Old World Mastery
Germany
Riesling's spiritual home, from Kabinett to TBA, plus a serious Pinot streak.
20 lessons4,182 practice questions1 certification exam~8 hrs of reading
What you’ll master
Explain why Germany's extreme northern latitude produces wines of exceptional acid-sugar balance unavailable from warmer climates, and use that explanation to justify price and complexity to a skeptical guest
Make a persuasive, evidence-based case for Riesling as the world's greatest white grape variety, drawing on terroir transparency, aging range, and stylistic breadth
Explain why Germany operates two parallel, overlapping wine classification systems and why both remain relevant
Describe the Mosel River's geography, its length, course, major bends, and the three anchoring towns (Trier, Bernkastel-Kues, Koblenz), and explain how the Moselschleife creates south-facing amphitheaters that make fine Riesling possible at 50°N latitude
The curriculum
20 lessons01
Germany Mastery: Overview, The Northernmost Fine Wine Country
30 min read283 practice questions
02
Riesling: The Grape and Its Soul
24 min read177 practice questions
03
The German Classification System: Two Systems, One Wine Country
26 min read205 practice questions
04
Mosel: Geography, Geology & the Bernkastel Area
25 min read194 practice questions
05
Mittelmosel: Wehlen, Graach, Zeltingen & Brauneberg
22 min read210 practice questions
06
Mosel: Ürzig, Erden & the Outer Mosel
23 min read207 practice questions
07
Saar & Ruwer: Steel, Slate, and the World's Greatest Rieslings
22 min read191 practice questions
08
Rheingau: The Rhine's West-Facing Slopes and Riesling Royalty
26 min read184 practice questions
09
Rheinhessen: Germany's Largest Region and Its Quiet Revolution
26 min read173 practice questions
10
Nahe: Germany's Geological Laboratory and Its Hidden Masterpieces
22 min read214 practice questions
11
Pfalz: Germany's Mediterranean, Power, Spice, and the Mittelhaardt
19 min read254 practice questions
12
Baden: Germany's Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Volcanic Soils, and the Kaiserstuhl
22 min read227 practice questions
13
Württemberg: Germany's Red Wine Heartland and the Trollinger Paradox
25 min read208 practice questions
14
Franken: Silvaner, the Bocksbeutel, and the Three Charitable Estates of Würzburg
21 min read212 practice questions
15
Ahr: Germany's Northernmost Red Wine Region, Elegance Against All Odds
25 min read215 practice questions
16
German Spätburgunder: A Cross-Regional Master Class in Pinot Noir
24 min read193 practice questions
17
German White Varieties Beyond Riesling: Silvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Scheurebe, and More
23 min read208 practice questions
18
Sekt and German Sparkling Wine: From Industrial Bubbles to World-Class Riesling Sekt
21 min read183 practice questions
19
German Sweet Wines: Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein, and the Prädikat Summit
24 min read209 practice questions
20
VDP, Grosses Gewächs, and the Floor Master Class: Germany's Classification System in Service
26 min read235 practice questions
Germany Mastery Exam
LockedComplete all 20 lessons to unlock the exam and earn the Wine Saint Certified: Germany credential. A free account tracks your lessons and holds your certificate.