A first-timer's guide to Germany

When a forum thread entitled What German wine have you drunk this week? gets well over 200 replies, you can be pretty sure you are among ardent Deutschophiles. Yet Germany remains a daunting prospect for those less well versed in its diverse vinous universe – myself included. So my first ever visit to the country this September was set to put that straight.

This article, then, is an introduction to seven of the producers I visited, chosen by me on this jaunt organised by the generic organisation Wines of Germany. It outlines the style of each, followed by tasting notes...