos Borboa. Above, vineyards in...
Richard Hemming and Hiromi Ohno outside Sushi Oono
Vinomakase Richard’s new Vinomakase column explores how the experts match wine with Japanese cuisine. For the first edition, a traditional sushi...
Hops hang from the ceiling at Dylan's at The Kings Arms in St Albans
Bite-sized A 15th-century pub with bang-up-to-date feasting in the Cathedral Quarter of St Albans. The front bar is still reassuringly pubby...
Person in Domaine Sérol's vineyards in the Côte Roannaise (credit Le Bon Cliché)
Wines of the week Thirst-slaking freshness in a red from Central France. From £15.50, $26.95. For a variety so maligned for much of the...
CWL Wines of Brazil over map
Book reviews Three additions to the Classic Wine Library plus a self-published guide to Portuguese wine. Three of the reviews below are...
Sadie Family winery exterior
Tasting articles A revealing vertical that traces the evolution of South Africa’s most sought-after white. The wines were shown by UK importer...
Léoville Barton - line-up of wines for vertical tasting
Tasting articles A quarter-century of wines from a legendary Bordeaux estate. See also this guide to our bordeaux verticals. Although Château Léoville...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.