Germany dries out – best co-ops

Michael Schmidt, a resident of the Ahr region and responsible for this picture of Ahr vineyards in autumn, reports on the results of a telling recent wine competition, as reported by mer/Meininger Verlag.

A full 88 of Germany's 200 or so wine co-operatives entered the 2010 contest held by the country's leading trade publication die Weinwirtschaft to find the champion of them all.

All participants had to submit wines currently available for sale in these six core categories:
QbA trocken (dry) red
QbA dry white
Premium dry red
Premium dry white
QmP halbtrocken (off dry) or lieblich (sweet)
Rosé trocken...